Bring me up to date on ProE

[sarann1]

I have used the free version of proE for a few projects but most of my experience is with Catia. I might be interested in buying ProE but I would like someone to brief me. Has it improved much since 2001?

What can I expect to pay?
Who should I buy it from?
Anything else worth noting?

 

[Heckler]

It hasn't improved since 2001 just morph'd into something that looks and feels like SWx. But I must admitt I have very little time on WildFire. My opinion is based on what I've read, used and my current usage of Pro/E 2001. I believe PTC is having a special on WF bundle. This is the link to PTC's website

http://www.ptc.com/appserver/wcms/forms/index.jsp?im_dbkey=26139&icg_dbkey=482

Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 2.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NIVIDA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Do you trust your intuition or go with the flow?

 

[sarann1]

Thanks. I am hoping to get a decent 3-d system for about a grand. I do not want to invest 4 or 5 thousand. They seem to be trying very hard not to reveal the cost of the basic modeling package.

 

[looslib]

The Wildfire special bundle at $4995 is the cheapest you find. You might get it cheaper from someone IF you also buy a full workstation and they include the program.

I don't know where you will find a full blown parametric solid modeling CAD/CAM package for a grand, except an illegal pirated copy with no support. Most people on this board or newsgroups won't help you if they know you have an illegal copy.



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
"Fixed in the next release" should replace "Product First" as the PTC slogan.

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[sarann1]

Oh well. I have the free pro/desktop download but recently lost access to it when I had to replace the hard drive. The access key did not work when I tried to fire it up again. Probably programmed to work only with the hard drive that was there upon initial program installation.

Thanks for the info.

 

[sarann1]

I guess I'll have to wait for the sales rep to call me monday. I do not need CAM, just 3-d modeling (and drawings of course). I gather that solid-works is much preferred by those who have used both? I have also heard that CATIA V5 almost identical to solid-works.

Any one else who wants to educate me further, please feel free to do so.

 

[mjcole]

If you want to try a good cheap CAD system I've seen a lot of advertisements for Alibre I haven't installed my trial version but will do so soon but just thought I'd let you know about it. In my opinion Pro/E and UG are probably the most useful CAD systems but you may not need all the functionality for what you're designing.

Has anyone tried Alibre that can give some feedback on it's functionality?

Michael

 

[sarann1]

Michael,

I have heard good things about Alibre. As ususal, one problem is interfacing with other companies. There are a lot of companies using ProE. Autocad is supposed to be pretty primitive but since it has so many users, it continues by momentum. I was hoping that proE would be the best deal, but from what I have heard, the company is only pushing its high end product and the simple versions are not being supported and are not even compatible with the latest stuff. Maybe Alibre will be the next big program for an affordable price.

Thanks, anyone else want to put in their two cents?

 

[ProEpro]

Take a better look around. Pro/E is cheaper than Solidworks and more powerfull. It is also more mature. Solidworks is only jsut now adding usefull surfacing.

Where are you buying it? That has a big influence on price. Full blown pro/e is much more powerfull than Pro/Desktop was.

Catia is completly different than anything else out there in usage and price.

One of the other chaep options is Ironcad. It has no surfacing but is very easy and powerfull.


ProEpro

http://www.whitelightdesign.com

Pro/E FAQ

http://www.whitelightdesign.com/servicestips.htm

 

[looslib]

ProEpro:
Fix the date for Pro/E on your page:

http://www.whitelightdesign.com/servicestips.htm

It has only been around since the end of 1987. Pro/E was introduced at Autofact 1987.



"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
"Fixed in the next release" should replace "Product First" as the PTC slogan.

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[sarann1]

Ben,
I take it you do not care for ProE?

 

[Heckler]

ProEPro,

To get useful surfacing with 2001 one needs to spend an extra $5K for the advanced surfacing module. I'm not sure what basic feature WF comes with but I'm sure it's inline with SWx. SolidWorks has come along ways in the last five years which is more than I can say for PTC. I will take a full blown version of Pro/E 2001 any day but for WF I'd rather use SWx.

Best Regards,

Heckler
Sr. Mechanical Engineer
SW2005 SP 2.0 & Pro/E 2001
Dell Precision 370
P4 3.6 GHz, 1GB RAM
XP Pro SP2.0
NIVIDA Quadro FX 1400
o
_`\(,_
(_)/ (_)

Do you trust your intuition or go with the flow?

 

[looslib]

sarann1

I am slowly getting used to it, but I find the learning curve to be high. I have been using UG since 1987 and Pro/E since 2001. When we trained our UG users we sent them to a 1 week class. Our Pro/E users have 2 weks of training just to get them to that same level. We them send the Pro/E users to another 7 days of advanced training. That doesn't include the specialized training like Mechanica, Piping, RSD, etc.

My reserved attitude is from being forced by corporate to switch when we have both systems in different divisions of the company. The real pain is yet to happen as our UG designed products have not been moved to Pro/E. When that starts, their will be a lot of complaints from the users as they will have to remodel everything from scratch in order to have parametric designs.


"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."
"Fixed in the next release" should replace "Product First" as the PTC slogan.

Ben Loosli
CAD/CAM System Analyst
Ingersoll-Rand

 

[HDS]

Heckler
Curent US price of Foundation with ISDX is $5,000.
ISDX only adds freeform surfacing. It is very good and worth the money but everyone did just fine before it came along.

 

[Heckler]

HDS,

Well maybe the PTC sales rep that called me last month trying to sell Advanced Surfacing was trying to pocket the extra cash. But it could be they're offering a boundle now verses us already having the foundation package....either way.

 

[ProEpro]

Ben
Thanks, I got that off the PTC webpage. That whole FAQ needs some updating....



ProEpro

http://www.whitelightdesign.com

Pro/E FAQ

http://www.whitelightdesign.com/servicestips.htm