Anyone Using VX CAD? 2

[leeave96]

I downloaded a 30 day trial of VX Innovator CAD to have a look-see. I haven't found much in the way of online forums.

Anyone use VX for general mechanical design/drawing CAD use?

Any opinions/advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Bill

 

[swertel]

It's a very powerful software, but its foundation is based on CAM. If you started with a parametric modeler like Solidworks, SolidEdge, or Alibre, you may find the workflow on this a little less intuitive. On the surface, it appears to be the same, but there are some unique tricks to make the models robust.

1) Sketch all the construction geometry using full analytics. In other words, use circles instead of arcs. You will have an UGLY sketch, but then you create a concatenated curve just out of the line segments (defined between intersections) to create the profile that gets used in the solid feature.

2) Create solid geometry to be able to use the edges of the solid geometry in construction of the geometry you do want. Then, delete the "construction" solid. An "erase" feature will appear in your feature tree. Therefore, the definition remains in history to change, but the actual construction solid disappears from your design.

Those were the two biggest gotchas I had to get used to when learning VX. I had a lot of help during the 30 day trial from VX's applications engineers! Their service was great. If I came from more of a CAM background, I think the workflow would be more intuitive.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[GregLocock]

"
Anyone use VX for general mechanical design/drawing CAD use?

"

So Scott you are implying that it might be the wrong tool for the OP's requirements (sounds like it)?



Cheers

Greg Locock

SIGlease see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[swertel]

For what I would consider "general" mechanical design/drawing use, it's probably not the right tool. It is incredibly powerful and can so some amazing things with non-general work. But, they are lowering the price of their basic package all the time in order to compete, thus making it more attractive.

To make the determination, I'd have to see examples of his parts, assemblies, & drawings.
Simple 2.5 axis prismatic machined parts? VX is probably overkill.
Anything more complex than that? VX is promising.
Mix of sheet metal parts with machined parts? I would skip VX.
Plan on doing molded or forged parts? I'd try VX.
Want a nearly seemless transition from designed model to G-code? Definitely use VX.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[lapuser]

I bought VX in V9 on a promotional deal, End to End. In many ways it has been a love hate relationship with significant problems along the way. Now keep in mind that most all of these complaints are gone with V14. And truthfully until V13 I would not have recommended it due to translator and cam post problems among others.

If you do MCAD design you will have to look elsewhere as the sheet metal side of VX is crude beyond belief for a mid range modeler. There is no "routing' function for piping and electrical. But then as they represent themselves they are primarily a mold and die package for both design and machining.

Great complex surface modeler and very good ability to heal imported geometry. Still some quirks though as right now when I import or do a round trip in Parasolids quite oftem cylinders are broken into segments [ like 180,179,1 degrees of arc] and can really mess up you cam plans if you don't know this.

2d cam is cumbersome at times and takes longer to set up than I wish. This is in part due to bad documentation and part to they don't think 2d is important. Tool libray for cam is insufficient and smaller than all other cam programs I know. 3D cam plans are generally a thing of beauty and I have no problems here. In this day and time it is hard to imagine but if you have a cnc lathe look elsewhere as VX does not have anything for lathe and after rumors for years about getting lathe in there I no longer expect to see it. Same for EDM.

I like the sketcher in VX and perhaps it is just familiarity of use for years but it just clicks with me better than SE, my other daily user.

I am finding that all the software I use or have used has serious problems that companies seeminly don't care enough about to fix before or after release and or deficiencies users bring up sometimes for years that are not fixed while NEW NEW NEW, please pause for excitement here of course, features are added that were not asked for.

I really like the idea of cad and cam in one package and the convenience of one click takes me to part level from cam for editing and one click takes me back is VERY usefull. As a matter of fact it is the principle reason I have stayed with VX. "Cam Express" for instance to go with SE so I could do the same thing there as I do with VX would cost me over $10,000.00 and have given me very few additional capabilities. Add that to my seat of SE Classic and now you are talking $17,000.00 plus for the package and around $3,000.00 for maintenance. I think that if you can live without lathe or EDM that VX is very good value for the money. You can spend far more to get into programs that are as good or better when you consider VX as a cad cam program. The really big gotchas are lack of sheetmetal and lathe/EDM which sadly removes VX for consideration with most shops.

All of this having been said consider the following. I let VX drop in V13 and had no intention to renew. They let me try V14 for 30 days and cut me a deal to get back on. I have not regreted it at all and if these mentioned limitations are not a problem for you I can recommend it.