inventor vs. solidworks
inventor vs. solidworks
(OP)
I have been reading quite a few messages on here and everyone seems to be quite defensive about solidworks. I need to make a decision on which system to go with. I have been an autocad user for 15 years and would like to go 3-d. I have heard all of the rhetoric from both of the sales sides. But I would like your opinion from those of you who know both systems. I have used solidworks before but not really inventor. Everything I output will be in the form of detailed drawings for my plant. We design and build machinery. It seems solidworks is not stable, or as stable as inventor? Your insight and knowledge would be helpful. Thanks alot in advance.






RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Not true. Any high powered MCAD or CAE application requires appropriate level computer hardware to function at its best. I've used Pro/E, SWx, Inventor, & SDRC IDEAS at different levels of production work and they all have their pros/cons. I did a Black Hawk simulator design with Inventor and it took me twice as long as I could have done in Pro/E or SWx.
I would have to suggest you do a 30 day trial of SWx, Inventor, & Solid Edge. Do head to head comparisions and don't pay any attention to the sales rep....that's their job to bash the competition. Trust me I know about aggressive sales tatics....from my days as a Pro/e applications engineer.
Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
XP Pro SP2.0 P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)
(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right." -- George Best
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
A solidworks forum is really the wrong place to ask which is better. Those who use both and like SW better are the ones on this forum. I suggest you evaluate both. Get yourself a VAR who reps SW and a VAR who reps Inventor. Use them both doing the same machinery design jobs that you would do on a day to day basis and try to make prints of all these parts with both systems. Then come tell us what you found.
I think you will find Solidworks will win.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Both Inventor and SolidWorks are good. I am a SW user, but only played with Inv.
I know there are changes coming from Autodesk for ACAD and Inv.
Anything that is mech design, I would stick with SW.
Chris
SolidWorks 07 3.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-08-07)
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Marketing at its best.
MatherJD - Do you teach both SWx & Inventor in your 3D solid modeling classes? So students can deside which one they want to use?
Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
XP Pro SP2.0 P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)
(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right." -- George Best
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Pete
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Depends on what you use and need.
Jason
UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
UG NX4.01.0 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2007 SP3.1 on WinXP SP2
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Hope this helps.
Best wishes and have fun,
Diggles1972.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
The only reason Inventor looks like SW is because they copied the interface off SW... it took AutoCAD 5+ years top remotely catch up to SW.
But to also comment on the above quote: They are not the same program by far, they look the same and they have the same function of parts. assemblies and drawings... but they are far different to use. The kernels i believe are also different. Inventor uses ACIS and SW as well as Solidedge uses Parasolid...
Back to the topic at hand:
So IMO you need to get a test drive to see what best works for you and your company and not go on what is said here. Heckler is right though... you need to have the correct Hardware setup to run SW efficiently and stable.
Good luck with your search... just because people are defensive here just means we love to use SW and recommend it over AutoCAD and any of its cousins, by FAR!
Regards,
Scott Baugh, CSWP![[pc2] pc2](https://www.tipmaster.com/images/pc2.gif)
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
I doubt that AutoCAD will ever catch up to SW. (You might do some research into the diffence of the two CAD programs AutoCAD and Autodesk Inventor).
>...they look the same and they have the same function of parts. assemblies and drawings...
Sounds like the definition of the same to me...
>but they are far different to use.
Huh? I haven't had that experience. You might look into getting some training.
>Inventor uses ACIS ...
Again you haven't done your research. Autodesk abandoned ACIS years ago.
>So IMO you need to get a test drive to see what best works for you and your company and not go on what is said here.
Good advice.
> just because people are defensive here just means we love to use SW and recommend it over AutoCAD... by FAR!
Agree!
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Good luck on your decision.
A few things you may want to consider:
1) If you are hiring, how easily will it be to find designers that have SolidWorks experience in you area? And of course how easily will it be to find designers that have Inventor experience in your area?
2) If you outsource, are there design services firms that are using SolidWorks in your area? Using Inventor in your area?
3) Do your customers/ clients use either SolidWorks or Inventor or do they use something else (SolidEdge)?
Best regards,
Joseph
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Not the same animals. You mean Inventor, not AutoCAD.
Chris
SolidWorks 07 3.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-08-07)
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
AutoDesk based its ShapeManager Kernel on the ACIS kernel. So, they are probably largely using the ACIS kernel with some modifications on it that they now call ShapeManager. Spatial Systems (Developer of the ACIS kernel) was purchased by Dassault (parent company of SolidWorks). AutoDesk sat and watched, and then bought the rights to ACIS kernel a little while later. That enabled them to change the ACIS kernel to thier liking and name it whatever they wanted... I highly doubt its a whole new kernel, just mostly ACIS with some changes to suit.
http://in
http:
Pete
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
PTC did this and released Wildfire. It seems SWx's GUI what some MCAD companies are trying to mimic. It looks like SWx, kind of Tastes like SWx therefore it must be as good as SWx
Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SWx 2007 SP 3.0 & Pro/E 2001
XP Pro SP2.0 P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
NVIDIA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)
(In reference to David Beckham) "He can't kick with his left foot, he can't tackle, he can't head the ball and he doesn't score many goals. Apart from that, he's all right." -- George Best
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Jason
UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
UG NX4.01.0 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2007 SP3.1 on WinXP SP2
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
I was reading that article before I posted that so I had done my research... as for training, what training do you expect to take?
If they are the same then why are they so different when I get calls from customers saying that's not how Inventor does it... if they are the same, then I would not get any calls about why one does it this away and why SW does it that away.
Just test drive the software yourself... all this posts do is cause harm to the product and the people repling to them...
Regards,
Scott Baugh, CSWP![[pc2] pc2](https://www.tipmaster.com/images/pc2.gif)
www.scottjbaugh.com
FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
45 minutes to create a single drawing view,
NEVER use multi-sheet drawings,
"only" crashing five times a day
20 minutes to insert a fastener from ContentCenter
and they're HAPPY!?!?!?
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
http://www
Why is my handle 65Roses?
Please visit http://www.cff.org/aboutCFFoundation/About65Roses/ to learn why!
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Matt
CAD Engineer/ECN Analyst
Silicon Valley, CA
http://sw.fcsuper.com/index.php
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
SolidWorks
Pro E
UG - Catia tie
AutoCad
Inventor
This is all in my experience but when you deal with 100's of companies in all kinds of industries, it can be a good guideline
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Side note, I remember meeting someone a few years ago who asked if SolidWorks would ever release a DOS version. When I told him, "probably not", he then replied, "well, in that case I am sticking to AutoCAD v2 for Ms-DOS!".
Hopefully, he is using some 3D these days, either SolidWorks, SolidEdge, Inventor, SketchUp or even Cosmic Blobs and LegoCAD would be an improvement.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Personally I enjoy SW much more than Inventor, and I've worked on, and been an instructor for both. Besides Inventors Project setup is a tool of the devil.
Specs, Intel Pentium M 2.16 Mhz
SW 2007 R2.2
1.5 Gb Ram
NVidia GE Force GO 6800 256Mb
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Lack of configurations in Inventor would be hard to live without.
Inventor has SW style "configurations", and also iParts and iAssemblies.
The only reason Inventor looks like SW is because they copied the interface off SW... it took AutoCAD 5+ years top remotely catch up to SW.
AutoCAD and Inventor are different products. the Inventor GUI is considerably different from SW. feature trees in 3D modelers predate SW by many years. the "green check/red X motif dates back to Windows 3 applications, and is rarely seen anymore.
Go to the (highly censored) Inventor Discussion Group on at www.autodesk.com
highly censored ? if that were so, there would be no posts with negative comments, such as those listed by symjim. I have found the Autodesk forum open and professional, with frequent input by Autodesk employees.
I use both SW and Inventor every day, depending on customer preference, they both have strengths and weaknesses. Autodesk bashing just makes SW users look fanatical and unprofessional, give it a rest !
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
I think he meant Autodesk....not Autocad.....many people still refer to Autodesk as Autocad.
Also, check your history.....Solidworks created the feature tree concept with drag and drop history. Here's the patent (http:/
(Kind of cool to see the old Solidworks 95 pics in there....gee looks alot like Alibre.....so much has changed)
I think there are a number of disgruntled ex-Autocad users about. Autocad didn't have any real compeition until Solidworks and Solidedge came around in its price range so they didn't treat their customers the best and lagged on development. You have to admit if not for Solidworks and Solidedge, you wouldn't be using IV....probably an ill-functioning Mechanical Desktop still running on top of Acad. So yeah, many swx users are passionate about Solidworks (more so than most)...mostly cause it opened there eyes to what real mcad software should be. Luckily for the IV users out there, Autodesk got the message and copied Swx and SE.
Jason
UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
UG NX4.01.0 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2007 SP3.1 on WinXP SP2
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Pete
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Someone going from SWX method of Configurations to Inventor iParts and iAssemblies and Design View reps and Position View reps would be frustraited without training. Once you learn the logical flow it seems to represent the real world equivalents pretty good.
In Inventor you create iPart factory - that is a single part from which you create the different configurations each configuration of course being a different file just like each physical part being a different part with a different part number. I can imagine someone who has difficulty setting up a project folder would be totaly confused. Reminds me of the MDT people who can't see that different files for part, assembly and drawing isn't really a nightmare - simply a more representative virtual representation of the physical equivalents the guys out on the shop floor and in the warehouse deal with everyday.
I have seen some examples where SWX type configurations are a better solution. For example a resistor with the legs bent different directions in an assembly. The same part with the same part number in different configurations.
As far as the other mis-info, well enough said...
http://dis
of course that was taken care of years ago, I'm sure I could find plenty of similar examples
but all I know is I can no longer access
http://forum.solidworks.com/
makes me wonder about censorship. Seems like the most active forum for SWX is eng-tips anyhow. But I would like to be able to see an open forum at the company site.
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Do you have an active subscription for SolidWorks? I don't believe a subscription is required anymore but you do have to create an account to gain access.
SW07-SP3.1
SW06-SP5.1
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Thanks for the answers JD.
Pete
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Do you have an active subscription for SolidWorks? I don't believe a subscription is required anymore but you do have to create an account to gain access.
Are you in any position to straighten this out? If you are I can forward my emails between myself and the folks at SWX (who were kind enough to contact me) on this problem but never straightened it out.
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Just because I am now an educator don't underestimate my real world experience. I am also a master machinist (8yrs on the shop floor), set production standards and worked in R&D, total of 15 years industrial experience before I changed careers.
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Have you contacted Greg Jankowski direct? He seems to have a major role in the running of the forum.
SW07-SP3.1
SW06-SP5.1
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Pete
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Apparently I was a little too subtle with the sarcasm.
Yes I have been in contact with Greg Jankowski (actually he contacted me) and Todd Bryant.
Had to give up for a while to get some other stuff done.
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
your opinion is out-of-date and could be misleading. please consider that others might be influenced by this.
Autocad didn't have any real compeition until Solidworks and Solidedge came around in its price range
what is the relevance of this in a discussion of the relative merits of SW and IV ? if Inventor were not from Autodesk, I wonder if hard-core SW fanatics would be so quick to criticize. comparing Acad to any solid modeler is apples to oranges.
Also, check your history.....Solidworks created the feature tree concept
your kidding? someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the first history tree I recall was in Pro/E. even early versions of MDT had a feature tree. there are literally dozens of patents for 3D cad GUIs, a quick search shows them to be very specific to that application.
again, I use SW and IV, occasionally Pro/E depending on the customers native file format. I don't care who "invented" what particular program feature, as long as its there if and when I need it. let the OP judge SW and IV on their relevance to his business needs, not contempt for Autodesk.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Configs in swx can be used for:
- Family of similar parts (Sizes)
- To create parts bent into shapes (resistor leads)
- Sheetmeal flat patterns
- Sheetmetal mfg forming steps
- Simplfied versions of complex parts (turn off features)
- Mirrored versions of parts
- Cast and Machined parts (if you want them together)
- Flexible parts like wiring that is unique for each assy its used in, yet have the same part number
The configs can be created derived underneath another so they have the same part number, or they separate with different numbers. Or mix and match both. I might have say 10 family of parts at different sizes with each its own part number, then each has a derived configuration maybe with fillets and other non important features suppressed for used as a simplified part for large assemblies (part number linked to parent config).Jason
UG NX2.02.2 on Win2000 SP3
UG NX4.01.0 on Win2000 SP3
SolidWorks 2007 SP3.1 on WinXP SP2
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Why be sarcastic at all with people who are trying to help?
SW07-SP3.1
SW06-SP5.1
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
The bottom line is that asking which software is better on a forum partial to a particular software is just not objective and I think you will find that the initial answers in the post clearly indicated that free trials are available for both. It is just fun to nock coke if you drink pepsi, but I would have to say inventor is more like tab or rc cola. It is something that many of us have used and evaluated and choosen not to put in our quiver. If Autocad Inventor was truely better, then I think many of us would switch over to this tool, because we all want the best tool at the right price for the job. Maybe someday it will be better, or significantly cheaper. All I know is that its nice to have companies competing against each other, because that in itself creates product advancement. What really intrests me is the Autodesk aquisition of Maya and 3ds Max. I will be following the future of this company closely. There are some fairly advanced NURBS surface modeling and rendering tools which Inventor could benefit from.
RFUS
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
If you are interested in Maya and 3ds MAX, then you may be interested in this purhcase just announced today...
http:/
http://wo
Pete
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Sweet!
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
at this point i am comfortable with both and i can exploit each one to its full potential but if youre going to primarily output drawing files I would recommend you go with Inventor as the drawing tools are more powerful and intuitive than the SW toolset.
Cliffs: Do Inventor.
Hope that helps.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
If I was looking to purchase a 2D CAD tool for AEC I would look into AutoDesk and Microstation products. I would not look into SolidWorks, PTC, Dassault and UGS prodcuts.
Likewise, if I am looking to purchase a 3D MCAD tool I would look into SolidWorks, PTC, Dassault and UGS prodcuts. I would not look into AutoDesk and Microstation.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Chris
SolidWorks 07 3.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-21-07)
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
You are absolutely right Chris, my previous post was a general statement. My point is that the strength of AutoDesk is really AEC (2D and 3D). I hear good things about Revit. Likewise, the strength of SolidWorks, Dassault, PTC and UGS is 3D MCAD. That might not matter to some users, but I would take that into consideration when purchasing a CAD package.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
Chris
SolidWorks 07 3.0/PDMWorks 07
AutoCAD 06
ctopher's home (updated 04-21-07)
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
FYI... Revit was like the "SolidWorks" of AEC (a 3D parametric CAD package for architecture). AutoDesk bought them out a few years back. Good move for AutoDesk.
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
http://labs.autodesk.com/
(part modeling only - no assemblies)
or
Autodesk Inventor Personal Learning Edition from your local VAR.
or
Students can get free Autodesk Inventor Professional from http://engineersrule.org
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Certified SolidWorks Professional
RE: inventor vs. solidworks
You can look into geting the Free SolidWorks Personal Edition here:
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/news/3DSkills.html
You can contact your VAR for an eval copy of SolidWorks
If you are student you can look into the Student Edition:
ht
All these include parts, assemblies and drawings (i.e. there is no LT equivalent)