Which 3-D Cad Software is Best? 39

[DGP]

We are a packaging machine builder and are currently using AutoCad 14 (2D). We would like to move into a 3D software package and are looking at either "SolidWorks" or
"SolidEdge". However we have heard rumors that "SolidWorks" has problems with large part assemblies. Could this be a software issue or a hardware issue.
I would greaty appreciate any responses from software users who are familiar with both softwares. And why they would choose one over the other.

Thank You.....DGP [sig][/sig]

 

[angelito]

wow, after 3 years and this thread stills runs.
Last night I sent my first post on this forum, and I'll post a similar question here since I can see the relation to this topic.

I will propose a switch to a 3D parametric CAD app to the company I work for.

My main interest right now is an app that can maintain relations among dimensions of different parts in a given assembly. I looked a bit into Inventor and can see that its constraint capabilities could ptentially suit this need.

Is anyone familiar with this kind of functionality?

In the beginning of the thread, and throughout, most comments concerning Inventor were in the lines of "not familiar with it", and being an AutoCAD user myself I can understand the doubt of an autodesk product delivering high performance.

I've been able to create 3D illustrations with AutoCAD, but now I'm interested in automation and managing production datam and I don't think that there is a need for custom-built apps produced in-house for this functionality, there must be some CAD apps around that include this functionality.
Inventor ships with Vault, so far I see it as a kind of ACDSee of CAD, with the added feature of locking files in current use, or something of the sort.

Does SolidWorks ship with a comparable tool for data management? Are SolidWorks or SolidEdge capable of relational modelling, in which changing one dimension of one part will affect dimensions of other parts according to simple algebraic equations? More importantly, what kind of output can these assemblies deliver? For existing custom built apps, integration will require certain data, for example dimensions in a table format. It could be an excel spreadsheet for example, and this data would be manipulated byt the custom software, and viceversa, a two-way flow of data I/O.

Concerning the CAD design tools in each of the apps available in market, I'm pretty they all offer pretty much the same things, each have advantages I suppose, some may have a few advantages over others, but as several people said, a good operator will be equally productive in most of these apps anyway.
But when it comes to handling production data, engineering data, I think it takes more time to make a final decision, since this will affect productivity more, and it seems to me that once we enter this aspect of CAD apps, they begin to require certain additional software and plugins that greatly increase the overall cost of the software solution from each vendor.

Any tips?

 

[okeng]

Great thread here!

My $.02 worth--I've used Bentley Microstation for 3D modeling and for drafting for a long time. I wouldn't recommend it since they don't really support mechanical applications anymore. It is, however, with version J (no, I haven't bought V8), a pretty decent 3D modeler. The tools for doing drawings from those models are pretty good as well.

I've been learning ProE at the request of one of my customers so that we can do their projects in ProE, and the many comments in this forum about learning curve are right on the mark. I have never tried to learn anything so difficult. I understand, though, why the people that are proficient at it defend it so vigorously and seem to be a little arrogant. Expertise in ProE doesn't come easily or cheaply.

One of the things that I struggle with in design projects is convincing people that just because something is possible doesn't mean it should be done. Parametrics is like that--kind of a neat idea and theoretically cool, but not enough of an improvement to be worth all the headaches, at least for the kind of machines that we design. Just being able to model things easily and intuitively would be enough--every function and every feature doesn't have to be linked to everything else in the universe.

The connectedness-of-all-things that proE and others strive for comes with some real problems. Even in Microstation, the intent is to never duplicate a model--an assembly or weldment model file consists of only references to other files. We work around that feature to ensure that when we are finished with a file, it can stand on its own. If I need to send someone a model of a weldment, I want to send them a file, not 45 files that must be located in particular folders in windows so that the weldment file can pull them in and display them. We copy everything into the file so it has portability, and gladly spend the time to fix the weldment when we change a part.

I always hear the argument--"but it's so neat to be able to, like, move the hole in this bracket, and it automatically moves the hole on everything it is ever bolted to." Yeah, but you still have to evaluate each and every place that part is used, revise each part and assembly, re-release the revisions, fix the parts manuals, re-program the machine tools, issue ECOs (for some companies), figure out how to handle service parts sales of the old part, and cope with the old part that shows up in assembly 6 months later and doesn't fit. Moving the stinking hole is the easy part.

Now that I've opened myself up to hate mail from the proE guys, I'll sign off.

Thanks

 

[boothe]

The best 3D CADS software i have used is Unigraphics v18 i found it hard to use at first but once i got into it was all quite easy.(highly recommended)

 

[fsi]

okeng
If a part is used in several assemblies and you only have a problem with the hole location in one bracket, then get a new part number for that one bracket. Then u do not have to revise 100 other assemblies and worry about inventory.

 

[georgeshm]

Quick Answer: Solidworks.
I worked 2 years on Pro-E and changed companies.
They had Pro-E and subsequently CHANGED to Solidworks.

Solidworks has PDM Works for product data management.
It is windows compatible.
I saw a demo on Pro-E Wildfire earlier this year.
The demo I saw (which wasn't ready then) was still behind
Solidworks in functionality.

I saw the Solidworks 2004 demo. They are still advancing and responding to users.

I actually requested and got a change made.
(Centerlines were unpickable for assembly threaded holes.)
Try and get Pro-E to do it for you. Their repeated response would be "Oh you can make a map-key for that".

My estimate for a first time user, is Solidworks is 30% more efficient in almost every detail.

 

[Sparweb]

I, too, must vote for Solidworks.

In my experience, some drafters have difficulty moving to a 3D software, no matter how much you re-train them. To move from AutoCAD to SW (or some other 3D based CAD), you will need to invest in training and upgrading your existing technical data. Taken together, these things may rival the cost of the software itself, no matter what package you pick. Solidworks facilitates both by being easy to use from a "mouse-click" point of view, and being capable of importing and exporting many different file types.



STF