CAD Forum

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 12:51 am**

Hi all. I have recently started a cad course and as part of my assessment I'm required to find software that is used in my chosen field (manufacturing) and list pros and cons of at least 2 types. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 9:04 am**

SolidWorks
Inventor
Fusion360
SolidEdge
Creo
OnShape
NX

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 11:36 am**

Couldn't resist:

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=CAD+prog ... ufacturing

OK.

Editing my post.

Comparisons:
Here are a couple of good articles for the person just starting out:
https://us.misumi-ec.com/blog/what-defi ... h-end-cad/

https://formlabs.com/blog/cad-software/

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 12:11 pm**

BennyD wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 12:51 am Hi all. I have recently started a cad course and as part of my assessment I'm required to find software that is used in my chosen field (manufacturing) and list pros and cons of at least 2 types. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

It's great that y'all helped with different types of software, but the OP also asked for comparisons.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 12:35 pm**

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 12:11 pm It's great that y'all helped with different types of software, but the OP also asked for comparisons.

Yeah, I'm not doing his homeworks though.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 1:37 pm**

AlexLachance wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 12:35 pm Yeah, I'm not doing his homeworks though.

That's fair, but I don't know if he has access to two or more so he can do his own comparison. I'd help, but I've only used SW so I can't offer comparisons. @Frederick_Law might be able to help, but he'd probably only list pros for one and cons for the other one.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 2:14 pm**

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 1:37 pm That's fair, but I don't know if he has access to two or more so he can do his own comparison. I'd help, but I've only used SW so I can't offer comparisons. @Frederick_Law might be able to help, but he'd probably only list pros for one and cons for the other one.

I know his candidate of choice for the pros

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 2:49 pm**

Hmm....let's see what ChatGPT comes up with:

Human question:

Super smart AI response:

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 4:07 pm**

Bard - here are the pros and cons of SolidWorks and OnShape:

SolidWorks

Pros:

Powerful and versatile CAD program
Wide range of features and capabilities
Used by a wide range of industries
Mature product with a long history of development
Good for complex designs
Cons:

Expensive
Requires a powerful computer
Not as user-friendly as some other CAD programs
Can be difficult to learn
OnShape

Pros:

Cloud-based CAD program
No installation or hardware requirements
Real-time collaboration
Automatic updates
Security
Affordable
Easy to learn
Cons:

Not as powerful as some other CAD programs
Not as many features and capabilities as some other CAD programs
Not as mature as some other CAD programs
Not as good for complex designs
Ultimately, the best CAD program for you will depend on your specific needs and requirements. If you need a powerful and versatile CAD program with a wide range of features and capabilities, then SolidWorks is a good choice. If you are looking for a cloud-based CAD program with real-time collaboration, automatic updates, and security, then OnShape is a good choice.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 4:07 pm**

Pretty good general assessment.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 4:38 pm**

zxys001 wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 4:07 pm Pretty good general assessment.

I sense dueling AIs coming on.

Posted: **Wed May 03, 2023 5:27 pm**

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 4:38 pm I sense dueling AIs coming on.

Posted: **Fri May 05, 2023 7:28 am**

Thanks everyone for the help. I probably should have specified that part of the task was to join a forum for this discussion point. I did eventually find some good information via google however sifting through the 'comparison' pages is tedious at best. Cheers.

Posted: **Tue May 09, 2023 12:42 pm**

We call it SolidDoesn'tWork for good reasons.
Inventor all the way.

BTW ChatGPT will take over design soon.
Probably before you finish your course

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2023 2:05 am**

jcapriotti wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 2:49 pm Hmm....let's see what ChatGPT comes up with:

There is a new chatbot in town: Pi. I'm in Japan and it still doesn't cover us, so I couldn't test it personally.
I've heard a lot about it that gives a lot of priorities over ChatGPT.
It is starting to get like that movie, "Her"!

Go to heypi.com and check it out. Make sure you turn the audio on as it makes all the difference. You can only type the message but it replies with audio.

Posted: **Wed May 10, 2023 10:42 am**

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Tue May 09, 2023 12:42 pm We call it SolidDoesn'tWork for good reasons.
Inventor all the way.

We use to say all CAD tools were flaky...I had a few names for them over the years:

SolidWorkAround or SolidDoesn'tWork
Solid Don't hEdge your bets or SolidWedge
Preventor
Pro E'nough
UGG (Now need a new one for NX)
CATIA (Crappy Application Thinks Its Awesome)

Posted: **Fri May 12, 2023 6:58 pm**

Tera wrote: ↑Wed May 10, 2023 2:05 am There is a new chatbot in town: Pi. I'm in Japan and it still doesn't cover us, so I couldn't test it personally.
I've heard a lot about it that gives a lot of priorities over ChatGPT.
It is starting to get like that movie, "Her"!

Go to heypi.com and check it out. Make sure you turn the audio on as it makes all the difference. You can only type the message but it replies with audio.

Wow... just chatted with Pi, very natural flowing conversation.

Posted: **Tue May 30, 2023 10:41 pm**

BennyD wrote: ↑Wed May 03, 2023 12:51 am Hi all. I have recently started a cad course and as part of my assessment I'm required to find software that is used in my chosen field (manufacturing) and list pros and cons of at least 2 types. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Cheers.

Maybe I'm missing what the OP is asking.... it wasn't as much about a comparison between the different softwares it's what is being used in the different industries. And that's something you'd have to look at the different job boards to see what company's are looking for. (i.e. indeed, career builder....etc). So you can search by specific software names and see what amount of hits come back for each and then see what industry that company is in.

Some of it will vary upon country but at least in the US, in the engineering world, Solidworks is #1 and the numbers will bare this out once you start to see the results.

In the end, in the Mid-Tier level.... Solidworks/3D Experience, Inventor, and Solidedge are all about equal, for the most part, in terms of being able to create what 90% of what a company will need you to do. It's not until you get into Catia, Creo, and NX that you will start to see major differences.

Posted: **Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:06 pm**

Per OP: "Compare 2 types..."

I'd compare solid modeling software, IE SW, Inventor, 360, SE, etc with 2D CAD, i.e. AutoCAD.

I'd consider these two different "types" of software.

Posted: **Mon Jun 05, 2023 9:05 am**

m2shell wrote: ↑Sun Jun 04, 2023 3:06 pm I'd consider these two different "types" of software.

Yes, one works and one SolidWon'tWork.

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