e-Drawing vs. Adobe Acrobat for markup

[Cryo1]

Is anyone using the e-Drawing Professional? The $995 price tag was too much for us to justify only a markup tool and measurement.

We are excited by Adobe Acrobat Professional at $280 a seat. Is anyone using Acrobat for design review and ECP's? The price and features look much better than e-Drawing Pro.

Bill

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Acrobat & eDrawings are two completely different animals!!!

Try rotating or exploding a PDF. Try moving, or making parts transparent in PDF. Try opening a SW file in Acrobat.

If all you need is a review & markup tool then Acrobat is great ... but that is not what eDrawings is for. Review & markup is but a small part of its intended use.


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[Cryo1]

Acrobat & eDrawings are two completely different animals!!!



These animals are not that different in our use. We need to work with the drawing files not part or assembly files. The 3D option in e-Drawings is a great "WOW!" but we are communicating in complete, detailed engineering drawings. The 3D part isn't that important when you have a comprehensive 2D drawing.

We are looking at a way to approve engineering drawings prior to release or to review drawings prior to a DCN/ECP/EO release.

Bill

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

I agree.
= eDrawing
= Acrobat



I have used PDFs, DXFs, ACAD & SW Drawings & eDrawings for communication tools with some very competent design, machine & fabrication shops. Without exception, all have responded with the equivalent of "Don't bother sending any of the other stuff ... keep giving us the eDrawing files"

If there is ANY doubt about a drawings feature, a glance at an eDrawing solid, quickly clarifies. Also the recipient of an eDrawing file does not even have to have the eDrawing program on his machine, the files can be saved as self-executables. With PDF files everyone has to have Acrobat Pro.

Don't get me wrong, I like Acrobat & use it often, but it is nowhere near as efficient a communication tool as eDrawings.

In my opinion, eDrawings is worth every penny, but if Acrobat works for you, your company & the people you deal with ... then go for it.


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[ctopher]

I use both. PDF's for vendors, eDrawings for customers.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP0.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

 

[Cryo1]

Is anyone using the markup features of either?

BL

 

[ctopher]

I try to, but all of my recipients don't seem to grab the concept yet ... with both viewers.
Another is

http://www.solidview.com

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP0.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

 

[fastasleep]

I've used the markup features of both programs. I don't much like the markup in either, mainly because, as ctopher alluded to, the recipient needs to be proficient enough with the software to navigate through the embedded comments and, in the case of eDrawings, dimensioning. However, the features for rotating, sectioning and making parts transparent make eDrawings a fantastic tool for sharing and demonstrating concepts to customers and vendors. I see it as one step down from having a recipient with a 3D printer.

I also like the fact that I can link to the download page for the free viewer in the body of my e-mails; makes a great first impression on new customers.

As for 2D drawings, I generally use the dxf format. Most manufacturers have software that can open them and get whatever dimensions they need from them.

 

[Cryo1]

To follow-up:

It appears we're going with Adobe Acrobat for our office use. The $$$$ for e-Drawing Professional killed it. We are getting Acrobat seats for under $300 each.

The 3D aspect of drawings in e-Drawings was less important than the ability to easily mark then track markups.

 

[J-C]

I think the 2 can go hand in hand. PDF is great for archiving and simple red-lining of the drawing, is everyone involved has Pro.

eDrawings is great for getting the idea across, especially early on in the design. Printing has usually been an issue, some printers don't like it. Also, any moderate size assembly will be slow. Most recipients of edrawings don't have a work station so performance is sluggish.

I usually send both.

Jason Capriotti
Smith & Nephew, Inc.

 

[ctopher]

Don't forget, if you have the full Acrobat preogram and so does the recepiant, it is possible to save a PDF so that the recepiant can "smash" the dwg and use the geometry. Read up on the software and set it up correctly. I have never heard of this happening with eDrawings.

Chris
Sr. Mechanical Designer, CAD
SolidWorks 05 SP1.1 / PDMWorks 05
ctopher's home site

 

[Cryo1]

ctopher,

The user do not need a full version of Acrobat to do markup. They only need Acrobat Reader 7.0 to do markup on a file generated in the full version of Acrobat. That's a good feature since anyone can download the free version of Reader.

"Smash the dwg"? What's that?