Ansys SpaceClaim vs. Rhino 3D

I will highly recommend Ansys SpaceClaim, or in fact any Ansys to my colleague because of its wide spread acceptability around the globe and around the different industries. Thus, the results provided by Ansys simulation tools, given the proper boundary conditions are properly simulated, are highly reliable. Also, learning to utilize Ansys tools in the engineering design activities also helps in career advancements.

Incentivized

One of the main highlights of Rhino is the built-in visual programming system "Grasshopper". It is widely used for parametric architectural design, by a variety of world-class architectural offices. It is also very popular within architectural schools and universities. Its usefulness has increased a lot by having add-ins, plug-ins, scripts, and integrations with Revit and ARCHICAD for BIM workflows.

Incentivized

• It efficiently divide/split the surface into multiple fragments as per the user's requirements which helps in easy application of loads and boundary conditions.
• It helps in reducing the model complexity with it's efficient defeaturing options in order to reduce the model complexity.
• It also helps in making quick model changes as per the simulation results in order to improve the design and thus helps in quick FEA of the improvised design.

Incentivized

• Parametric Modeling - Grasshopper allows for easy/rapid iterative process
• White box renders display - looks great as a quick diagram export with no post-production required.
• robust command prompts - rhino was originally made for industrial design and it flexes a lot of unique modeling commands that put it up there with SolidWorks

Incentivized

• With time, Ansys SpaceClaim has evolved so much in its functionality and Ansys has added so many useful and complex features into it, but most of the team member are not aware about those features.
• For the newly added features and improvement in legacy features, Ansys can try adding training videos to better aware the engineers about their evolving features.
• Apart from that, I don't find anything disadvantageous about SpaceClaim.

Incentivized

• Rhino has very limited sheet layout tools.
• Grasshopper could be better integrated into the main interface.
• Lack of backwards file compatibility can be frustrating.

Incentivized

As a Mechanical Design Engineer working in and designing heavy structures for battery packs and chargers, I use Ansys SpaceClaim, day in and day out regularly as whenever the design team forwards the CAD model to FEA team, FEA team optimizes the model in SpaceClaim only, and to do so, design team also helps them in Ansys SpaceClaim

Incentivized

A majority of the support for Rhinoceros 3D does not come from the company itself, but from online forums and boards where other Rhinoceros 3D users outline their issues and solutions. The Rhinoceros 3D website does not offer much in-depth support and just outlines general how to's. At the same time, online forums allow for more specific issues to be addressed and solved by the Rhinoceros 3D community.

Incentivized

For the FEA analysis, PTC Creo, which is a CAD modelling software has inbuilt FEA simulation tool called as Creo Simulate which we generally use a very quick FEA on smaller parts. But when the geometry is very complex and we need to simplify it before the simulation, then we use Ansys SpaceClaim to simplify the model and then use Ansys Mechanical for structural simulation.

Incentivized

It's hard to compare Rhino to other modeling software as Rhino is in a niche of its own. No other software (to my knowledge) is as customizable/programmable and has such a large community and such a large amount of free, open-source addons. Rhino (and Grasshopper) can be intimidating at first but once you get familiar with it and grow your toolbox with your own scripts, so much time will be saved

Incentivized

• Ansys SpaceClaim helps in easy modelling different types of design and different iterations of design which in turns helps in designing a cost effective products thereby saving a lot of material and production cost.
• Because of the easiness in modelling, changing and modifying the design and then running the simulation over it, the design team is able to test and every concept, which I turn helps in producing an efficient and cost effective design.

Incentivized

• Right away Rhino3D is useful for simple and accurate 3D model import, repair and export all in a variety of formats.
• Rhino3D is easy to use and learn. The time to productivity is very short with this modeling tool.
• The price is low for the value received, a great investment.

Incentivized