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Pro/E losing market share to SolidWorks?

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Tunalover

Tunalover

Mechanical
Mar 28, 2002
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I don't know about you, but since I've been on my job hunt I've noticed that employers are getting away from Pro/E and moving to SolidWorks. Anyone else see this? Comments? I just don't see Pro/E jobs advertised nearly as much as SolidWorks jobs!


Tunalover
 
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PTC makes most of their money from maintenance contracts.

Depending on the business, SW can do anything Creo can at a lower cost.

When you get into large assemblies, then the big boys (NX, CATIA, Creo) have an advantage. They also have an advantage if your company does global engineering/manufacturing.

It does not surprise me at all that you will see more SW jobs than Creo jobs. You see even less NX jobs.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli
 
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More likely you see AutoCAD houses moving up to Solidworks.

It would be tough market for PTC to dominate as Dassault can use Solidworks as a loss leader against PTC. It is also getting close on the Solidworks kernal unification with Catia, giving a low-end to high-end mobility for those who look at that check-box.

That would also mean that AutoDesk is not picking them up with Inventor, who is also in the same place vs Dassualt.

 
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the base Creo (essentials lite) is only 2.5k€ in my country, which is quite cheaper then base solidworks i think...
solidworks does have weldments though, but creo has the library (vendor-made i think)
 
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Weldments are cool but Advanced Framework Extension of Pro E is tons more expensive With a custom Sketch pallete you can achieve much of the weldments with saved library features

Creo forces companies to pay support for life of product and make you buy new licenses in order to upgrade. Companies like Solidworks allow people to let their support lapse but add a small penalty fee that is like a late payment. Companiec that prefer to stay on a stable system like Wildfire5 instead of buying Creo/Elements Pro which was entirely the same build and used the same marketting videos for Santa Cruz Bycicles. The CoCreate or CreO Direct is actually more expensive thatn the parametric. Two companies that have really pushe the Direct Modeling modeling are SpaceClaim and CoCreate. Then there is the Glory of NX which I haven't been able to uses but whose Feature & Direct elements in the model simultaneously is advanced. PTC has never really had a good help file which is why they started the PTC Community Online. SolidWorks & 3dVia or whatever Dassault Name they go by these days. SolidWorks Composer. It blows PTC's Arbor Text product out of the water

as to 3DDave's point
3ddave said:
More likely you see AutoCAD houses moving up to Solidworks.
Click to expand...
When I worked at a SolidWorks Reseller our main prospects were former ACAD houses which were hunted and pecked by our sales team I had a book with lists of hundreds of companys by industry which moved to SolidWorks from AutoCAD. Autodesk sued SolidWorks Drawing Editor which was similar to but in many ways superior to AutoCAD. They lost in court over ownersip of the dxf or dwg file extension. For a while AutoDesk was was advertising true dxf similar to the docX that made it dificult for XP to read the new docXused by MS

3ds.com/3dvia

It's a Communication tool used for making step bs step work instructions or demonstrations that can be viewed with a free player in the free products section of the website look for I studied the tool while working for a reseller that didn't support it but learned the training classes for free since I worked at a 3dvia reseller the Composer product allows custon screen shots for product manuals to be made that can easi{y be updated when models are revised. If you know PTC's software well like I and many other forum members do, why should they have to pay for support in addition to update costs when all you use are the software upgrades.

To

"It's not the size of the Forum that matters, It's the Quality of the Posts"

Michael Cole
Boston, MA
CSWP, CSWI, CSWTS
Follow me on !w¡#$%
@ TrajPar - @ mcSldWrx2008
= ProE = SolidWorks
 
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loki3000:
Define "large." I have personally gone through Pro/E family tables containing tens of thousands of standard English and metric fasteners in order to add material properties and company-standard parameters. I never got to their standard symbols, pipe fittings, User Defined Features, etc. They don't push the library but it's quite useful if you can get your hands on it. You do have a lot of work to do though to make the library acceptable for regular use.




Tunalover
 
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yes, it has those. it also has the option of defining your own (pipe...), but i haven't explored it much.
the main difference is that it's embedded in the program itself (database)
 
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mjcole-
You said "The CoCreate or CreO Direct is actually more expensive thatn the parametric." CoCreate is the product that used to be Solid Designer. Are you sure you have the name right?


Tunalover
 
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To make a hole on an interior cylindrical feature.

Use datum point and place it on the interior surface, drag the offset handle to place it.

Click on hole tool and click on the datum point.

You are done.
 
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Using support geom or datum as individual step can ensure flexibility and robust model.

Creo Direct and Creo Parametric works together. The files are interchangeable. You can modify in both program. It does have a tree structure when you open in Parametric. This allows you flexibility to make changes.

There are a lot of miss information on the Internet. Don't read too much into it.


 
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there is picture proof though.
and it can be seen how such direct editing can mess up model rebuild times.
esp since all those dx, dy moves could be reduced to a single feature.
 
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You should the context of use in a company. You want your part and models to be able to be view and edited by the people who need to use it. There is no point to design part in SketchUp and then you cannot bring it into Creo.

Creo direct is essentially mainly for some modification and some part creation. If you want to create complex parts, you would need more advance 3D CAD tool.

The two software lets you direct edit and also parametric editing interchangeably. It is the best of both worlds. Much more accessible and flexible. More people in the organisation can use it and work with.

This video explains it well in right context.

 
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I think a big part of it is customer service.
Having used both, I can say that I get better support from Solidworks. They also seem to improve the areas of the product that need improved, versus just adding new functionality.
For example...
I've submitted enhancement requests to Solidworks, and seen them added within a couple releases.
With Pro-E, it seems any requests fall into some black hole, and are never seen again.
Pro-E has shortcomings in making basic drawings that have been around for years without any attention.

For my money, I'll take Solidworks.

By the way.
I've always seen CAD as a tool.
Don't shop for a job based on the tools they have.
You can learn to use a new tool...
Apply for any job that sounds interesting, designing something you like, and you will be happier.
Limiting yourself to a particular CAD package, you have a chance of missing a potential job of a lifetime.

David
Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn.
 
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@davidinindy-
In today's market most employers won't take you unless you have experience on a specific CAD tool. They aren't willing to absorb the learning curve. I too see CAD as a tool, however I became very proficient with Pro/E after using it for 12 consecutive years. As for the drafting weaknesses you mention, I haven't seen them but I'm only going as far up as Wildfire 4. What version were those problems in? I've heard that many SolidWorks users were also using AutoCAD to do the 2D drawings because of the weaknesses in the SolidWorks drafting capability, thus defeating the advantages of parametric drafting.

Tunalover
 
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Solidworks drawings are much easier to make...
I've had no problem getting a job, regardless of the CAD package. You just have to sell your other skills.
I'm a creative problem solver, and am very mechanically inclined. That is more valuable to most employers than experience with a particular CAD software.
That is if you are applying for a design job.
If you're strictly a CAD jockey, then your results may vary.
I've met many degreed engineers, and other CAD "designers" that didn't know the difference between a hex head bolt, and a flat head screw.

David
Check out my professional profile and connect with me on LinkedIn.
 
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