Surfacing VS Modeling - Newbie Question

[mjyousse]

Dear all,
I'm currently enrolled in a CC and doing my prereqs for Aerospace Engineering. Next semester I have SolidWorks class, and upon some research, I heard that SolidWorks isn't used in industry or at least not as much as CATIA & that CATIA is pretty much a standard in the Aerospace Industry. Yet I hear a lot of talk about NX and how good it is. One thing I heard that is CATIA is for surfacing and NX for modeling, what's the difference? and which one should I learn how to use? Sorry for my bad English. Thanks in advanced

 

[3DDave]

Look at ads from companies you think you will apply to and see what they are asking for. It should make no difference because the tools change over time and it doesn't matter what you learn.

 

[IRstuff]

It's more important to understand how a user interface behaves and why it might be expected to have certain features. For example, you always assume that a Windows application has at least close window button in the upper right and a File menu with an Exit command. Every CAD program has zoom, pan, rotate, etc.; they just might require different buttons to push or different mouse commands.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[mjyousse]

Thanks for the reply!
However, no one clarified to me whats the difference between surfacing and modeling and the direct difference between CATIA and NX. I looked at Boeing and they prefer CATIA but from what I read GE uses NX. A direct comparison would be great, much appreciated guys.

 

[3DDave]

There is no direct comparison possible. Unless you think that you could do a meaningful comparison between French and English and German and Greek and Urdu and so on.

They all have the ability to get done whatever end product you want to make. They have different methods, but nothing that can be quantified at large.

 

[berkshire]

Catia, is made by one company, and NX is made by another company. these two companies are competitors . You will find that one or the other of these companies has sold their system to a particular manufacturer.
Companies that buy a particular system tend to brag about the one they have. Which is why you will hear conflicting stories about the two.
Remember these two systems are not the only Parametric 3D programs out there , they each have their strengths and weaknesses. If you have to do surfacing , then you would be better off looking at Rhino which has better capabilities in that regard.
B.E.

You are judged not by what you know, but by what you can do.

 

[rb1957]

CATIA is foremost a drafting/CAD program. Yes, it has some FEA embedded but IMHO very limited is scope and capability.

"NX" is referring to NASTRAN NX ? which is foremost an analysis program.

"SW" would be SolidWorks which I think as primarily a drafting program with something like ANSYS as the analysis component.

CATIA is the standard drafting program for large OEMs. NASTRAN is the standard analysis program. These tend to have large license fees, so smaller companies use other tools. IMHO all drafting programs do a reasonable job of drafting, some will do some features better than others. The other level of confusion for nubies is most of the time the analysis program (like NASTRAN) operates "behind the curtain" ... a pre- and post- processor (like PATRAN or FeMap) uses teh CAD input and other definition and calls the analysis program and then presents the analysis results.

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[ewh]

NX is a bit more than NASTRAN.

"Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively."
-Dalai Lama XIV

 

[rb1957]

SolidWorks is a reasonable drafting package, cheaper than CATIA. You can learn the fundamentals of drafting with it. Other drafting packages will accomplish the same tasks with different "grammar" (keystrokes, menus, etc). If you need CATIA your company should train you, or you can get trained yourself.

another day in paradise, or is paradise one day closer ?

 

[IRstuff]

There is a free version of PTC Creo, which can open large step files for viewing, and you can build small projects within it.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

faq731-376 forum1529 Entire Forum list

http://www.eng-tips.com/forumlist.cfm

 

[GregLocock]

NX is a Siemens CAD environment. Quite why it shares a name with a Nastran is a detail I have no interest in. It used to be Unigraphics. In the automotive industry it is a popular alternative to CATIA and they seem to work together OK.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?