Pro's for moving to SolidWorks

[deek05]

My boss has asked me to put together some sort of report/summary of why we should switch from Autocad to SolidWorks (Why should we switch? or What are the pro's to switching to 3D?). My boss is all for making the switch, but wants to have something on paper to justify it. Is there a website somewhere that I can get some ideas from. Also, can you SolidWorks users chime in and give us some insight.

Thanks,

DT

 

[SBaugh]

I will always be a SW user. I'll move my family to a different town or state to use SW, before I will use AutoCRAP. Which is what I'm doing now.

If anyone comes to this group and asked a question about SW or AutoCRAP which is better, than I'm going to say SW. They should ask the same Question in the AutoCRAP NG to get their option. I'm not in a peeing contest with anyone here.;-) I am only a dedicated SW user, but each person should get a 30 day trial of the package and test it for themselves.

If there is one thing I have learned over the years it's, don't trust anyone till you have checked it out for yourself. Scott Baugh, CSWP
credence69@hotmail.com

 

[ran13]

SW is a fine system for building certain things. It's the only one I'm really personally used. If you want to build blocks and machine parts you're all set. If you want to build airplanes, forget it. We are struggling with that issue right now.

SW knows of its deficiencies in flat pattern work and it is not capable of handling the complex curved surfaces. Splines are a problem too. They are working on it but it's not ready for prime time yet.

Roger

 

[SBaugh]

Roger,

I have a plane I built! It isn't a production style plane, but it is still a plane. I'm working on a P-47 and also a project for someone that sent me their files. I think it can be done in SW, you just need to understand Surfaces more I think.

Have you tried using surfaces?

If you need some help let me know, I don't have much to do presently.

Check out my website for that plane I built.

Best Regards,
Scott Baugh, CSWP
credence69@REMOVEhotmail.com

http://members.sigecom.net/sbaugh/

 

[BBJT]

WOW! This question has turned into a religious war.
Try this.
Create a spreadsheet and enter all your must haves(Can't live with out) in your day to day design task. Explain to each reseller what your business does and what you want to accomplish with their package. Do not show them your spreadsheet. As they are doing the demo start checking off the requirements that they are hitting. If you don't understand what they did make them explain it while they are doing it again. Make the resellers use your parts in their demo. After both demos look at your check lists. As Scott said get a 30 day trial from each and try it out yourself. The resellers will even most likely be willing to let you go through their training and charge you for it only if you buy their package. Doing these things should give you a good idea which package suite your company.

I have been using SolidWorks for 5 years and truly beleave they are leading the pack. This may be biased because of my success with SolidWorks but it is what I beleave.

After going through the three steps above you should be able to decide for yourself which one meets your companies' needs. Try not to get caught up in all the emotion in some of the above responses.

Good Luck!! BBJT CSWP

 

Do anyone know if the drawings be transfered from MechnicalDesktop to Inventor or solidworks, how many features would be lost?

 

After transfering an assmblying file from MDT6.0 to Inventor 5, some constrains would be lost. Any suggestion on how to fix it?

Thanks

 

[2Dto3D]

Don't know how valuable or accurate this reply is- just had to get in on this hillariously long thread.

My best guess is you'll have to redo the mates (contstraints) that don't show up. Charley Leonard
CSWP

http://www.2dto3d.com

 

[Adrian2]

Dear Folks;

I have recently started using SW after 3 years of MDT. I can see why so many like it and as a still somewhat proud AutoCad user I will add my list of pros and cons to the debate.

At first I thought Solidworks sketcher was created under licence from Crayola Art studio but of course I'm biased from years with autocad. Now I'm getting used to it. Yes, its ok to draw with a crayon.

I think SW is great in the constraining er-ah relating department. Its great how easily you can minipulate and rotate components to get them joined together. I find it also has more options than autodesk MDT for picking faces that are out of view.

The knock-em-dead feature is the ability it has to operate your mechanical creations right on the screen. Its wonderful for proving out linkages and observing the operation of moving parts. That feature is also extremely helpful as a sales tool when you are making a design proposal. This should not be overlooked when trying to convince your managers to fork over the dough.

MDT however blows SW away in the surfacing department and still allows you to produce 2D drawings in between its inevitable fatal errors. MDT is also a lot more flexible with creating drawing views as you might expect from its 2d background.

And as for you characters who are trying to transfer MDT files into Solidworks, I've tried that too and all I can say is just draw the whole thing over. It'll take less time.

Regards Adrian