AUTO CAD vs SOLID WORKS

[Change Up]

Can someone share some insight please. Which is better which is easier. Have Auto Cad experience but not a lot. We are weighing the options at work which one to go with in the future. We would like to do some 3d drawings for are service manuals & assembly drawings. We are a manufacturing company dealing in sheet metal & stainless. So a lot of drawings are in the flat and 2d also. Thanks

[Chuckfu]

I have never used solid works but I think it is geared more to the manufacturing field. I use autocad 3D with cadworx plant 3d and I like it. You can pretty much draw whatever you want

[Bowtech32]

Our engineers use solid works, they can do amazing things with it. They design ATM modules with them.

[Texastaxi]

I have never used solid works but I think it is geared more to the manufacturing field. I use autocad 3D with cadworx plant 3d and I like it. You can pretty much draw whatever you want

Same here.

For sheet metal, I don't think Solid Works is worth the investment.
You can easily do sheet metal using AutoCAD solids.

[Change Up]

Thanks will also look into Auto cad solids

[Chuckfu]

I did my outdoor kitchen in autocad

[Bluesman]

Solid Edge is fast enough to allow the drafters to spend most of their time cruising the net.
The viewer sucks.

[djc]

I didn't know that autocad was still around.

[9452772]

I have been using Solidworks since 1998 and all of it has been sheetmetal design with large assemblies. The best thing to do is get some free demos from the local VAR's. For what I do Solidworks is hands down better than any of the Autodesk products do to configurations and custom programming that can be done with solidworks. Solidworks has sheetmetal build in and does amazing things. Not saying Autocad is bad but they just do not have the advantage in the solid modeling world. Ultimately it what you need and how much you want to invest. PM me if you want to talk one on one.

[Texastaxi]

Thanks will also look into Auto cad solids

The solids are already in AutoCAD.
Nothing extra to buy.

[lwelch70]

I've used both throughout my time at A&M and my opinion is solid works is way more user friendly and overall a better software. Let me know if you have any questions specifically. I'm much more versed in solid works since that's what we use mostly for all of my design classes.

[chrisgunguy]

Solid works hands down!!!!!!!!!

[lshunter]

For what it seems you need it for; mostly 2d drawing and design, autocad would be the way to go. Solid works is primarily a 3d based software and autocad is great for both 2d and 3d IMO. Also, all of the basic autocad commands can be learned in a couple hours. Good luck!

[lwelch70]

Solid works hands down!!!!!!!!!

I bet you have some sweet assemblies!

[Rodster71]

I use both AutoCAD 2014 and Solid Works 2014 side by side. I work for a custom sheet metal shop manufacturing solar and traffic enclosures along with many other things. With over 19,000 CAD file in our data bases it hard to just use SW. Over the years I've created a library of models in our vault which I can pull from by using the "pack and go" command to create a new configuration. Since we have many components that may share with other enclosures, it's important that the PDM Vault is set up correctly and the files are controlled. All of our sheet metal shop drawings are configured in the flat just like we do in our ACAD drawings.

With over 8 years of experience with SW "sheet metal" I've noticed that sometime you have to lie to the software to get it to do what you want but once you figure out the bug its a great tool.

Key features I like:
- Easy to make changes within a model if needed.
- Mass properties
- Creating section and detail view on a drawing.
- eDrawing files are very cool to use as a presentation concept

Some I don't:
- Assuring the drawing paths are attached within a assembly
- Sometime the mates can be a pain to correct if certain changes are made within an assembly. Just takes a little time to track it down to correct the errors.
- Big assemblies needs more RAM and good video card.

Our customers sometime specify to design there product in SW and are willing the even pay an extra engineering fee to do so.

I've been using ACAD for over 30 years and SW over 8, I would have to go with SW if I was to choose. MLC CAD Systems in Houston has been a big help in our converting to SW at the office. Check them out, (800-364-1652) speak to Brenna. Hope this helps.

PM me if you need my info for the referral.