Good CAD software
July 08, 2024

Good CAD software

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with SOLIDWORKS

Mechanical design.
We design a few standalone mechanical parts, for a variety of production processes. Injection moulding, 3D print, laser cut, CNC etc.
Most of our projects revolve around design and build of enclosures for electronic parts usually including a PCB.

Pros

  • Usability
  • Stability
  • Ability to handle large models
  • Good support for external references in assemblies

Cons

  • The CAM package is very hard to use
  • Option to save files formatted for previous versions
  • Good integration into altium for PCB collaboration
  • Good integration with HSMworks for CNC outputs
I have been using SOLIDWORKS for around 12 years as of writing this review, so have learned where most things are and how they work.

When first starting out it was quite daunting, but the interface is well laid out with like functions near each other which made finding new functions relatively easy.
Hated SketchUp at school. It was great for making art, but never really worked to design anything you actually wanted to make.

I've used Blender a little, but don't have much time for working with meshes.

I currently own a Fusion license but only for HSMworks. I've loaded PCBs into Fusion for another company I did some work with who uses Fusion and wasn't super impressed.

Do you think SOLIDWORKS delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with SOLIDWORKS's feature set?

Yes

Did SOLIDWORKS live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of SOLIDWORKS go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy SOLIDWORKS again?

Yes

SOLIDWORKS works really well for our CAD needs in a commercial environment. I've worked in multiple businesses which primarily use SOLIDWORKS.

I have also used it previously in both private and education environments. It felt less suited to these environments.

SOLIDWORKS Feature Ratings

Computer-Aided Design Software
9.8
3D Modeling
10
2D Drafting
10
Rendering and Visualization
9
Parametric Design
Not Rated
Collaboration and Sharing
Not Rated
Compatibility with other software and formats
10
Assembly Design
10
Simulation and Analysis
Not Rated
Documentation and Annotation
Not Rated
Customization and Extensions
10

Comments

More Reviews of SOLIDWORKS

  1. Home
  2. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Software
  3. SOLIDWORKS Reviews
  4. User Review of SOLIDWORKS