Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

how many has used autodesk inventor before?

I use it all the time, it's what we have at school, so I'm pretty familiar with it.
And how different is it from solidworks?

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

At first, because inventor is familiar, inventor will seem better.

Once you use solidworks for a while, you realize how much better it is overall; I can't quite pinpoint what I like better about solidworks, but I know it 25% as well as inventor and I still like it more. Also, an added bonus is that inventor isn't very commonly used in industry/college compared to solidworks.

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

I have used a little bit of both, I am in an engineering computing class that is teaching it. it is IMO about 90% the same, the inter-part references are allot better though unlike Inventor. My only peeve is the controls, I am used to right clicking and dragging to pan in Inventor but SW invokes the rotate command, I am getting used to it in 3D but in a drawing it would be nice to still be able to pan, I haven't figured out how to remap the controls yet. but basically what I have done on it it is pretty awesome.

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

i cant wait for my copy to come i hope its here as soon as possible i want to get started

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

I just got my copy in the mail yesterday! Got here (richmond, va) pretty fast.

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

I hate to put up a "me too" post, but I just got my copy of the software in New York, NY. Thanks Solidworks!!

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

I seem to hear some controversy in opinions. I've talked to some of my mentors about which the prefer, and they seem to prefer Autodesk.

It seems to me that it's interesting that inventor isn't widely used, cause some of our mentors companies are switching over. That, and Inventor is all I really know. Guess you can call me sheltered.

Does anyone know if Solidworks has some of the same features as Inventor's Design Accelerators?

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

SolidWorks has something similar in their Design Library. The design library lets you put different features in the part itself and then also lets you put bolts, bearings, keys, clips, sprockets, gears, pulleys and structural members in the assembly. This works differently than SolidWorks and quite frankly I prefer the design libray to the Design Accelerators.

I have used both and while I haven't used inventor as much as I have SolidWorks so I might be a little biased, I much prefer SolidWorks.

They have a lot of the same features but SolidWorks makes the implementation easier, especially in the sketches. Sketching is what stood out most in my mind, I can define complicated things with much fewer dimensions using SolidWorks and overall the sketching just works so much better. I think I also remember the assemblies working better with SolidWorks.

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

The SolidWorks Student Edition is non-transferable. This is an individual copy. One Student Edition per one machine - for home use.

If you are a commerical customer and use a SolidWorks commerical license, you can transfer your license from work to home any time you want.

In schools, some institutions use license borrowing where the SolidWorks Education Edition network licenses can be transfered to dorm or home use.
But this is only with the network licenses installed at schools.

Marie

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

Adam:

Three short cut tips to help you with your mouse:

Rotate - Middle Mouse button
Zoom in/out - Shift + Middle Mouse button
Pan - Ctrl + Middle Mouse button

Other helpful short cut key.
f - Zoom to fit (fits the model or sheet to the graphics window)

For setting short cut keys, Select Tools, Customize, Keyboard.

Many have been preset. My favorites are Ctrl 1 through Ctrl 7 that rotate the model through the standard views Front, Top, Right etc. Ctrl 8 rotates the part to a normal to (perpendicular) view but you have to select the face).



Marie

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

I've done some crazy sketches before, so that'll be interesting. As for the design library compared to the design accelerator, it sounds like SolidWorks is more efficient. But (I'm not looking for an argument, just stating an observation), Inventor's accelerator, for how it sounds about SolidWorks, is better for more complex and custom parts.

For what I do, I think I'll be better off with SolidWorks for now.

Sounds like somebody knows their stuff.
These are great tips, I'll be sure to keep note of them. I love to move my objects around (surprised I don't give anyone motion sickness).

Thanks for answering my questions guys. It's very helpful.

Cooker

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

Hi Cooker,

Learn about design from others, even in a totally different industry - I have been designing robots for years and yet still keep learning. Just watching movies and reviewing model files from Trek Bikes taught me you can design the best product in SolidWorks but you also have to use SolidWorks interference tools to make certain you have room for a wrench to fasten a bolt. This is the same for robots. You can model anything on a computer - but you have to be able to manufacture and assemble it. http://www.solidworks.com/pages/programs/trek/

Marie

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

I have been using inventor for 4 years, solidworks for 3 and pro/E for 2. I learned on inventor so it was easy to say "inventor is better" because they are the same program and i know this one better. Fact is they aren't the same program and as your designs get more advanced and more complicated you will see that solidworks surpasses inventor and pro/E.

1 word for starters: Cosmos...
Cosmos takes solidworks to the next level. It is pretty simple to use and you can learn so much about your design from it. I bet anyone who has used a CAD system before would have a need for using cosmos.

Solidworks 2008 is pretty different from the earlier versions, but is definitely awesome.

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

So I've installed Solidworks from the DVD I received in the mail, and I've had a few chances to mess around with it, but the project I'm working on currently has all been done in Inventor. Thus, I'm still primarily using Inventor for the design work I'm doing, but I would like to use COSMOS to analyze a specific part I made in Inventor (COSMOS has a larger materials library, and it seems better than the Inventor stress analysis). One problem.. Cosmos doesn't have a license, according to my computer, and Cosmos express does appear to do torsion.. Help?

Re: SolidWorks Robotics Summer School
 

Hi Mike

You have to request a COSMOS license. SolidWorks installs automatically, then to install COSMOS you will be prompted to get a license and will receive one via email.

When you are in SolidWorks, go to Tools, Add Ins. Select COSMOSWorks, COSMOSMotion or COSMOSFloWorks - depending if you want to do stress, motion, or flow analysis. The help files for these are very nice to assist you.

Marie