| Users report difficult usability and the need for a more user-friendly experience. Usability | Siemens Teamcenter | PLM | $18k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Daily use is described as heavy and complicated, with too many steps and too many logins. Workflow friction | Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE / ENOVIA | PLM | $18k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| A KiCad MCP bridge normalizes DRC, connectivity, and geometry into its own output format, and that normalized output can silently disagree with the native KiCad engine. The maintainer had to build seeded false-PASS and false-FAIL tests because the bridge layer cannot be trusted as engineering truth on its own. Agent failure | kicad-mcp-pro (KiCad MCP bridge) | ECAD | $18k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| An AI-driven PCB build pipeline ran its 3D interference gate against a cached mesh from the previous board revision because the loader hard-coded the prior package path. It reported zero interferences on a board that had three real ones, including parts inside a headphone jack's moulded body. Agent failure | pcb-skill (AI PCB build agent) | Verification | $18k | 3 days | 1 | Medium |
| A SolidWorks MCP bridge returned success JSON and even a normal-looking PDF export while the live document was wrong: a sketch asked for the Right plane silently landed on Front, and a macro call reported success=False with zero errors while never running. Only visual inspection inside SolidWorks itself revealed it. Agent failure | SolidWorks MCP bridge (alisamsam/Solidworks-MCP) | MCAD | $18k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| AI PCB design output can look finished and pass every geometric DRC check while being electrically wrong: clean routing, zero DRC errors, and an amplifier with its inputs tied together, or a plausible part number with an invented pinout. DRC checks geometry, not whether the circuit works. Agent failure | AI PCB design tools (general) | ECAD | $18k | 5 days | 1 | Low |
| Raw LLM-driven KiCad agents cannot be trusted to generate board and schematic files directly, because the file formats contain implicit relationships the model does not understand. The safe architecture is: the model proposes intent, deterministic tools execute, and a verification engine produces evidence. Agent failure | LLM-driven KiCad agents (general) | ECAD | $18k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| A cleanup tool that should remove only unconnected track segments deleted between 13 and 728 connected segments across six demo boards that had zero unconnected segments. DRC afterwards showed up to 196 unconnected nets. Agent failure | mcp-server-kicad (KiCad MCP server) | ECAD | $18k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| Firmware and schematic agree that one output drives the heater and another fires the Deploy 2 pyro charge, but the PCB swaps OUT3 and OUT4. A heater command would energize the pyro output, and neither ERC nor the netlist flags the swap. Agent failure | proveskit flight_controller_board (KiCad design) | ECAD | $18k | 3 days | 1 | Low |
| Interface feels outdated, not user-friendly, and many tasks take too many clicks. Usability | PTC Windchill | PLM | $16.8k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Complex interface and lag issues are reported, especially around larger assemblies and broad feature scope. Performance | Siemens Teamcenter | PLM | $16.2k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Steep learning curve, unfamiliar terminology, and general complexity frustrate new teams. Learning curve | PTC Windchill | PLM | $16.2k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Slow performance is a recurring complaint; even simple work can take much longer than expected. Performance | Aras Innovator | PLM | $16.2k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| File management is called unintuitive and awful; ECN workflows require too many pages and steps. Usability | Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE file management | PDM | $15.4k | 3 days | 1 | Medium |
| Navigation and search are described as clunky, unintuitive, and difficult to learn. Usability | Dassault 3DEXPERIENCE / ENOVIA | PLM | $15k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| PDM is described as slow, clunky, and not worth the overhead for some teams. Performance | SOLIDWORKS PDM | PDM | $14.4k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Remote-office use over VPN is described as laggy for opening, saving, and placing library parts. Performance | Autodesk Vault | PDM | $14.4k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Setup and administration are described as an absolute nightmare with weak documentation/support. Setup & admin | Siemens Teamcenter | PLM | $13.5k | 2 days | 1 | High |
| When an agent fans out parallel create calls through the FreeCAD MCP bridge, the shared connection races: the first object is created even though its call reports failure, and the second object is silently never created with the status still showing healthy. Agent failure | FreeCAD MCP bridge (neka-nat/freecad-mcp) | MCAD | $13.5k | 1 days | 2 | Medium |
| An engineer running Claude Code against KiCad found the agent kept repeating a stale claim of 19 DRC violations that lived on in prose docs. MCP tool summaries cannot be treated as live numbers; only DRC message text and actual exports are authoritative. Agent failure | KiCad MCP agent stack (Claude Code + MCP servers) | ECAD | $13.5k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| A shipped SolidWorks agent skill called interference-check API methods that do not exist (InterferenceDetection, GetInterference(index), GetComponents) and called Done() before computing, so its core validation step could never complete on a real machine. The check silently never ran. Agent failure | SolidWorks agent skill (solidworks-automation-skill) | MCAD | $13.5k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| A FreeCAD MCP bridge silently ignored parameters the client materialized from JSON-Schema defaults, so box(size=20) produced a default 10mm shape. The agent believes it built the requested geometry while the model is something else entirely. Agent failure | FreeCAD MCP bridge (blwfish/freecad-mcp) | MCAD | $13.5k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| A FreeCAD MCP bridge's autosave-before-call rewrote the active document on every tool call even with zero unsaved changes, stamping phantom diffs onto git-tracked CAD files. Agent activity pollutes version control with edits no human authored. Agent failure | FreeCAD MCP bridge (blwfish/freecad-mcp) | MCAD | $13.5k | 0 days | 1 | Medium |
| A FreeCAD MCP bridge's persistent execution namespace meant that once any call bound a variable named result, every later call echoed the old value as its own output. The agent reads that output and believes its code produced a value it never computed. Agent failure | FreeCAD MCP bridge (blwfish/freecad-mcp) | MCAD | $13.5k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| A CAD agent bridge's screenshot tool refused any image over a 50KB socket frame, so every real model screenshot was dropped, and images that did fit arrived as base64 text inside JSON instead of real image blocks. The agent's only visual feedback channel was dead for production-scale models. Agent failure | FreeCAD MCP bridge (blwfish/freecad-mcp) | MCAD | $13.5k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| A scheduled engineering agent job ran green for weeks while silently doing nothing. An agent that reports an ECO as processed while the PLM write silently failed is a manufacturing defect waiting to happen, and nothing in the status channel distinguishes done from never-started. Agent failure | Scheduled engineering agents (general) | PLM | $13.5k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| ato build silently converts blind and micro vias to through vias because the Via struct has no field for via type. The build reports success while KiCad DRC errors rise from 5 to 45, and all 10 blind vias in the test design come out as through vias. Agent failure | atopile (ato build) | ECAD | $13.5k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| Checking items back in is described as far more difficult than older systems. Workflow friction | Windchill PDMLink | PDM | $13.0k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| A FreeCAD MCP bridge reported clean instance shutdowns as failures 100 percent of the time on Linux, because its liveness check polled immediately after signaling the process group. The agent was sent to retry or kill processes that were already gone. Agent failure | FreeCAD MCP bridge (blwfish/freecad-mcp) | MCAD | $12k | 0 days | 1 | Low |
| View customization and interface access are described as a clickfest with poor direct manipulation. Usability | Windchill PDMLink | PDM | $11.5k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Users call the UI outdated and the search function too exacting or ineffective. Usability | Arena PLM | PLM | $10.8k | 1 days | 2 | Low |
| Saving an assembly can trigger rebuilds that break mates and randomly alter mate dimensions. Stability | SOLIDWORKS | MCAD | $10.5k | 3 days | 1 | High |
| Integration with Windows Explorer is reported as unstable and a drag on SOLIDWORKS performance. Stability | SOLIDWORKS PDM | PDM | $9.6k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Interface is described as outdated and in need of cloud-era usability improvements. Usability | Autodesk Vault | PDM | $9.6k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| Effective setup and configuration require substantial training, especially for novices. Setup & admin | Autodesk Vault | PDM | $9.6k | 2 days | 2 | Low |
| Joint-linked subassemblies become hard to maintain; geometry changes can break everything in larger assemblies. Stability | Autodesk Inventor | MCAD | $9.4k | 3 days | 1 | Medium |
| Large assemblies can lock up on open with the feature tree failing to populate. Performance | SOLIDWORKS | MCAD | $9k | 2 days | 1 | High |
| Even simple save/check-in operations can take minutes on capable hardware. Performance | SOLIDWORKS | MCAD | $9k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Power and flexibility come with substantial configuration risk and expert dependence. Setup & admin | Oracle Agile PLM | PLM | $9k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| A customer agent hit a failing tool and retried it with slightly different prompts 31,000 times overnight, burning $4,700 against a $400/month plan. The same loop with write access to CAD or PLM does not just burn budget: it can corrupt revision state, spam ECOs, or thrash a shared vault. Agent failure | AI agent runner (general) | Verification | $9k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| An ECAD routing agent's CLI reported ready even when the underlying run had terminated: InitializeCLI returned true on TERMINATED. Every experiment scored after that point was measured against a false baseline, and the false success was only caught because the team had frozen baselines to compare against. Agent failure | freerouting self-improving routing loop | Verification | $9k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| An agent bridge for Altium maps an unrecognized layer name to TOP COPPER instead of failing. A typo in a layer name can delete copper on the wrong layer while the tool reports the cleanup as done. Agent failure | eda-agent (Altium MCP bridge) | ECAD | $9k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| set_design_rules, create_netclass, and assign_net_to_class write the .kicad_pro file while KiCad has it open and report success. KiCad's next save silently reverts the changes, for example after run_drc, so the rules the agent set are gone with no warning. Agent failure | Konnect (KiCad MCP bridge) | ECAD | $9k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| Copy Design is described as big, clunky, and slow even by experienced Vault users. Workflow friction | Autodesk Vault | PDM | $8.6k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| Installation, vault setup, and configuration are technical enough to require IT or a dedicated admin. Setup & admin | SOLIDWORKS PDM | PDM | $8.4k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| Drawing/detailing workflows are described as slow, awkward, and aggravating. Performance | PTC Creo | MCAD | $7.5k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| General UI/UX is described as confusing and hostile for routine work. Usability | Autodesk Fusion 360 | MCAD | $7.2k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| Drawing toolset is described as missing basic drafting capabilities and mark-up controls. Usability | Onshape | MCAD | $6.8k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| run_erc returned 0 violations, 0 warnings, and 0 errors for an ERC report it could not parse. A parse failure reads as a clean board. Agent failure | Konnect (KiCad MCP bridge) | Verification | $6.8k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| Learning curve is described as vertical; selection logic and menus feel unnecessarily complex. Usability | Siemens NX | MCAD | $6k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| Cloud-first file model makes local file control, rename/move/backup workflows feel alien and risky. Usability | Autodesk Fusion 360 | MCAD | $5.4k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| IDE is described as unpredictable, quirky, and one of the worst embedded IDE experiences. Stability | STM32CubeIDE | Firmware | $5.4k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Constant crashing and configurator failures are reported to burn significant project time. Stability | MPLAB X | Firmware | $5.4k | 2 days | 2 | High |
| Large-assembly handling and richer 3D communication workflows are described as limited compared with expectations. Performance | Onshape | MCAD | $4.5k | 1 days | 2 | Low |
| Code editor is described as slow, bloated, and basically an Eclipse reskin. Performance | STM32CubeIDE | Firmware | $4.5k | 2 days | 1 | Low |
| Editor is considered poor, compatibility is Windows-centric, and project setup can be painful. Usability | Keil uVision | Firmware | $3.8k | 2 days | 3 | Low |
| UI/UX is repeatedly described as rubbish, clunky, and rooted in legacy design patterns. Usability | Cadence OrCAD / Allegro | ECAD | $3.6k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Mode-heavy interactions and inconsistent property editing create cognitive overhead. Workflow friction | Cadence OrCAD / Allegro | ECAD | $3.6k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Arduino IDE is repeatedly described as lacking standard IDE capabilities and being unsuitable for serious workflows. Usability | Arduino IDE | Firmware | $3.6k | 2 days | 3 | Low |
| Custom board support requires manual JSON/config work and poor documentation. Setup & admin | PlatformIO | Firmware | $3.4k | 2 days | 2 | Low |
| Interactive routing creates unwanted micro-segments and awkward paths that take time to clean up. Usability | KiCad | ECAD | $3.4k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Generated makefiles and toolchain coupling force teams to keep the IDE in build pipelines. Workflow friction | MPLAB X | Firmware | $3.2k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| Users report noticeable lag even in schematic operations like moving labels and wires. Performance | Cadence OrCAD / Allegro | ECAD | $3k | 2 days | 1 | Medium |
| Grid snap and move commands can disconnect items or reposition them in unwanted ways. Usability | KiCad | ECAD | $3k | 2 days | 2 | Low |
| GUI lag, occasional freezes, and sluggish editor switching interrupt concentration. Performance | KiCad | ECAD | $2.9k | 2 days | 2 | Medium |
| Library management and schematic-layout switching are described as bad and slow. Usability | Autodesk EAGLE / Fusion Electronics | ECAD | $2.9k | 2 days | 2 | Low |
| Package installation and internet/proxy dependency can block even first-time setup for hours. Setup & admin | STM32CubeMX / STM32CubeIDE | Firmware | $2.7k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| PlatformIO support for Zephyr quietly ended, creating surprise workflow dead ends. Platform & ecosystem | PlatformIO + Zephyr | Firmware | $2.3k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| Newer UI layers are called buggy and still dependent on legacy tools for non-trivial boards. Stability | Cadence OrCAD X / Presto | ECAD | $2.2k | 1 days | 1 | Medium |
| Confusing UX and poor high-DPI behavior make text unreadable and controls awkward. Usability | Autodesk EAGLE | ECAD | $1.8k | 1 days | 2 | Low |
| Linux/Wayland users report crash behavior and segmentation faults. Stability | STM32CubeIDE | Firmware | $1.8k | 1 days | 1 | Low |
| Wayland/NVIDIA users report graphical glitches, flicker, or instability. Platform & ecosystem | KiCad | ECAD | $1.4k | 1 days | 1 | Low |