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PRO-E Freind or Foe
- Thread starter Jhewes
- Start date
Pro-E is a super & powerful package. You need to determine if your product design needs really require the sophistication of this package. If not, there are a variety of others (SolidEdge, SolidWorks, Inventor, Alibre, more) that will work very well for a lot of different needs. You may discover that you can save the company a lot of money. My initial thought about your post is "why are IT guys making functionality decisions about CAD software?" Hmmmmmmmm. That decision should come from the engineering folks.
If you go to the different internet newsgroups, you will find that each package has its own set of extreme adherents and detractors. They all think that their package is the absolute best, and everybody else's is junk. Choose wisely.
TygerDawg
If you go to the different internet newsgroups, you will find that each package has its own set of extreme adherents and detractors. They all think that their package is the absolute best, and everybody else's is junk. Choose wisely.
TygerDawg
Theophilus
Mechanical
tygerdawg's advice is great.
Try out several software packages before buying.
I'm an industrial designer and love SolidWorks--lots of bang for the buck and I can go directly into production with all parts I design with no translation problems or other interference. Also, SolidWorks has a rapidly growing user base, so native file compatibility is relatively easy to find--very important with clients and vendors.
Try it before you buy it. Don't buy into the sales pitches each company might make--some are very impressive on the surface, but delicate--meaning they can't handle any deviation from the standard presentation without falling apart. Try designing the stuff you need designed instead of the flashy stuff the sales folk will like you to see.
Jeff Mowry
Industrial Designhaus, LLC
Try out several software packages before buying.
I'm an industrial designer and love SolidWorks--lots of bang for the buck and I can go directly into production with all parts I design with no translation problems or other interference. Also, SolidWorks has a rapidly growing user base, so native file compatibility is relatively easy to find--very important with clients and vendors.
Try it before you buy it. Don't buy into the sales pitches each company might make--some are very impressive on the surface, but delicate--meaning they can't handle any deviation from the standard presentation without falling apart. Try designing the stuff you need designed instead of the flashy stuff the sales folk will like you to see.
Jeff Mowry
Industrial Designhaus, LLC
tgmcg
Mechanical
- Feb 21, 2004
- 191
After almost 30 years in the engineering profession, I've only recently begun doing a serious amount of mechanical design work. One of the many reasons I've not been involved in design was the expense and cumbersome nature of CAD packages like Autocad. For the past few years I've been doing a fair bit of 2D machine design using Vectorworks...which was great for 2D but completey inadequate for 3D mechanical design. My frustrating experience with Vectorwork's 3D capabilities skewed my whole attitude about moving on to 3D design.
A few months ago, after 4 years of hemming and hawing, I finally bit the bullet and purchased Solidworks. Our business had reached a point where the need to develop 3D images became essential to move forward....eg. patent drawings, marketing, toolmaking.
Hands down, Solidworks is the most user-friendly and functional software package I've ever used, of any type. Within 4 days, I was up to reasonable speed and could crank out parts and assembly as quickly as I could conceive them. I'm literally dumbfounded at the quality of what I can now produce....I'd never dreamed I'd ever be able to create such high quality designs with such ease.
I'm kicking myself for not getting Solidworks years ago.
Regards,
Tom
A few months ago, after 4 years of hemming and hawing, I finally bit the bullet and purchased Solidworks. Our business had reached a point where the need to develop 3D images became essential to move forward....eg. patent drawings, marketing, toolmaking.
Hands down, Solidworks is the most user-friendly and functional software package I've ever used, of any type. Within 4 days, I was up to reasonable speed and could crank out parts and assembly as quickly as I could conceive them. I'm literally dumbfounded at the quality of what I can now produce....I'd never dreamed I'd ever be able to create such high quality designs with such ease.
I'm kicking myself for not getting Solidworks years ago.
Regards,
Tom
if your company is looking at high end cad packages you should check out Catia v5 r13. It has the simplicity of solidworks, and the power + of pro-e wildfire. we have been using this platform for about 2 months and LOVE IT!!!
not to mention it will import pro-e .prt files seemlessly.
it is very expensive, 10 to 15% more than pro-e but well worth the investment. give it a whirl.
Chris Hanright
General Manager
Florida Precision Machining Inc.
not to mention it will import pro-e .prt files seemlessly.
it is very expensive, 10 to 15% more than pro-e but well worth the investment. give it a whirl.
Chris Hanright
General Manager
Florida Precision Machining Inc.
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