[B]Opinions on Solid Edge[/B] 2

[TheWonderer]

We are currently looking at replacing our existing 3D modeling and 2D design package with another system and would like user opinions on Solid Edge. What does it do well, how easy is it to use, any bad points, annoyances or bugs etc?
We would be using it to create 3D solid models for NC programming and for creating 2D machining detail drawings from the solid.

Your opinions would be appreciated.

 

[PatCouture]

"That's why comparisons are so hard to do, whichever you pick up first you tend to want use the new one the same way."

I'm totally with you on that Kenat. Especially if you've been using it for a long time.

If we are in the comparisons between SE and SW after 8 months on SW following 6 years of SE I'm missing the following features from SE:

- Open profiles.
- Draft environment.
- Revision manager. (This utility is surprisingly useful)
- System library.
- View orientations. (I don't remember how the button is called)
- Exploded view environment.
- Synchronous.
- Part copy.

There are a couple more but they may just be a mater of taste.

What I do appreciate from SW thus far:

- Advanced features in assembly. (Constraints with limits)
- Multiple body in part.
- Symmetrical components in assembly.
- Hole table.

I don't have time to get into the details of this comparison but if you have questions don't hesitate to ask.

Patrick

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Pat ... Can you post specific details (in the SW forum) about those 'missing' features?

 

[beachcomber]

On Pat's behalf -
Open Profiles - exactly what it means. A sketch profile for a cut or protrusion (other than the base protrusion) does not have to be closed. Some profiles (sweep and loft) must be closed.

Draft environment - is (in my opinion) superb, especially with recent improvements to Parts Lists. The only downside of drafting is you can't change a view orientation once placed. Drafts of big assemblies can be opened 'inactive' which means the model data is not referenced, thus reducing memory usage drastically. You can dimension, add and change notes etc. with inactive enabled.
To update the views you just activate them.

Revision Manager - everything SW Explorer should be. Copy, rename, replace parts in an assembly, find all the drawings and assemblies used by every part and sub-assembly and maintain all links during the operation.
I've done a copy of a top-level assembly with 30K parts and 1000 associated drawings for a new project.

Along with Revision Manager I would list Property Manager -something I've seen asked for on the SW forum - a 'spread-sheet-like' facility for modifying (and creating) custom file properties for all SE file types.

System Library - saves a group of parts and/or assemblies with all their inter-part constraints (mates for SW users). Also saves the positioning relationships required for the group and prompts the user for the related faces during placement.

A similar facility is the Capture Fit command. This saves the pisioning constraints of a part/assembly within the part/assembly file, so next time you place it you will just be prompted for the faces to relate to. It's a simple one-click on the part/assembly. The bonus here is that the capture fit can be done temporarily, just for that design session, so you can use different constraints to the ones saved.


bc.
2.4GHz Core2 Quad, 4GB RAM,
Quadro FX4600.

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[KENAT]

I'll second, or third or whatever, the Revision Manager in SE appearing to be far superior to the SW offering. In fact with our jacked up file (lack of) management, SW causes real problems.

I noticed the advantages SW had in assy, I wasn't sure if it was just because I'm on an old version of SE (V19) while our training was on SW2011.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[mulledmind]

swertel, I've been using SE a long time, many years. I was trained on it before I used SW. When I first got to SW, I found it much nicer.

The fact that you're all saying I don't use the right workflow proves my point. In SE, you are forced to use their workflow rather than the one you're most comfortable with..

The reason I create a sketch first, is because If you select protrusion, and sketch within it, it swallows the sketch and you can't access it again to use it for another feature. In SW, the sketch becomes a sub feature of the protrusion and can then be used to make other features. Either way, SE is much more prone to forcing you to do things exactly the way it wants instead of letting you choose.

Here's another example:

You are making a sketch, and you want to make two lines colinear. In SW, you can either select both lines, then press the colinear button, or press the colinear button, then select both lines. In SE, you have to press the button then select the lines. This is a very small example, but it's consistent across the program and makes it very frustrating after a while. Personally, just habit, I like to select the lines first then hit colinear, but I don't get that option. Same goes when creating a sketch, you can't select a plane, then click the "create a sketch" button, you are forced to hit the button, then select the plane.

I realise these sound like small nit picky things, but it's an entire pattern. You are forced to go in a specific order to do these things in SE whereas SW gives you more freedom to do the work in a manner that suits you personally.

A lot of people don't mind this and those trained on SE who never use SW probably would never have a problem with it, but it really bugs me and I thought the asker might like to know in case that would bug him too.

 

[PatCouture]

Beachcomber explained it very well. Thanks

I've already asked for a way to replace/copy/rename files in SW and the only solution there is, is to use the pack'n go features with the replace command. It can do the trick with some hassle but the Revision manager (and also the property manager) are a lot more powerful and easy to use in SE.

The closest thing there is in SW to the System library is the copy with mates feature. But in SW it's limited to the same assembly when in SE the information is stored in the parts or asm itself so you can bring a bunch of parts to a completely different asm very easily. The only workaround to this in SW is to save as the whole assembly, then open it, delete the unwanted parts, save, then import in the new asm, then reorder, etc.

In SE there is a feature you can use to orient the view of the model. It opens up a little cube in isometric view and depending on which faces or edge you click on the cube the view of the model spins in the right direction. The advantage of this is to be able to have a view oriented in any way with straight edge instead of positionning it loosely with the mouse. I agree it's no deal breaker but it's still very useful to me.

For the exploded views environment it's kind of difficult to explain but to me it seems a lot intuitive.

For Synchronous there are a lot of dicussion of it out there. I don't use it much but it's very strong on imported geometry.

For part copy there is the same options in SW where you can insert a part inside another part to copy the geometry while keeping the reference to the original but what I prefer in SE is the ability to bring the part as a construction geometry only instead of a solid model. That way I can use the construction geometry as a skeleton for another part.

Patrick

 

[PatCouture]

I'll have to agree with mulledmind on the advantage to be able to reactivated the sketch that is inside a feature in SW. To go around this in SE I got used to always create a separate sketch and then use it to do the feature. In SW you have more flexibility.

About the colinear example I agree it's more intuitive especially in the beginning because you can see the options available to you with what you selected. I think it's a good thing in general but when you start working on larger assemblies or parts with lot's of features, SW tends to search for options a little too much for my taste and then it's slow to respond.

Patrick

 

[JohnRBaker]

As just an FYI, for anyone making comments or asking questions about SW, you may wish to review this thread from over on the Eng-Tips SolidWorks forum:

http://www.eng-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=291956&page=1

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Design Solutions
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA

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