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Just my two cents here -- I think the staff does a remarkable job trying to keep up with the glitches that understandably come with a constantly changing, ever-evolving software program. DS could package their software in a box, sell it to us and be done with it until they develop a new program, package it and sell it. But WE, the users, keep asking and expecting more and more -- and the staff keep rewriting and editing the code to try to accomodate our wishes and provide a desirable product. With constant changes being made to complicated computer code, it's no wonder (to me, anyway) that there are issues to be dealt with along the way. And I've never, in all my dealings with other companies, seen a staff so willing and so readily available to check into and repair these sporadic glitches. Just today, my husband was on the phone for HOURS with tech support of Roadrunner trying to correct a glitch in his e-mail. And guess what -- it's still not fixed! They've never heard of his problem and don't have any idea how to go about fixing it. That's how it was left. So, I'll take Livingsoft and their dedication to providing the best and updated pattern drafting software possible any day. Again, just my two cents. Darlene / Orlando DSPro 6.13 and most everything else | ||||
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I'm a new user, and haven't progressed much beyond a blouse sloper. But I had another brand of pattern drafting software for years, and it was a bad experience. So, if I may, I have a suggestion: When I decided to give up on the other software, I went shopping for a different brand. With the greatest of respect, and please don't take this as criticism (well, I guess it is, after all but it's meant to be constructive) I had a really hard time finding out about your product through your website. I can't put my finger on it, but it just wasn't simple for me to understand what the various packages were, and I know you have a summary/comparison page, but that wasn't enough. Now, I'm no marketing expert. But I am a heck of a consumer...lots of experience in that area! And I'm wondering if maybe you should invest some of your hard earned dollars in buying some marketing expertise. I think your product is hands down better than the last product I had, and I've been so happy with the quick and clear answers I've received to my problem reports. I just think that you have a complex product that offers many solutions to pattern drafting, and you could flog it better. So I hope you don't mind the suggestion. | ||||
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If I can make a request, please don't introduce any new toys till the old toys are fixed. It sounds like things are going to change next year, and if we are going to have to pay to get fixes for bugs that are introduced in the software and not caught by regression testing, you're going to have a revolt. | ||||
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Hello Judith, Positive suggestions are always welcome, if not always entirely practical. I would love to hire contract help if there were any of those hard earned dollars available for that. But, when the funds available just cover required fixed expenses (manufacturing, postage, phone, employee salaries, IRS, insurance, taxes, and such), then the tasks that are left over are done by whoever is willing to do them. I do most of the programming. I am also the companay president. I am also the chairman of the board of directors. I also respond to 95% of the problem reports. I analyze measurement sets and advise about those, and provide answers to questions on the discussion boards. I also do all the web pages on the web site. And, I take out the garbage. My wife does the accountng, bookkeeping, taxes, handles refunds, installment sales, credit card issues, and any customer service issues associated with billing or accounts. If she would agree to not pay the rent, then I would be delighted to hire better talent than myself for the web site. Alas, she has not agreed that is more desirable than keeping our home.... I realize that my note is whiny and that is unfortunate. I won't apologize, though. Frankly, I'm very tired. I'm tired of the long hours. I'm tired of the lack of appreciation for the regular updates that we work so hard to provide. And, I'm tired of the complaints that we fail to provide perfection. I know that there have been some supportive posts and I do appreciate those immensely. It is a personal failing of mine that an accusation of foul intent carries as much weight as many notes of thanks. My wish list would include both perfection and a regular paycheck. I'm afraid that I and the others posting their lists will find that wishes are easier to request than they are to produce. And, we will all be left with the choice of appreciating whatever it is we have or enduring more disappointment. Whether one takes their disappointment with anger or resignation, it is still more unpleasant than the alternative. But, I have to say I find it difficult to find much to be thankful for.... DressShopBob (Bob Clardy) | ||||
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I am very impressed with the above suggestions. I believe many of these ideas will work. Let me tell you a little of my disappointment with DS. I wait and wait for the new upgrades and the new collections/tools to come out. Generally it is very secretive and many times we have no idea what we will get. (Not very good marketing) The last two collections were a big disappointment to me, and because I don't generally buy something that I can not use, I did not buy them. I was so hoping these collections would have had something I could use. One did not have garments with darts and one was for men only. I bought the one before these, but there was little in it except for the additional tools that I do use. There was the Home Dec program that came out, and since I am a retired professional interior designer, you probably can tell how interested I was in this program. I wasn't interested at all because I could probably sew any of the items with my eyes closed. I don't wear hats and I do not have a hobby of dolls. I am able to purchase bras that fit me like a glove. I do not know how your marketing concepts are conceived. I have even personally been told by DS staff that my ideas were not welcome. I have not said any of the above with any ill will. I just believe that better marketing concepts are possible. Bob, please don't take this personally, as I don't believe that many of the above DS decisions were yours. | ||||
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If I can make a request, please don't introduce any new toys till the old toys are fixed --------- First this is NOT a personal reply.its a reply to the entire thread of comments. Please define which Old toy is broken! At the moment I have one bug fix reported.it will be fixed next update.A portion of one tool was NOT turned on that should be.Found, reported, fixed. avalabel next update. ONE person reported it from Australia. NO one else has both found it and reported it. I think Bob has two small issues.1 involving a yoke if applied thru the yoke tool andinvolves a fit level change instead of the mia options and a weird dress which we have decided to redesign.Its been in the program BROKEN for over 2 years. It was prior to the current test group which would have caught it and smashed it to smithereens..It was one of those of lets do this and is so "different" it was included as a design but the designer that did it obviously didnt test it. We got the first report on this dress 2 days ago. ITS never been reported before. NOT ever... yet the design elements dont work...period. Dump it.in a flash but that would be taking something away that NO one has Tried. Its obvious we can't remove released less than adequate designs from years ago. So now I get the privilege of reworking it so it can work and Bob gets the privlege of reprogramming it. He followed the original designers instructions to a T. This entire thread is full of "things are broken".but NO ONE has defined a single entity to repair. Unless we get a definition we cant repair it. I use DS all the time. Daily in fact. ALL my clothes are DS. (OK I have a fur coat and a fur lined suede coat and 2 embellished sweater coats that are RTW) Everything else from night clothes to casual to formal is DS designed. Kaaren constructed. I keep old patterns to compare against. IF I had a repair list a mile long you must believe I would be first IN LINE DEMANDING a repair! I don't want to work with broken tools any more than any other user. Im pickier and feistier and have more direct contact with the programmers daily. When we do change something we well notate the changes. We don't sit down and intentionally break something.NOR do we intentionaly ignore a problem report IF we can replicate it. We carefully consider how much change we can do in one go and what the potential consequences are to "other" garments in the class. IF your chart has had no changes, no ammendments since the last time you tried something and theres a change go back to the update release notes ( all found on the web site) and read them...see if something actually changed in the program code that may effect the tool or element you are discussing.or write me and Ill do the search and try explain what changed and often why. IF you have a habit of experimenting with chart changes or settings changes..what did YOU elect/change that changed the draft. One can complain and become part of a solution by using the problem report system or you can complain and not detail the complaint and nothing happens. Like most people there are certain styles, fit levels I use all the time with variants. I don't make crop tops, low rise pants or blouson blouses or baggy jumpers.....but I do check them when someone reports an issue with them. Our test group works very hard to test as much as possible. If we did a full test on every possible garment.updates would be spaced in biannual instead of monthly time frames. Do you really want to wait for a fix to something simple for 2 years..... or do you want it in 1-3 weeks. MY CONCEPT of a design may be very different from how you feel it should fit...and that's just fine and dandy you can change and adjust the fit. I think a straight skirt should hang not be used as a foundation garment -corset . its not designed to adjust your body its designed to wear on the body. But some users want a skin tight straight skirt that will need a big ole slit so they can walk. Thats OK.....but its a difference in design concept. Know where you are starting and where you want to go are imperative. The program isnt going to stop and think this lady wants a realllllly close fit. Lets do somethigthn diffrerent from the base design.Its gonna give you the base and then let you change it. Default is a starting position.the tools which to my knowledge WORK can take you where you want to go. Kaaren patrns4u@aol.com | ||||
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Dear`Dl et.al ..the concept of an open forum on what to produce next is interesting . We actually PLAN in advance a timetable to produce certain collections that from past correspondence with users indicates a need or desire. Each collection is then vetted. How much will it cost to produce in R&D dollars? How much $ in sales can we expect from a careful study of past sales and new marketing? How focused is it to a particular interest group? What tools should it include? Whats the timeing on release. Who is the designer?one of the consultants or an outsider on a royalty basis? Can they work in terms of percentages and numbers needed for program code? DO they udnerstand we arent designing for size 4-12 and consider anyone over x LARGE? Who is going to priject manage and whats on their plate? How does that effect timing.? I have a personal favorite that's been on the list. I might add bottom of the list.for about 3 years now. The project would cost more time and energy and resources than we can expect to return in a given time period. We have suggestions for historical costuming,scuba and surfing gear, climbing gear,pet clothes..on and on that are highly regarded by the proponents. BUT whats the MARKET? and how much will it cost to produce? ANYONE can write in at any time with a concept plan for a collection! (write me at patrns4u@aol.com) IF it fits the criteria it might get moved in. It might already be on the list and thats the "post" that moves it up a notch. Sometimes a really desireable collection gets move out of its time slot. the designer wont be available, the project manager is backed up. The programmers have to finish xyz and then the designer isnt available..something major needs to be done first to support the collection... all kinds of variables. (try coordinating who's available from a group of people to coordinate one chore ) Opening a forum would need a staff moderator to read/sort and pass first judgement on all these ideas and concepts. More work....and the day didnt grow longer. Good idea but not employable. Bob and I both have our families involved...Bobs wife Ann is a CPA and our chief financial officer so shes "official" and takes her job very seriously. My Caes just puts up with endless hours he sees only the back of my head as I sit at the computer or in the sewing room, has ladies invade his space for workshops, and listens endlessly to design concepts, sewing terms, lives with enough fabric to start a shop and puts up with my "day trips" window shopping, buying fabrics and notions and so on. hes not official. Neither of us know what an 8 hour day is..you see our posts early in the morning, mid day and late into the evening. You don't see the endless stream of emails, file transfers, hours of IM, the weekly phone conference call thats considered short when it's only an hour and a half or 2 that stream back and forth among the worker bees. But they all happen.... tossing an extra list to monitor reply to and acknowledge.... theres only so much time in a day. Kaaren patrns4u@aol.com | ||||
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My Wish I would love to have a class (which I would gladly pay for) that would go through the construction of a particular item from picking out the fabric to detailing the finished product. The first class I would love would be bras. If you charged a nominal fee of 10 to 15 dollars that would be great. We could ask Ressy (if she was willing) to help with some of the items needed (we just had a great co-op on bra strap elastics in fabulous colors) and if we could co-op the material and padding and snaps etc. wouldn't that be great. And what a great advertisor for the program. I don't have marketing skills just consumer skills (I am a professional purchaser albiet in the manufacturing industry LOL) but I wonder if that could be a selling item. And to be able to put on the board that you provide classes. (I know Kaaren does them for free right now, but I am talking about after the fitting classes) I know there are many talented ladies on this group and i would be willing to sign up for classes. Although the class' would have to be downloadable in PDF format for those that cannot attend on the white board. and then have a chat area for those that take the class'. Just a thought. Yep and I found the dress that was broken. Actually I found it many updates ago, but since I didn't find it a great need back then, and thought gee someone else has probably already reported it I would just wait for the next update. But now I do want to make that dress. Kaaren, I want to publicly thank you for all the time and energy that you put in in helping me with my measurements. Looking at my photo's, giving constructive input, looking at more photo's and my measurement charts...all that time and I didn't have to pay a penny for it...too bad more people didn't realize how much time and effort you put in for us. I am very thin skinned (feeling hurt very easily) and some times the remarks that are made are very hurtful, but since we can't see the senders face or hear the tone of the voice we take the comments in the wrong way. OUCH. Anyway I'll end now... Thanks again
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Kaaren, I honestly can't imagine how anyone could think this isn't ALL being done by the Livingsoft staff on and on-going basis. Judging by the content of some of these posts, I guess I'm wrong. I, for one, appreciate and UNDERSTAND all the hard work and many, many hours you all put in for, what appears to be, a somewhat small, if any, return on your investment/efforts. I only hope that the return isn't too small and the frustration level too large for Livingsoft to continue. THAT would be TERRIBLE! My feeling is that this thread has gotten out of hand, so this will be my last word on the subject. Darlene / Orlando DSPro 6.13 and most everything else | ||||
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Classes are a great idea. I promised a bra class before I left nevada last spring.and havent had the time to put it together. I dotn charge for classes.we did the robe and a jacket in class projects with relatively few takers considering our total numbers. It was free. once I get settled again.depending on my work sched we will sart another class project. Which has always included class notes in pdf . A reminder that the Sunday chat is always different from the "newbie classes" which are a prescribed set of classes repeated over and over in order... to get new users started. Also there are a ton of helpful how to articles in both help>help index and and Help>on the web>sewing links. This library grows all the time...Ive just submitted a batch of articles that will eb released in the enxt couple months. Some are by me, some by users, in oru own Help Index and the link sites on the web are by colleges, univerisities, sewing magazine authors, and more...thre link sites all are public sites; we have organized them into an index so you can select and link on line for yoru convenience.Kaaren patrns4u@aol.com | ||||
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 Let's smile and take a look at Dress Shop over the years. I've been an owner since 2.0. The product today is so far beyond what we could even imagine back then, beyond our wildest dreams. When did this happen? Why did it happen? Because of BOB! When he came on board things changed for the better and they changed FAST! Tools we never even thought of appeared and this product became FUN! "So much to create, so little time", we said as we worked all day at our jobs and then stayed up til midnight playing with the program and dreaming up new creations. And the fun stuff keeps appearing! Is the program perfect? No. Do we have some frustrations? Yes. Would we go back to 2.0? No Way! Enough said. June | ||||
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First of all, I really do appreciate what goes into writing software. I don't know a lot about business or marketing, so I can't speak to that. I have had this software since DS4. I've enjoyed working with the software, and looked forward to seeing what new products would be released. My gripe is the same as some of the others who have expressed better than I can - I can't count on common things working when a new load of code is released. Go back and review the list of changes for each load - changes from 2003 and forward are listed on the website. Look at what sort of things are fixed in each load. Some of the corrections are reasonable, but a large percentage of them are mistakes that should have been caught before the software was released. And it never fails, it seems like it's things I'm working on. Remember when the tap pant teddy had a problem? I was considering using the pattern, then a new load of software came out. Nothing had changed in the lingerie area, but all of a sudden, the teddy would not draft properly. I think this took a couple of loads before it was fixed. Or the time that the short sleeve option was removed from jackets. At the time, Bob said folks had too many issues with the short sleeve option, so he removed it as a design option. I never had a problem with it, but evidently he fixed whatever was wrong, and added it back. The seam allowances, though they have gotten better over the years, are still not right, and I have to spend time to correct. And now in ver 6.12 and 6.13, I cannot load a saved pattern and have the ease values retained for that pattern. And this did not rise high enough on the priority list to get fixed. People keep bringing up the fact that Microsoft has bugs. Fine, but when a new version of something, say the word processor comes out, you can still type a document, select fonts, and use the common tools. I can't count on common stuff working each time with DS. Patti | ||||
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And now in ver 6.12 and 6.13, I cannot load a saved pattern and have the ease values retained for that pattern. --------- The missing saved portions are not going to suddenly reaapear. you have to do them over and save again. if you save now whats saved should be there from the elements that commonly save. I make saved patterns all the time. Once in a while something "slips out" and thats not a good thing.but always..always print a pattern summary. Compare the old summary which is all you really need to retain in a notebook of your saved patterns. Make a note in the free form text.btw this summary stays with the saved pattern! on your puter.so if you forget where you put it or arent quite done but run out of time you can still have the summary and the notes of what you did finish. when you reload the new saved pattern take a look at the summary.is anything missing ? did you add an element after saving ( I do that more often than I care to admit..) and then not save it and load it again. At the last minute i decide to raise or lower a neck or change a bicep ease just a fraction. or after viewing the layout decide that i can use a little less flare to fit in the yardage i have on hand. and keep those pattern names short and descriptive .you can go over easily in the nameing convention.(do as I say not as I do.ggg) if your free form notes get too long you will loose mia art.. If you have 90% of it and the summary you can recreate it quickly..... this is an amazingly big job to pick up store and save the commands and over rides ..and keep it compressed to a very small file. its not that it didnt make a quick list.its set aside till a more comprehensive method can be developed. what we have is a convenience not an essential. and it is one of thsoe tools added to the basic program along the way. Kaaren patrns4u@aol.com | ||||
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Your post had a number of excellent suggestions, but I do want to reply to this one specifically. We do have a forum that we monitor for suggestions. You just posted to it. Perhaps the assumption was wrong, but we did assume that if people want something added to Dress Shop or changed in Dress Shop, that they would talk about it here, in the Dress Shop forums. This is where we look for guidance from users. This is what drives the list of patterns, features, fixes and improvements that will be included in upcoming releases. You do need to understand that you will never get just your own personal list included. Doing a custom version of the product with only the changes requested by one user included is just not feasible. So, the new patterns requested by one (men's briefs was the first requested after the most recent update) will be given as much weight as the wish lists of others. The final list will include items from all. If you cannot accept the fact that there will be changes done that you did not ask for, then you should not take the updates. Also, there are three kinds of updates done to Dress Shop and you might want to take the ones that apply to your own preferences or needs. They are: 1. New products and features. These come out 3 or 4 times a year. 2. Just fixes. No new patterns. No new features. These come out in between the others. The current 6.13 release had no new patterns, no new tools, and no new options. Just corrections that users had asked for. The list of requests is never empty as they continue to come in daily. Waiting for a finished list never happens, so these updates are released when there are enough changes included to be worth the hassle of providing the update. 3. More extensively tested releases. We do these at least once a year. They are generally done with an upgrade release. The last one was Dress Shop 6.01 and 5.19, released on October 20, 2004. This version was tested much more extensively than the simpler updates. The upgrade purchase was totally optional. There are still some users working with Dress Shop 5, getting what updates they like and not getting charged for any of them. Updates are optional. You do not have to take them all. If you find taking every update frustrating or unsatisfactory, perhaps you should wait for those that suit your preferences better. We always announce what is included in each. DressShopBob (Bob Clardy) | ||||
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Bob, The problem with this idea, which has been posted several times, is that if I like everything with say 6.05 but want a new pattern set I have to take the update in order for a new pattern set to work. I can't just say 6.05 works for me I'll stick with that update. I understand that new things may require new programming but for some reason, your statement regarding "if you don't want an update don't take it" just doesn't match with your always needing income statement. I may be missing something, is there a way to take an update that fixes the waist problem but not accept the update that changes the back width problem?? (this is just a hypothetical example - I am trying to say is it possible to take a later fix update without taking an earlier fix update?). Nancy | ||||
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