Any Cheaper Solidworks alternative?

[dicksham]

As i know, we can choose "CMS intellicad" as a cheaper Autocad alternative (the former costs less than 1/10 of the later one, but with nearly 100% power)


Do you know any cheaper alternative of Solidworks? Forget piracy copies.

 

[Waidesworld]

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=209948396&list ingid=47395541

 

[dgs]

Funny, I thought SW was the cheaper alternative.

I think Solid Edge might be a little cheaper, but I've not used it so I can't speak to its capabilities.

Unlike the AutoCAD knockoffs, however, the command structure and work flow are going to be very different from one solid modeler to another. Also, the files they generate will not be compatible. In the 2D world, DWG/DXF are standard formats that nearly every 2D package uses. There is no such standard in the 3D world.

 

[dicksham]

pencils??? i love your humour, waidesworld.


there are many options between 0 and 1.

 

[dgs]

Back in the day, when drafting with pencils on paper, I had 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 for various line weights. You really need several sizes to do a quality job.

I was thankful that I didn't start back in the lead holder days.

 

[Waidesworld]

We started on French Curves and 2H, HB and 2B pencils ourselves

 

[PRStock]

Add ink on mylar to the mix.

 

[c_thompson_68]

Hello,

Here are some cheaper versions, although I have not tried them myself:

<ul>[*]Alibre: http://www.alibre.com/
[*]TurboCad: http://www.turbocad.com/[/list]
I do not know if either package can do surface or hybrid modeling. TurboCad is probably more of an AutoCad replacement. I have heard Alibre is good for designing parts that are machined.

You can read more about Alibre from this blog: http://www.mikescadblog.com/2008/01/the-difference.html

"I next asked him to explain to me what benefits I would see by
switching from Solidworks, to Alibre. Choosing his words carefully, he
explained that Alibre wasn't meant to target power Solidworks users
like myself, but to provide a similar software package for what he
called the bottom of the pyramid."

Chris


Edited by: c_thompson_68

 

[dicksham]

i think the main problem from these alternatives is that they cannot read Solidworks native files and their files cannot be read & edited by Solidworks. Many companies now outsource part of their jobs to other parties, that may cause problems.


Back to DWG world, the alternative CMS intellicad can now read autocad natives and their files can be 100 % editable by autocad. They have no problem with autocad users.


Can Alibre /Turbocad's files are exchangable with SW files?

 

[ttraser]

Most any file can be edited via Solidworks. Oldschool there were no such things as features, primatives, etc. Cut/paste. Pre 1984 it's all that was out there. Any CAD software that can output a watertight surfaced model in IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Software) can be edited by Solidworks. Take Unigraphics for example, Pre 1984, before they were NX, they didn't even have a feature tree. It wasn't until Pro/E introduced feature based modeling that everyone jumped on board. So, stating they can not be read or edited by Solidworks is only in there "native" mode. Still, Solidworks in combo with Rhino are about the best for translating data between the current CAD softwares that are out there.

Just my thoughts.

enjoy...

 

[dicksham]

someone suggests Rhino. what do you think?

 

[ttraser]

Rhino is a totally different type of software. The way to select a software really isn't just in how much it costs, but what is you application>? Example, I wouldn't want to design a vehicle in Autocad, I'd use Catia. Even though both are capable of doing the job, one is more designed for the task at hand. Rhino is a surfaced based modeler, not a feature based modeler. Sure, it has features in it as well, but they are not the main stream of the software. So, I suggest you simply choose you software for your application first, then look for price.


good luck. ...

 

[dicksham]

as title, i want to find out the cheapest but the most powerful Solidworks alternative available in the market, froma home-user's point of view.


minimum requirement:


3d modeling (hopefully with surface commands)


assembly (to check static & dynamic part-part interference)


drafting (able to issue 2d drawings with critical dimensions & tolerances and some important notes; all responsible people can sign on them)


rendering (optional)


files can be read (and editable) by other CAD/CAM softwares


price as low as possible.

 

[ttraser]

froma home-user's point of view.


Well, If I were you. I'd get a student version of SW2010. Best bang for the buck.





Good Luck.

 

[dicksham]

however, i am too old to be a student. i cannot cheat SW i am a student.

 

[dgs]

... files can be read (and editable) by other CAD/CAM softwares ...

There's the rub. This isn't actually possible in the 3D world. Yes, as ttraser pointed out, you can spit our a neutral format such as IGES or STEP, but that may or may not come in cleanly to the targeted system. It depends, mores o with IGES than STEP, on how the two systems interpret and implement the neutral standard.

Even if it works perfectly, you are still left with a dumb blob in the end without the feature history. Want to move a hole? You need to fill in the old one and cut a new one. Some CAD tools have feature recognition where they can 'featurize' a neutral import, but you have to walk through that process. SW has one, I think, as does Pro|E WF4 and later.

Another thought is to use something like CoCreate or Solid Edge which are featureless direct modelers where you simply manipulate the solid to build your part, no features. They may deal better with neutral imports and a neutral export essentially looses nothing since there are no features to loose.

The question is what do you need to interface with? Just doing home projects? Try Google Sketchup, it's free (but no export capability at all unless you buy the Pro version). I used it to lay out my basement and it was great for that. Are you wanting to work from home? Then you need to figure out what package best fills the needs of your potential clients.

 

[dicksham]

Thanks for your inputs.


Rhino & Google Sketchup cannot meet the minimum requirements(modeling,assembly & drafting)as a CAD system. Their prices have been no meaning to me.


Thanks to Doug's reminder, a CAD system should have ability to edit any DUMP solid/surface. in 3d world, there is still no standard in file format, unlike DWG/DXF in 2d world.


Can CMS intellicad 3d/ Alibre/ TurboCAD be strong enough to edit DUMP solids/surfaces exported by mainstream cad systems?

 

[dicksham]

someone in other forum suggests VX and said it has surfacing commands. did you try this before? how much is it?


Some surfacing commands are important to modify DUMP solids/surfacesexported fromother cad systems.


if VX is a little expensive than alibre, i would choose it.

 

[margaritelsoto]

Rhino3D,... you can import the *.sldprt/*.sldasm and export
as a parasolid "OR" use the *.3DM plugin in SolidWorks for
reading 3DM.

There maybe more...