Alibe compared to AUTOCAD

[x6xtyx9x]

Please only respond if you meet the following requirements:
1) You are proficient in late issue AUTOCAD
2) You are proficient in ALIBRE

I know that all softwares have their upsides and their downsides. What I ask for is that based upon professional experiences with both softwares, I would like to know which software proves to be the most efficient in a design to CAM atmosphere.

I am sorry if I sound rude, but all to often people will compare the taste of two oranges and only peel one half way while peeling the whole other.

[ger21]

You're somewhat comparing apples to oranges. I'm not sure you'll find many people proficient in both. I use AutoCAD on a daily basis, and play around with Alibre Xpress.

Alibre is a parametric solid modeler, while AutoCAD is a standard 2D/3D CAD package. AutoCAD 2007 has many more 3D features than it's predecessors, but most of these added features are mainly to speed up the workflow.


Efficiency might depend on what you'll be designing, and would somewhat depend on ones proficiency with either package. Alibre may have an edge due to it's parametric approach to modeling. Making changes in Alibre can be very simple due to the parametrics, while changes in AutoCAD can require major rework.

For someone with no experience with either package, I'd say go with Alibre. An experienced AutoCAD user might find using Alibre a bit frustrating, due to the different workflow.

The CAM program(s) you'll be using may have an influence as well. Simple parts can be made with a quick 2D drawing in AutoCAD and sent to a 2-1/2D CAM program. But assuming you'll always be working with 3D models, again, go with Alibre.

[x6xtyx9x]

Thank you very much for the feedback. Maybe I am meaning AutoDesk Inventor or whatever they call it as AUTOCAD's 3D. I don't know...I get info from Alibre weekly and am just curious. It seems like a great product that I possibly should be comparing to SolidWorks. Perhaps you could better fill me in on what kind of products to compare it to. I received Alibre 2D and maybe the 2D part is fueling my confusion.

Thank you

[ger21]

OK, yes, you can compare Alibre to Inventor and Solidworks. All are parametric solid modelers, and if you learn one, you can move to the others fairly easily. I'm not sue of the features each offers, but that should be the determining factor when making a purchase. Make sure what you buy has the features you need. If Alibre meets those needs, it has a definite price advantage over the other two. Download and register Alibre Xpress, and you'll get email offers from Alibre for significant discounts.

[x6xtyx9x]

Thanks for all the information Gerry. You are a great moderator and I thank you for all the information. It's a hard industry to keep up on and as a student in it there are so many biased opinions one can never tell. Have a great weekend and thanks for your efforts and support in creating the CNC guy's online home away from home.

[vacpress]

x6-

a good suggestion is to subscribe to 'Cadalyst' and 'desktop engineering' magazines.

another issue is what you want to do with your designs. AutoCAD is nowhere near as fun as the 3DCAD, IMO.

Also, comparing alibre to solidworks or proE or Inventor is like comparing KIA to Lexus..

Alibre seems great for the price. And they have that express version. If you plan on becomming a draftsman, checkout AutoCAD. If you want to design engineer - checkout 3DCAD.

Sure that is a stilted and biased oppinion, but that is probably the way the industry is going. As a 3D person, I absolutely balk at using AutoCAD.. Even though most designs can be realized with either, It really depends on what you are going to be doing. Also, noone will argue that it is good to know AutoCAD in addition to any other CAD you may use.

-R

[vacpress]

Note: These magazines are free. There are lots of them, and I consider them an 'important' source of information for me, as I do not know where else you would read such a variety of reviews and articles on disparate engineering software.

Search google to find em. There are others that are good. Look at the publisher's list..

[x6xtyx9x]

Wow, thanks for the wealth of information Vac. I am curious based on your experience in this field of what you feel about SolidEdge in comparison to the other products you listed. A friend of mine is happy with a SolidEdge/Gibbs combo. Is there anything you have seen that may prove to be a more powerful design to machine combination?

[vacpress]

i have never used solidedge, so i cannot say anything specific about it except that is seems to be loosing market share quickly to solidworks. i figure solidEdge must have an ok business going selling upgrades to customers who have allready been using it for awhile..

i suggest solidworks as being the most common and profitable 3dcad to know, followed by ProE, Inventor, and maybe catia...

All of these packages have something to offer, it just depends on what you are going to be doing. It is advisable to at least do the tutorials in AutoCAD, but do NOT think of autocad as the required basic, and anything 3D is on top.

AutoCAD is clearly on the way out for much of it's traditional uses. However, it can still get the job done. Supposedly.. I can barely use it, for instance. I do not do much 2D design. The best reason to learn AutoCAD is to put it on the ol' resume.

All other things being equal, learn the 'popular' software.. this is practical because it means more resources. any 3D package you select, spend alot of time looking at the history or feature tree of other people's models. This can teach you tricks no amount of school will... The other method is tutorials..

-E

-R

[ger21]

AutoCAD is clearly on the way out for much of it's traditional uses.

No, it's not going anwhere. As I mentioned earlier, you're comparing apples to oranges. AuoCAD's market is entirely different than that of a parametric modeler. That's why Autodesk also has Inventor.

[vacpress]

Gerry

It is true that they are far different, but I think that there are huge numbers of previousely all autocad 'shops' or businesses going all Solidworks. This is a trend I see very clearly. My last 2 jobs had a token AutoCAD guy, in both cases left over from the company previous culture..

While you are totally correct that the technology is extremely different, the uses overlap. A good example of something parametric modeling would be less usefull for is landscape architecture, or even soft-goods(sails, jackets, etc.

In the future I expect almost all of this stuff to be done in a more 3D, 'parametric way'. The investment of additional design data in a parameter-ized model allows it to function as much more than just a plan to build from. Parametric modeling isnt new really, but it seems like the computer horsepower was not previousely available.


At the same time, a staunch AutoCAD user could do alot of similar work with or without the solid-modeling bandaid, mechanical desktop, it would just be mindnumbing work! However, I dont use AutoCAD stuff so I am not qualified to say much except report what I see at work!

I could never do it, the autoCAD 3D. Love parametric modelling. It is like toys! Still design is design. I reread myself writing 'I dont do much 2D design anymore', but really all of this type of work is in all dimensions.. I think the 3D modeller is going to eclipse the 2D modeller because it offers a more through simulation of multidimensional space.

In some cases data is 2D by definition, like an electronic schematic, however, the objects sort of are parameterized by nature. So in a way, it is just really different, and AutoCAD probably isnt the first choice for schematic capture either, even though I think it used to be popular for that.

I dont have a strong favoritism for SolidWorks. It is just very popular, and I know that one.. Very neat products can be designed in any of the CAD programs!

[vacpress]

Wow, thanks for the wealth of information Vac. I am curious based on your experience in this field of what you feel about SolidEdge in comparison to the other products you listed. A friend of mine is happy with a SolidEdge/Gibbs combo. Is there anything you have seen that may prove to be a more powerful design to machine combination?

Oh. Your first question.. Again, it depends what you want to do, and what your machine's(i assume you mean CNC machine) capabilities are.

I have used 3DCAD to produce 2D DXFs which i ran directly from KellyCAM, a neat but limited older windows CNC program that is easy to understand.

I also have used commercial software such as Gibbs, MaserCAM. Again, this software is so expensive and sometimes such a specialized choice that it depends on what you want to do.. Strange how specific application and available resources play such a big role. But not really. This is how businesses decide these things.

I recommend that instead of trying to pirate the best software out there, you see where your education or professional life will take you if it overlaps, and look into what is cost effective and easy to find help on otherwise. If you have a small wooden machine, checkout DeskProto as a neat 'trialware' program that can make nice 3D toolpaths with limited experience.

These expensive engineering programs have whole industries dedicated to teaching already highly-trained people to use them for a reason. It can take literally years to get good at any one work flow, and then you will always be able to learn something from someone else.


Good luck.