Solid Edge makes it easy to switch
Data migration tools to seamlessly import and manage your data.
Experienced local support partners who are ready to help.
Access to a complete portfolio of software tools for every aspect of product development.
How easy is it to learn Solid Edge if you're switching from another CAD?
Solid Edge is a multi-faceted software portfolio and includes a wide range of applications and features that make it the preferred choice for professionals across industries and companies of all sizes.
However, this can make it complex for first-time users, regardless of their prior CAD knowledge.
We offer a variety of self-guided tutorials to help you get up to speed with Solid Edge, including the Solid Edge GUI (Graphical User Interface) and basics of 2D/3D modeling, and more. New users can learn the basics in a little as 1 hour!
For users making the switch from SOLIDWORKS, the Command Finder in Solid Edge allows users to enter a familiar SOLIDWORKS command and it will return the equivalent command in Solid Edge.
Can I bring my old CAD data with me? Can I convert it to Solid Edge?
Most CAD companies use the “File Open” method for working with non-CAD data. Solid Edge can open up data from a lot of different systems, including SOLIDWORKS, STRC, ProE, Inventor, CATIA, and AutoCAD. There are drawbacks to this method, however, which is why we recommend using the SOLIDWORKS Data Migration Tool.
Benefits of using the Data Migration Tool include:
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Drawing Migration: If you look at the drawing of an assembly, you can see all the views, balloons and bill of materials migrated into Solid Edge.
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Subassemblies & Assembled Relationships: The “Assembly Relationship Manager” is a summary of all the assembly relationships within a particular assembly. Within the Manager, you can modify each one of the relationships—all of which came straight from the SOLIDWORKS files. If you select parts from the “Pathfinder,” you’ll notice that all of the parts have relationships within the assembly.
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Rearrange Drawing Views: You can drag any view around within a drawing, and all the views will stay aligned, as they should. Hole Features: With the SOLIDWORKS Data Migration Tool, all hole features will migrate specifically as holes. This means that any hole can then be selected and changed in Solid Edge.
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Material & Property Migration: Materials and custom properties also migrate from SOLIDWORKS to Solid Edge. Because of this, there’s no reason to change any sketches if you want to make an edit—you can simply drag faces of parts or enter a value.
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Fully Associated Files: Because part and drawing files are fully associated, any drawing files will update whenever you make edits to the corresponding part file. There’s no need to go back and double up on work.
Have other companies made the switch?
The short answer: YES; many companies are making the switch to Solid Edge. Here are a few real-world examples:
Wheel.Me: Robotics company Wheel.Me hopes to transform how goods and equipment are moved across factory floors. Get a close-up look at their latest product, the Genius 2, and why they switched from SOLIDWORKS® and Autodesk Fusion 360® to Solid Edge from Siemens to keep its iterative electromechanical design process rolling forward.
Chantiers de ‘Atlantique: this industry-leading shipmaker uses Solid Edge to refine complex and detailed design concepts. They previously had multiple computer-aided design (CAD) packages and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solutions to harness the overall complexity of designing and constructing an immensely large cruise ship, such as the Wonder of the Seas. To optimize the creation of the cabins, they switched from SOLIDWORKS® to integrated Solid Edge software, which is used by their in-house design teams, engineers and marine experts.
B&P Littleford: The biggest challenge for B&P Littleford was delivering designs on time. It has projects for different types of machinery so design drawings have to be released in a clean, concise manner without having to make excessive engineering change orders (ECOs). They need to avoid correcting designs because they went too fast and made mistakes while being innovative. That’s always the challenge: speeding up the process and becoming more efficient while still maintaining some creativity and innovation. The company switched to Solid Edge from SOLIDWORKS and hasn’t looked back.
According to Matt Lombard, a well-known CAD blogger and online influencer, Solid Edge has something for everyone, especially SOLIDWORKS users looking for an alternative. Read the full article here.
What do Solid Edge and Solidworks have in common?
Siemens operates solely on the Parasolid kernel for all of our CAD products, including Solid Edge—a first in industry from a single provider. This enables us to provide varied capabilities, at different price points, in a cost-effective, scalable package. Both Solid Edge SOLIDWORKS operate on the Parasolid kernel which is essentially the operating system for any 3D CAD software platform. Whenever you draw a line or make a calculation, it is Parasolid that does the heavy lifting for you.
And because Siemens owns, develops and openly shares Parasolid, we’re able to provide unmatched protection for your company’s data and technology investments, while ensuring easy data migration from other CAD products that operate on Parasolid.
Does Solid Edge have good large assembly performance?
Does it crash as much as other CAD tools?
Solid Edge delivers unmatched performance for large, complex assemblies. While you may have become accustomed to frequent crashes and 20+ minute load times to open an assembly using your current CAD system, Solid Edge handles assembly operations faster than other professional CAD solutions on the market today.
As designs become more complex, the number of parts in an assembly often grows. Solid Edge helps you quickly and easily create and manage even the largest assemblies, without lags or crashes. Create exact representations of all components—including tubes, pipes, wires, weldments, and sheet metal—in a complete digital mockup that allows for more accurate design and analysis. Solid Edge helps you quickly detect and fix clash and interference issues, generate assembly instructions, and conduct customer reviews—reducing the need for costly prototypes.