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In your perspective - what is used the most across the u.s.?

Nose Bleed

New member
I've been wanting to learn a second modeling software - other than Pro/E, so I'm trying to figure out what is either the most widely used software, or if it's not pro/e - what are other people using for their modeling???



I thought about buying SolidWorks - thinking that it was the next best thing, but I don't know that many people that use it, so that's why I'm asking you guys...



In your eye's what's the 1st, and 2nd most widely used modeling programs in the U.S. today???
 
I would learn solid works. The reason for that is, you could find a serial and software for it at you
 
I believe you are correct about the cosmos which offers finite element analysis, fortunately I have a package called j&L analysis that Is a lot cheaper that performs the operations of a FEA analysis. From an IGS. File if you don
 
I don't know about corporate... but on the university level, they usually use SolidWorks or UG. At least they do around where I am.
 
Since I've been using Unigraphics for seven years now, I would have to say learn UG. However, since some of the layed-off Engineers here at Wayne have had a chance to learn Solid Works in their new jobs, I would say try and learn SW. SW and UG have the resources behind them and will continue to take market share from PTC, because they're easier to learn/use and the support is better.



Oh, and another thing. Buy the software, don't go get a hacked license. It hurts us all in the long run.



Steve Calvert
 
I would have to agree with Steve. Ug is widely used and its actually a good program. It would depend on what you want to build. I might also consider Catia if you want to do automotive work but they still have too many issues to work out.



Mike
 
Hands down the most popular CAD software out there is AutoCAD. Granted the majority of the installations are not mechanical but Mechanical Desktop/Inventor is currently the number one selling package. ProE is hanging on to a slim second place over SolidWorks in number of seats sold (they had a huge head start but are losing ground). Catia has about the same number of seats sold worldwide as SolidWorks. I don't have current sales numbers for seats of Catia or UG. Revenue wise Catia and SolidWorks bring in about the same number of Euros for Desault. I know you're not going to be buying a Catia license for playing around with unless you're rich enough that you don't really need to work! Cadkey just filed for bankruptcy (too bad) and is being absorbed by the parent company for TurboCAD. Good deal for the TurboCAD folks.



The up and coming package I'd certainly look at is IronCAD. You can get a full featured evaluation copy for free. Another up and comer in the field is Think3. Don't know a lot about them. The user interface is similar to IronCAD but not nearly as mature or robust. They do however have strong PDM support.



-Bernie-
 
Friends don't let friends use Autocad.



Stay in the solid field if you want to learn another package. You really only have a few choices. Pro/E, UG and or Solid Edge, Solid Works, Catia are the ones that come to mind.



Steve C
 
If you are looking to find a job in the American automotive industry.

Unigraphics- General Motors

Catia- Damn near Chrysler

Ford- Fidas
 
Currently Ford/ Mazda is using Ideas (now owned by EDS, the same company that owns UG)The Ideas program is converging with UG over the next couple of years, starting most recently with the NX release.

Mike
 
> Friends don't let friends use Autocad.



It's not your father's AutoCAD ;-)



Probably the reason AutoDesk is distancing it's MCAD offering from the name AutoCAD; first with Mechanical Desktop and now with Inventor. It is solids modeling based on the ASIC kernel but now under the proprietary control of AutoDesk. You may not like the software but if the motivation for learning a new package is employability there's no argueing the fact that it's the most ubiquitous package out there and it is currently outselling all the other offerings. Total revenue for Autodesk is about ten times that of PTC.



>Stay in the solid field if you want to learn another >package. You really only have a few choices. Pro/E, UG >and or Solid Edge, Solid Works, Catia are the ones that >come to mind.



think3 is making inroads at some very impressive companies. IronCAD is a very viable solids package. Both of these seem to have grasped the concept of how a user interface should be designed. Cadkey is still being sold and has a large following in manufacturing. What ever happened to ME30? Didn't it get bought and renamed? There's also VX which does an excellent job of integrating design and manufacture. I'm sure there's more, like Ashlar Vellum, Rhino, Alias Wavefront...(although these last two may be surfaces only as opposed to strictly solids packages).



-Bernie-
 
Regarding F1:



Ferrari: ProE & Catia

Williams BMW: Catia

McLaren Mercedes: Catia

Renault: Catia

Jaguar: EDS

Jordan: EDS
 
Trek uses SW???



Man- I own a Trek Fuel!! Great bike!



Thanks for the input guys!!



Most of my Pro/E use is conceptual designing - which means that I only use about a tenth of what Pro/E is capable of doing. I could be doing the same thing with Alibre Design or Pro/Desk-scratch.



Where I really get into the meat of Pro is with the Pro/Mechanica, animation and rendering...



The reason I use pro, is because the rest of the facility uses pro, but I've been noticing that people are coming to me with more SW models to work with lately...
 
Toyota TRD (racing develeopment) uses pro e and I think there was an announcement in Orlando about Toyota switching from Togo cad to pro e.

There is a lot of pro at VW in Wolfsburg but I think its all drive train.



I doubt Auto companies will be asking for parametric native data any time soon. They dont even do that themselves. If you look at an ideas file from Nissan 9 times out of 10 it starts with an orphan feature or the pro e equiv to import iges.

They cant expect you to do something they are incapable of themselves.





Mike
 
going back to the autocad topic - I've found that most of my modeling that does go throught the machine shop, normally gets printed out in 2D engineering drawings.



I've noted that PTC hasn't promoted the CNC capability of Pro/E much - Is this only my perspective? Or have others had the same issue?



It would really save time if I could learn how to export a part directly into the CNC machine - but, I can't find any training on this topic!!
 

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