1 Topic by metaldrgn

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Topic: Solidworks worth it?

I've seen a lot of pros and cons to solidworks in the past on this forum, but no direct thread so I thought I'd start one because I'm thinking of buying it and would like a little input before I pull the trigger.

I've been looking at the packages and the premium looks like the one that would work well for me. The extras in the package seem worth it and I don't want to worry about upgrading later which would cost more anyhow. The price is pretty steep at $8k, but I could start working some side jobs to get some experience/networking and building a portfolio for later.

I've used it a little and I'm playing with it now and again, but I've used Catia primarily up to this point and since it has some similar features, I am interested in buying it. Catia is off limits for now as it's very expensive ($15k a module).

Any input on it? I've seen people mention that it has limitations, but what specific limitation does it have? The only thing I can think of is in the realm of organic modeling in which I use T-splines plug-in for Rhino3D for that.

2 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

Ended up being a triple, no worries.
I use SW exclusively and love it.  You would be correct about organic modeling but other than that I've seen no real limits.

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3 Reply by metaldrgn (edited by metaldrgn 2016-05-13 04:53:11)

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

Thanks I'm not used to the delay anymore lol.

That gives me hope:)

4 Reply by robertf

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

i like solid works a whole lot more than catia, but when I worked at a place that had catia I also had Inventor and used that 99% of the time.   

it's all about what you are comfortable with unless you need native analysis modules (FEA,cfd,etc).  You said catia is out of your price range so I'm guessing so are native analysis plug ins.

If you don't require off line access or decent 2d drawings you should look into onshape.  I really believe it's the future of CAD.  Fusion 360 too.  Both have great freemium options

Personally I use alibre(now geomagic design) but I let go of my maintenance this year and will probably transition over to Onshape. Since alibre became geomagic it's quickly becoming abandonware. 

If money were no object Id use inventor.  I think it's more stable than sw and has some cool plug ins that make wire harness design a breeze when paired with auto ad electrical, but that is way beyond the scope of 3d printing. 

I would rank the ones I've used from best to worst as follows:

Inventor
Alibre
Solid works
Onshape
Pro e WF3
Fusion 360
Catia

5 Reply by robertf

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

Another point for onshape or fusion is you are no longer bound to a Microsoft OS, which is probably a good thing with the invasive nature of windows 10

6 Reply by heartless

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

the problem with Onshape & Fusion360 is they are cloud based - and not everyone has a cable internet connection. sad

Solidworks is a fantastic program once you learn how to use it (i am still learning, lol, but have the basics down) but, yeah, "organic" stuff is not where it shines...

for organic modeling there are other programs available... but it sounds like you have that covered already...

for those that may be looking, however, here are a couple...
Sculptris (free program put out by ZBrush)
The good old standby - Blender (also free)

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7 Reply by metaldrgn

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

Part of it is what you're familiar with. Catia is one of the best if not the best CAD program out there. I know big companies like Lockheed use Catia too. Catia is a hard one to learn because there are just so many options for the tools. SolidWorks is more simplistic.

I have onshape on my phone when it first came out but never really used it. I'm not really a fan of cloud based software.  I am a windows fan and have been using it forever. I don't like mac and I've tried Linux but I prefer windows.

8 Reply by robertf

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

I disagree about catia being the best.   It was one of the first with doc management and aerospace companies adopted it as standard.  The last version I used was v5.  The interface was clunky and awkward

9 Reply by metaldrgn (edited by metaldrgn 2016-05-13 15:07:06)

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

I used v5 as well. I actually really want to try out v6 sometime. I don't really have a problem with it. Maybe because I know it or I have everything where I want it. I'll check out inventor but since I haven't used any Autodesk stuff in awhile but I will probably stay away from it.

10 Reply by knowack

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

You guys are WAY above my level, but I'm enjoying the conversation.

11 Reply by Tin Falcon

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

I will remind folks that SW has a veterans program you can get an educational copy for one year for $20 applies to US and canadian vets.
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12 Reply by metaldrgn

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

That program is messed up. It's for members who served and got out, not who are currently in. A veteran can still be serving...

13 Reply by metaldrgn (edited by metaldrgn 2016-05-17 14:44:42)

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Re: Solidworks worth it?

From what I saw, Inventor doesn't offer a perpetual license, is that right? I wouldn't want to buy something that would just expire in a given amount of time.

Also I'm learning solidworks, but it's rough because it's missing a lot of the advanced features and abilities lol. Some things I'm finding work arounds for. For instance, I'm not seeing an easy way to align closing points on lofts. Is there a way aside from making a curve through reference points?