Looking for feedback from Autodesk users.

[Ferris]

Greetings all.

I design machining fixtures and tooling for vertical and horizontal machining centers. I currently work in MDT, but I want to move into a more stable environment, as well as increase my productivity and improve communications with customers. So I believe I will be moving to SolidWorks Office.

I am interested in hearing feedback from those that have been down this road. Any horror stories out there?

Also, at the end of the day, I will need to produce 2D AutoCAD files. Are there any problems exporting any views? (Believe it or not, MDT sometimes has difficulty exporting things like hole charts.)

Thanks in advance.

Ferris.

 

[macPT]

Ferris

I think that with a proper search in this forum you'll find threads discussing the problem of transition between CAD systems and pros and cons to choose SW. But to make things easier, I think you wont regret going from MDT to SW.

About 2D AutoCad files, until SW2004 the export of drawings from SW with drawing sheet, views, annotations, symbols, section views,... never presented me problems. I don't know if there are some other issues.

SW2005 include a DWGEditor, which is a powerful 2D CAD that will read and write DWG files without conversion. I don't know SW2005 export to 2D as added functionalities.

Regards

 

[progdie]

Ferris,
I bought SW a year ago to get experience and use for file translations. Upon translating the files, I produced .dwg files from them. It worked well (SW 2004). There were glitches but not too often and always as a result of the files I was using and not the software.

We do progressive dies for metal stampings. I have a lot to learn, but, gradually SW is taking the place of ACAD in my work.
I say "Go for it!"

Progdie

 

[tap90291]

I began 3D by introducing MDT back around version 3, moved on to Inventor. I have been on SW now about 1 1/2 years. Compared to IV SW blows it away, I am doing similar work and am very pleased with SW. SW seems to be where IV would like to be, it is not perfect but it is much more complete and robust than IV. My biggest gripes with IV was that I would spend almost as much time trying to clean up a translation to DWG as I would have doing it with just "lines, arc's,a nd circles". You get a much better acad drawing from Solidworks than from Inventor. Been there done that won't go back]!

 

[whippet]

To all:
My biggest problem with Auto CAD, and it's users, is scale. Hope I don't offend any one. I have one customer that insists on drawing every thing in full scale whether it's a full 60 ft long machine or a single .25 in cube. He is just adjusts the format border, text, line scale etc. and then uses fit print it out.
The other problem is when I use mutable scales on one drawing.
Other than that, every thing seams to come through OK


have fun make money
Paul

 

[Ferris]

whippet

Per customer standards, I must work exactly as you describe. They want all drawing views to be 1:1. I currently deal with this just as you described. I scale up the borders and I have different dimstyles and text styles to maintain a consistent look to the drawing.

The customer has had situations where a third party did some edits, and they ended up making the actual details 1/2 size. (OUCH!!)

Sooooo, when I make the move to SW2005, I will have to continue to support this customer request. Is this going to be difficult to accomplish?

Ferris

P.S. I must add that I agree with their standard. Depending on settings in ACAD dim styles, dimensions CAN change on scaled drawing views. I have seen it happen.

 

[macPT]

Whell, I am converting SW drawings into AutoCad. They work well, but the dwg file as the scales according to SW files (no problem with views with different scales).

I don't use those files. It's for clients approval and to use our designs in their assemblies (some times in different scales than the original SW drawing). They never complaint about my dwg files!

Regards