F@#$*&^$%$@# Solidworks !!!!!!!!!

[Tim Hancock]

Experienced ACAD user's rant over!!!!!!!!!

[Rot 911]

For us lesser mortals, please explain!

[Porsche-O-Phile]

What's the problem?

BTW I've had similar moments with architectural desktop.

[legion]

Whatever the problem, it can't be the fault of the software people. It must be the fault of the user.

[Tim Hancock]

We bought Solidworks a year ago, but have been too busy to learn it. This morning I needed to open a 3D Fanuc robot dwg to check to see if it's work envelope would do the job we need it to on a rush quote we are working on.

It should be simple right....Open the drawing and rotate the robot parts around on the screen to verify that this size will do the job. If it was a solid inautocad, iwould have been done in a few minutes.... Lets just say Solidworks is not very intuitive and leave it at that.

I have got to go, as I am going to quickly redraw this thing in autocad as some crude solids so that I can then SIMPLY use the SIMPLE rotate 3d comand to rotate the solids to verify reach.

I am sure Solidworks is a great thing once you get the hang of it, but it is VERY non-intuitive for a newbie!

[Jeff Higgins]

Heh heh heh... I just have to laugh. After almost 25 years working on CATIA V2, V3, and V4, I'm making the transition to CATIA V5. Myself, and everyone around me, can feel your pain. The learning curve is very steep indeed...

[n8marx]

SolidWorks not very intuitive? I used to say that about every CAD package I've run, until I moved to SolidWorks. Hands down the easiest to use.

[stomachmonkey]

hmmm, bought SW a year ago that you have been too busy to learn and it's the SW's fault?

Did anyone eval the SW before the purchase?

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by n8marx

SolidWorks not very intuitive? I used to say that about every CAD package I've run, until I moved to SolidWorks. Hands down the easiest to use.

Well than I must be a dumb@ss.

[legion]

When I went from procedural languages to object-oriented languages a few years ago, I really struggled at first. It turns out that I had to change the way that I visualized problems. After I figured that out, it made a whole lot more sense.

When I was trying to solve problems procedurally in an OO language, it took a lot more steps.

When I figured out how to develop real OO solutions, suddenly things were much simpler and efficient.

[Tim Hancock]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

hmmm, bought SW a year ago that you have been too busy to learn and it's the SW's fault?

Did anyone eval the SW before the purchase?

Previous non mechanicaly minded owner of the business was told by a friend that Solidworks would "magically" make designing custom one of a kind special machines simple compared to Autocad......He bought it, but with only two of us mechanical designers left, our work load did not allow us to take the time to change over. I can't really see our new owner turning down much needed work right now to allow us to ramp up on Solidworks now either.

Someday I may sing it's praises, but for now on a busy stressful day before the holiday......F#$^$%&%*@ Solidworks

[Nostril Cheese]

Solidworks is WAY easier than AutoCAD.

Have you defined your planes correctly?

[ValveFloat]

Unhandled Error?

[IROC]

I feel your pain. I've used Unigraphics since the late '80s and now have to use Pro/E for nearly everything. I loathe Pro/E. Things that were simple in UG seem to be impossible or very time-consuming in Pro/E. I have resorting to using both at the same time. I design everything in UG and then re-model it in Pro/E. Modeling in Pro/E isn't that bad, but I cannot design to save my life.

I could rant all day long on this (and do on occasion)...

[island911]

Which version are you using? SWx really ruined the GUI for 2008; ironically because they believe that right-click icons (w/o descriptor words) are more "more intuitive" ...and will provide fewer 'mouse inches' to click. (really stupid on their part, as the shot-cut keys go away, when the descriptor words leave. )

FWIW, version 2007 is much easier. For the most part, the older the version, the easier it is to learn.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Stupid question, but can you build the model in another application and import it?

I used to build models in 3D AutoCAD and then export to 3D studio and apply their (better) materials library materials and lighting. I found AutoCAD easier to work with for building the model precisely and 3D Max better for the materials, lighting and rendering.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile

Stupid question, but can you build the model in another application and import it?

Step files are my friends.

[chrisf]

Tim:

I definetly would not want my first (or so) exposure to SW (or any other application) to be behind a deadline.

But having used AutoCAD for 4-5 years, and now having worked with SW for the past 8, I can say, without a doubt, that SW is a much better design environment. And a whole lotta fun!!
Once you have the system setup to your needs, it will for the most part create drawings, generate BOMs, etc.. automatically.

And like legion has mentioned, part of it is visualization. To begin, part generation can be thought of in two seperate ways: building the part/features up (more of a "casting") or starting with a block and removing material to achieve the part/features (more like "milling")

there's a book called "Solidworks for AutoCAD users", or something like that. It will get you started very quickly....give yourself 4-8 hours, and you will start to become exponentially more effective using it. YOu'll love it.


oh, and one more thing: FILE MANAGEMENT!! You don't want this to get away from you, trust me.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

Previous non mechanicaly minded owner of the business was told by a friend that Solidworks would "magically" make designing custom one of a kind special machines simple compared to Autocad......He bought it, but with only two of us mechanical designers left, our work load did not allow us to take the time to change over. I can't really see our new owner turning down much needed work right now to allow us to ramp up on Solidworks now either.

Someday I may sing it's praises, but for now on a busy stressful day before the holiday......F#$^$%&%*@ Solidworks

Way back in the early days I worked for a guy who paid me by the hour.

When we needed supplies he would have me sit for hours and pour through catalogs to find the best prices.

He'd get a woody if I found a deal that saved him $5's per Syquest cartridge. Then he'd buy 3 of them. He paid me $50 to save himself $15.

He is no longer in business.

The time it takes you to learn new SW is an investment in his business. If he can't find a way to make the time now then he never will.

[beepbeep]

Anyone uses CATIA?