SOLIDWORKS vs. Studio 5000

As a mechanical engineer, it is one of the best tools to just start modeling and engineering with. The UI tools are intuitive and engineering analysis such Mold Analysis, FEA, are great! Other 3D CAD modeling tools have a longer learning curve to master. All in all, if you're not planning to design an entire airplane with large assembly files, then Solidworks is your tool!

Incentivized

As I said before, it's the only tool known to man capable of programming Rockwell PLC's, so if any colleague needed to program one I 100% would recommend it. So, this software is appropiate only when using Rockwell PLC's. As far as I know it would program any other brand.

Incentivized

• The collaborative work environment is a cool and useful feature where groups of people can work on the same model at the same time, and SOLIDWORKS ensures that you don't overwrite each other's work.
• The ease and amount of customization options are very useful for creating a personalized and intuitive user interface, whether SOLIDWORKS is your native CAD package or not.
• It is very easy to quickly edit a model you have already created. The software allows sketch and feature editing without having to take the time to actually enter the sketch/feature environment.
• The use of configurations and configurations-specific dimensions in the same sketch is very useful for creating different forms of the same part

Incentivized

• The tag system it uses for programming makes it easier than other softwares
• Programming Rockwell PLC's
• The management of the ladder code is easier

Incentivized

• Save DWG 2D files in inches or metric easily, defaults to metric and has to be manually converted to inches
• When using the sketch feature, the ability to disable ALL references. If I don't know the exact shape and I want to draw/adapt my design, it harshly interprets the references which have no value to me. The easiest exact is to think about when you have a Microsoft Word document that has a lot of formatting, photos, tabs, etc. If you accidentally hit the "enter" key, you can explode the formatting and everything goes crazy. SW does this to me, I just want to "doodle" my sketches, edit/delete/etc and not be bound by arbitrary references.
• For the sketch feature, ability to use a DraftSight plugin of some sort. I'm super fast in DS, if I could draw using the commands in SW then I would probably never open DS again and convert to SW full time. Currently, I only use SW as a way to convert 3D files so I can build everything in DraftSight.

Incentivized

• Price, it's realy expensive
• Sometimes configuring communication with other devices can be hard
• I'd like the ability to programm with languages such as C or Python

Incentivized

We have absolutely no reasons to not keep with SolidWorks for the foreseeable future.

Incentivized

SOLIDWORKS is very user-friendly. The user interface is intuitive. Many sources for help are available in the event you are attempting something new.

We have an unusual arrangement. We don’t pay for support, but we’re partnered with a VAR for second-tier support.

I work with other users if I have questions but when we’ve had to ask the VAR, they always have answers. It appears that all of the VARs have access to a support platform from DS SOLIDWORKS that helps them answer most questions.

Incentivized

Onshape is a direct competitor. It has great entry level pricing and it is easy to access with no installation required. Being a web based app there is sometime some lag being based in NZ. Management also have concerns over where the data is stored on the cloud. With SW we can control where it is stored

Incentivized

Studio 5000 is a good product. Compared to Omrom's CX-Programmer feels more advanced and with more functions, altough that depends on the PLC being programmed. I choose Studio 5000 because there are no other options when programming Rockwell PLC's

Incentivized

• Creation of small 3D pieces to generate cash flow.
• Not being able to create 3D sculptures with this tool, and not being able to fulfill the client's requirements.
• To be able to sell high visual quality simulations for companies that hire the service.

Incentivized

• Well, there is one customer that only uses Rockwells PLC's, so I could say that Studio 5000 is a must have and a good percent of the bussiness depends on it.

Incentivized