This needs to be mentioned. My manager has told me to ask if these issues of downloading new versions is worth the money my company pays for this product. I have been using STAAD now for 12 years but the new programs that Bentley is trying to attach and integrate has been less than desirable with all the program errors I have encountered. I have logged many software disputes but all I get is "download the new version", which doesn't help me because I cannot do this by myself, it goes through a software review from our central office in San Antonia, TX. I need Bentley to prove to my company, in some form, that it needs the new version to analyze any structure whether STAAD, RAM Connections or STAAD Foundation Advanced. RAM Structural Systems is basically useless when trying to ISM STAAD files. Beams are not correctly placed, issues with gravity members or lateral members not being defined correctly when imported from ISM.
I recently completed my yearly review with my manager and I brought up all of the problems I have encountered with the Bentley programs. He agrees with me that STAAD has not been forthcoming with fixing errors, only asking for the model and reissuing another version that fixes what was wrong without explanation and this dates back to 1990 as he has told me.
Personally, I am having a hard time relying on your company to put forth a working version of any of your structural programs because of the fact Bentley keeps reissuing versions of programs we already have without any explanation of what was wrong with the previous version. I have found many errors that have been “Logged” in the most recent of versions that has been supplied to us. It seems that when I find an issue with the recent program it gets corrected in the next version. Am I to assume that I am a beta tester for all Bentley software that is issued to us? If so then other users of this software may not be aware of these problems and are designing inferior structures that could become catastrophic failures in the field.
Russell,
I'll try to address your concerns though they are many. If a defect is found in a current version it does indeed get logged into our database for correction. We can't always make a correction for the next version but try to, certainly when the issue is critical.
We recently started a semi-automated process of emailing users who have reported an issue when a version with the fix is released. If you have issue numbers I can track down the status for you. We also post release notes covering critical fixes for most products.
We are releasing software more often (~ once per quarter) now so that solutions can be delivered to users quicker, and we have also made it easier to get updates through the Connection Client, though I can appreciate not all users are able to update their software directly as you indicated.
We have a good group of people testing the software and running our quality assurance program, but with so many codes, links, workflows etc I'm sure some issues do not get identified until the software is released. So we are also investigating ways of sharing our certification models or results to improve user confidence (this is in the early stages).
I hope that helps, let me know if you have any more specific issues that I can help with.
Russell, I have had the exact comment to them that I feel like a beta tester. Just to compare notes, I've opened 116 service request since 2012. A few were just questions, some were enhancement request and a few were my mistake but most, by far, were bug notifications. Fifty of these are showing as being closed. I feel it is Bentley's job to tell me when they fixed the bug and close out the ticket, not mine to review my reported bugs every time a new release comes out, then, if it's fixed close the ticket. I seldom get notified when a bug is fixed.
To your point about users not being aware of bugs, I would say this is a certainty.
I've felt like a Bentley beta tester for several years as well. Actually, I find more bugs in Bentley production versions than I do in other programs where I actually do beta-testing. RAM Connection is, as far as I can tell, Bentley's red-headed stepchild that they keep locked in the basement and throw a bread crust to every now and then... Which is unfortunate since that was my main connection design software. Also unfortunate since every project requires connections, and most failures (e.g. KC Hyatt...) occur at connections. That's a bad design area to neglect and not dedicate adequate resources to.
Agree about RAM Connection. How long have they been promising HSS connections?
True,
Whenever you try to make cross checking, you always find the problems.
Also the help files for RAM connection gives very limited information.
It starts with meaning of the connections names, their limitations (there are too many actually) etc.
Whenever we compare with STAAD, which has enough information available in help file,
RAM connection lack behind far considerable margin.
Hope they will improve it soon.