List of bugs from solidworks 2005

Unfortunately access to that list is restricted to subscription customers. There is an NDA to use it. I would be surprised if any of the other reseller's that are demoing for you have a list either. And of course a good number of the more serious problems have been posted here. You will just need to do a little searching.

Bugs come and go. You might be better served to have the VAR demo something in the line of what you intend to do or do a test drive.

There are far too many bugs to list. Stability is, by far, my biggest problem with version 2005. 2004 seemed much more stable.

There are a ton of bugs in the drawing task too. Plenty of work-arounds for them, but a ton of bugs nonetheless.

work-arounds

Blah Blah Blah,

You are going to get all kinds of different answers here.

I have no problems with stability and drawings are great. Someone will say in the next post that they are having problems. If you have many users I can only say it will be much easier if you can standardize your hardware and make sure that everything is SolidWorks approved. Now someone will say that this doesn't matter. Get your VAR to throw in installation in the purchase. That is the biggest fear for me is that SolidWorks doesn't install correctly and there is nothing to say why it didn't install correctly. That is also my only complaint. I had to reinstall 2005 once because me and my VAR weren't having the same results on a part that was being looked at.

KM

"Hendrik" may be sincere in asking this question; but frankly, it smacks of someone wanting to start yet another Solidworks bashing session.

"Top" had the right idea; ask your VAR to demo something that you might do, and don't worry about bugs and such (I just know I'll get flamed for that statement - who cares). Plenty of us are doing our jobs every day with this software, regardless of bugs, etc.

Mike Tripoli

There will be bugs in any software that you buy today, regardless of who writes the program.

The most important thing is to have the correct hardware, to enable you to use that software, at it's full potential.

A "standard" office PC, will NOT able you to use Solidworks or any other

If your company are willing to invest around $6000, (£6000), on a 3D cad package, then they MUST be willing to invest around half of the software cost on the hardware, to run it. Failure to do so, would be silly in the extreme!

I don't mean fancy monitors, but the box of bits, that makes the programs work. Get the fastest processor you can, lots of memory, (2Gb min), and a stinking fast Nvidia graphics card. Single parts, small assemblies, (50 parts nominal), and drawing documents are fine, but when you get into large assemblies and motion mates, you will end up tearing your hair out!

Do NOT just accept their sales demo, get them to show you from scratch.

Test drive the software yourselves for a minimum of 30days, BEFORE, committing. If you decide to go ahead, double contract, in case you find that the software will not work for you, as stated by their sales guy. This will enable you to get a refund much easier. If they are unwilling to double contract, walk away!

Make a list of what you want from the 3D software and get them to SHOW you it working in your environment, with your equipment.

Will it work on your network?

Do you want cam, can it communicate with your machines,without having special software written?

PDM system, will heir's work for you, in the way you want, without having special software written ?

Printing, e.g.:-with multiple sheet drawings, can you send each sheet to different printers, as a batch program, without having special software written?

Can it work with your Accounts or inventory programs?

How quick is their support response?

Do they have a user in your location, that is willing to recommend this software and can you call them? If the answer is no, then walk away.

Remember, DON'T take their sales guy's word for it, get them to show you.

This is a huge commitment, of yours and your company's time and money, so play safe and play the long game. Fools rush in, is a very good proverb to remember.

. . . (clip) . . .

Recently I interviewed at a well-established company that was moving its engineering from New Jersey to an existing facility not far from me. Besides not getting a really good "vibe" from the interviewing people I noted that they had set up 17" CRT monitors with generic Dell office computers for all of the SolidWorks folks . . . and I didn't bother to write a follow-up note. Any company with priorities that backwards is one I don't really want to work for.

No i dont want to start another Solidworks bashing session. I'm student who has the task (for an internship) to investigate th differences between the CAD programs. From all the programs narrowed it down to Solidworks, Solid Edge, Inventor and Pro/Eng. have sent an email to all the resellers with a list with features w would like to have, and queastions how their package would handl everything. My next step is asking the reseller to give a liv company specifik demonstration. I have sent them some drawings w normaly make so that they can prepare themselves. The only reason wh i asked a list of bugs is because i have read quit a lot of bugs ( now that EVERY program has a lot of bugs in it) so that i can ask th reseller about these bugs and get an impression if he's for exampl ignoring / denieing these bugs etc

@ Pete, Thanks fot the Info, as you can read, i have done almost th

same things you suggested

Hendri

"Hendrik" may be sincere in asking this question; but frankly

bashin

I'l

Hello Hendrik,

Are you actually looking for a CAD program or are you trying to make a fool of SolidWorks? If a reseller comes over to give you a demo, you should get an impression if the program fits your needs. There's no need to confront a reseller with the bugs, they know about it. Furthermore, a reseller doesn't know all bugs or the status of solving bugs. Each cad program has bugs, but if you are actually looking for a CAD program, you should pay attention to the points that are interesting to you and not to the bugs.

Get real!

Regards JJ

The only problem, is that the bugs present, changes on every service pack release. Solidworks 2005 office pro Sp0.0 was bad, but Sp 3.1 had ironed out a lot of them. A lot of the bugs are also hard to replicate. The hardest thing for any 3D cad package, is to mate a top hat tank connector with the round immersion heater cylinder, for the pipe-work to connect too Three of the cad packages, that I have tried, (including Solidworks and VX), failed to mate these completely. There was a long and potential problematic work-around in Solidworks, but not in VX. This was highlighted at the Nec Exhibition in The UK, by both the Solidworks and VX guys. Is this a bug or just bad programming?

I have sent an e-mail to solid edge, solidworks, catia, Pro/eng I-deas, Inventor. I even gave VX a try by downloading it and tryin to model with it, but it was crap. when i changed the model fro wireframe to shaded, it crashed. so i quickly uninstalled it

which program's do you mean by the non constraining parametri modelers

Yes, the final product of our company is a production drawing that ca

be used for the production department. Now we draw 3D in autocad. Yo can do the same as with other cad programs, it just takes longer.. We draw in solids in autocad. (drawing a shape, and then extrudin it) The biggest issue now is that when 1 small change has to be made, th entire drawing has to be modified, then all dimensions have to b replaced (autocad doesn't "remembrer" the line it dimensions, bu just the "place on the screen")

Does anyone have experiences with Solid edge? (good / Bad). What ar

the main differences between solid edge / solidworks

yo

solvin

Yes i am looking for a cad program. Personally i am a big fan o

solidworks, We draw with it at school. The reason why i want to as the reseller some questions about problems with solidworks is to se how they handle it. I just want to see if they are helpfull and no just sell you the software and when you have a problem "sorry, bu whe can't help you with that"..

The steps i am taking in the process of choosing a program

- sending an e-mail with questions about the capability of thei program, In the e-mail already company specific wishes are include

- With the answers and the prices of every program and th conversations i had with the resellers of every program i narrow th list down to a 3/4 program

- next is a company specific demonstration. I send some drawings o

products we make to them so they can prpare themselves and then the can come and demonstrate the Power of their software.

this is how i am choosing a program. any suggestions are welcome

Hendri

snipped-for-privacy@home-dot-nl.no-spam.invalid (Hendrik) wrote in news:l6udnUui6K_yihffRVn snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

Well, I think you're being a little naive. Salesmen are not going to send you a close ended email with direct responses to your questions. They are going to want to feel you out, talk to your boss, come visit, talk about seemingly irrelevant things. When they see that you're just out of school or still in school, they won't take you seriously and WILL go over your head.

About your questions regarding bugs, of course they're gonna dodge them. That's what they do. These guys are not hayseed fruit cart salesmen, they're trained in how to get as much information from you while giving as little as possible in return.

To evaluate the software you have to use it. Get the sales guy to agree to let you come to their office and sit with the engineer and use the software for a day or so while he answers real questions. The only useful information you'll get will come from the engineer and only if the salesman is not around.

If you expect all these companies to do a custom demo for you, you may be mistaken. Sometimes they will, but I know PTC is unlikely to do it. They have highly choreographed demos. It will depend on the size of your possible order. If it's a big order, why is a student handling it? These are just questions resellers are bound to ask, not that I have anything against students.

Anyway, good luck.

Matt

snipped-for-privacy@home-dot-nl.no-spam.invalid (Hendrik) wrote in news:l6udnUui6K_yihffRVn snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:

What version of VX ?

Sounds like a video card problem to me.

VX 10.91 is very stable for me. I have never experienced any problems like you describe when switching from wireframe to shaded or hidden line.

jon

Oops, anyone with a knowledge of modern systems knows this is a fairly common issue. Especially concerning anything with integrated/shared graphics or ATI "consumer" based cards. Or Nividia and their driver of the week club.

Now WHO needs a clue on this issue?

Considering he noted that's the only one that he tried... DUH!

I've used every version from 10.1 to the latest 11.01 without issues. But again, I use recomended harware requirements. And every piece of software has bugs.

I see that reading comprehension problem of yours is rearing it's ugly head again. You're so hell bent on discrediting a piece of software you've never used. You're just a Bizzaro JB.

Yup. Video wise, it's Nvidia cards, or ATI FireGL. There are known problems with crappy integrated video, and ATI consumer based cards(they don't follow OpenGL specs properly).

It's the most likely cause of it. Anyone with half an ounce of modern software/hardware knowledge can tell you that.

Yep, if everything works fine in wireframe and as soon as you hit shaded it crashes, 99.9% of the time it will be video card related (or drivers). This can happen with virtually all OpenGL enabled programs. And since everyone's implementation of OGL seems to be a little different, it's really a jungle out there to find what programs will work with which hardware/drivers and which will not. Video conflicts can also cause the bizarrest problems, even with operations that don't seem to be video related. So, if you've got constant crashing going on, it might be one of the first places to look...

ATI consumer cards are known to cause OGL problems. Actually, as far as I understood, the cards are good, but the drivers are junk. And forget integrated video.

Up 'till recently Nvida was virtually problem free (good drivers), but I understand there are some problems now with the 6800 Ultra GT's and latest drivers. High-end CAD likes high end cards, but boy, are they pricey....

--Mitch

snipped-for-privacy@home-dot-nl.no-spam.invalid (Hendrik) wrote in

I have received answers to all my questions from solid edge solidworks and PTC. All the other companies contacted me by phone

That's why i have asked a live company specific demo. Solidworks

Inventor, Solid edge are already willing to give a demo. I havn't ha any answers from catia about a live demo yet, but we will discuss tha next time when they come to the company, but i think they will. PT can give a live demo, but only when you give them the insurances tha you buy their program if they can show everything you want them t demonstrate. I don't know about UGS since i'm not interested in the anymore since they are much to expensive in comparisation with th rest

anything

As you can read, they do take me serious. But i know what you mean

every time i contact a company for a school-project and i say tha i'm a student they arn't interested and don't send info etc. s normally i do't say that :

snipped-for-privacy@home-dot-nl.no-spam.invalid (Hendrik) wrote in

What version of VX ?

Sounds like a video card problem to me.

VX 10.91 is very stable for me. I have never experienced any problem

like you describe when switching from wireframe to shaded or hidden

line.

jon[/quote:3ff6b651c3

Maybe it is a videocard driver problem, but i can run student edition

of solidworks without problems...