![]() ![]() I challenge anyone that is fluent with a free CAD package to do the above. we get exports from Catia, Creo, NX, SolidEgde, Solidworks. Often the CAD we get is a real mess (most Catia files are. Can Fusion, FreeCAD, Design Spark, Creo Elements, 123 Design, et al do this. Then extract electrodes, create modification drawings for the toolmakers and so on. I can only speak of my industry where we'll get existing tooling CAD from our client (be it Land Rover, Toyota, Nissan, etc) and need to modify it to some extent, usually removing/adding ribs, removing/adding lug or fastening features, removing adding draft, adding new engraving, that sort of stuff. What no-one does though is any real work with it. ![]() Some of them do some pretty good projects with free CAD. :shock: :shock: If that is the case then what was illustrated was a limitation to the tool.įree vs paid-for. what was expected were explained to Support their response was that is was functioning as designed. The image supposedly demonstrated a new feature but in reality it removed metal where it should not have. There was even an image of this flaw published in the announcement of the enhancement. There is one sheet metal enhancement that we got ( I don't recall if it was pre or post 3DSystems) that, in my opinion, has an inherent flaw when used as illustrated in their example and that is the Sketched Bend. I suppose they didn't score very high in the prioritization process which is why we don't have any of them today. These were all passed along to development for review. After 3DSystems acquired Alibre I recompiled the list and resubmitted the list to them along with examples that I was able to kludge together with Alibre (then Geomagic Design). Soon after I upgraded to Alibre Expert I supplied Alibre with a long list of sheet metal enhancements. Other sheet metal features needed, in fact necessary, are adjustable weld gap settings for the closed corner tool and the addition of a Tear bend relief option (that's tear as in rip not tear as in "shed a tear"). SWX has form tools which are used to create, in sheet metal, various formed features such as louvers, embosses, extruded holes, bridge lances, shovel lances and a whole variety of custom shaped features. I have no idea what the annual cost is on the standard version of Fusion, I seem to recall $100/month? I did not like using Solidworks, although the fully loaded version was nice and did have some good extras.Ĭlick to expand.Your work in SWX may not have been in sheet metal. I'm paid up with Alibre, and would not consider Fusion, certainly not the free version. Perhaps they all have similar tools and there is no point. Mostly I was thinking of any sort of detailed comparison between several of the major CAD systems, which would, I suppose, have to include Fusion. Having used both Alibre and SWX, I really did not find anything that one had and the other lacked in modeling tools. As I recall that (which I could not find again) there were some facilities that were not included in Fusion, although I am not aware of any big issues of features between Alibre and Solidworks. I had thought someone had mentioned a few differences in actual available tools between Fusion and Alibre, etc. Presumably that is the "price" of using a free product. All the other CAD programs are, and it is indeed a non-starter to have cloud storage. One would assume that the standard commercial version of Fusion would HAVE TO be local storage. But, not having used it, and not wanting to use it, I cannot give a list of things it is missing but Alibre has. I am pretty certain that Fusion does not have all the capabilities that Alibre has, but on the other hand it apparently has some that Alibre does NOT have. Fusion is the competitor most often mentioned, apparently it has tons of users, which is no surprise since it is free for the casual user. I have no complete answer when someone asks "Why should I pay for outlandish maintenance costs when Fusion is FREE?". ![]() The main problem I find is with free CAD. But it has tons of add-ons, and is a very workable CAD system. I also find that it has at least as many quirks and odd failures as Alibre. ![]() I have used it and it is a good package, although one I do not like as well as Alibre on a usability basis. I understand when someone prefers Solidworks. I'd surely like to be able to rebut those who say "Cad system X has tons more features", or, more commonly, "Free CAD does just as much or more". Is there an actual comparison of CAD system capabilities and features anywhere? This is something that probably needs to be dealt with on a marketing basis, because frankly the free CAD is probably a major competitor as well as the obvious ones. ![]()
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