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Inventor vs SolidWorks - Which is better.

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Message 1 of 93
sprayvent
22586 Views, 92 Replies

Inventor vs SolidWorks - Which is better.

Hello,

I just talked to the owner of the comapny I work for about getting Inventor insead of getting Solidworks. Does anybody know of any sources that has some pro and cons of both software. I perfer Inventor, since I am Autodesk loyal. I also got my two Certifications in Inventor at AU 2009. I have used Inventor since R11 and love the user interface compared to solidworks. Since i know Inventor, I can save the company lots on training for me and others, since I can train them. Any inoformation Inv. vs sw. will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Sam
92 REPLIES 92
Message 2 of 93
JDMather
in reply to: sprayvent

Like automobiles - they are essentially identical.
Like automobile salesmen - any CAD salesman worth his salt should be able to make the alternatives look silly.
Do you have to deal with customers/clients using other software or is all of your CAD data in-house?

Inventor includes AutoCAD for free.

JD
Certified SolidWorks Professional
Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

PS Have you considered SolidEdge?

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Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


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Message 3 of 93
Roobuls
in reply to: sprayvent

You probably won't get much response to this question. It's like saying GM is better than Ford. They both have their strong points and they both have their fans.
Message 4 of 93
Anonymous
in reply to: sprayvent








Брайян Р.
Ивашкевич


style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">inventor
specialist


style="FONT-SIZE: 14pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">core furnace
systems
Message 5 of 93
JermyB
in reply to: sprayvent

I wish I had lots to time to write a rave review for SolidWorks but I just dont have the time. I worked with SolidWorks for 4 years before I moved to a company with Inventor. I have now been using Inventor for 3 years and I would go back to SolidWorks in a second.

My current company only uses Inventor because of the legacy that has been AutoCAD - Mechanical Desktop - Inventor. It was a natural progression from one package to the next.

If I was starting from new I personally would vote SW (but I'm sure some people will disagree)
Message 6 of 93
sprayvent
in reply to: sprayvent

We get data from Pro/E most of the time and every now and then Solidworks. Our main customer is SW, but they will not give any 3d models to any suppliers unless its an absolute must. I'm using my personal license of Inv 2009 at work since it was released. So I have a lot of legancy files that I want to use without translating every thing. I'm looking at Product View from PTC to gather data from the Pro/E models, why spend 5 or 6 grand on a software that you will only use 10% at 3% of the time. The company wants to get SW but I want to stay with Inv. I've seen SW but to crazy about the user interface.
Message 7 of 93
JDMather
in reply to: sprayvent

You might ask your same questions over here -

https://forum.solidworks.com/community/solidworks

be sure to ask about subscription and updates as well.

Who makes the CAD decisions at your company? What are their qualifications to make CAD decisions?

>Our main customer is SW, but they will not give any 3d models

So, they don't give you 3D data? Are they going to expect you to give them native SWx files?

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Certified SolidWorks Professional


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Message 8 of 93
sprayvent
in reply to: sprayvent

Well it seems like the finance only buys what HR is suggesting. The owner thinks SW becuase thats all you here is SW. They do not know anything about CAD software in any form or fashsion except for SW. I'm the most senior draftsperson they have. I know more about 3D work the the other two and especially the ird person which only likes to SigmaNest to draw in. I want to get everybody trained in a 3d package. I own Inv 2010 Suite and pay for my own subscription each year out of my own pocket and I use the software at work also.

The customers do not expect us to sent them files in format. If we do, it's a DWG or DXF or PDF files.

I have to create a report on my findings on which would be better for us.

We do not design or engineeer anything here, we build to customer files, mostly PDF and DWG or DXF. We have to redraw the file in 3d to generate flat patterns for the formed plates. We can figure the layouts in AutoCAD, but that takes longer and more room for error I believe.
Message 9 of 93
pcunningham1
in reply to: sprayvent

Your main customer uses SW, and your company needs 3d mainly to generate flat patterns?
I think the math here is really simple.

-Paul Cunningham
Paul Cunningham
IV2008
Message 10 of 93
sprayvent
in reply to: sprayvent

Yes, our main customer uses SW, but they do not supply any models. We have to recreate all PDF files back into 3D models to generate flat profiles. We do not get the luxury of using thier 3D models.
Message 11 of 93
pcunningham1
in reply to: sprayvent

That's funny. Just last week we discovered that one of our vendors was doing something similar - they were actually printing and scaling artwork pdf's that were provided to their designer by their sales rep, and re-drawing them in autocad. We had originally provided the sales rep with autocad files, but he was converting them to pdf and not forwarding the cad files.

Anyway, if you have the same software as your main customer, then at least you may have a chance at receiving native files you can work with.
Paul Cunningham
IV2008
Message 12 of 93
Anonymous
in reply to: sprayvent

I would agree with Paul.
--
Dennis Jeffrey, Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert
Autodesk Manufacturing Implementation Certified Expert.
Instructor/Author/Sr. App Engr. Tel. (260) 399-6615
http://teknigroup.com
Message 13 of 93
sprayvent
in reply to: sprayvent

Most of our customers are D.O.D. and will not release 3D models only pdf's.. The issue of just having to have solid works should not be very strong. I love my Inventor and I already have lots of legacy models and drawing, beside I want something to be usable with AutoCAD without a lot of trouble of tranlations and so on. The most 3D models we get are from Pro/E. Which about 30 or so a year so far. We hundreds of pdf's from our main customer and we have to draw everything from the pdf file either is AutoCAD, Inventor, and one guy uses SigmaNest software almost exclusively to draw his parts.
Message 14 of 93
stevec781
in reply to: sprayvent

I have used both (I switched from SW2009 to Inv) and while I'm not very impressed with Inventor at the moment my opinion is that Inventor is still better. I find that Inventor crashes less and has less bugs, but still has its problems.

If you do end up getting SW dont install a new release until at least service pack 3 (https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/29764?tstart=0), and check your drawings carefully, it has had bugs in the past where drawing views dont display properly and BOM can have wrong info - looks like still a problem today https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/29781?tstart=0

Have a read of the comments on this blog, the one by Matt Lombard who is the author of the Solidworks Bible speaks for itself.
http://designsmarter.typepad.com/devonsowell/2008/12/2009-solidworks.html

Also according to Matt Lombards blog SW is going to drop XP so if youre not planning to move to Windows 7 yet then that might be a problem.
http://www.dezignstuff.com/blog/?p=2581

Dare I say it, if you're only converting simple sheet metal stuff then have a look at Alibre. Its so cheap and its sheet metal looks ok.
Message 15 of 93
cadman777
in reply to: sprayvent

Sam,

I learned SW about a year ago, and have since pushed it to its limits like I do IV.
This is what I found:

1a. SW is has an excellent core module (e.g., sketching, feature creation, down-line editing with minimal 'broken' sketches).
1b. IV sketches break all the time, and it costs a lot of time and $.

2a. IV manages Large assembies simply and quickly through the BOM, whereas
2b. SW sucks at Large assembly work-flow and management, b/c the BOM works only on simple text data and pre-programmed 'iproperties'. Also, SW has serious problems managing 'metadata' (the key function of intelligent properties). It's hell managing a large assembly in SW.

3a. IV was designed for general modeling, what SW calls AEC.
3b. SW was designed for creating intricate parts (e.g., plastic parts, molds, multiple versions of the same part) and small assemblies.

4a. I use SW for complicated geometry small assemblies (like piping chutes and odd-shaped, multi-angled, standard shaped transitions.
4b. I use IV for large assemblies of standard parts and when I need to quickly get the job done via the BOM.

5a. SW has serious deficiencies in their metadata access and management, in their sheet metal module (like IV, it is good at doing simple transitions, but nothing complicated, and especially if you have to put weld preps on thick formed plate), in their BOM (that's a huge one for me), in their weldments & surfacing modules, in their Equation editor, and has a lot of time-eating issues w/their drawing module and options settings (plus other problems I won't go into).
5b. IV has serious problems in their core module, so that sketches always break down-line on weird shaped or multi-angled complex parts/assemblies. IV has other problems, but I won't waste time on them, b/c if you know how they screwed-up Acad over the years, you can imagine how they are screwing up IV (even though they add functions we need in each new release).

6a. IV tech support SUCKS. McNeel was the only tech I ever had that was competent (back in the mid 90's).
6b. SW tech support is EXCELLENT every time.

7a. It's easy to learn IV and apply the commands to a project work-flow, b/c the commands and options are consolidated under a few tools.
7b. It's easy to learn SW, but difficult to apply the commands, b/c the programe is 'command-rich' but work-flow poor. You will find a LOT of commands in SW, but the developers scatter them all over the place, and they only work part-way on everything, so you need to learn which combination of commands works well for you on what problem you need to solve. You DEFINATELY WILL NEED TECH to learn how to apply commands to your non-simple part and assembly modeling (whick for me is 90% of the time)

8a. SW GUI is way more ergonomic than IV b/c they have most of what you usually use/need on the rmb.
8b. I noticed that every new release of IV requires more mouse clicks to accomplish the most basic commands in both Acad and IV (compared to the previous release).

I'm in the AEC world, so when there's a push to get the job done, I use IV every time, b/c in SW, the job takes at least 2x longer every time.

A key to SW is making sure you have your 'library' of parts already made. That takes time, b/c you make it as you go along on a job-by-job basis. You MUST set-up your 'templates' for part & assembly, or you're screwed.

There's more to say, and you are the only one who can decide what suits your applications the best.
I like having both, but if I was forced to choose, I'd buy IV for AEC type work, and SW for 'parts & pieces'.

'Good luck Mr. Phelps .... Chris 

... Chris
Win 7 Pro 64 bit + IV 2010 Suite
ASUS X79 Deluxe
Intel i7 3820 4.4 O/C
64 Gig ADATA RAM
Nvidia Quadro M5000 8 Gig
3d Connexion Space Navigator
Message 16 of 93
cadman777
in reply to: sprayvent

Sam,
I guess you answered your own question:
You own IV, so buy IV for everyone else, so you can have a seamless transition in your 2d-to-3d world.
Best to abide by the KISS principle.
Cheers ... Chris
... Chris
Win 7 Pro 64 bit + IV 2010 Suite
ASUS X79 Deluxe
Intel i7 3820 4.4 O/C
64 Gig ADATA RAM
Nvidia Quadro M5000 8 Gig
3d Connexion Space Navigator
Message 17 of 93
WayneTaylor
in reply to: cadman777

After spending 15 years with SW and 1 year with inventor I would say SW is much more cost effective with engineering time.

The inventor sketcher is horrible compared to SW.

Message 18 of 93
FProcp
in reply to: WayneTaylor

It's very sad that Autodesk seems to keep adding new features but doesn't focus on getting the basics RIGHT!!!.

 

It is very annoying when sometimes you try to make changes in sketches, then weird things happen and you have to spend much time getting the sketch right (stable) again.

 

Ferrari cars haven't changed that much over the years in the addition of new gadgets. But every nut, washer, split pin, etc. as been so thoroughly well designed that it all works together like a swiss watch. That's why people love them.

Franco
GMT +08:00
Message 19 of 93
mikeweb74
in reply to: sprayvent

Hands down SolidWorks is better!!!! Inventor is like solidworks for dummies. I ran SolidWorks 98-2007.

 

 

DADA, Citified Drafter

CSWP,

Michael Webster, CD, CSWP
Purdue SWT, South Bend
South Bend, IN

Home/Work: Dell Precision 6700M
Win 7 64bit Pro
i7-3820QM 8 GB
Nvidia Quadro 3000M 2GB
Inventor 2014.
Message 20 of 93
JDMather
in reply to: mikeweb74


@mikeweb74 wrote:

Hands down SolidWorks is better!!!! Inventor is like solidworks for dummies. I ran SolidWorks 98-2007.

 

 

DADA, Citified Drafter

CSWP,


I guess that I am a dummy.

But what is a "Citified Drafter"?


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Autodesk AutoCAD 2013 Certified Professional
Certified SolidWorks Professional


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