I know many of you guys are using some form of Cad software when you are fabricating parts. Currently I am using Solid Edge (I was taught on this back in the college days), but I am finding some limitations with solid edge over some of the other cad packages. I am looking to make the switch over to Solid Works, or considering Pro E since we have it at work.

My question is, what Cad software are you using, what do you like about it, what dont you like about it. If you have used more then one type of software, how does your current stack up?

Thanks
Ryan

 

I use Pro/e at work every day for the last 3 years or so. It is a very powerful software, there is really nothing you cant do. thats not to say it is easy. To those familiar with it, the basic solid modeling is not that difficult, but it is some time a little bit verbose when trying to create some more complex things like sweeps and blends. Surfacing is also a little clunky but with the proper understanding, you can really do anything. Pro/e is popular in industries like defense because it creates very standard looking results, with the drawings following the ASME standards very closely.

As far as solid works goes, i have experience using it on an inter-collegiate team at school. Compared to Pro/e solid works is very easy to use. it is largely idiot proof, and it isn't too hard to find the right button that does what you want (unlike pro that usually requires some digging the first time). Solid works, in addition to making general solid modeling easy, surfacing is a breeze, a lot more intuitive. How ever, since it is a lot easier to learn, the quality of peoples models tends to be pretty shoddie which is why i don't like it so much. But since you already have experience with a CAD package, as long as you follow the best practices it shouldn't be an issue. The drawings in my opinion never look professional, kind of cartoonish, but thats because i am used to pro.

Now as far as general fabrication for what a shop would do, I would recommend solid works. Modeling is faster and easier, and its not like you are submitting the drawings to the government for approval. The other thing is making roll cages and other tube frame chassis is reasonably easy in solid works while it as a pain in the *** to do in pro/e, I've used both.

 

Thanks for the information! You kind of nailed what I want to do to a T in your last paragraph. I can do solid modeling very easily in Solid Edge, and it has worked very well for everything I have needed so far.

I am really struggling to get it to do any kind of tubular work. It isn't very intuitive, or maybe I don't have the necessary add on's in order to do tubular work properly. I'm not a designer so I don't get the exposure to cad software everyday, but I've been using it on a fairly regular basis.

 

Yeah if you are going tubular, SW is the way to go, making sketches that connect tubes is much easier. Pro/e required too much setup/info before making a good sweep to be usefull for that. The competition I am a part of is BajaSAE, our team uses SW, and atleast 90% of the other teams do too, Google baja sae, there are at least 2 forums devoted to it, lots of good ideas and help for new users of SW.

 

Excellent. Thanks again for all the help!