View Full Version : What program is really recomanded?
I'm attempting to find the best and commonly used one
You're going to start a war here...
There are those who prefer Inventor. There are those who prefer Solidworks. There are those who prefer Pro-E. There are those who like other programs. They may all admit that their least favorite program has nice features. But they all really, really like their own preferred program. You aren't going to get a definitive answer.
I personally have used Solidworks and Inventor. I don't like Solidworks as much as Inventor.
There are also those who use the edit button on their posts instead of posting immediately afterwards with clarification.
Pro/E is the most powerful and useful one, and their product data management software is incredible.
It blows the entry-level CAD software available from other companies out of the water, but Inventor maintains a large market share in FIRST because it's so dumbed down that anyone can pick it up by playing around with it for five minutes
zackcool123
20-01-2009, 08:32
the war has begun i guess
kamus1000
20-01-2009, 08:47
You may use SolidWorks, because you can make ALL the robot with this program...and... It's easy to find the download on the internet...
Andrew Schreiber
20-01-2009, 08:49
Pro/E is the most powerful and useful one, and their product data management software is incredible.
It blows the entry-level CAD software available from other companies out of the water, but Inventor maintains a large market share in FIRST because it's so dumbed down that anyone can pick it up by playing around with it for five minutes
I can't comment on the Pro/E, I've heard some good things about it but never used it.
I have to disagree about Inventor though, I wouldn't say it has a large market share in FIRST because of its simplicity. Inventor is actually quite nice, it may have a simpler interface (matter of opinion as far as I am concerned) but it is still powerful enough for FIRST teams' needs. I know that when I was learning it was easy to learn how to do things and then transfer the skills to other packages. Also, I am not sure about the other packages but Inventor is available to ANY student for free.
Personally, I use SolidWorks. I don't actually know why, it seems more intuitive to me. Honestly I wouldn't say any one package is the best, they all have strengths and weaknesses and it all comes down to whichever one works best for you personally. A final consideration, does anyone on your team already know/use the software? If they do and they already design your robot you want a package that will work with the software already in use. Remember, software is supposed to make things quicker.
From a practical perspective, I have had much less trouble finding KOP models/assemblies for Inventor than SolidWorks. Officially, I'm supposed to be using SolidWorks, since that's what we use at my university. I learned Inventor in high school, though, and I'm still faster at it than SolidWorks.
mplanchard
20-01-2009, 11:09
Try going to www.3dcontentcentral.com -
tag 2009kop or select the First Robotics category. What part are you looking for?
Marie
I am trained in both Catia and Solidworks. I have somewhat taught myself inventor through the tutorials. For our robot design I think solidworks is the best ecspecially with all the parts modeled at the site that Marie has mentioned above. 1319 will have thier robot designed in solidworks.
artdutra04
20-01-2009, 12:08
I only used Inventor in high school, but I started using SolidWorks last year during the build season. For a variety of reasons (ranging from personal preference to the modeling-to-CNC process being much smoother), I completely switched and now I used it full time for all my projects.
In addition, both of the teams I help mentor, 190 and 228, are SolidWorks teams, and both will have at least a majority of their robot fully designed and modeled before any parts are fabricated.
My experience with Pro/E is limited, but it's a personal goal of mine to become fully proficient in both Pro/E and SolidWorks, as both of these are much more widely used in industry than Inventor.
But really, it's whatever works for you.
Edit: As for the part models for SolidWorks, between 3dcontentcentral, McMaster, Bimba, AndyMark, and FIRST Cad Library, you can find nearly every component model for a FRC robot you can ever need.
I've used Pro-E occasionally, but when I tried to do it again, it was harder...
I learned Inventor first, then when I had a Solidworks/design class, my section focused on the design and the other section went for the Solidworks. If I hadn't known Inventor, I would have been pretty well lost. Other students were lost and I had to help them. In terms of interface, Inventor (the versions I played with) is more compact; for example, Solidworks has two buttons for extrusions (one for cutting, one for adding material), while Inventor has one (select inside the box).
mplanchard
20-01-2009, 17:15
I've used Pro-E occasionally, but when I tried to do it again, it was harder...
I learned Inventor first, then when I had a Solidworks/design class, my section focused on the design and the other section went for the Solidworks. If I hadn't known Inventor, I would have been pretty well lost. Other students were lost and I had to help them. In terms of interface, Inventor (the versions I played with) is more compact; for example, Solidworks has two buttons for extrusions (one for cutting, one for adding material), while Inventor has one (select inside the box).
Eric - if you have SolidWorks 2008, make certain Instant3d is turned on. Click Instant 3d from the Features toolbar. When you select a sketch or a face, you can pull the face in with your mouse to form a cut or out to form a boss - you dont even have to select the icon - it is all on a right click. You stay focused on the center of the graphics window, you can also just drag and a ruler pops up. Click on the ruler for an exact value. This is really cool functionality - I think you will like it.
Marie
Eric - if you have SolidWorks 2008, make certain Instant3d is turned on. Click Instant 3d from the Features toolbar. When you select a sketch or a face, you can pull the face in with your mouse to form a cut or out to form a boss - you dont even have to select the icon - it is all on a right click. You stay focused on the center of the graphics window, you can also just drag and a ruler pops up. Click on the ruler for an exact value. This is really cool functionality - I think you will like it.
Marie
I know how to use Solidworks. It's just that without Inventor, I would have had a much, much harder time than I did. When students on another team are asking you how to do basic operations, like make a cutout, you know the level of instruction in Solidworks is minimal in the class (and they didn't look at any tutorials, but that's beside the point).
Of course, modifying particular components was a big pain, because half the time I had to do it 2-3x to get it right... and the constraining was a pain, but I got to the point where I could do it... (How do you get a helix to be concentric with a cylindrical tube? You don't use the concentric constraint, that's for sure!) If I posted a picture of what I did, you'd see some of why I say that.
I have used all three. I liked the challenge that Pro.E brought and I am not good at it yet. My goal is to become proficient in Pro.E and Solidworks. Currently I use Solidworks at my job and for the Bot this year. Sorry Autodesk, but I dislike inventor because i didn't learn it first. But otherwise all three will get the job done. Pick one up and start using it. Make sure to go through tutorials (look at my signature for solidworks tutorial links).
k i think that all i needed wars off lol
mplanchard
22-01-2009, 04:35
Suj
Even though I work for SolidWorks, I still believe you should learn as many software applications as you can while you are in school. Companies work with multiple tools - the more you know well the better.
Marie
Ok, I'll spell out the sides of the war from a mostly impartial view.
AutoCAD is old school. It's a classic. Most of your older companies use this in some form even if it isn't their main software. Also, it is used for many different things other then mechanics (example: civil engineering)
ProE is raw power. You can do stress analysis, aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, and just about anything else you can think of. Many companies use this powerhouse to test out a product before it is built.
Inventor is simple. It allows you to start quick and then learn the more advanced tools after your already started. It does have a good amount of power at a fair price. It's ok that not many companies use it because you can adapt to new softwares quickly after knowing one.
Solidworks is unique. It does most of what the others can do with a different type of setup. This setup allows some people to pick it up quicker then others while others struggle. It has just about all the power of ProE. Many companies use this program and the fact that it is unique makes it a good thing to know because it is harder to adapt to.
Sorry, if I put in any biases. I tried to keep as indifferent as possible. Please, no flames if you don't agree. And in case you were wondering, I'm a fan of AutoCAD. But that should in no way affect your decision.
hpw about this which requires the lowest system requirements
Solidworks requires a ton of memory. Itz probably because our robot assembly is approaching 300+ parts.
lukevanoort
24-01-2009, 12:42
Solidworks requires a ton of memory. Itz probably because our robot assembly is approaching 300+ parts.
This will be true of almost any CAD program (AutoCAD may be an exception). If you do any serious CAD with larger assemblies, you're going to need a whole lot of RAM (and a nice screen....). Handliy, RAM is easy to upgrade. Drop in a few gigs and as long as you aren't running on ancient hardware, you should be okay.
mplanchard
24-01-2009, 17:12
Solidworks requires a ton of memory. Itz probably because our robot assembly is approaching 300+ parts.
RC - Here are a few tips
-Try loading your components lightweight.
-Put all your fasteners in a "Hardware Folder" and suppress them when not required for Mass Props.
-Form subassemblies. It is easier to work with subassemblies that you can suppress/unsurpress when not required
Also there are lots of tips about working with assemblies from SolidWorks uses.
http://forum.solidworks.com/
and in the SolidWorks Blog Community, many designers and engineers have posted tips about large assemblies
https://www.solidworks.com/sw/communities/3d-cad-design-blogs.htm
Marie
Marie those really helped, one question: is solidworks ever going to make it so that the funtionality of the xyz mover on solidworks is better or as the same as inventors box view thing. Sorry for the random question. But I think solidworks rocks and thank you for supporting FIRST.
how long do you guys think an import from pro e on solidworks 09 on a acer aspire 3050 with ram upgraded to 2 gb's will take? my processor is amd sempron mobile with an ati radeo 1100 series graphics set
Your processor isn't dual core for one. I think a tad bit longer than normal and ram really only helps in handling multiple apps or running hardcore applications.
how long do you guys think an import from pro e on solidworks 09 on a acer aspire 3050 with ram upgraded to 2 gb's will take? my processor is amd sempron mobile with an ati radeo 1100 series graphics set
So...you're using Pro/E already and want to use Solidworks instead, or you have a native Pro/E file and want to open it in Solidworks?
If the former, Solidworks probably isn't any faster or slower than Pro/E. It could take quite a while to convert from another file format (STEP, IGES, etc) though. I have a P4 single core 3.4 ghz with 4 gigs of RAM and an Nvidia 7800 GTX at work and I've had to open STEP files of assemblies that took 10-15 minutes to convert/render.
It all depends on how large the file is, whether it's an assembly, or parts, etc etc.
mplanchard
24-01-2009, 21:21
Marie those really helped, one question: is solidworks ever going to make it so that the funtionality of the xyz mover on solidworks is better or as the same as inventors box view thing. Sorry for the random question. But I think solidworks rocks and thank you for supporting FIRST.
Sorry RC - I dont use Inventor so I dont know this functionality. Just explain to me what you want to do and let me see if I can help you. Marie
Sorry Marie. In inventor you can hold and move this cube that has all the views and you can click the corners of the cube to get iso views and different angles. I was wondering if solidworks was gonna create some kind of functionality with the xyz thing in the bottom left hand corner. I see that they have added more funtionality compared to the last version and I am starting to use it more and more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvUxNJxns2Y
This video shows the cube and some other features that I like about Inventor. Just wondering if Solidworks was gonna introduce anything like this.
Sorry Marie. In inventor you can hold and move this cube that has all the views and you can click the corners of the cube to get iso views and different angles. I was wondering if solidworks was gonna create some kind of functionality with the xyz thing in the bottom left hand corner. I see that they have added more funtionality compared to the last version and I am starting to use it more and more.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvUxNJxns2Y
This video shows the cube and some other features that I like about Inventor. Just wondering if Solidworks was gonna introduce anything like this.
Even better than the cube-use "ctrl"+"1-7".
ex: "ctrl-7" is iso view. You can cycle between all the other standard views with 1-6.
Even better than the cube-use "ctrl"+"1-7".
ex: "ctrl-7" is iso view. You can cycle between all the other standard views with 1-6.
Yeah Cory, but I kinda liked the gui cube thing. Commands are great, used Autocad for 4 years (7th to 10th grade). But the reason I like 3d Cad was itz use of the GUI and workflow to create a better working enviroment.
-RC
Yeah Cory, but I kinda liked the gui cube thing. Commands are great, used Autocad for 4 years (7th to 10th grade). But the reason I like 3d Cad was itz use of the GUI and workflow to create a better working enviroment.
-RC
I find the keyboard shortcuts faster-it means I can be doing something else with my mouse instead of clicking the corners of a cube.
I find the keyboard shortcuts faster-it means I can be doing something else with my mouse instead of clicking the corners of a cube.
Thatz cool Corey, but I would like the funtionality of a cube and i think others would too. Just wondering if Solidworks was planning to include that function.
mplanchard
25-01-2009, 06:59
I watched the video you suggested and saw the cube. SolidWorks user interface concentrates on less mouse clicks and less mouse travel. When you design all day long - fractions of a second take time away from the model you are working on. Yes there are the control keys that change your views and others use different mouse pointers. Also, SolidWorks automatically put you in an isometric when you extrude your first sketch.
With that said, if enough uses said they would want a "cube" as an enhancement request, SolidWorks would probably create the functionality because we implement hundreds of these every year.
For the first part of the video, I would instead use the center point rectangle sketch tool - why create a vertical and horizontal center line when you don't have too.
Kraftyman
26-01-2009, 15:40
Greetings,
I just started to use Inventor - for the kids sake. I use SolidWorks almost every day and there are two things that will make it fast for anyone.
1) Keyboard short-cuts (an absolute must)
2) A good mouse with a center button.
By pressing on the center button you get the same functionality as the cube without having to move your mouse to the cube. It rotates and then zooms with the center button. I can spin any model and get to the view I need in less than 1 sec - it is just practice. If you plan on using SolidWorks, buy a mouse with a center button!:)
Greetings,
I just started to use Inventor - for the kids sake. I use SolidWorks almost every day and there are two things that will make it fast for anyone.
1) Keyboard short-cuts (an absolute must)
2) A good mouse with a center button.
By pressing on the center button you get the same functionality as the cube without having to move your mouse to the cube. It rotates and then zooms with the center button. I can spin any model and get to the view I need in less than 1 sec - it is just practice. If you plan on using SolidWorks, buy a mouse with a center button!:)
In fairness, Inventor has the same functionality (pretty much any CAD/CAM program I've seen uses the center button in the same manner).
I may be old school. But the cube kind of annoys me. I don't like things in the display other then the part. With this being said. If this becomes standard I hope they make it so it can be toggled off.
mplanchard
28-01-2009, 13:43
When parts start to get more complicated, I find myself using Normal To a particular face if I really want to sketch on an auxillary plane. I use the mouse and the ctrl keys. You can even customize your shortcut keys.
I saw an engineer working on a sole of a sneaker and watched his hands - it looked like he was playing a piano - there were 1000 features and his mouse rarely left the center of the graphics area. Marie
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