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Solid Edge

Solid Edge

Overview

What is Solid Edge?

Solid Edge is a software solutions for product development — 3D design, simulation, manufacturing, data management, and cloud collaboration. Solid Edge aims to combine the speed and simplicity of direct modeling with the flexibility and control of parametric design.

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Recent Reviews
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Awards

Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards

Reviewer Pros & Cons

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Pricing

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Design and Drafting XaaS

$110.00

Cloud
per month

Foundation XaaS

$267.00

Cloud
per month

Classic XaaS

$335.00

Cloud
per month

Entry-level set up fee?

  • No setup fee

Offerings

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

Solid Edge 2023: Simulation

YouTube

Solid Edge 2023: Solid Edge Inspector

YouTube
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Product Details

What is Solid Edge?

Solid Edge is a portfolio of software tools that advance all aspects of the product development process – mechanical and electrical design, simulation, manufacturing, technical documentation, data management, and cloud-based collaboration.

Developed on Siemens' technologies, Solid Edge provides a comprehensive approach to product development for the mainstream market.

Solid Edge Features

  • Supported: Drawing Tools
  • Supported: 3D Modeling Tools
  • Supported: Editing Tools

Solid Edge Video

Solid Edge 2023: Value Based Licensing

Solid Edge Technical Details

Deployment TypesSoftware as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based
Operating SystemsUnspecified
Mobile ApplicationNo

Frequently Asked Questions

Solid Edge is a software solutions for product development — 3D design, simulation, manufacturing, data management, and cloud collaboration. Solid Edge aims to combine the speed and simplicity of direct modeling with the flexibility and control of parametric design.

SOLIDWORKS, Autodesk Fusion 360, and Onshape are common alternatives for Solid Edge.

The most common users of Solid Edge are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
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Comparisons

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Reviews and Ratings

(48)

Attribute Ratings

Reviews

(1-16 of 16)
Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
July 26, 2023

Solid Edge Review

Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
we use Solid Edge for design. we use it do draw and design to our projects
  • Solid Edge synchronous technology
  • parametric design
  • design development
  • user interface
  • technical support
  • generative AI
  • integration with other softwares
it had a good accuracy and performance regarding the executing time
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Solid Edge is an excellent Engineering tool that lets us design, simulate, draft and manufacture our customer solutions.
  • Sheet metal design
  • Assembly design
  • Simulation
  • Wider industry popularity
Large assembly design for machinery works very well, as does the Teamcenter integration
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Solid Edge is used for building conveyor systems for intralogistics as well as constructing those.
Mostly the users complain about the performance.
  • Intuitive constructions
  • Assembly conveyors
  • Performance
  • The new vertical toolbar kills most of the drawing space
  • The context menu icons are pretty small and can't be resized to a bigger size
The users that are using NX and Solid Edge simultaneously are kind of happy that both programs look pretty similar, so that can save a lot of time.
The new icons for Solid Edge-only users are difficult to see/differ from each other, especially cause we were moving from SE19 to 23.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Solid Edge to create new designs and customize existing designs. We work with remote teams that can work on same projects remotely. Solid Edge licence management can be improved to support stand alone computers and multiple users. Like many other start ups we work remotely and don't use internet network to run a licence server. For that we need for each computer a standalone licence to run the software.
  • Team share center
  • mechanical design
  • rendering
  • FEM analysis
  • Licence management
  • Not having MAC compatibility
Suited for a design needs and remote working conditions.
Not suited for small startups without servers
July 11, 2023

Solid Edge review

Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
So we were given a challenge in a student-run BEST/EBEC challenge. It was Siemens' sponsored challenge. First, I used Solid Edge to win the local round held at Erlangen, and then we got the chance to participate in the regional round held at TU Delft, Netherlands. We used Solid Edge software to design the task requirements given to us at the time of the challenge.
  • Generative Design tool box
  • Other CAD Designs compatibility
  • User-friendly
  • Some times it crashes very easily
It's best suited in areas where you need to design something in a light environment.
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
We use Solid Edge to create parts and assemblies of our logistics solutions. Our main issue is the performance of large assemblies in combination with our PDM solution. Simplified parts do not help because then the parts are even slower to download and take longer to open.
  • It's easy and intuitive to use.
  • You can customize a lot to your needs.
  • It's hard or sometimes impossible to undo certain operations.
  • Documents get "dirty" even if you just change the view.
For simple steel construction, it is great. When you want to do other stuff like electrical wiring, factory planning, etc. it's not great, and the solution you can buy does not fit our needs so we need to develop our own.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In our organization total 2 departments are using solid edge, Process and Design. We are using solid edge for general-purpose CAD and for drawing and designing. The main purpose of using Solid edge is to design gauges and tools. We are managing more than 400 types of fixtures. Sometimes we have to make changes in design and need to analyze it through drawings. We also need to update drawings based on customer requirements. Sometimes we are using for creating gauges and fixtures of new product development. We have to perform Design for Manufacturing of new models and need to take look at the assembly of the machine to see if there are any diddictulty in operations. Sometimes design need to produce special models of products in that case we have to help them designing die and manufacturing tools for supplier.
  • It has very good user interface in classic or ordered environment.
  • In 2D or drafting, you can give any Geometric tolerancing and symbols to any dimension. There is a wide range of options available.
  • You can convert any files in step file (.stp) and can open it in other designing applications easily.
  • After converting 3D drawings in 2D you can make changes in 2D drawing by converting it in the draft. You can also add details like cross-sections and detailed view.
  • You can directly make threads without creating holes.
  • You can not create holes in cylindrical or curved surfaces directly. First, you will have to create a plane, and then only you can create holes or threads.
  • In synchronous mode, if you have created a drawing and then extruded it, later if you will edit the drawing there won't be any changes in subsequent parts.
  • There are some errors switching between the synchronous and ordered mode.
  • Their pattern command is a little complicated you need to see the tutorial for curved pattern.
Solid edge is well suited in an industry where you have to make frequent changes in drawing and you have to keep a record of it. If you want an application for only drafting then go for Autocad. Solid Edge is not well suited for drafting because it is 3D oriented application. If you have to make a new drawing or design of things or product and then you have to analyze it for assembly and another compatibility then there is an option available for it also. It is not well suited for plant layout or other layout drawings or structural drawings.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Solid Edge is used as the CAD software for all of the company's designs for different types of furniture. It's being used at all factory and engineering locations where both advanced designs and reverse engineering take place. It has many options to facilitate the user with a wide variety of tools to make the job a lot easier. Files are not huge so it makes it easier to run on both medium to high-end computers, therefore, companies do not have to spend thousands of dollars in equipment to be able to run this program.
  • Easy rendering
  • Fast plane selection
  • Multi-peripheral compatibility
  • Easy to use tools
  • Onsite and webinar training available
  • The ability to share files to previous version users
  • Importing more extension types
  • More training facilities worldwide
For anything related to 2D or 3D design, [Siemens] Solid Edge is the tool to use. It is simple and has the best tool selection in the market. It easily transforms into CAM software by adding a few plugins. The support team is always available, on the phone or by email. Quick response time is essential for all types of business where designs are a top priority.
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Solid Edge is an engineering software [that] provides a great plate form of 3-D designing. In our organization, new products are developed through CAD CAM analysis and this plays a vital role to produce the prototypes for analysis, coding conversation with the CNC and running MATLAB. This software is easy to use and provide[s] a great online support for any issues if generate[d] within the system.
  • It is a powerful tool for 3-D model base design
  • Customized step by step files of design
  • Easy sketch pad
  • Manu[al] tabs are should be like CATIA software
It is best suited for automotive sectors for designing vehicle parts and their simulation. It is also best suited for designing process layout for all kind[s] of manufacturing industries in which processes need to be defined and displayed on the shop floor for their smooth production.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Siemens Solid Edge is used across out organisation as the primary Computer Aided Design package with which the company models our products in 3D and produces 2D drawings (drafts) to aid in the manufacture of products. By using a single CAD package across the whole organisation, the company is able to enforce standards and best practice on all designers. The whole organisation makes use of the product and is integrated into the Siemens Team Centre PLM suite.
  • Integration with Siemens Team Centre suite, as well as other PLM solutions.
  • Parameterisation of CAD models to allow a single design to be used in multiple applications.
  • License management which allows multiple users to be allocated a fixed number of licenses, thus saving on operational costs and meaning that costly licences are not going unused.
  • The usability of Solid Edge does not compare well to a product like SOLIDWORKS. Being a high-end CAD package, it is assumed by Siemens that training will be undertaken to learn to use the product, and thus the interface is not as user-friendly as it could be.
  • Workflows in Solid Edge are not very easy to follow and require previous experience with a specific tool to be able to figure out how to use it. Contrasted to a product like Onshape, which utilises an intuitive workflow process, Solid Edge is a challenge to get to know.
  • The cost of a Solid Edge license is not justified by the functionality that it offers. In my opinion, for the cost, there are better packages out there. With Solid Edge, you are paying for the luxury of being able to integrate into a variety of other software offerings, many of which the standard user will never touch.
Well Suited for:
  • Integrated designs performed by multiple designers simultaneously (designs requiring a Product Lifecycle Management system);
  • Designs requiring a high degree of parameterisation;
  • Large companies where specific standards and best practices are applied to all models and drawings created.
Not Well Suited for:
  • Personal use in designing one-off models and drawings;
  • Small business use where very few of the expensive features are actually used.
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am using Solid Edge to open and work with AutoCAD (.dwg) files from clients, which I review and modify as needed. I use the 2D version of SolidEdge along with other CAD software to accomplish this work.
  • Solid Edge handles DWG files well. It doesn't seem to have as much trouble as some other CAD programs opening and translating DWG files.
  • Solid Edge runs smoothly, and I suspect this has to do with the quality of the software rather than the hardware I am using. Some other CAD programs have trouble with larger files.
  • The intelligent cursor feature is powerful and intuitive. The software 'guesses' if, for example, you are trying to draw a horizontal line rather than a line at some angle. Its intelligent snaps are similarly powerful and useful.
  • Being used to 2-key and 3-key commands from the keyboard, it would be nice if this was more robust in Solid Edge. The capability of programming keystroke commands exists in Solid Edge, but it would be more user friendly in that regard.
  • Editing hatches can be a challenge.
  • I'm not a fan of the ribbon bar, but that seems to be a feature across software platforms in Windows.
It seems especially well suited for sheet metal design. The weld symbol macro is really nice, as are the smart dimensions.
March 18, 2019

Solid Edge

Alan Urbina | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
In our organization we use Solid Edge to model new products. If it is something simple we do it in one part but if it is something more complex we divide it into several parts and then make an assembly. If it is needed later, we create the plans of said product. Usually we export the file to render it in another program.
  • Easy to model
  • Easy to creat blueprints/drafts
  • Easy to create assemblies
  • Textures don't look real
  • You can not move an object so easily
Solid Edge is great for modeling any object, from simple to complex. If it is easier for you to create piece by piece and then assemble it, Solid Edge is very good and easy to use. Solid Edge is great for creating plans, since it is very easy and intuitive to use measurement tools.
David Breitstein | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
I train people in Solid Edge as the basis of my business. I also use Edge to do occasional design work for my customers, as well as use it to support users remotely.
  • Allows designers to work as they choose and not have to acclimate their work for the product's requirements. This results in productive use of Edge, thus an ROI for the company.
  • Manage large (high count of components) assemblies very well. Users spend little to no time trying to overcome speed issue with respect to assemblies.
  • Synchronous Design! This highly productive design process is unique to Edge and very addictive
  • School/university exposure and saturation is low, students getting hired out of school are unaware of Edge.
  • Market perception: competitors win the popularity contest in the CAD world. Yet, Edge is by far the functional king of the industry.
Sheet metal is way efficient easy to use. The advanced plastic design is strong but relatively unknown. The built-in data management is a great solution for all companies.
Scott Rodgers | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I occasionally use Solid Edge on personal time. Sometimes I'm at home and want to turn an idea into a 3D model. Sometimes I had a particularly difficult part/assembly edit at work (where we use SOLIDWORKS) and I want to see how much faster and easier it would have been in Solid Edge. I'm hoping to find enough benefits to using Solid Edge that my work will consider adopting it as our primary CAD platform.
At a previous workplace, I used Solid Edge to import and work with dumb solids. It did a great job of optimizing the parts and assemblies for moldability, and would speed up the engineering process of designing parts and molds for plastic injection molding.
  • Faster and easier changes to parts and assemblies. A feature can easily be moved, resized, deleted, etc. independently of features created afterward.
  • Very effective tools to work with parts and assemblies from other CAD programs. The same technology that improves edits to parts and assemblies also speeds up handling files that might come up as dumb solids.
  • Better performance, especially with large assemblies. Opening the same files in other CAD programs are slower and clunkier.
  • The user interface isn't quite as intuitive. It might simply be I learned SOLIDWORKS first, but some of the steps of doing something seem backward.
  • Solid Edge doesn't have anything I feel is comparable to my favorite SOLIDWORKS add-in, HSMXpress
  • I've never gotten the fastener library to work right.
Any project where the design might have unexpected changes is exactly what Solid Edge is made for. When (not if) those unexpected changes are required by the customer, or supplier change, or a manufacturability issue, you can make the accommodations with less time and trouble.
The biggest scenario I've found Solid Edge less appropriate for is with a group that is already comfortable with another CAD program and hesitant to try something else. I'm personally fond of HSM for CAD/CAM, and not familiar with CNC programming on Solid Edge.
John T. Winter | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
Solid Edge is being used by our mechanical engineering group. It's simple to learn. We've had SOLIDWORKS designers pick it up in a few hours. The synchronous technology makes this product a very efficient tool for designers. The integrated FEA saves us time. We also have a distributed team and the built-in data manager works great via Google Drive. The team loves the zero latency since the files are on their individual PCs rather than a server or strictly online.
  • Synchronous technology with design intent is a powerful design aid. We've found it so much faster to design this way.
  • Built-in data manager gives us the ability to have all our Solid Edge files on our PC and have it synced to all others on our team. Files lock as they should and the speed couldn't be better.
  • Support is great. The community group has the most answers to the "how do I" questions.
  • At some point, I'd like to see an online version of Solid Edge so we don't have to have workstations to run the program.
  • It would be nice to have a simple way to make a monolithic (one part) part from an assembly while being able to hide interior features without having to manually alter the part file.
  • Threads on screws are an image rather than modeled. This is nice as it saves on file size in an assembly, but some times I need to see the threads. It would be nice to have a way to model the threads easily if needed.
Perfect for single users, students or large organizations. Siemens owns the Parasolid kernel, so that helps keep the price down. The other companies for 3D CAD have to license the Parasolid kernel from Siemens so that adds to their cost structure. I found Siemens Solid Edge to be the perfect cost/performance for us.
Alex Smith, MBA | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Incentivized
I am the instructor of the Canadian Valley Technology Center CAD program. Solid Edge is used with & by students pursuing a career in mechanical drafting/engineering. The capabilities of synchronous technology enables our students to spend more time designing due to its flexibility and ease of use.
  • Synchronous technology allows a user to spend less time studying on how to model and more time designing.
  • The portfolio of Siemens products incorporated into Solid Edge like Teamcenter and Mentor allows the students to gain exposure to other industry-leading applications.
  • Solid Edge has less of a learning curve and Siemens Learning Advantage is a great gateway for up-to-date tutorials.
  • I have only used the software in an educational environment, therefore, have only witnessed the advantages over other packages.
  • I would like to see more abilities to automate parts/assemblies/drawings through logic as opposed to suppressed states. However, I have not used it to the full potential.
  • Possibly incorporate or have plugins for other PLM/PDM applications like Vault or Windchill. In my limited capacity as a user, it is possible there currently are some available.
Well suited for using the ST when designing/modifying components when the constraints have significantly changed. Other software can require significate redefining of features to adapt. Having the ability to import direct models without sacrificing precision is very useful. I do feel that the application can be limited in the large assembly environment such as aircraft, ship, and vehicle design.
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