Need your advice: Should I move to SolidWorks?

[bardd]

I've been using Autodesk Inventor for quite some time now, and I'm thinking of maybe moving to SolidWorks, because I heard it has useful features Inventor doesn't have (like tools to create rope/string-based mechanisms), and because universities use SolidWorks in Mechanical Engineering majors so I'd have to move sooner or later.
I'd very much appreciate it if you can give me some tips to why/why not move to SW.

[sanddrag]

Why: It does better drawings, especially with GD&T. It's industry standard. You have plugins like HSMWorks. You can customize every program function to a hotkey of your choice.

Why not: Inventor is free and easy to get for students. Showcase integration looks awesome. You already know Inventor, and it is a solid product.

That's about all I have. I use Inventor here because it's free and easy to get at home, and because my school/workplace already pays the annual license fee for the design suite for their AutoCAD class. Also, it's the platform I originally learned in 2002 and stuck with ever since. When I priced it out about a year ago, Solidworks was significantly more costly. If SolidWorks did student downloads/licenses like AutoDesk does, and if the pricing was a little lower to install in full labs at school, I'd be all over it.

[Boe]

I can't post anything about inventor but me and my team use solidworks. I found solidworks very easy to learn, and managed to pick up most of the main stuff throughout the first week of build last year. Also side note on the price there is a way to apply for free student licences, my team has been doing this for three years and ussualy gets 30 licences

[Wren Hensgen]

Personally, I prefer Inventor's interface, and the simulation tools it comes with, along with the features like importing AutoCAD designs which make it easy to create templates.

[Joe G.]

I was in the same boat. Learned inventor way back in 8th grade, Solidworks in preparation for college. I use both for a lot of things now, but still prefer Inventor.

As far as features, they each have their own perks, but for 95% of typical use, they are for all intents and purposes identical. They're both incredibly powerful packages that get more powerful with each release. I find that people always find whichever one they were taught first "easier."

The best advice I can give you is, don't think of it as a "move." Think of it as "learning something new." I took an advanced CAD class in college in Creo, while all prior classes were in Solidworks. The professor justified this decision by saying that the ability to pick up a new CAD package is one that will serve you well in inudstry, if a company that hires you uses a program that you've never touched. She was right; learning Creo was exponentially easier for me than learning Solidworks was, just as learning Solidworks was exponentially easier than learning Inventor. This had nothing to do with the ease of use of the programs (good luck finding someone who will call Creo the easiest of the three!), but everything to do with my experience learning how to learn CAD software.

[bardd]

Thanks for your tips everyone. I'll see if I can legally find a free copy of SolidWorks and try and work with both softwares.

[Siri]

Thanks for your tips everyone. I'll see if I can legally find a free copy of SolidWorks and try and work with both softwares.SolidWorks does supply free licenses to FIRST teams and basically every other student design competition. Here (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=_2bFihOgUiYLPepDsEYt6D7g_3d_3d) - Just describe your challenge and why you want SolidWorks, and hit go. For FIRST at least, the questions aren't really a screening process (though do try reasonably), I suspect it's more for tracking their own success. We've never been turned down or anything like that, and you can get as many licenses as you'd like.

We didn't always ship to a school address either; I contacted them and they said any 501c3 works. There are probably other exceptions, if it makes it easier for you.

That said, while it was nice to be in the same program I used in college, it's not desperate. If anything, I'd advise "switching" just so you've learned both. Think of it as a mind/learning capacity expansion project.


Final Pro: the SW install, at least compared to when I last did Inventor (2010?) is lightyears faster and milliamps less painful.

[bardd]

We didn't always ship to a school address either.

Does this mean they send a physical copy on a CD? I live in Israel, would that be problematic?

Thanks.

[Siri]

Does this mean they send a physical copy on a CD? I live in Israel, would that be problematic?

Thanks.Hmmm. We get it physically, but you should contact them. I'm not sure. Sorry, I should have checked your location! They may have an online option, as well.

[Sabaka]

Personally, I find little difference between the two. I started with SolidWorks, but my team switched to Inventor a year or two ago. I found it incredibly easy to switch between the two.

As far as differences go, they both have more or less the same features, as can be expected. I will admit that I don't use most of the more complicated functions, I have self-taught myself while working in the machine room half or more of the time (also being the lone member of the CAD team for most of the time). I have almost no time to learn anything, so, as it follows, I haven't learned much. So I can't vouch for differences in that area.

Reasons to switch: It's the industry standard, as has already been mentioned. Most colleges and universities will be using SolidWorks as well. Perhaps it's higher quality. I'm not convinced on that, though.

Reasons not to switch: There isn't terribly much difference between the two programs. When it comes to FIRST, I don't think there's a whole lot you will gain by using SolidWorks over Inventor.

My two cents.

[nnfuller]

There are also features in Inventor that Solidworks doesn't have. I know for one the Frame Generator in Inventor has saved my team hours. I also know that Autodesk provides more support that is FIRST specific. It is generally a matter of habit and preference though.

[Madison]

There are also features in Inventor that Solidworks doesn't have. I know for one the Frame Generator in Inventor has saved my team hours. I also know that Autodesk provides more support that is FIRST specific. It is generally a matter of habit and preference though.

Solidworks has a feature that is very similar to the Frame Generator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O015nRTzR9E

[evanperryg]

My team uses inventor because it is used in our school's engineering programs. As an electrical guy, the thing i love the most about Inventor is the harness environment. It is really useful and not too hard to use.

[BA SW]

I am not as familiar with Inventor as I am with SolidWorks, but I would say rather than switching, learn both and then you should be able to decide which one to work with. This would probably be beneficial with other situations down the road as well.
Other users have already said a few pros and cons of each but I would like to add that SolidWorks makes it very easy to create a belt in an assembly and this can also be used to create tracks for a tracked vehicle. Also, SolidWorks recently released SolidWorks Electrical. This allows you to create a schematic in 2D and then import the 3D parts (from a large library of 3D parts) that are associated with electrical symbols into an assembly. Then you just click a few buttons and all the wires are added between these components. It also allows you to check if everything fits into a certain space or clearances between objects.

[Gray Adams]

My team uses inventor because it is used in our school's engineering programs. As an electrical guy, the thing i love the most about Inventor is the harness environment. It is really useful and not too hard to use.

I found using the harness tool to be a nightmare. All I do now is draw splines and sweep along them for wires and tubes.