SolidWorks vs. Inventor

[sanddrag]

Okay, let's have the big showdown. Personally, I prefer Inventor, but I can't pinpoint exactly why, I just do. But SolidWorks has a big selling point that you can get it for $70 if you are a student.

Which do you prefer and why?

[oljomo]

Hi

What do you need to be able to take advantage of this offer, and is it only availiable in the states?

oljomo

[alphastryk]

I prefer SolidWorks, but I wasnt aware that you could get it for just $70. I have only used it at my job, not for FIRST

[Madison]

I prefer SolidWorks as well. I make good use of features like COSMOS and find its ability to detect and limit motion based on collisions to be very, very useful.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by alphastryk

I prefer SolidWorks, but I wasnt aware that you could get it for just $70. I have only used it at my job, not for FIRST

http://www.journeyed.com/itemDetail.asp?T1=36815643+FS3 Not with full COSMOS (that's a little extra) but still an incredible deal.

Also, http://www.solidworks.com/pages/prod...mpusstore.html and check the links in the nav bar on the left for more info.

[jdiwnab]

I prefer, for now atleast, Inventor because that is what I am used to and it has plenty of power and ease of use. I am trying SW and like the COSMOS stuff, but some of the placements are weird to me. Maybe it just takes getting use to. I'll really decide when I get my demo of Inventor 10 in. Then I'll see which is better .

[Matt Krass]

SolidWorks definitely, and it does take some getting used to, but once you do, you're going to open Inventor and be like "Wow, this is a pain". Inventor is no longer easy for me to use, I remember it fine, I just find the SolidWorks interface so much easier. But it could just be me.

[Clark Gilbert]

I'm going to have to go with SolidWorks. I've never actually "used" it, but I had a demo (that I got with one of my textbooks) on my laptop for awhile and the couple times I messed around it seemed much better than Inventor. I've also learned to use and like IronCAD because of my major.

[Rafi Ahmed]

I use Inventor a lot. For class and robotics. Its easier for me but i learned to use inventor first so thats peobably why i like Inventor more.

[Gui Cavalcanti]

I had a few jobs based in Inventor before I came to Olin College, and I was a little antsy about the campus-wide Solidworks. The first time I used it though, even with my reservations, I found myself saying "Assembly parts has never been easier!"

Solidworks wins for me.

[Lindsey]

I've used Inventor mainly for FIRST, but I will be learning Solidworks for my co-op job (as soon as it gets installed). What are the main differenced, and what suggestions do people have for someone switching over?

Lindsey

PS - I will courteously abstain from voting until I've become familiar with both programs.

[Conor Ryan]

I'm very pro-solidworks. In my experince I have found it simpler and a more powerful tool than that of inventor. It's the engineering standard around our team anyway, all the Engineers involved with it use it at work and home so those of us with the motivation to, use Solidworks too. Also Solidworks is cheaper and a more All-in-one tool.

Also Solidworks 2006 is gonna be out soon, I think i might buy the student version of that.

[grim]

What's interesting about this thread is that Inventor has the higher percentage according to the poll, yet the thread comments are mostly pro solidworks.

[clydefrog88]

In technology classes at school i learned inventor. A couple of years ago i started plugging around on my dad's solidworks license and have since found it to be far easier to use. Seeing how fast he can bring stuff from a sketch to a full scale analysis in COSMOS has really shown me how large a gap there is between the two. The interface in solidworks just feels more intuitive i guess. The design times i encountered in inventor seem to detract from the software's ultimate goal: rapid 3 dimensional modeling (maybe i'm just incompetent). I don't know if inventor has similar export capability, but my dad tells me solidworks easily exports to his CAM software with minimal modification. I even like solidworks dwg editor better than autocad. I guess I'm just not a big fan of Autodesk products in general.

[Aceanuu]

Having always been an Inventor guy... I'm gonna have to go with Inventor. I'm used to its interface and and hotkeys, so I can quite rapidly mock basically anything up. I can't really say its superior to SolidWorks since I haven't really used it much (other than to cnc a fair amount of molds and caps). However, i believe overall, inventor is a much stronger package of features and capabilities (while not necessarily as user friendly).