Solid Edge CAD Software (or other similar programs) Compatability

PurpleDinosaur

PurpleDinosaur

PurpleDinosaur

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Right, basically I have some coursework to do involving CAD drawings. The university obviously operate using the academic version of the software (Solid Edge V18), it's on the university computers, they give out CDs with it on, etc.

My problem is that I have the commercial version, and I'm not sure whether they are cross-compatible. I'm not sure why they wouldn't be, but someone pointed it out the other day so I thought I better check before I do several hours of work only for them to be unable to open it.

So, academic and commercial versions of Solid Edge V18, files compatible with each other or not?
 
Wow, I cant beleive they are teaching you solid edge, it is a truely awful peice of CAD software. I think they are not cross compatable, but i think commercial models should be able to be opened in academic. not the other way around though.
 
Just to echo Peter Diffey, as my job involves a lot of CAD work - Solid is an abomination. I refuse to use it these days. As a CAD program, it's massively flawed. Simply as a piece of software, it's also massively flawed. Not to be overly dramatic about this, but I think I'd rather stab myself in the legs with a rusty knife than spend any more time trying to get Solid to my evil bidding :)

I spend most of my life lately buried in AutoCAD '08, which is a bit clunky for 3D work but is certainly better than virtually everything else out there. It's a shame your uni is dictating that you should use Solid.
 
Solidedge isn't too bad. Very similar to Solidworks in workflow terms. ProEngineer on the other hand is bloody awful!!!!

Depending on what industry you want to go into, I would personally suggest you try and learn Catia. LOADSSSS of jobs goin where they want Catia skills. Most automotive OEMs use it. As a Tier 1 company, we always make OEMs contractually agree to use Catia when we win contracts.
 
JRS said:
I spend most of my life lately buried in AutoCAD '08, which is a bit clunky for 3D work but is certainly better than virtually everything else out there. It's a shame your uni is dictating that you should use Solid.
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AutoCAD is awful for 3D work :P. All our CAD designers refer to it as AutoCRAP :D. It's good for 2D work like electrical system design, i.e. schematics etc. But otherwise I'd run a mile from it. Anyone used Inventor? I've not had a look at it really.
 
PlasmaZombies said:
Depending on what industry you want to go into, I would personally suggest you try and learn Catia. LOADSSSS of jobs goin where they want Catia skills. Most automotive OEMs use it. As a Tier 1 company, we always make OEMs contractually agree to use Catia when we win contracts.
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Knowledge of Catia is certainly a good thing to have. For 3D work, I'd use that. 2D, I'd certainly prefer AutoCAD.

I'll agree with you about ProEngineer, if it's the one I'm thinking of. 'Bloody awful' would be about right. VectorWorks is another one that I hate, but this might have something to do with the fact that I've only ever used it on Macs....and I hate almost everything about operating a Mac.
 
Either of you know about compatibility issues between any other program's versions?

Really want to straighten this out before I start doing loads of work on it, surely the part files etc will be compatible in all versions?
 
PurpleDinosaur said:
Either of you know about compatibility issues between any other program's versions?

Really want to straighten this out before I start doing loads of work on it, surely the part files etc will be compatible in all versions?
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There may be something on the website that can help you out. I'd look myself, but I've been working all day and my eyes have finally given up completely. Time for a couple of hours sleep methinks :)
 
dont see why they wouldnt be compatible, an academic version normally just refers to the license agreement, and that it is not used for commercial purposes. the files created on both should be open-able by either, it would be like autoCAD LT not being able to open a full autoCAD file and vice versa. Draw a cube in one and save an try and open it in the other. Oh and learn autoCAD who uses solidwedge anyway! :p
 
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In my experience the academic software (solidworks and 3ds max) is identical (well we never had issues at uni) to the commercial in everything except the terms and conditions and/or a little stamp saying education edition when printing etc.

Easiest way to test is to just take a small file in and test it.
 
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