1a) Saying the program crashes is of no help. The reason being is because we used the program extensively before it was released, and the beta test group also used it. What (exactly) are you doing to cause this? How are you running the program - for example, do you have the graphics and the spreadsheet open at the same time? Does the crash occur only when you click a certain button, etc?

1b) We removed the old "2D Graphics" because:

- 5 years ago users where threatening to switch to another pipe stress program if we didn't improve our graphics. We selected the HOOPS library because of the capabilities offered.

- The "2D Graphics" relied on a graphics engine we developed in Assembly Language in the late 1980's. The intelligence we wanted in the graphics could never be supported by this old engine.

- We wanted a 3rd party library to address the many hardware and operating system combinations.

- We simply couldn't add any more capability to the graphics using the old engine.

- As of the release of Version 4.20, no work has been done on the "2D Graphics". All new capabilities have been incorporated into the "3D Graphics", relying on the HOOPS engine.

1c) You don't need a super computer. The program runs just fine on my machine, which is at least six years old and started life as a Dual-300Mhz machine. Since then I've upgraded the processors to twin 700Mhz.

Yes, HOOPS starts up slower than the old "2D Graphics", but that is because the engine computes the 3D model and all possible display information before it releases control to the user. (You can rotate and zoom on the initial center-line model while the remainder of the information is being computed.) However, once this initial preparation is completed, the HOOPS graphics are infinitely faster than the old graphics. In the old graphics, every push of an arrow key (to rotate the model), or a request for information (say nodes), would require a complete redraw, which required a complete recaluation of the model. None of this happens in HOOPS, your view changes instantly since HOOPS knows where everything is.

2) If you don't like where the button is, change it. The toolbar is customizable.

3) This may be a good idea, we'll have to discuss it. How often and under what circumstance would you use this capability?

4) You can do this now. In the static output processor, enter the HOOPS graphics. Then click the [Grid] toolbar button. This will display a floating window allowing you to select load cases and reports for display in the grid. Clicking on an element in the grid highlights it in the graphics. (You couldn't do that in the old "2D Graphics".)

5) All HOOPS "input" capabilities are available in the HOOPS "output" processor. We are not finished implementing HOOPS in the "output" processor - this area will be much improved in Version 5.00. Obviously, output capabilities will not be available in the input.

6) We'll look into this idea.

7) What did you have in mind here?

I disagree, we haven't missed anything. We have been suggesting to our user base for over three years to start using the HOOPS graphics, and provide feedback on these unfinished graphics. Now that the input implementation is nearly finished, HOOPS is the only graphics engine. We couldn't "not release", due to piping code and other technical changes. If you give the new graphics a chance, (try out all the buttons) you'll find the HOOPS graphics overall faster, and more capable.