Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
(OP)
I am looking to do some 3D modeling and possible freelance design from home. We use SolidWorks at work. Can anyone recommend a similar program that is more affordable?






RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
- - -Updraft
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Patrick
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Thanks
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Creo Elements/Direct Modeling Express is also free from http://www.ptc.com/products/creo-elements-direct/m...
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Dan
www.eltronresearch.com
Dan's Blog
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Does the EULA allow for the type of work the OP describes? (I doubt it.)
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Your company may not want you to freelance or to use company resources, but what you do in your own home on your own computer is still your business. SWX has always allowed a user to have a home use license. This is from SWX and does not really have anything to do with the company. The idea is to encourage you to use SWX: a) instead of some other package, and b) so you'll get better at it.
Your company may not want you to use SWX "for non-work purposes" which should only mean to not use work resources for personal projects, but they should have no objection to you having it on your home machine doing what you want. It actually benefits them the more you use SWX.
Talk to your VAR. They should be able to set you up. Talk to your boss too. I'll bet your interpretation is more restrictive than they intend.
- - -Updraft
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
I also do not think the SW home license is acceptable for running a company. I think it is more for people who want to use it to draw up home improvement projects, practice using SW or to bring their day job work home. I would be surprised if SW would give up the revinew of a seat for a small new company just because you use the seat at your day job. I also bet who ever buys the license for use during the day is the owner of the home license as well.
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Patrick
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Eric,
Another option is Rhino3d. There is a free download and you can save 20times,
it is about $1000
http://www.rhino3d.com/
Frank
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Such a policy is written to keep the company from getting ripped-off by its own employees. This policy affects whatever you do and however you achieve it, regardless of who owns the resources. So, even if you were to buy your own seat of SWX or any other software and you invented something on your own time and you even spent money from your pocket to make a prototype, if the company is interested in that invention and if there is such a policy in place then that invention belongs to them.
With all that said, simply using SWX at home, even using a home license associated with a company-licensed seat, is not a violation of the above referenced policy. The company might very well not want any of their files to go home with you to work on for fear of proprietary information getting out of their control. That is understandable. But simple using SWX at home does not violate this type of policy.
If you are just using SWX to design stuff for the house, or your hobby, or to improve your skills, then you have no issues. If, however, you are using SWX at home to compete with your employer or for a second job, well, that is something else entirely.
- - -Updraft
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
And remember that everything you do on SolidWorks at home would be for the work purpose of getting better at Solidworks, thereby making you a more productive and valuable employee.
Be wary of the EULA for the free or educational use licences for CAD programs since many of them are for non-commercial use only. I don't understand what happens if you design something and sell it for a profit with a non-commercial licence; Come to think of it I've always wondered what they could do to us for ignoring that clause, anyone know? I even saw that clause on my copy of MS word, what if I wrote a novel using it?
-Kirby
Kirby Wilkerson
Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
We also have networked licenses at work, but SWX provides HUL's so we do not have to VPN into the server. That would be a royal pain.
We have four networked licenses. The HUL requires us to register our home installations through the internet and thus SWX controls the activations. We are limited to four HUL activations, the same number as our floating licenses. We can actually have the software installed on a lot of machines, but only four of those home use licenses can be active at one time.
If you are using VPN from home you have the advantage of accesing the files from work, but if all you need is an active license of SWX, the HUL is the way to go.
- - -Updraft
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
-Kirby
Kirby Wilkerson
Remember, first define the problem, then solve it.
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
Cheers
Greg Locock
New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
"how do I know? I just do."
--
Hardie "Crashj" Johnson
SW 2011 SP 4.0
HP Pavillion Elite HPE
W7 Pro, Nvidia Quaddro FX580
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
I found that Alibre express does not exist any more. 3D systems discontinued the free version except for existing customers.
However I use Alibre Pro, and importantly, this program has a translator that allows you to import SLDPRT and SLDASM files, it will also import step, dfx ,and other files enabling you to talk to other systems, import and then export your work back.
The user interface is very similar to Solidworks but not the same, and about a week of work will steer you around the differences.
Alibre has a hard time doing swoopy curvy stuff, but it does have a Rhino add on. If you are doing machine parts it works fine. If you are designing strange looking plastic bottles, then stick with Solidworks.
B.E.
The good engineer does not need to memorize every formula; he just needs to know where he can find them when he needs them. Old professor
RE: Affordable home alternative to Solidworks?
I have not used it in anger but the Catia translators are superb and whilst it might not do everything Solidworks can it is probably worth a look especially as they give a free trial.