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-   -   New ePanel Builder (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=5480)

Highflight 02-01-2006 07:54 AM

New ePanel Builder
 
Add the new EpanelBuilder to the list of extra things to spend money on. :eek:

I guess if needing a graphical representation of your proposed panel has value, then that value is now to be paid for.

http://www.epanelbuilder.com/index.php

jcoloccia 02-01-2006 08:32 AM

I noticed that last night. He never bothered to mention (not that I saw, anyhow) in any of the hype for the new site that it would suddenly become a service. It's a shame...it was a wonderfully useful tool, but for $100 a year, I'd rather just buy a program (or write my own) and then not only do I own it forever but I don't have to put up with that annoying, constant advertising (acceptable when it was free, but I'll be damned if I pay one dime for the privelage of being marketed to).

C'est la vie :)

Davepar 02-01-2006 09:08 AM

Trying to make money 3 different ways (subscriptions; vendor affiliations; and annoying, animated, refreshing ads) is over the top. I printed some full-size pictures of the instruments, cut them out, and taped them to the panel. My cost so far is less than a buck. Plus I can sit in the cockpit and get a better impression of the layout.

N316RV 02-01-2006 03:22 PM

Bill
Is there anyway to preview this new version before we commit funds?
Thanks
Alan

cjensen 02-01-2006 03:28 PM

i just registered on the new site, and you get a few instruments and avionics to play with, but it's not enought to really use. i'd have to say that it sounds like a fairly good deal in the end...i will probably subscribe when i get farther down the road.

nice job bill. ;)

Highflight 02-02-2006 07:04 AM

Bill,

The only operational thought I would pass on to you is that you have totally locked out anybody who won't pay up. In the big scheme of things considering how computer programs and utilities are usually marketed, that seems a little harsh. Almost all useful programs offer a limited use version as a freebee while holding back on allowing full use of the program for paying customers. It's a simple sales "gimmick" that has worked well for lot's of companies that sell computer services and programs.

My suggestion would be to allow users to use the epanel builder as it was before at no charge so people can "play" with it and have some fun doing the visuals of how they might like their panel to look. That would go a long way toward good PR.
Then for those users who are serious about actually using the CAD layout and cutting services etc., THEY would see the obvious value of paying for those services to execute their final design.

Considering that Panel Planner costs over a couple hundred bucks, I'd say to offer similar capability of epanel for free as before, but charge maybe $75 for the people who are serious about finishing up and physically building their panels.

If a multitude of people have already signed up and paid the money, then you're good to go. But if you find that few jump in as paying customers, then maybe the above would bring a lot of people in and pay when they're ready.
You might find that someone else will quickly jump in and introduce their own version of a "free" online panel planner in order to fill the gap you left (keeping in mind that even a "free" site like that makes money with the advertisers). If you restore the original (limited) functionality of the original epanel site, you'd be discouraging a competitor from moving in on what has been your territory for quite a while.

Just thinkin'.

Alex 02-02-2006 07:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highflight
My suggestion would be to allow users to use the epanel builder as it was before at no charge so people can "play" with it and have some fun doing the visuals of how they might like their panel to look.

I think I fall into this catagory. As I have not started my project yet, there's no way I'll pony up any fee, no matter how small, for a panel design service. I don't need the capability of producing a CNC-ready output. However, I was perfectly willing to lend advertising eyeballs to a non-subscription site so that I could play around with ideas.

jarhead 02-02-2006 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Highflight
My suggestion would be to allow users to use the epanel builder as it was before at no charge so people can "play" with it and have some fun doing the visuals of how they might like their panel to look. That would go a long way toward good PR.
Then for those users who are serious about actually using the CAD layout and cutting services etc., THEY would see the obvious value of paying for those services to execute their final design.

I'd have to agree with this. I'm still in the "fantasizing" stage, and will be for quite some time, but it's still useful to lay-out panels periodically as my knowledge level of this stuff grows. The whole-panel pics don't need to be big, maybe 600x300 (or whatever the correct proportion is), but enough to give us wanna-be's something to look at and see if our fantasy is grounded in reality or not...
When the time comes for it, I'd be more than willing to pay for the CAD and cut service.

aadamson 02-02-2006 08:12 AM

Can I offer one other perspective
 
Actually, this mirrors most of the prior comments. I'm right in the middle of designing my panel. It's also changed at least 10 times. This "what-if" playing is the perfect tool that epanelbuilder filled in it's prior life. 6 of those 10 changes I mentioned I did with the old free tool. That was a huge value that the tool provided. I could "try" things and see how they looked.

When the rubber hits the road and I'm ready for actual cad services because I've created my perfect "what-if", then money should come to play. But I would suggest not until. There will be too much "wasted" money on all the changes in the early conceptualizing stage.

Perhaps a compromise is a *lower* rate for panel mock up, and then a different rate for cad design, design verification and manufacturing.

You probably have the data that will tell you what you want to know.... How many hits did you have prior to going to pay for, vs, how many paid sign ups have you had since?

My my .02,

rv9aviator 02-02-2006 08:41 AM

I have Panel Planner and everytime I open the software if it's been over one week it askes me if I want to check and download any new instruments and panels. It is very easy to stay current. I'm not saying one is better than the other only I've been very satisfied with Panel Planner.

The really cool thing about Panel Planner is I can print the full size panel on a three 13X19 sheets in full color and stick it in the plane to see if I need to adjust anything for my line of sight. Other software may be able to do the same thing.


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