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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Designcenter

    Score8.1 out of 10
    N/ADesigncenter™ software (formerly NX™ software) is an integrated product design and engineering solution. The platform supports stages of product development—from concept design and engineering to manufacturing—to optimize design processes and enhance team collaboration.N/A

    SIMULIA

    Score8 out of 10
    N/ASIMULIA from Dassault Systemes is a simulation application for 3d objects.N/A
    Pricing
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Considered Both Products
    Siemens AG
    No answer on this topic
    Dassault Systemes
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    96%
    Would buy again
    26 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    17 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    100%
    Happy with the feature set
    27 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    92%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    11 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    88%
    Implementation went as expected
    15 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Computer-Aided Design Software
    Comparison of Computer-Aided Design Software features of Designcenter and SIMULIA
    Feature
    Designcenter
    7.6
    5 Ratings
    2% above category average
    SIMULIA
    -
    Ratings
    3D Modeling8.75 Ratings00 Ratings
    2D Drafting8.85 Ratings00 Ratings
    Rendering and Visualization5.94 Ratings00 Ratings
    Parametric Design8.45 Ratings00 Ratings
    Collaboration and Sharing6.54 Ratings00 Ratings
    Compatibility with other software and formats7.65 Ratings00 Ratings
    Assembly Design8.35 Ratings00 Ratings
    Simulation and Analysis7.33 Ratings00 Ratings
    Documentation and Annotation7.15 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customization and Extensions7.45 Ratings00 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Small Businesses
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Medium-sized Companies
    Onshape
    Score6.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Enterprises
    PTC Creo
    Score7.6 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.1
    (28 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.5
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    7.3
    (8 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.3
    (3 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    7.4
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    DesigncenterSIMULIA
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Siemens AG
    There is perfect integration between NX CAD and NX CAM modules with less data loss. Better graphical interface and simplified commands makes NX CAD a better software then others. The tool has scope to develop an algorithm for generating surfaces from the point data. Include of option to convert .STL to any CAD format will be helpful. The connectivity of splines laying in different planes can be improvised.
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    It appears to be evolving more towards large users with the 3D EXPERIENCE, while becoming less focused on small users like me, becoming more expensive and limiting the number of cores while most PC's now can easily run 8 cores. Of course it is great for non-linear and highly non-linear scenarios, and especially good at combing a huge variety of element types. I guess it is not best suited for linear analysis due to its high price, but even in this case you have to put in the balance the ability to make the best choice of finite elements and being so straightforward about actually using them.
    Incentivized
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    Pros
    Siemens AG
    • Seamless interaction across multiple departments.
    • The software allows you to create a very high level of control and organization within your engineering staff. This reduces the companies mistakes and maximizes productivity.
    • The software makes it very easy to track your product through every phase of the production cycle.
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    • Create and modify designs from within the CAE environment. Although it has very basic capabilities, it is quite capable of generating 2D and 3D parametric designs. I have even generated some "fancy" designs which ended up being a challenge for draftsmen in specialized solid modeling CAD. I also like the fact that being somewhat limited, it forces you to stick to simple and effective design.
    • Addressing structural instabilities such as snap-through or buckling. This was such a challenge when I started using Abaqus, I had to take a course on "achieving convergence". Coming from there, I can see how SIMULIA has become increasingly able to give you the numerical tools or tricks you need to achieve convergence consistently. In the past I often feared running into different convergence issues as I moved across different produce sizes, leading to changes in the analysis approach, which would make it more difficult to compare them. I just went through a 12-size family in 5 dimensional scenarios each, without a single issue after ensuring convergence with the first couple of sizes.
    • Beautiful pictures. The post-processing of results enables me to generate highly illustrative, fairly easy to understand and elegant presentations, by controlling transparency and results shown independently on different groups, which I can select by material, location, etc.
    Incentivized
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    Cons
    Siemens AG
    • Keeping the colors of surfaces if volume bodies are linked
    • Show and keep symbolic threads
    • For me, I miss more information why a surface can't be deleted or a radius is not possible. And maybe a solution, how could it look like, if NX CAD adds a new surface.
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    • Exporting sketches. For example, you can import dxf for sketches, but you can't export dxf. This is a major drawback for me, because I often communicate with customers through dwg or dxf sketches. If I can't export dxf, my sketches in CAE are "dead". I have to redo them in the dwg sketch. It is so inconvenient, I often end up making the sketches in DraftSight, so I can export them to CAE but I still have the originals in dwg format.
    • CAE doesn't remember element type assignment by sets. Sometimes when I reconfigure or modify a design, I regenerate sets and surfaces, and this in turn updates material assignments, interactions and loads almost automatically. This doesn't happen with element types, so I often end up submitting a job with the wrong element types.
    • Mesh regeneration and re-mapping in 2D within the job. I need this a lot to model axisymmetric assemblies with sharp indentation the destroys the original mesh. I had it in MSC/MARC and it worked great. Abaqus has it only for 3D. I have tried alternatives like lagrangian/eulerian and eulerian domains but it's still more complicated.
    Incentivized
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    Likelihood to Renew
    Siemens AG
    possibility of integration and customization
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Siemens AG
    Siemens NX CAD has been has been simple in design & user interface. It is best among the competitors. It can develop heavy models & designs with very ease. It has Layers options for arranging multiple assemblies in the same file. It does not require heavy system investment & works fine on professional PCs
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    Dassault Systemes
    Extremely well organized and friendly, reflecting the latest approaches in solid modeling and adding the FEA part so seamlessly for the user. It's a joy to use. I'm aware some people would complain about the meshing capabilities and thus prefer using HYPERMESH. Fortunately not my case. I did wish I had HYPERMESH a couple of times, but for most of my projects CAE meshing is fine.
    Incentivized
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    Support Rating
    Siemens AG
    NX CAD version is going out of support after only 12 months. Changes will not be implemented after 12 months from prodcution
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    I keep getting the feeling that it is drifting away from small users. I don't feel so comfortable with the SWYM community approach. I felt much better when you could just email or call HKS and you would feel like you were talking to a real expert who understood your situation. When I was reassigned to reseller in Argentina, which is like the other side of the world for me, I appreciated the cultural closeness, but I had to say goodbye to the level of support I had from HKS and learned to "support myself."
    Incentivized
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    Implementation Rating
    Siemens AG
    the manitenance period is too small for our implementation timeline
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Siemens AG
    NX CAD is very good for interoperability between different three dimensional modelling softwares, it can convert to .jt models, from native format such as .CATPart, .CATProduct, and ones from SOLIDWORKS. Also it is integrated to Siemens Teamcenter, which also enables other downstream workflow, such as Tecnomatix Process Simulate. Other software packages would need more integration effort to make this possible
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    MARC can do the job from an FEA point of view. It even appears better at a couple of things such as 2D remeshing and surviving with highly distorted meshes. So I regard it as a very competitive alternative. I prefer SIMULIA because the GUI is so much better, especially the ability to create actual parametric designs in CAE. ANSYS doesn't cut it for me. I tried it for 1 month and I would see how much I would struggle with convergence in large deformation and large displacement situations with hyperelastic materials with which I have to deal all the time. Also the GUI is not as well built an integrated as in SIMULIA.
    Incentivized
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    Return on Investment
    Siemens AG
    • The software itself is pretty expensive compared to other CAD-systems.
    • Implementation is not out of the box, it requires a lot of consulting and iteration cycles.
    • On the positive side is to mention the seamless of downstream functionalities, from product development to manufacturing and visualization, etc.
    Incentivized
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    Dassault Systemes
    • I don't even bother doing an ROI. Without SIMULIA I would be pretty much out of business. Except for the fact that I could still have an alternative with MSC/MARC.
    • Price is becoming a more difficult hurdle for small users. It appears I have survived because there was a 50% discount on my small 6-token package. Without this special price I would have to close my business. I'm currently exploring alternatives.
    • A more flexible scheme enabling to add tokens over short periods of time or paying per use could be an interesting possibility.
    Incentivized
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    ScreenShots

    Designcenter Screenshots

    Screenshot of Sustainability in Designcenter helps evaluate a product's environmental impact. Analyze material choices and manufacturing processes to create eco-friendly designs that meet global standards and reduce your carbon footprint.Screenshot of the Performance Predictor, used to simulate and forecast operational efficiency. This helps optimize designs and proactively avoid bottlenecks before physical implementation.Screenshot of Immersive Engineering, used to dive deep into manufacturing environments. Viewers can explore and analyze processes virtually to pinpoint potential issues and optimize workflows before they ever reach the factory floor.Screenshot of the Select Similar tool, used to quickly identify and group geometrically identical or parametrically similar components within a design. This streamlines modifications and ensures consistency across an entire project.Screenshot of a rendering created from the actual product design. Notice the lighting and surface realism.