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PTC Mathcad

PTC Mathcad

Overview

What is PTC Mathcad?

PTC Mathcad Prime is a digital engineering notebook enabling engineers, mathematicians, and scientists to solve, analyze, document, and share their calculations. It helps users to solve problems accurately the first time numerically and/or symbolically, and then reuse important intellectual property…

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Learn from top reviewers

PTC Matchad - A Must Have For Any Design Engineer

Rating: 9 out of 10
July 30, 2021
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
PTC Mathcad is being used by several engineers in the engineering department to document the calculations, assumptions and the design process of a project. It is much more int...
Continue reading
Verified user
Engineer
PTC Mathcad6 years of experience

Essential Engineering Software

Rating: 10 out of 10
January 26, 2021
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
[PTC Mathcad] is used in the engineering department for any "hand calculation" that is done.
Continue reading
Verified user
Professional
PTC Mathcad2 years of experience

Easy to Use...Powerful Math Computation Software

Rating: 10 out of 10
February 14, 2019
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
PTC Mathcad is used in various engineering departments within our organization. It is used for engineering calculations and design reviews.
Continue reading
Verified user
Engineer
PTC Mathcad20 years of experience

PTC MathCad- an engineering calculator playground

Rating: 8 out of 10
May 22, 2018
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
MathCad is our department's engineering calculator. We have built a library of common equations to be solved for our products which we employ with the development of each and ...
Continue reading
Verified user
Engineer
PTC Mathcad3 years of experience

Robust and fast data analysis

Rating: 7 out of 10
May 14, 2018
IncentivizedVetted ReviewVerified User
It plays a role of advanced engineering calculator. It is used mostly to analyze a data quickly. I don't know how intensively it is used at the department or organization. Mat...
Continue reading
Yevgen Gorash
Analyst - Engineering
Research Fellow
University of Strathclyde
PTC Mathcad17 years of experience
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Pricing

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Mathcad Prime 10 License

$735

On Premise
per year

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.ptc.com/en/store/mathcad/pt…

Offerings

  • Free Trial
  • Free/Freemium Version
  • Premium Consulting/Integration Services

Starting price (does not include set up fee)

  • $735 per year per seat
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Product Details

What is PTC Mathcad?

PTC Mathcad Prime is a digital engineering notebook enabling engineers, mathematicians, and scientists to solve, analyze, document, and share their calculations. It helps users to solve problems accurately the first time numerically and/or symbolically, and then reuse important intellectual property with templates to save time on the next project.

Mathcad Prime allows users to solve or optimize for conditions; incorporate units with full unit balancing and intelligence; and present their work and document their design intent with not just math, but also text, plots, tables, and images. Users can incorporate OLE objects and embed Excel spreadsheets, allowing Mathcad to a repository of information related to a project, and can also read or write information from and to a variety of other sources, for a digital thread experience.

With Mathcad Prime, math is written and presented in natural math notation, like one would see in a textbook. The equation editor allows for users to learn how to use the product within 15 minutes, but also allows for incredibly deep and detailed calculations, with hundreds of built-in functions that can added along with any custom functions. Mathcad Prime also has a publicly available API.

PTC Mathcad Video

What's New in PTC Mathcad Prime 7?

PTC Mathcad Technical Details

Deployment TypesOn-premise
Operating SystemsWindows
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

PTC Mathcad Prime is a digital engineering notebook enabling engineers, mathematicians, and scientists to solve, analyze, document, and share their calculations. It helps users to solve problems accurately the first time numerically and/or symbolically, and then reuse important intellectual property with templates to save time on the next project.

PTC Mathcad starts at $735.

The most common users of PTC Mathcad are from Small Businesses (1-50 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews From Top Reviewers

Community Insights

TrustRadius Insights are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, 3rd-party data sources. Have feedback on this content? Let us know!

PTC Mathcad is an advanced engineering calculator that is widely used for analyzing data quickly and efficiently. Many engineers rely on this tool for basic processing of engineering data and graphical visualization. Users have found value in building a library of common equations within PTC Mathcad, which they can use for solving problems and developing new products.

One key use case of PTC Mathcad is within the Engineering Team at a Design Center, where it is used extensively. The software contains proprietary functions that have been developed based on years of testing and experimentation, making it a reliable tool for engineers in their day-to-day work. Additionally, PTC Mathcad finds application across various engineering departments within organizations for engineering calculations and design reviews.

A notable advantage of using PTC Mathcad is its ability to document calculations, assumptions, and the design process of a project. This makes it particularly useful for creating a comprehensive record of the entire engineering workflow. Compared to alternatives like Microsoft Excel, PTC Mathcad is praised for its intuitive interface, which allows for easy verification of calculations, checking measurement units, and even including visuals like pictures in worksheets. This enhances the clarity and transparency of the documentation process.

In conclusion, PTC Mathcad serves as a powerful tool for engineers looking to perform complex calculations quickly and accurately. Its wide range of features and intuitive user interface make it an indispensable asset in various engineering departments, enabling users to effectively analyze data, document their work, and streamline the product development process.

Simple and User-Friendly Interface: Many users have found PTC Mathcad to be extremely user-friendly, with a straightforward and effective layout. Several reviewers have mentioned that the software is easy to learn without extensive training, making it beneficial for daily engineering calculations as it saves time and avoids errors.

Innovative Variable Dimensions Display: Users appreciate the innovative feature of PTC Mathcad that showcases variable dimensions like meters, pounds, and Newtons. This eliminates the need for manual checks on consistency in the analytical model, resulting in more efficient calculations.

Seamless Integration with PTC CREO: The integration of PTC Mathcad with its partner software PTC CREO formerly Pro/E has been highlighted by many reviewers. This integration allows for a better grasp of fundamental engineering concepts such as stress analysis and thermal analysis.

Cons:

  1. Picture add-in feature needs improvement: Several users have expressed their dissatisfaction with the picture add-in feature in PTC Mathcad, noting that it requires enhancements to prevent overlapping of pictures over texts automatically.
  2. Lack of functionalities compared to Excel: Some users have mentioned that PTC Mathcad lacks certain functionalities provided by Excel, such as the ability to link cells, which they found limiting.
  3. Limited customizability and compatibility issues: Users have raised concerns about the limited customizability of units in PTC Mathcad and suggested adding an option for customized units. Additionally, since PTC acquired Mathsoft, there have been forced upgrades, incompatible legacy worksheets, and significant price hikes, which some users find inconvenient.
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(1-5 of 5)

PTC Matchad - A Must Have For Any Design Engineer

Rating: 9 out of 10
Incentivized
July 30, 2021
Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Mechanical Or Industrial Engineering Company, 501-1000 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
PTC Mathcad
6 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
PTC Mathcad is being used by several engineers in the engineering department to document the calculations, assumptions and the design process of a project. It is much more intuitive than the alternatives such as Microsoft Excel. It is very easy to verify the calculations, check the measurement units and include pictures in Mathcad worksheets.
Pros
  • Conversion of measurement units (Imperial and Metric)
  • Easy to use for writing detailed engineering worksheets
  • Formulas can be written in the expanded form which facilitates verification
  • Spell Checker feature is life saver.
Cons
  • The feature to add pictures can be improved. The pictures do not align easily. Overlapping of text and picture should be prevented automatically.
  • Possibility to add customized units
Likelihood to Recommend
It is definitely a must have for every design engineer. The formulas can be written in the expanded format which facilitates the process. The measurement unit feature is very useful and helps prevent errors in formulas. Mathcad is now equipped with a decent spell checker which is also very helpful.
Most Important Features
  • Ability to write formulas as we write on paper
  • Measuring unit change
  • Spell Checker
Return on Investment
  • It definitely helped me document the projects more efficiently in a way that is usable for other teammates as well.
Alternatives Considered
The most obvious and frequent alternative is Microsoft Excel which allows entering formulas. I certainly prefer Mathcad as it permits writing the formulas in the expanded form inside a detailed worksheet. Excel does not offer the same report writing functionality as Mathcad does. There is no measuring unit feature built in Excel. Besides all this, Mathcad allows importing the Excel tables into its worksheet.
Other Software Used

Robust and fast data analysis

Rating: 7 out of 10
Incentivized
May 14, 2018
YG
Yevgen Gorash
Research Fellow
University of Strathclyde (Higher Education, 1001-5000 employees)
Vetted Review
Verified User
PTC Mathcad
17 years of experience
View profile
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
It plays a role of advanced engineering calculator. It is used mostly to analyze a data quickly. I don't know how intensively it is used at the department or organization. MathCAD has been my own long-term preference when it comes to a basic processing of engineering data and graphical visualization.
Pros
  • Fitting the experimental data with an arbitrary fitting function and visualization of the results
  • Writing a technical document with lots of mathematical calculations, that should look a kind of professional
  • Operation with arrays and matrices, processing of raw data with arbitrary methods
Cons
  • A limited number of file formats for export, especially those that support visual graphics in vector format
  • Interfaces for mathematics and equations with MathType and LaTeX / MikTex / Tex
  • Limited functionality for visualization of data in a 3D format
Likelihood to Recommend
In most cases, MathCAD is good for basic express analysis of data and creating professionally looking express reports incorporating mathematics, text, and graphics. It is not much use for analysis for complex mathematical calculations like a solution of advanced differential equations or system of ODE. I miss very much the functionally from good old MathCAD 15. It would be nice to move it completely to MathCAD Prime.
Return on Investment
  • It accelerates issuing reports and writing documents
  • it improves the visual quality of the reports/documents
  • It helps to make the decisions faster
Alternatives Considered
MathCAD is easier to learn and faster to start with. It has more user-friendly interface and conventional style toolbox and GUI. It is really good for the beginners and those who are afraid of complex math.
Other Software Used

Essential Engineering Software

Rating: 10 out of 10
Incentivized
January 26, 2021
Verified User
Professional in Engineering
Design Company, 11-50 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
PTC Mathcad
2 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
[PTC Mathcad] is used in the engineering department for any "hand calculation" that is done.
Pros
  • Iterative calculations
  • Calculation templates
  • Documentation of design process
Cons
  • Attaching support material, such as pictures, is a bit simplistic
  • Automatic equation solving would be nice.
  • The new free version (as of 2020) has a intrusive watermark that can't be removed.
Likelihood to Recommend
It is great for any manual calculation. You can lay it out as you would on paper, but the math is calculated instantly, similar to how it is in excel. It is superior to either method for most engineering calculations. Being able to copy-and-paste is very helpful for considering multiple scenarios.

In some situations where you need to do the same calculation on an array of numbers, Excel is still faster.
Return on Investment
  • Speeds up calculations (especially when corrections need to be made near the beginning).
  • Ability to re-use old calculations as a template can save significant time.
  • You can use consistent formatting for all calculations, allowing for more organized, clear calculations.
Alternatives Considered
I have not found an alternative that is as useful as [PTC Mathcad]. In fact it is exactly what I've been looking for for some time.
Other Software Used

Easy to Use...Powerful Math Computation Software

Rating: 10 out of 10
Incentivized
February 14, 2019
Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Design Company, 201-500 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
PTC Mathcad
20 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
PTC Mathcad is used in various engineering departments within our organization. It is used for engineering calculations and design reviews.
Pros
  • PTC Mathcad has an easy to use interface.
  • PTC Mathcad offers templates that can be used to start projects.
  • PTC Mathcad has extensive math tools and functions for complex engineering analysis work.
Cons
  • Some of the math and text formatting aspects are a little cumbersome.
  • Converting from older Matchcad versions to the newer Mathcad Prime platform could be made easier. It should be a direct import function.
Likelihood to Recommend
Mathcad is a great tool for engineering calculations. It is extremely flexible and easy for new users to learn. Its powerful functionality make it a great software for complex engineering problems and designs. It provides a quick and easy way to document your designs. The results are easy to format and share with other members of the design team.
Return on Investment
  • Mathcad has allowed us to take legacy hand written calculations and document them in an electronic format. Now we can quickly run different design scenarios using the legacy calculations. It allows us to quickly vet new design options.
  • Sharing new design concepts is quicker and easier within our various design groups.
Alternatives Considered
I have only used a freeware version called SMath Studio. It has similar functionality but lacks the full experience MathCad offers.

PTC MathCad- an engineering calculator playground

Rating: 8 out of 10
Incentivized
May 22, 2018
Verified User
Engineer in Engineering
Mechanical or Industrial Engineering Company, 501-1000 employees
Vetted Review
Verified User
PTC Mathcad
3 years of experience
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
MathCad is our department's engineering calculator. We have built a library of common equations to be solved for our products which we employ with the development of each and every new product we design. It is presently used only within our Engineering Team at our Design Center as it contains proprietary functions built on years of testing and experimentation.
Pros
  • MathCad has a relatively easy to learn and easy to use programming language.
  • It is easy to deploy and manage seats of MathCad.
  • Documentation and support are reasonably strong.
Cons
  • Since Prime, MathCad has improved its user interface. It still, however, lacks the visual qualities that could make it more efficient.
  • While able to integrate and pass values back to solid 3D models, this process isn't always reliable or easy.
Likelihood to Recommend
MathCad is well-suited for the documentation and execution of engineering mathematics. However, as a program becomes more complex the coding structure decreases in efficiency and one may wish to write custom code using an established machine language. Scenarios where copious amounts of data need to be transferred in and out of MathCad also are less efficient than other means but better than, say, MS-Excel.
Return on Investment
  • Positively, MathCad works extremely well as an easy-to-program engineering calculator for most basic equations.
  • The learning curve for someone new to math-based software isn't terribly steep. But custom functions and techniques are not intuitive.
Alternatives Considered
Unlike MATLAB, MathCad has an interface that resembles more like a sheet of paper rather than a line-by-line coding tool. This enables are more intuitive math building process. However, some may argue that debugging a complicated MathCad program takes more effort than something written in MATLAB as the lack of a linear progression of thought could be lost in the MathCad program. Yet, the use of symbolics makes MathCad the go-to choice for new users in our organization. In fact, legacy MATLAB programs have been re-written in MathCad for this very reason.
Easy Tasks
  • Basic equations/functions
  • Interlinear documentation
Difficult Tasks
  • Matrices
  • Nested statement.
Usability
6
Higher-order math, despite symbolics, become tedious and variable nomenclature isn't as forgiving as other programs. Due to it's sheet-like nature, the greater the complexity the more bothersome the screen usage becomes. But it's a trade-off between a sketchpad-like interface or lines and lines of code. Pick your poison but MathCad was our choice.
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