Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
(OP)
I'm currently running ACAD, Inventor & LUSAS as a combined CAD & FEA package in a design office. I want to ditch LUSAS for a more friendly package, but can't decide whether to go for an Ansys package and use my existing Inventor as the front end - or take the plunge and change CAD & FEA completely and go with SolidWorks & Cosmos.
FE work is relatively simple - 2D and 3D linear - however, I would like to be able to retain mesh control, run some buckling analysis and a non-linear material function would be a plus. 3D CAD work can have complex shapes but generally assemblies of less than 20 components.
Anyone got any advice - the sales guys are starting to run rings around me!
Thanks for your time,
Tim
FE work is relatively simple - 2D and 3D linear - however, I would like to be able to retain mesh control, run some buckling analysis and a non-linear material function would be a plus. 3D CAD work can have complex shapes but generally assemblies of less than 20 components.
Anyone got any advice - the sales guys are starting to run rings around me!
Thanks for your time,
Tim





RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
Solidworks and Cosmos are seamlessly integrated, and developed by partner companies. You use Cosmos through the Solidworks application, and there's no switching data back and forth between formats, Soidworks IS your pre- and post- processor. I've only used Cosmos Express, which is no-brainer FEA.
Can anyone claim the same relationship with Ansys? I haven't used Ansys since my school days, when it was still a suite of DOS programs. It has evolved since then - somebody else should comment on that.
The question to ask is: will Cosmos keep up with my demands?
Does it have the functions that I want? Identify what you need, then get a Solidworks guy to bring a machine with the software installed to your office and prove it!
"Simplicate, and add more lightness" - Bill Stout
Steven Fahey, CET
RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
Out of interest, does SolidWorks handle ACAD drawings comfortably i.e. without messing all of the fonts and layers etc. I have a lot of past ACAD data and ditching Inventor means ditching ACAD.
Tim
RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
I would give my left arm to ditch Acad for SW (wouldn't need it any more either
Did you try posting in the Solidworks forum?
"Simplicate, and add more lightness" - Bill Stout
Steven Fahey, CET
RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
I chose Ansys over Cosmos mostly because of the trust you must have in an integrity of the solution provided by an analysis code. Not that I don't trust Cosmos but I know I can trust Ansys. Also, the Ansys basic interface has come a long way. You do still operate in a separate window but you have update control between your analysis model and the base geometry in Inventor. The basic Ansys was also price competitive. Jumping to non-linear materials is a big jump in complexity that should not be considered lighty and could jump your analysis code price a good bit.
RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos
RE: Inventor & Ansys vs Solidworks & Cosmos