I'm curious if anyone is using this free "cloud" version of Columbus. I've used Columbus in the past and really liked it. I tried the online version a couple of times and I see two things I don't like. For one, it does not appear to retain the point descriptions? And Two, the "view project" window, which I assume it meant to be a visual of the layout, does not appear to work.
Other than that, I'm not sure why they are giving it away. Maybe it's just temporary to work out the bugs.
I noticed today that Best-Fit offers what appears to be the full version of Columbus for download and installation, the only catch being that without a paid license you're limited to using either the supplied sample datasets in the interactive mode *or* your own data file.?ÿ If I understand this correctly, it means you can use the full-blown application without charge as long as you're willing to assemble the input file.?ÿ While the input file format looks a lot clunkier to my Star*Net-accustomed eyes, it nevertheless looks manageable, so for someone looking for a low-cost LSA application this would seem to be a strong contender.
Their web site says of this older version:
Free Demo Kit (version 3.8.1.31)
The demo software has all the functionality of the full release (up to 12 stations and no limit on the number of observations).
Current seems to need a 64-bit system:
Columbus 4.6 is a windows based application which will run on 64 bit versions of Windows 7, 8 and 10. It provides all the computational ability of our deprecated Columbus 3.8.X product and more!?ÿ $525
The free version of Columbus 4.6 allows you to experiment with the embedded sample networks provided in the UI (Data page). Also included is the ability to adjust your own networks from the Adjust File page. You can adjust networks with up to 25,000 stations and unlimited observations using this file driven tool. And, when you are ready to purchase a license, there are no additional installs to perform.
Adjust File:
While the Columbus user interface provides great flexibility and control when adjusting a network, any change to those project settings will affect the adjustment results. For this reason, Columbus supports the concept of adjusting from a file. The Adjust From File page allows you to perform an adjustment based solely on the contents of an input file, bypassing the user interface settings.
Now if someone could write a Star*Net to Columbus format translator and vice-versa, that would be fantastic IMO. Hmmm... the cogs are turning-
The only superior evidence is that which you haven't yet found.
I use it for getting a LSA of multiple OPUS solutions, seems to work good and easily reads in the OPUS XML files. I haven't used it for anything else, but from what I see I like it and would be high on my list of contenders if I needed a standalone LS package.
SHG