Moving From Solidworks

[Jason]

Hi everyone, I've just purchased Alibre Expert as it looks pretty similar to Solidworks which I've had access to for the last 3 or 4 years. I find somethings easier and better than Solidworks but do find at the moment there are certain things that iAlibra doesn't have that would make it even easier and better. Is there anyone else who has moved from Solidworks, Are you finding it easy or harder to use. Can you you do everything in Alibra that you could do in Solidworks as far as modeling, assemblies and 2d drawing are concerned.

Jason.

 

[dwc]

I moved from Solidworks many years ago finding I could work much quicker with AD.
Give yourself some time to get used to AD, there are many subtle differences, but you will forget SW quickly.

 

[gwbruce]

I use SW daily at work and use Alibre Design Expert at home for my business and other personal stuff. Once in a while I'll take a project from work and try to do it in Alibre just to see if I can do it. There hasn't been anything that I couldn't do in SW that I can't do in AD. Like dwc said give yourself a little time to get used to the interface and where things are located and the differenced in how some things are done. I am confident that you will like AD and enjoy using it. Actually I would rather use Alibre than SW.

 

[Oldbelt]

I have educated young students in both Alibre and Solid works.
The user interface is simpler in AD, more intuitive than SW's.
SW demand much more parameters to do simple tasks than Alibre, despite it is the
same core as far as I know.

 

[HaroldL]

What kind of work/designs did you do with SolidWorks?
I have to agree that AD is easier than SW and with some of the work that has been done in the latest versions it is getting better.
One thing to remember is that AD is not SW so try not to think in SW. That will only frustrate you.

Where I retired from I used SW doing primarily sheet metal. Like @gwbruce , I would try to do models in Alibre that I did in SW at work. It hasn't been until the last couple of versions of Alibre that I can create some of the sheet metal enclosures with it that we did in SW at work. Features like the Miter Flange has really added to its tool set.

 

[gwbruce]

What kind of work/designs did you do with SolidWorks?
I have to agree that AD is easier than SW and with some of the work that has been done in the latest versions it is getting better.
One thing to remember is that AD is not SW so try not to think in SW. That will only frustrate you.

Where I retired from I used SW doing primarily sheet metal. Like @gwbruce , I would try to do models in Alibre that I did in SW at work. It hasn't been until the last couple of versions of Alibre that I can create some of the sheet metal enclosures with it that we did in SW at work. Features like the Miter Flange has really added to its tool set.

I work for a large company that manufactures HDPE pipe fittings for water and gas. We do a lot of injection molding and then do machining and fusions on the molded parts. I make the mill, lathe and fusion machine fixtures that do the work on the molded parts. I also design gages. Do some machine modifications when things need to be modified to get the job done.

 

[Jason]

Thanks everyone for your reply's. I've not had much chance to use it yet but I have re drawn a couple of parts that I had previously drawn in SW and it it quite easy now I have had a play. I had a go at making a part in AD and converted it to sheet metal, unbent it, drew a shape on it and then re bent and got the desired part. With SW was able to make the part but couldn't convert to sheet metal. In SW I think I could do it the same as AD but I couldn't figure it out.
I now just need to convert all my models and drawings to AD.