Solid Edge and NX

[beachcomber]

I have heard rumours that the company I am working at will be moving from SE to NX sometime in the future.
What is the compatibility between SE and NX?
Does NX open SE parts, assemblies and drafts without loss of intelligence?

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[swertel]

Not without loss of intelligence.

NX opens native Solid Edge parts and assemblies, but it does it through Parasolid so you only end up with the "dumb" solid. Then again, that really doesn't matter anymore with synchronous technology.

The drafts do not open natively. They have to be converted through dwg or dxf and therefore loose associativity to the model. You will most likely be recreating drawings in NX.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[beachcomber]

Thanks Scott - that's confirmed what I thought you'd get.
I can't understand why they would change, except that it will be dictated by head office. There is nothing complex here, it's all plates, pipework and a few castings.
The top-level machine assemblies are quite big though - typically 25K to 100K+ parts.

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[KENAT]

Don't get me started on management changing CAD systems for no compelling reason.

I'm about to go to a meeting about our switch to SW from SE.

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[swertel]

OH NOES KENAT! Why would you switch to SW now with their latest change in management and focus on SW v6 and the CGM/CATIA kernel? It's a very unknown time to switch to Solidworks. You ready to base your entire engineering design library on something so unstable in its current phase?

How will you plan for the future?
How will you maintain your long term archiving and retrieval of existing data?

BC, I just finished an NX/SE comparison late last year to decide if we would switch from SE to NX. Basically, the Siemens regional sales undermined the local SE VAR and worked their way into management's ear without going through proper channels. Siemens Reps convinced management that they were missing functionality by using SE and they could gain a single, integrated solution by getting rid of all our other CAD/CAE tools and switching to NX and NX/Nastran. (We are also implementing TeamCenter right now so the integration with NX is currently better than with SE.) The ROI would be outstanding based on administration alone and to ease the cost of transition, were giving 50% off all NX licenses. Of course, we could maintain our SE licenses and maintenance too, if we chose to.

I wasn't too happy about having to waste my time with the effort, but I did manage to learn a few things about our process and how we can better utilize SE. I was also able to prove that there were many hidden expenses in the transition, and even quantify a few, to show that moving the NX when we already have a CAD system that does everything we need it to do was pointless.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[KENAT]

Swertel, it isn't my idea, and I certainly don't like that I've been appointed the development engineering lead on the program.

No one is interested in hearing the negatives, and I can see in managements eye's that I've pushed it about as far as I can.

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[swertel]

BC and Kenat,

I do have external resources above and beyond what is available to publish on eng-tips. If you follow my link to my website you can get my email address. You can email me and I can forward the information if you are interested.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[KENAT]

Thanks Swertel, I may be in touch.

I really haven't worked out how to play this one yet.

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[beachcomber]

Kenat -
Latest issue of MCAD magazine in the UK indicates that Dassault are going to replace Solid Works with a new product based on the Catia modelling engine instead of Parasolid.
I don't have it with me but I will try and post a link to the article tomorrow.

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[beachcomber]

Forgot that its now Develop3D - here is the article link

http://develop3d.com/features/the-death-of-solidworks.

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[beachcomber]

Kenat,
Do they realise that EVERYTHING you have achieved with creating models and drawings will be worthless if they change CAD systems.
You will not be able to modify anything that is converted and ALL drawings and assemblies will lose their associativity to the parts they were created from.
A large portion of those models and drawings will have to be created all over again.
How many years have you used SE --- 5, 10?
Ask them if they are willing to pay for that work to be done again.

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[KENAT]

Their answer to that is only new stuff is done in the new software.

Although finding a definition of new that satisfies their desire to move as fast as possible to SW without creating messy multi cad assemblies is another matter.

So we get to carry 2 CAD packages around, when we don't find time to administer the 1 we've been using up to now.

Certain folks have been wanting to change for 5 or so years, unfortunately most of the voices of reason have either left or effectively been demoted etc. with all the lay-offs and stuff we've had so no one with any real say is making a stand and I'm pretty sure my questioning of the decision has got me on a few managers/directors $hit lists.

They made no attempt at an ROI or justification or evaluation or anything, and the story changes every time the issue comes up.

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[swertel]

I would seriously consider contacting me so I can forward you this information. It can't hurt. It helped me immensely when I went through this struggle.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[KENAT]

Thanks Scott, I just sent you an email from my hotmail account.

It really seems a case that the decisions been made and pointing out the Emperors Lack of clothing won't achieve much.

The biggest argument they always make is about market share and how many of our vendors or potential partners use SW.

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[swertel]

Now that I have forwarded that resource on to you, let me tell you how I used it.

Since management was mostly convinced that a CAD change was the right course of action, I persuaded them that "if I'm going to be spending all this time integrating the new system and developing business practices around it, at least let me do a proper comparison to make sure this is the right software to change to." I spoke in business terms with hard facts so, if they were truly thinking about switching for the betterment of the company and not for emotional reasons, then a small investment of time to review all potential candidates was warranted and appropriate.

That opened the door to at least come back with convincing data even if they had it in their heads to change regardless. It may have been a wild goose chase, but it bought me some time to utilize all resources and make a sound decision, not an emotional one "because everyone else is using it." That's where the resource really came in.

Oh, and FYI. My argument to "vendors and partners" is that SE with synchronous technology now handles non-native geometry as if it were native. SW does not. What if we end up with a vendor/partner that doesn't use SW? Will we switch back to SE? And I'm reading an Aberdeen report right now that proves Best-in-Class companies standardize on a single CAD software but send and receive in any format. With SE, you don't need to buy (m)any 3rd party translators to do that, yet you can work with any format that you may receive. I think the only other software out there that can claim that is SpaceClaim.

--Scott

http://wertel.eng.pro

 

[KENAT]

Thanks Swertel, really appreciate it. I did attend the 2006 PLM world conference and remember him.

I have previously contacted Siemens in Cyprus about it (we used to work direct with them not through a VAR), and more recently our VAR but got limited support, though in fairness I didn't really push it either. (I though our VAR sent me some sales pitch or brochure or something but I can't find it now). Since Cypress had a big reorg in early 09 with lots of lay-offs we haven't really got much support, but at the same time I haven't really had the time or directive to get that support since as long ago as June 2009 I'd been told it was a matter of when not if we went to SW, and this was in the context of big lay-offs, losing my manager etc. and being assigned a lot of project work.

The idea of doing an ROI was brought up this time last year but they just aren't interested in considering if it's the right thing to do.

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[beachcomber]

Kenat -

http://www.runningonfaith.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/head-in-the-sand.gif

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?

 

[burhop]

KENET, I don't want to create any problems for you but let me know if there is anything I can do to help. - Mark

 

[KENAT]

Well, now it seems our Doc control/Manufacturing Engineering (yeah that's an odd couple) do want to do an evaluation/comparison, which is probably good news, but still a bunch of work.

I'm so sick of this BS.

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[beachcomber]

Swertel,
Your mention of SpaceClaim is interesting.
Anyone that regularly has to translate other formats into Solid Edge should seriously look at using it as the translator.
I had a really big AutoCad file that would not open in any way in SE (step, parasolids nothing worked.)
I put it through my evaluation copy of SpaceClaim and instant success.

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?