Anyone imported/export WinQCad <-> OrCad?

[Joerg]

Question: WinQCad (MicroCad?) is supposed to import and export OrCad
schematics/library parts. Has anyone actually tried and can shed some
light on how well this works with schematics from recent versions of OrCad?

 

[Joerg]

Insist on a free trial. My experience with OrCAD is that
import/export leaves lots to be desired.

Sure, but if it works here a couple times that's no real guarantee.
Orcad has this habit of not being very backward compatible so if this
breaks with every new release it won't work well. Justwanted to know if
anyone had some longer term experience.

This is where I must say that the ME world is better. I get a lot of
stuff in Autocad and I can always read that in using my non-Autocad CAD.
Two clients even send schematics in Autocad. Probably because it always
reads in right ...

 

[krw]

Sure, but if it works here a couple times that's no real guarantee.
Orcad has this habit of not being very backward compatible so if this
breaks with every new release it won't work well. Justwanted to know if
anyone had some longer term experience.

OrCAd's only guarantee is that it'll crash. The crashes are quite
compatible from one version to version.

This is where I must say that the ME world is better. I get a lot of
stuff in Autocad and I can always read that in using my non-Autocad CAD.
Two clients even send schematics in Autocad. Probably because it always
reads in right ...

I think MEs demand that their software works.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Sure, but if it works here a couple times that's no real guarantee.
Orcad has this habit of not being very backward compatible so if this
breaks with every new release it won't work well. Justwanted to know if
anyone had some longer term experience.

This is where I must say that the ME world is better.

You've got to be kidding. 3D CAD packages (eg. SW, SE) are not
compatible from one YEAR to the next (only backward, and they can't
save in older formats, only a mandatory update to the new version when
saved). That forces everyone who deals with other companies to upgrade
fairly promptly, and keeps a green gusher of "maintenance" payments
flowing in.

Orcad is MUCH more compatible between versions, especially Crapture,
which is where you generally interface between companies and
designers.

I get a lot of
stuff in Autocad and I can always read that in using my non-Autocad CAD.
Two clients even send schematics in Autocad. Probably because it always
reads in right ...

Well, Acad probably still has moldy code in it from 1974..

 

[Joerg]

You've got to be kidding. 3D CAD packages (eg. SW, SE) are not
compatible from one YEAR to the next (only backward, and they can't
save in older formats, only a mandatory update to the new version when
saved). That forces everyone who deals with other companies to upgrade
fairly promptly, and keeps a green gusher of "maintenance" payments
flowing in.

New formats, yes, but:

http://www.deskeng.com/articles/aaapmb.htm

Quote "Speaking of file size, AutoCAD 2010 brings with it a new DWG file
format. While the software can open drawings saved in earlier versions,
anyone needing to share drawings with someone using an older release
will need to specifically save in the older format."

The usual, File -> Save as -> select from drop-down menu.

AFAIR it goes almost back to hieroglyphs, hammer and chisel.

Orcad is MUCH more compatible between versions, especially Crapture,
which is where you generally interface between companies and
designers.

That has sometimes resulted in a DBO3220 read error when at clients,
whatever the heck that meant.

Well, Acad probably still has moldy code in it from 1974..

But it works, I can read the stuff, the information gets across

 

[Joerg]

OrCAd's only guarantee is that it'll crash. The crashes are quite
compatible from one version to version.

That's one of the things that drove me away from it. I am not the most
patient PC user and I've managed to bring it into hard freezes several
times before it was even lunchtime.

I think MEs demand that their software works.

So do I. Which is why I switched to Eagle. It doesn't crash.

But I am still in the market for something better that has a
hierarchical sheet structure. That's IMHO the only (but huge) flaw of Eagle.