AutoCad vs Solidworks

[skauldy]

Personally, I would stick with OnShape - and learn it yourself from the tutorials / videos.

The whole world of CAD is going to get shaken up in the next few years, partly though cloud based licensing / processing - but more importantly through the way 3D structures are modeled. My feeling is that OnShape is closer to what Solidworks and all the others will evolve in to.

Once OnShape (other Cad Systems are available!) has decent sheet metal and weldment features - I will probably jump ship which is quite a big deal for me, with 10+ years experience (and license paying) of Solidworks. However, I can see the writing on the wall - and it doesn't say I'll be using Solidworks in 10 years time!

The way I learned Solidworks (and Rhino for that matter) was starting a project and just learning the bits I needed as I needed them. Then built upon that base. Rhino to using Solidworks proficiently took 4 weeks. I think if you were to work on one project and do the same - you could fly with Onshape in a similar time frame.

I've played with OnShape for a few days - and really like it! Mostly thinking 'why doesn't Solidworks do it this way!' It's only the sheet metal & weldments that are stopping me dumping it! There is an OnShape partner product called SimSolid which honestly is the best analysis package I've used to date - and it's way cheaper than Solidworks Analysis.

Si

I think your right Si. The more I play with it the 'easier' some of the tasks are becoming. It's unfortunate they haven't got the sheet metal working but from readings their forum plenty of people are requesting it and they have taken note. I want to design a centre console for the dash like the ths td5 only double din and I can't flatten out the design so to show the folds but it only a matter of time befor eit can.

[skauldy]

I don’t know if my struggle with Onshape has been my computer or my internet connection – both of which I would class as ‘decent if not blistering’ , but I’ve found it runs like a bit of a dog.

To that end I’ve been experimenting with Fusion 360.

What’s interesting to me is that Autodesk are beginning to embrace the idea that charging fortunes for subscriptions isn’t likely to gain much traction with the lower end of the market. To that end they’ve made Fusion 360 free for hobbyist and startup use. The crack dealer business model, if you like…but it was something I didn’t realise until recently. They’ve hardly shouted it about it from the rooftops.

It’s different from Onshape in that it installs locally, and is quite a chunky beast.

But from the OP’s point of view, it will be closer to Inventor and is free (so from a marketable-skill building point of view, possibly better than playing with Onshape). I’ve never used Inventor in anger however, so I might be talking hogwash.

Also, I don’t think it’s been highlighted that when people talk about ‘AutoCAD’ they really mean CAD in the old sense….i.e. Computer Aided Drafting, not Design. I.e. think of it as an electronic drawing board. If the OP wants experience with that, download ‘Draftsight’. It’s free for home use and close enough to AutoCAD for most purposes.

‘Proper’ 3D packages (Solidworks, Inventor, NX, Creo, ProE) are Computer Aided Design systems. These are very different beasts.

Matt

I might gives this a go tomorrow Matt as inventor has popped up a few times in my research.