Getting SolidWorks

[docdavies]

I told myself I wouldn't do this....but it seems that I do need to get a copy of Solidworks so that I can open and edit some robotic arm plans I've been downloading. I have been using Autodesk Inventor Pro up till now, but for some reason, most of the hobbyist sites post plans in Solidworks format. Sometimes Inventor picks them right up...sometimes not.....or it distorts the scale in a strange way. So a couple of questions...
1. Is there a way to get a copy of SolidWorks through FIRST like there is with Inventor?
2. Can Solidworks open .ai files? I have not been able to find a way to do it in Inventor Pro.
3. Can Solidworks directly, or indirectly (through some plug in) generate g-code?
Noting is ever easy....
Thanks,
Doc