Switching from ProE

[KingHuds]

I'm pretty experience working with ProE, but now have to switch over to SolidWorks. Anyone have any tips or things to look out for in the difference between these two?

 

[Asho Pulsar]

I am too working concurrently solidworks and proe. I am fed up with this solidworks in the training period itself. Bcoz everything is user friendly in solidworks but no flexibility for modifying the features of the part.

 

[michael3130]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a huge flow of messages into this post as the SW vs ProE debate is usually a hot topic. Maybe nobody wants to join the debate any more.


I started using SW 9 years ago after using SDRC at uni. I switched jobs 5 years ago and began using ProE. I use both now on a daily basis. You'll find that some people prefer one system, other people prefer the other. To be honest though, I love using them both. Both have their good and bad points.


Skecthing in SW may leave you a bit frustrated as it doesn't automatically display the simensions to constrain the sketch and uses colours to show when it is constrained. I don't mind this but can understand why people wouldn't like it. I'm not sure if I'd agree woth asho pulsar's comment about no flexibility as he wasn't specific. I've always found SW to be very flexible.


Design tables in SW I find excellent as I am very used to using Excel and the design tables are excel driven. Again, takes a bit of getting used to but is a very powerful tool. I'd use it more often than I would use family tables in ProE.


I'm sure I could go on all day but have some work to do. Hope that was helpful.

 

[c_thompson_68]

Switching from Pro-E to SolidWorks takes some getting adjustment. You need to be careful to fully constrain the sketches, and the fully define sketch option does not seem as robust as Pro-E's intent manager, at least as of SW 2007. To see the sketch relations symbols (Pro-E: constraints), it needs to be turned on.

In addition to VAR training, I have found books such as Inside SolidWorks and SolidWorks 2007 Bible to be very helpful in making the transition from Pro-E. Did you know that if your SolidWorks VAR does not offer a training class for a specific topic (ex: routed systems), you can order the training manual directly at less cost than the training class?

As to prefering one over the other, I like both and started with Pro-E before using SolidWorks. My preference is based on which 3-D CAD software provides more work and brings in more income, which at this moment is SolidWorks. If clients start offering me more work in Pro-E, than I may start favoring Pro-E again.

What I like about SW is that I could afford to purchase all the add-ins (CosmosWorks Designer, , CosmosMotion, Routed Systems, PhotoWorks, etc.) where it would have been more expensive to buy all the equivalent Pro-E modules. I think this is the reason many small businesses more lean towards SW over Pro-E.


Edited by: c_thompson_68

 

[Asho Pulsar]

I know very few things about SW hinderance that i faced recently.


1. There is no purge files in SW, so each and every time if you save the work in progress part or assembly which saves in same file and building the file size automatically. I can do save as to another file name which reduces the file size. But how many times can you do save as when the big assembly is in progress and in modification.


2. I am not sure about this point, there is no version files in SW, so we cannot open the old version files.


3. Replacing the parts or sub-assemblies into the main assembly is pretty hectic thing in SW. Itis not deleting the old constrains for the particular part or sub-assembly after replacing into the main assembly and shows the symbol as (-).


Do you guyz having the practise of replacing the parts or sub-assemblies in the main assembly? Or any other way to get rid of it.

 

[michael3130]

Asho Pulsar,


If I'm replacing parts or sub-assemblies, I would nearly always use SolidWorks Explorer. As far as I remember, there is also a good replace function


Michael

 

[ttraser]

KingHuds,


Leave yourself open minded. Both are good softwares. I too converted a few years back. As mentioned earlier, plenty of info out there at your disposal.


Asho,


Turn on your backups, under tools/options, it will save as many versions as you want.


Good luck to you two...

 

[design-engine]

take a class.Even tho they say its easy its always best to push an expert for 10 hrs. will save you hundreds of hours.

 

[Asho Pulsar]

Asho Pulsar,


If I'm replacing parts or sub-assemblies, I would nearly always use SolidWorks Explorer. As far as I remember, there is also a good replace function


Michael

Even i am using the same Solidworks Explorer for replacing the parts or sub-assemblies.

 

[Asho Pulsar]

KingHuds,


Leave yourself open minded. Both are good softwares. I too converted a few years back. As mentioned earlier, plenty of info out there at your disposal.


Asho,


Turn on your backups, under tools/options, it will save as many versions as you want.


Good luck to you two...

Yup, Now i am in solidworks learning stage, I agree with your points.


In that tools/options-Backup-recovery- I have to check No. of backup copies per document (1) and save backup files in the same location as original right.

 

[ttraser]

Yup, Now i am in solidworks learning stage, I agree with your points.


In that tools/options-Backup-recovery- I have to check No. of backup copies per document (1) and save backup files in the same location as original right.





Ashok,


If you change your # of backup copies, it saves as many "versions" as you indicate. Try it out.


Good Luck...

 

[Asho Pulsar]

Yup i can save as many versions if i provide the no's on the backup copies. But the bottom line is still i am facing the same problem..mycompgetting slow if i do any modifications on the assemblies as well in the drawing.


I heard something in SW, lightweight mode. I did search in this forum, i got the thing that someone mentioned it butdid notdescribe it.


One more thing, already i amworking in some big assy, that assemblies also i have to insert in that lightweight mode. Is that possible?


Awaiting for your reply....

Edited by: Asho Pulsar

 

[soljarag]

I'm currently going from Solidworks to Pro/E


So I'm wondering if any of you that has used both can help me out.


When Imodel in solidworks I'd often create alot of parts in one part file, then use the "save bodies" feature to save each part in its own part file, and it automatically creates an assembly..





Can pro/e do the same thing?





Heres an example... all of these parts were in 1 part file, and if i changed the die length or radius, the braces would automatically change, and so would the individual part files, and the shop drawings

Edited by: soljarag