If you prepare complete, fully dimensioned and toleranced drawings, your parts will be fully defined and inspectable. It does not matter if you used SolidWorks, or a box of crayons.
Are you accessing the 3D[ ]model from a CMM? I am not familiar with the technology. How are you defining tolerances? How are you communicating those tolerances to your fabricators? Are you refusing to deal with vendors who do not use your software?
i think I understand AtomicSheep. As a tool to help inspection to detail parts of an equipment, Solid Works can help us to visualize with great accuracy the architecture of an equipment.
drawoh - I was mislead when you did not refer to automatically making an inspection report template from the drawing which is the primary claim for this particular piece of software. The OP might have been more specific, but I expect it does not matter as there won't be a "free" alternative.
To save others some time,
SOLIDWORKS Inspection is a First Article Inspection (FAI) and in-process inspection software that streamlines and automates the creation of ballooned inspection drawings and inspection reports (AS9102, PPAP, etc.).
For any CAD system
You can create your inspection documents regardless of your existing CAD system, using either the standalone SOLIDWORKS Inspection application or the integrated SOLIDWORKS Inspection add-in.
Automatic Balloons
Automatically add balloon callouts with Inspection Dimensions specified by the designer or mechanical engineer.
Comparison tool
Compare drawing revisions and originals to quickly identify changes.
Easy to use
Intuitive and easy to use, SOLIDWORKS Inspection enables you to create inspection reports and ballooned drawings in just minutes, for time savings of up to 90 percent.
Export Results
Export finished ballooned drawings as a PDF and inspection sheets to Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheets using standard templates such as AS9102 or PPAP forms.
