UG vs. the midrange packages
UG vs. the midrange packages
(OP)
I have been using UG now for about 4 years for injection molded part design; previously (at my last job) I used Mechanical Desktop for small mechanical assemblies (which it handled fairly well). When I moved to UG I was amazed at the surfacing and blending capabilities and how it handled complex assemblies with relative ease. Since then, the midrange packages (Solidedge, Solidworks, Inventor, etc) have been boasting longer and longer feature lists and I'm wondering what advantages UG still holds over them in terms of modeling and assembly capabilities. I realize that there are many add on packages to UG (sheet metal, die design, wire routing, etc) but if you don't use those (I don't) what keeps you from using a lower cost package?
If you have experience with a lower cost package and UG, please post your opinions. Let's assume you don't have 20 years of legacy data to worry about, just the pros/cons of using the software.
If you have experience with a lower cost package and UG, please post your opinions. Let's assume you don't have 20 years of legacy data to worry about, just the pros/cons of using the software.





RE: UG vs. the midrange packages
The first thing to look at is what are you doing with UG? If you are only designing the parts or maybe the molds, then a lower level package may be okay.
If you are doing the part design, tool design and manufacturing toolpaths, then the tighter integration you get with UG may be worth the extra money.
"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand
RE: UG vs. the midrange packages
Jay Peterson
Moog Inc
RE: UG vs. the midrange packages
I'm not looking to move away from UG, which is a good thing since I have no say in the matter anyway. I was just wondering how the 'mid-range' products stacked up in terms of modeling and assemblies. From your responses it seems that they are capable products.
RE: UG vs. the midrange packages
1mm depth of ocean water(my info of each package), spacially in modeling.
I think high level softwares(ug-catia-peo_e) aresimilar to a very old and experienced man that consider any option for doing a job, so speed reduces and accuracy and abilities increse.
but midrange softwares such as mdt-solid edge and work and cadds are similar to a younhg man that with less options in consideration does its job.
this is in modeling(regardless of less modules such as sheetmetal, routing, ...).
A big company needs a high level software to do all designing, calculating, and manufacturing its product in only one software beacuse of associativities between objects and modules, ability, accuracy, not data transfering, least files(data jungle with less trees in design to manufacturing process) and ...