Affordable home alternative to Solidworks? 1

[ERSMechE]

I am looking to do some 3D modeling and possible freelance design from home. We use SolidWorks at work. Can anyone recommend a similar program that is more affordable?

 

[Updraft]

SWX allows a home use. You are allowed one Home Use License (HUL) per "work" license. Contact your VAR if you don't already have the required info.

- - -Updraft

 

[PatCouture]

I heard that Alibre Express is really good for the price.

Patrick

 

[GregLocock]

Does SWX and your company policies allow freelancing from home using another company's license?



Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

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[ERSMechE]

I will have to check but I'm about 90% certain that my employer does not allow SWX for non-work purposes. Assuming they do not..does Alibre do everything SWX does? How does the user interface compare?

Thanks

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Inventor Fusion is free from

http://labs.autodesk.com/technologies/fusion/

Creo Elements/Direct Modeling Express is also free from

http://www.ptc.com/products/creo-elements-direct/modeling-express/

 

[Eltron]

SolidEdge is also free if you have an educational email address.

Dan

http://www.eltronresearch.com

Dan's Blog

 

[rollupswx]

SolidEdge is also free if you have an educational email address.

Does the EULA allow for the type of work the OP describes? (I doubt it.)

 

[Updraft]

Eric,

Your company may not want you to freelance or to use company resources, but what you do in your own home on your own computer is still your business. SWX has always allowed a user to have a home use license. This is from SWX and does not really have anything to do with the company. The idea is to encourage you to use SWX: a) instead of some other package, and b) so you'll get better at it.

Your company may not want you to use SWX "for non-work purposes" which should only mean to not use work resources for personal projects, but they should have no objection to you having it on your home machine doing what you want. It actually benefits them the more you use SWX.

Talk to your VAR. They should be able to set you up. Talk to your boss too. I'll bet your interpretation is more restrictive than they intend.

- - -Updraft

 

[GRF]

I worked for a company and part of the limitations for working for them was that I could not have a second job. It did not matter if it was a none competing feild no 2nd jobs were allowed. Need to make sure you check the company hand book.

I also do not think the SW home license is acceptable for running a company. I think it is more for people who want to use it to draw up home improvement projects, practice using SW or to bring their day job work home. I would be surprised if SW would give up the revinew of a seat for a small new company just because you use the seat at your day job. I also bet who ever buys the license for use during the day is the owner of the home license as well.

 

[PatCouture]

The way I see it, one license for solidworks allow you to use it for 24 hours a day. The reason they offer the home license is in the case you work your shift at the office and you want to continue working from home during the night on a second computer. As long as you are the only user of the license it's ok. What you do with it, I'm pretty sure SolidWorks doesn't really care. On the other hand if at the office somebody else works a night shift on your computer then you are not allowed to use the home license.

Patrick

 

[swdesigner]

Eric,
Another option is Rhino3d. There is a free download and you can save 20times,

it is about $1000

http://www.rhino3d.com/

Frank

 

[ERSMechE]

If I was working at home under my day job employer's license, technically wouldn't anything I create be property of my employer and not my own?

 

[Updraft]

Working at home is not the issue. If this is a personal project and has nothing to do with work, including using their time or computer then it legally is yours UNLESS you have a company policy that anything you invent while you are in their employ belongs to the company. Many companies have some form of policy like this. The practical nature of these policies is that unless the invention is something related to the industry the company is in the company is usually not interested in it. For complete legal coverage it is often a simple matter to disclose your invention to the company and request a written release from them, i.e., getting it in writing that they are not interested in it and you are free to pursue it. I have yet to encounter a company that did not grant a release to an employee for an invention the company was not interested in, but I am quite certain they exist.

Such a policy is written to keep the company from getting ripped-off by its own employees. This policy affects whatever you do and however you achieve it, regardless of who owns the resources. So, even if you were to buy your own seat of SWX or any other software and you invented something on your own time and you even spent money from your pocket to make a prototype, if the company is interested in that invention and if there is such a policy in place then that invention belongs to them.

With all that said, simply using SWX at home, even using a home license associated with a company-licensed seat, is not a violation of the above referenced policy. The company might very well not want any of their files to go home with you to work on for fear of proprietary information getting out of their control. That is understandable. But simple using SWX at home does not violate this type of policy.

If you are just using SWX to design stuff for the house, or your hobby, or to improve your skills, then you have no issues. If, however, you are using SWX at home to compete with your employer or for a second job, well, that is something else entirely.

- - -Updraft

 

[KirbyWan]

If SolidWorks is installed using an individual licence on your work computer then you can install it on your home computer as well per the EULA. If your company, like mine, uses a licence server this will not work. Instead you need to access the license server from home. My company let's me VPN into the company network and access the SWX licence server from home and it works like a charm.

And remember that everything you do on SolidWorks at home would be for the work purpose of getting better at Solidworks, thereby making you a more productive and valuable employee.

Be wary of the EULA for the free or educational use licences for CAD programs since many of them are for non-commercial use only. I don't understand what happens if you design something and sell it for a profit with a non-commercial licence; Come to think of it I've always wondered what they could do to us for ignoring that clause, anyone know? I even saw that clause on my copy of MS word, what if I wrote a novel using it?

-Kirby

Kirby Wilkerson

Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.

 

[Updraft]

Kirby,

We also have networked licenses at work, but SWX provides HUL's so we do not have to VPN into the server. That would be a royal pain.

We have four networked licenses. The HUL requires us to register our home installations through the internet and thus SWX controls the activations. We are limited to four HUL activations, the same number as our floating licenses. We can actually have the software installed on a lot of machines, but only four of those home use licenses can be active at one time.

If you are using VPN from home you have the advantage of accesing the files from work, but if all you need is an active license of SWX, the HUL is the way to go.

- - -Updraft

 

[KirbyWan]

Thank's Updraft, I didn't know that. I stand corrected, please excuse any eronious information I provide, which is most of it.

-Kirby

Kirby Wilkerson

Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.

 

[GregLocock]

Some of the advice above directly contradicts the legal advice many have received over the years. if you do freelance design using company assets (their license) then you are exposing /them/ to liability for the design. This may not amuse them.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

 

[SnowCrash]

Solidworks can see the name of the computers the software has been activated on and so if your company decides to kick you off they can.
"how do I know? I just do."

--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2011 SP 4.0
HP Pavillion Elite HPE
W7 Pro, Nvidia Quaddro FX580

 

[berkshire]

I ran into the same problems when I was forcibly retired. I was using Solidworks and did not want to pay for a home seat.
I found that Alibre express does not exist any more. 3D systems discontinued the free version except for existing customers.
However I use Alibre Pro, and importantly, this program has a translator that allows you to import SLDPRT and SLDASM files, it will also import step, dfx ,and other files enabling you to talk to other systems, import and then export your work back.
The user interface is very similar to Solidworks but not the same, and about a week of work will steer you around the differences.
Alibre has a hard time doing swoopy curvy stuff, but it does have a Rhino add on. If you are doing machine parts it works fine. If you are designing strange looking plastic bottles, then stick with Solidworks.
B.E.

The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor