Our engineers got excited... a few minutes after we discover we can not do crossprobing or even open the schematics and PCB at the same time.

Then what is the point?

We can open PDF schematics and use the EE free PCB wiever and get equivalent if not more functionality.

If you realy like to promote ccz format you should consider adding crossprobing capabilities to the free version and let collaboration and advanced features for the non free one.

I know is not free, but main point is competitors are offering free schematics/pcb viewers with full capabilities and everybody is acustomed to that (Altium et al) and when we provide our designs to third parties first question always is: where is the free schematics/viewer like xx company to visualize design?

Answer is always the same and unfortunately (we now what will be the result in advance) when you provide the free EE PCB viewer, outcome is always the same: This viewer is very complicated and not user friendly, how to crossprobe with schematic?... do you have onother way?

When I saw announcement I got excited to finally resolve this common issue, but unfortunately outcome is not OK until Mentor will realize the real need for a free easy to use (as visECAD) tool for third party companies* not willing to spend a dollar when other companies provide that for free

*We can justify visECAD licenses here but not at PCB, assembly houses and other external parties.

sorry. I have to attache another odb++ data.

Much thanks!  I am looking forward to it.

Additionally, I introduced free visECAD to our collegues in assembly lines, they told me it's important to visulize 3D PBA, they asked is it possible to display 3D in visECAD?  In my opinion, it's better that visECAD have a 3D visulization feature if hooking up with VPL packages.

Yanfeng

Mark how can we enable a floating site based licenses for companies who want to provide the Free VisECAD viewer as part of a deliverable from their ISS department?

They do not want multiple people getting random licenseing or having to go to each machine and request access.

Thank you,

Rick Truza

Hi Mark,

I see a lot of potenial in this viewer and we are actually looking at adding the Collaboration Suite to our license mix next year.  I do have one question about an issue I am seeing.  I have a design that has blind vias and we I look at the top view of the board, I see no pad for these vias.  I can turn on the drill view for these, but i can't seem to be able to turn on the pad.  The normal vias come through just fine.  I haven't played with the tool much, so it is probably just something I have over looked in the settings.

Thanks,

Jeff

I downloaded the "Free visECAD" recently and installed with the nodelocked license file emailed to me.

The machine I installed, there is another software from Mentor and there is already a MGLS_LICENSE_FILE

environemnt pointing to license server machine (in the intranet).

Now I realized that the "Free visECAD" grab the license (feature)

  * wgview (vendor: mgcld)

  * wgreport (vendor: mgcld)

My intention using this "Free visECAD" to see (browse) the schematics and PCB is, to avoid consuming

the any "Licenses". Actually, I don't know about licenses above but I don't want to grab

the license(s) in license server while "viewing" the designs (schematics and PCBs).

My question is; is the operation of "Free visECAD" above (grabbing some licensed from server) expected?

Is there ways to avoid grabbing any license from the license server?

Akira

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your respose. Still I don't understand why "visECAD free version" need to check out the

wgview/wgreport licenses.

But I understand the visECAD has no way to control such behavior on the client side (not the license server side).

I tried to "plug off" the LAN connection, to inhibit the server access, and I see the visECAD free version can work

for me. What the "wgview/wgreport" license for (in case of free version of visECAD), and what effect we (free version of visECADs)

eat up all licenses on the server?  Free version of visECAD no longer can run without "wgview/wgreport" licenses?

Access control by the license server is almost impossible to me. Typically we hav no priviledge to configure the server

for such purpose. And the license server may work as servers for other tools (such as FPGA developments).

The machine I installed need the "licenses" from the server for such tools but I want run "free version of visECAD"

without consuming the licenses.

For free version of visECAD, it is noted that the license type is "node lock" and we are installing the license strings

on the machine so the "free version of visECAD" should never access to "servers" in the environment variables

even LM_LICENSE_FILE or MGLS_LICENSE_FILE is defined.

If you have another way that can be done on the "client machine side", please let me know.

Thanks,

Akira

Hi all. I wonder if I can open ccz file with visECAD. The thing is that visECAD tells me:

"Old versions of .cc files is not supported"

Can you help me to troubleshot this issue?

Hi Mark,

I have installed visECAD viewer in my PC and has put the license file attached in the sent mail from pcb_info@mentor.com as it is in C:\MentorGraphics\visECAD folder. Same is updated in Environment variables as suggested in the e-mail. But still when I open visECAD, it asks "Contact Mentor Graphics Corporation for visECAD License" and the viewer doesn't open. I have registered second time and received a new license file, but still same issue.

With regards

Lalit Kumar

I want to use the free visecad viewer together with pads layout.
How can i start the crossprobing between visecad viewer and pads layout?

Joachim

Hi Mark,

We hope VisECAD support Chinese Menu Text, support to create view for coloring net(currently only support to create view for coloring componnet), improve graphics performance, support  to view ODB++ data or has a built-in translor for. Also,  I have obersverd  visECAD has a slow response for clicking menu icon.

Yanfeng

Did your invoke Pads and load the design?

Yanfeng

Mark,

     I have been sent a board file with a *.ccz file extension.  After investigating on the web, I realized that I need a CAMCAD board reader for this file.  So, I downloaded visECAD v2.5.  I followed the instructions to the letter.  However, when I invoke visECAD v2.5, I get the dialog box in the file visECADpop.  It is a jpg and the file extension needs to be added.  I have placed the license file in the path 'C:\WorkingData\tundra\visECAD_ESDM'.  I have placed the file twice in this subdirectory.  The first name is tom.txt and the second name for the same file is '08CA7B5B-E697-2F03-69EB63C222E1BCF3.txt', which is exactly is the name given in the email from Mentor Graphics.  This is the license file given to me by Mentor Graphics.

The environmental variable MGLS_LICENSE_FILE already exists.  We are a Cadence shop and so this variable points to a license server.  However, I redirect this variable to point to the path 'C:\WorkingData\tundra\visECAD_ESDM\tom.txt'.  But, when I invoke visECAD v2.5, the below pop up dialog occurs.  The pop up dialog has only the text 'Contact Mentor Graphics Corporation for a visECAD License'.  That is all it says.  So, I redefined the variable MGLS_LICENSE_FILE to have the value 'C:\WorkingData\tundra\visECAD_ESDM\08CA7B5B-E697-2F03-69EB63C222E1BCF3.txt'.  The same failure occurs.

Could you help me, please?  I have a critical need to look at the product's layout for product development and, eventually, shipment.

You discovered the problem.  The MAC address in the license file is 'HOSTID=00c0a8f1798f' and the mac address of my active port is 00 24 7e 69 31 d0.  You just made me aware of two problems.  One is the MAC address in the file and of the active port are different, which is the problem.  The second problem is that when I am in the lab, I use my wireless port and a different MAC address, of course, is associate with that interface.

My recourse is to download the viewer with the associated license file again. In other words, go through the process again, but, in this effort, I must make sure that I submit the wireless MAC address, instead of the wired MAC address. 

You gave me a direction to go and I am very pleasantly surprised by your quick response.  Thank you very much.