I suspect that any of those 3 will be good enough.

There doesn't seem much in common between Inventor and Autocad 2D. If it does a neater job of importing Autocad drawings in that might be a consideration for you. I haven't tried to do that.

 

Cheers

Greg Locock


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It isn't as compatible with AutoCAD as you would think it would be..

One advantage is the product design suites that Autodesk offer. You don't just get Inventor but you get AutoCAD and a whole list of other programs depending on what package you choose. They have added even more programs with the 2013 release, due out within a couple of  weeks I think. I would suggest waiting until then or pre-order the new release.

I haven't used much pro E but I know people who have come from ProE to inventor and have said Inventor is much easier to use.

SolidWorks and Inventor are pretty much on the same par but it depends on what you need it to do. Workflows are more flexible in Inventor, which is better for new users. Parameter usage and iLogic are another huge advantage for Inventor. I could go on but I would probably be biased, this is an Inventor forum.

Another way to look at it in the long term is if you look forward a few years, and look at the number of companies Autodesk is acquiring, you know the benefits will trickle down into all their product lines. This is already apparent with the new design suites.

I use both SolidWorks and Inventor each week, there are a few nice features in SolidWorks that I would like to see in Inventor but overall for me Inventor is a much slicker program to use.

Don't take our word for it though, get a trial of both and assess how they will compare with your experience of Pro|E.

Have you also considered SolidEdge? I would rate it above ProE.

Have you also considered what packages your suppliers and other local companies in the area use? Suppliers may be able to send your native files. If you eventually leave this company are you only going to have experience in a software package that no one else in your area use? Or are you going to struggle to find experienced users at your current company if no one else is familiar with that package.

Pro/E no longer exists.
It is now called Creo Parametric and has a Ribbon interface like Inventor and SolidWorks.
The 3 programs are essentially identical.

After reading your replies, I am probably going to try SW and Inventor before I make a decision. Thanks a lot for your replies.

Also, GregLocock: You said any of these 3 doesnt seem to suit my situation. What would you suggest then?

Optimustang,
Working with non-native files in AutoCAD
Just saw this on our VAR's website, http://ketiv.com/support/tech-tips/working-with-non-native-files-in-autocad
 

Standing
AutoDesk Inventor 2012
SolidWorks Pro 2010 x64, SP5.0, SolidWorks BOM,
HP xw8600, 64-bit Windows 7
Intel Xeon CPU, 3.00 GHz, 16 GB RAM, Virtual memory 166682 MB, nVidia Quadro FX 4600

Optimustang ... re-read Greg's statement;

Quote (Greg Locock):

I suspect that any of those 3 will be good enough.

I would also throw Solid Edge in the mix because Synchronous Technology may be easier to learn for a user without much 3D experience.

Before ST, Solid Edge and SolidWorks were pretty much the same software but now Solid Edge made significant upgrades to their offerings which are worth a look.

Patrick

Quote:

Synchronous Technology may be easier to learn for a user without much 3D experience

or
free Inventor Fusion or Creo Direct?

As someone who has used Solid Edge for many years and just come onto Inventor I would certainly look at Solid Edge.

It might also be worth looking at SpaceClaim.
The sheet metal looks pretty good and modelling is really simple.
Also very good for bringing in parts from other systems.

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

Where would we be without sat-nav?