Solidworks vs Inventor Speed 6

[curvyrace]

Two years ago, I posted a comment regarding how much better I thought Solidworks is over Inventor. That comment stirred up quite a few responses, as you can imagine. Two yars later, I am now fully convinced that Solidworks is the better package and I've finally convinced the owner of my company to consider switching. Before cutting the check though, I wanted to perform some head to head tests of the two packages. One of these tests revealed a huge performance difference between the two packages and I was wondering if anyone else has seen similar results.

I took an assembly of approximately 240 pcs that had all been created in Inventor. The assembly had about 100 iParts and other solids in it, that were, again, all created in Inventor. I launched Inventor 2012 and had it open this assembly. It took Inventor 4m51sec to open the file and be ready for editing.

I then opened Solidworks and asked it to open that same Inventor .iam assembly file and walked away. The next morning, I found that Solidworks had opened the assembly and created Solidworks copies of each component in the assembly. I then saved the newly created sldasm file and closed Solidworks. Finally, I launched Solidworks and asked it to open the sldasm file. Solidworks had the file open and ready to edit in 9 sec!

Has anyone else seen this same level of performance difference or was there a flaw in my testing procedure? I performed this same test using a smaller assembly and a single part, with similar results.

Cheers!

 

[rollupswx]

If one argues that "best practice" doesn't meet what happens in the real world - I can have 15 students model however they might and run same tests with trained novice generated datasets.

 

[mflayler]

You can get a whole list of complaints about the reliability and stability of surfacing in SolidWorks here from top users as well as the comments usually banned from the SolidWorks Forums. Feel free to puruse the site to find both good and bad about how top users feel about the software and its current trending direction in the userbase.

http://www.dezignstuff.com/blog/

The rest of the statement stems from many users I have transitioned off of SolidWorks due in no small part to the reliability of their models and performance of their designs especially when dealing with large assemblies.

I don't beleive performance is lacking, especially without a data set to investigate and an empirical study of the process. This thread has gone pretty far from a simple opening of a file which we have for the most part remedied. But this cannot be the only ROI factor in regards to switching CAD software.

No one knows curvyrace's buisness like his own company. And even if Creo was the better choice in CAD software, it doesn't always neccesitate a change in an engineering department. Legacy data has to be considered, intial cost of the switch, long term ROI on the change, bringing the Inventor staff up to speed on another software, piloting a new project with the software to work out bugs with those users. There is a whole slew of non-software related topics to consider before a switch to see if it actually makes sense to do so. Curvyrace has been doing some research but I feel he needs more than just volunteer forums for users that may or may not know what is best for their work and their situation, let alone if using the current tool in a different way would solve a majority of the use issues. I would gladly offer my assistance if he asks for it.

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

... the comments usually banned from the SolidWorks Forums

There are very few (if any) negative comments (about SolidWorks) removed from the SW forums here at E-T, nor from the official SW site.

 

[mflayler]

I don't dispute from E-T, but I do from the SW site. Recently there has been less policing than there was before over there. Its more open than it has been in the past.

 

[rollupswx]

This thread has gone so far off track I would like to request to the OP to start one new thread for each of the identified/testable/verifiable problems.

They might be
1. assembly dataset to test
1.a Inventor Projects use (*.ipj)

2.Opening SWx file in Inventor

3.Inventor Frame Generator custom profiles creation/naming problems.

4. ?

If we address the technicial issues one-by-one in a methodical, logical, scientific fashion all of the opinion stuff becomes less of an issue.

 

[kellnerp]

mflayler
Sorry DezignStuff doesn't work for me unless you point out where Matt mentions your specific issue.Still waiting???

I know some of the best SW users still have huge gripes about models having to be completely rebuilt based on surface issues and rebuild problems.

Matt is pushing the software to the limits of what it can do, often searching for technique that has never been tried before. He is not talking about modeling problems that 99% of users will even get into.

Matt writes the SW Bible. He obviously hasn't traded in for something else and he knows how to use it profitably. And he has an obvious disdane for AutoDesk.

TOP
CSWP, BSSE

http://www.engtran.com

http://www.niswug.org

http://www.linkedin.com/in/engineeringtransport

Phenom IIx6 1100T = 8GB = FX1400 = XP64SP2 = SW2009SP3
"Node news is good news."

 

[mflayler]

Agreed that surfaces is not where most people spend their time in 3D modeling software where most things are Exrtudes and Revolves. That doesn't make the point any different about there being issues with surfaces. There are plenty of gripes in there about surfacing from not only Matt but also users posting in the comments. Sorry, I don't really have the time to compile a list of specific links. The OP probably doesn't care about this fact either. I'm still waiting to see...

1. A dataset
2. A compelling reason to uproot an existing system with legacy data
3. Any other post or outreach to resolve issues that could be very minor to how the company currently uses Inventor.

 

[SMOKES]

It not really about the 3d cad program,
It how well you can turn 3d part in a 2d drawing and show all the details for manufacturing intent.

What am trying to say is it not how quick you can model something up, it how long you are going to spend drafting. i have Not used inventor so i cannot comment. I have used Solidedge and Solidworks and Pro/E

For me although Solidworks is easy to use when you push it on complex surfaces and very large assemblies it falls over alot. and unfortuantly I am stuck with it.

Pro/E hard to pick up but very powerful especailly with complex surface modelling and large assemblys, weak on flexiblity and file handling.

Best cad I used was Solidedge ST3, Strenghts are really good drafting tools, Handing large complex assemblies. Complex surfaces much easier and you can use direct modeling to push and pull the part to shape. Weakness is the UI interface is a little hared to pick up and understand.

 

[rollupswx]

It not really about the 3d cad program

Yes, the question was really about the 3D CAD program - specifically Inventor and SolidWorks. No, the question was not about Pro/E or SolidEdge.

The question was very specific but with unsupported data and no sample data to test in a controlled scientific manner.

 

[kellnerp]

I would concur with SMOKES' evaluation. Having taught SolidEdge and having used Pro/E he is stating what my experience has been. For whatever reason, SE seems to make better drawings than SW with less work. That kind of thing cannot be benchmarked easily. Nor can the user interface aspects with which I concur. SE has a rigid workflow, especially when going back to fix something and Pro/E can be just plain arcane sometimes. The good thing about Pro/E is that once you learn it, it doesn't change every year.

TOP
CSWP, BSSE

http://www.engtran.com

http://www.niswug.org

http://www.linkedin.com/in/engineeringtransport

Phenom IIx6 1100T = 8GB = FX1400 = XP64SP2 = SW2009SP3
"Node news is good news."

 

[EliasChavezMonarrez]

Have seen few software companies that really care about their customers and strive to do better every year providing enhancements not only to the software itself but including elements to cover almost any part of the design process, such as sustainable design. How cool is that.. it makes you start designing responsibly by telling you the impact on the environment of the materials you are choosing for your design.
In any case I feel I'm lucky to be a SolidWorks user and been taking care of.

See you at SolidWorks world in to weeks...

Take care.