> Ron
>
> I also have been looking into SolidWorks and
> SolidEdge. I have more experience with Pro/E,
> but these products do look impressive. I am
> interested to know if you got much of a response
> from you query to the rp-ml, and if so, what was
> the result?
>
> While both products have a great deal of
> functionality, I am leaning toward SolidWorks.
> Their emphasis on viewers and internet usage
> in the latest release of their product
> could be beneficial in communicating with
> some of my customers about models and analysis
> that my firm has performed.
>
> Anyway, I would be interested to know which
> way you are leaning and why, and what (if
> any) response you have gotten from the rp-ers.
>
> Thanks
>
> Brad '
Sorry to take so long answering. I am now leading a small group of
companies looking closely at Solidworks. I still think the front end
of SolidEdge is better but Solidworks appears to have a certain
inertia going for it. In particular I like the fact that it uses
Parasolid from EDS as its kernel and that Dassault have aquired it.
This is because Parasolid is a good modeller and transfer with
Unigraphics becomes more direct ( in principle) and there is bound to
be an upgrade path to Catia in the making.
We have isolated Legacy data and ease of re training as the two most
important issues in CAD choice today. The danger of making a decision
based on today's knowledge and needs ( which is all we have ), is
that in two years time a better suited, cheaper system will appear.
It can be embarrasing for an Engineer to face an incredulous
Management board after say two years and tell them something (better)
and cheaper has arrived! The two issues I mention should make that
task easier.
My hope was that OLE and in particular OLE for D&M would bridge this
gap. However it looks as though the core software needs to be
resident or at least downloaded on licence! in order to make any
changes. Viewing and indeed using the models seems possible by third
party OLE compliant packages. ( see The DMAC web site includes a
slide show of the demonstration given at the Daratech Conference in
March 1997 (http://www.dmac.org/Dartch-01h.htm). The demo, which is
better seen live, shows how objects created in various CAD systems
coexist without translation in various CAD, CAM and CAE systems
thanks to the OLE for D & M mechanism. The demo includes a hybrid
part made of SolidEdge and SolidWorks objects being machined in
Delcam's PowerMILL application.(Thanks Ed. Lambourne, Delcam)
To finish, there is no doubt that the windows look and feel is a
tremendous asset to training and links to Excel for BOM's together
with what looks like a good compact local PDM offering make this
product favourite at this point in time. I'll update you on the group
findings later if you wish. Naturally I'll be testing STL output but
feedback is already good.
Regards
Ron.Jamieson
R.C.I.D
Bruce Building
Newcastle University
Newcastle NE1 7RU
U.K
phone 0191-2225847
fax 0191-2225833
email Ron.Jamieson@ncl.ac.uk
http://www.rcid.ncl.ac.uk
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