I’m reaching out to gather some honest feedback regarding the transition from Venus v4 to Venus v6. For those of you who have made the switch, I’d greatly appreciate your insights. Here are a few specific questions, but feel free to share any other experiences or thoughts you have:
Method Compatibility: How smooth was the transition of methods developed in v4 when moving to v6? Were they directly modifiable, or did you encounter significant challenges?
Unresolved Bugs: Have you come across any persistent bugs or issues in v6 that were introduced with the new version?
Deck Layouts and Libraries: How did your deck layouts, libraries, and other configurations transfer when moving from v4 to v6? Did everything work seamlessly, or were there adjustments needed?
Regret or Reversion: Do you regret switching to v6? Have you ever felt the need to revert back to v4? If so, did you go through with it, and was it straightforward to revert?
Positive Highlights: What aspects of v6 have stood out to you as particularly beneficial or innovative as a developer? Are there any features or improvements that have significantly enhanced your workflow?
User Interface: While the UI in v6 is certainly more modern, did you find it genuinely more useful or just aesthetically nicer?
Equipment Integration: For those with additional equipment connected to Hamilton instruments (such as Bioshake, HHS, centrifuge, washer, HEPA module, etc.), did you encounter any issues or compatibility concerns when transitioning to v6?
I’ve been using Venus 6 since the initial release and the biggest issues that I have experiences was with Venus 6.0, I’ve been running for a few weeks to the latest release (6.0.2) and all my concerns are past.
In general : The new GUI is great, it’s more 2024 than the good old Venus 4. However, if you are running your programming on a VM, better keep the legacy option set as your default since it’s a bit faster on the traces.
Libraries, well basically I only use a few and they are all supported since Venus 4. I always use the HSLExtentions, LabwareAccess and the default ones. Personally I don’t fancy others unless needed for an integration.
I have integrated HHS, CPAC (and Thermoshake), ODTC and a EasyCode (3) into the systems I have (MagEx, NGSStar, STAR-V) and all of them are performing as expected.
Basically I never looked back after switching from Venus 5 to 6, but then again. In my opinion there hasn’t been much changed to the actual program. It’s merely the GUI that changed. For us, the biggest gain was to have in-built email (with SSL).
BTW : Do use activities if you wish to use the timer/percentage
Ive been working on a dev PC with Venus 6. Our Venus 4 methods transfer and simulate with almost no issues. I’ve also been able to develop in Venus 6 and transfer back to Venus 4 instruments with no issues. We primarily use single steps and custom libraries though.
The UI updates are mostly positive but also mostly visual. I do like where it looks like Venus is headed. We plan to update our systems in the next year.