Migration from ProE to SolidWorks

My company are considering migrating from ProE to SolidWorks.


I've seen a demo for SW and it looks a lot easier to use than ProE. But with a large capital outlay this will need thorough justification to change to SW.


Some of my concerns include: stability as ProE crashes regularily, ease of licensingas I find ProE an absolute pain to upgrade, and user friendliness (something ProE sadly lacks).


Has anyone gone through this experience, and if so any advice?

What version of ProE are you using? I switched form ProE WF2.0 last November when I changed jobs.


Solidworks is OK: it's got a good intuitive interface, extensive and easy to understand help files, it integrates seamlessly with Cosmosworks. I was up and running in a week with the online (it's really included, not online, but that's what they call it) tutorial. The VAR training class was almost superfluous, but I did pick up a few good pointers.


SWXdoesn't have the capabilities that proE has: Routed systems being the most glaring omission. Flexible parts is another feature I really miss.


You can't set up your GD&T feature control frames in the model toshow up inthe drawing, the GD&T symbols are essentially drawing entities, so they don't transfer back to the part. This REALLY slows down drawing production.


The sheet metal module is comparable to ProE, although I haven't used it too much for either CAD package.


If you use family tables a lot in Pro, you'll find the transition to SWX version to be a bit rough. It doesn't follow the same logic, and it's hard to let go of the proE mindset with regard to tables. It does use the built-in Excel, which is nice.


It doesn't crash more or less than Pro, in my opinion. If you're having daily crashes, you may want to look at your hardware or settings.


We are using floating licenses, which pro supports also. Upgrades are done on a machine by machine basis, there's no effect on licensing. It does take a while to install an upgrade. They use a dongle based license file with Flexlm, so you just plug it into your server, and point the user's license manager at the server.


I haven't used the surfacing functionality of either program, so I can't comment on that.


SWX is powerful, but Pro has much more capability. If SWX fits your budget and needs, then it's a no brainer. But if you need the capability of Pro particularly routed systems, don't expect it from SWX anytime soon.

Highly recommended.
I had the the same issues and problems and our company went with SW 2006.
I was the lead on this, have been doing CAD design for 10 years (UG, ProE, SolidWorks, PowerShape/Mill CADKey, AutoCAD) and I am extremly pleased.
I have not stressed it when it comes to surfacing, but it seems robust enough, and the parametric modeling is just as good if not better, than Pro, with the only noticeable difference is how some fillets will look different on a Pro v. SW model
Assemblies are a breeze, with BOM's generated automatically out of the box

I picked up on it right away, but the training is very helpful.

ProE can kiss my......
All these fools that rave about ProE is like people raving about knowing Latin

If you have to report to non-technical people, SolidWorks may be what you are looking for. It makes prettier pictures. Don't look for greater stability, it is easier about the license, and I call being able to create datum planes on the fly "user friendly". Keep in mind that SolidWorks is considered "mainstream" while Pro/E is considered "high end" CAD software. SolidWorks may even tell you that they can convert your Pro/E models for use with SolidWorks. Good luck with that! You'll find the SW salesman might stretch the truth just a little! <?:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />


Our company switched to SolidWorks about a year and a half ago against my advice. The boss and his "yes man" said that the customer service from SW was better than PTC. Good thing, because I've had to use it a hellofalot more than I ever needed help from PTC.


So if pretty picturesare what you need, go for it. Otherwise, keep your high-end stuff!


I'd trade with you!

Hi all, I would say if you are focussed on design rather than on tool, then SolidWorks is the choice. It lets you focus more on your design by letting u play with different concepts.From my experience, i would say though proe has the robust parametric structural method of defining a 3D model, yet it often demands a simultaneous focus on Tool, which may not be the case with SolidWorks, So i say that If you are for Conceptual design then Go for SolidWorks.


Regards,


Venu.

As a user since release 12 and a ProE consultant for 3 I have a lot of
experience and was a big advocate of ProE, it was considered high end. I
now run my own design and development company, about 4 years ago we
had a client ask us to do all work in SW which we had never used.

I believe your experience with a tool is what you make of it, when I
consulted I had guys that fought it the whole way, they were afriad they
would not be as good so they complained to make the software look bad
instead of themselves.

So when we took on the SW job our guys took to it as a way to learn a
new skill and most of them were running well with it in two weeks.

There has not been a single project we could not do on SW. I will admit
we do not do much routed systems so I cannot compare to the SW version
of it.

Stability, we have found it far superior to ProE and we even run some
seats on MacBook Pros without issue. ProE on the other hand still in WF3
has random crashes.

The bottomline for us is we get more concepting and development work
done in SW then ProE and for a consulting company that is what pays the
bill, it is standard now for us that if the client does not have a preference
which system we use then we do it in SW now.

ProE jobs pay better then SW because of the steep learning curve so we
will not drop it, but for in house development it is all done on SW.

Our maintenance which includes the Piping Cabling and Mechanica
Structure runs about $7400/year. SW Office Premium with CosmosWorks
is $1200. I don't even want to talk about the cost per seat diffference in
buying SW vs ProE.

Finally, the biggest thing to me... I used to get excited about every new
release of ProE because I knew they were going to add new features that
made my job easier and added to my user experience. That is not the
case since about 2001, the WF releases have been all about interface that
has done little to increase our productivity.

Now I feel the excitement about SW releases, in 2007 they added the C2
curvature ability in surfacing so it is very much on par with ProE, the
pattern and round features are superior, rarely do I get a round that will
not go in on SW. Creating moving assemblies to check clearance and
interference are not even worth mentioning on ProE without an entire day
of development time. Again the tools designers use everyday are what
matters and the bottom line is SW lets you create faster.

Keep an open mind and you will do well with it.

One thing that made a huge impact with me, having used Pro/E for approx 4 years before switching to SW in 2003, was the people that used, understood and related to it. With Pro/E being a "high end" software, that is the type of others you deal with - PTC support, other users, engineers, etc. Pro/E usually means a 4+ year degree, and a heavy analytical midframe - "booksmart" as I refer to it.


SW people usually are hands on, floor oriented, and could design the part (or understand the designed part) themselves,and have vast knowledge about how to make something cost and manufactureeffectively. "street smart".


What is your businees geared towards? White collar engineer types on the left side of that "wall" I remember my professors telling me needed to come down in manufacturing years ago?? If so, Pro/E and it's "high-end" mentality will work best. If you have callouses on your hands, and dirt under your fingernails, deal one on one with the customer and work more than an 8 hour day, SW may be a better fit.


With both companies in the eastern part of the state, I could choose either one. I have completely enjoyed my time with SW, whereas my time with PTC (Pro/E) I always felt "undereducated", and oddly unfamiliar with "hands-on" at the same time.