Winner: Tie.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nBoth software companies offer apps that allow you to view and modify drawings via a smartphone or tablet. I personally cringe at the idea of drafting something on my smartphone, and you probably feel the same way. (If you don’t, then you should…)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, consider this scenario. Let’s say you are out in the field measuring something for a new project. Suddenly, your boss or client calls you and really really really<\/em> needs something fixed or changed ASAP! When this happens to me, I usually have to run to a coffee shop, pull out my laptop, make the changes, and then send the file.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThis can throw off my day and keep my client\/boss waiting, tapping his foot and biting his fingernails until I can finish the changes. Well, with the mobile app, I can make the same tiny little changes on my phone and email the updated file. The more I think about it, the more I realize that this happens pretty often\u2026Maybe I should get the mobile app, after all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
7. Community<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWinner: Solidworks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\nSolidworks strikes me as a “crowd favorite,” so to speak. When you do a quick search on YouTube for instructional videos, you will find some great (and even funny<\/em>) content. Solidworks just seems to be popular… almost\u2026viral.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe community of drafters and modelers tend to share their content, so you can draw from pre-modeled parts and pop them into your model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
8. Training<\/strong><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWinner: Tie.<\/span> When it comes to learning the ropes with either of these software platforms, there are plenty of tutorials and online lessons available. You can go the route of training through Autodesk & Dassault Systems, or you can stick with independent YouTube content.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFinal Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nDon’t buy Solidworks without comparing it to Inventor<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhile AutoCAD is much less expensive than Solidworks, it may not be the right product for you. Let me dissuade you from making the mistake of buying the wrong software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are a professional machinist or product modeler, I urge you to compare Autodesk Inventor with Solidworks. Here are the primary reasons why you should be comparing Solidworks to Autodesk Inventor instead of AutoCAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solidworks\/Inventor are Next-Gen 3D Modeling Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nAutoCAD was developed in 1982 for drafters back when 3D computer technology was still sucking on a bottle. It has been through many enjoyable and beneficial upgrades that made it into the refined drafting technology we have today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solidworks was first released in 1993, eleven years later, and was developed for a different purpose. In the same way that AutoCAD has adapted to the needs of its users, we will continue to see Solidworks doing the same. The same is also true for Inventor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Solidworks & Inventor are pushing the limits of freedom and intuition<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe more intuitive the software, the fewer the limits a person has on their creativity. Have you ever seen the movie “Minority Report?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Do you remember when Tom Cruise’s character was using those gloves to sort through all that raw data from the Pre-Cogs (the fortune tellers in the pods)? It reflects the innovation that we are heading toward when it comes to User Interfacing. Again, the same is true for Inventor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
AutoCAD could become your career ceiling<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWith all the other offerings developed by Autodesk, AutoCAD just isn’t going to change much in the future. The other offerings are specialized for particular needs and industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you get the AutoCAD subscription for 3D modeling, Solidworks\/Inventor may later develop some revolutionary technology, leaving you unable to make the transition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why? Because you’ve already put your time and energy into learning a particular software. But while technology has been evolving, you’ve been using the same tools, which might lead to labeling you as antiquated and out-of-demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The industry might not need your expertise anymore when this happens. By the time you realize you’re being phased out, you may not be able to get up the learning curve to switch to different software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Are you going to be a freelancer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nI am a freelancer, and I have noticed that the demand for AutoCAD skills is far less<\/em> than for Solidworks\/Inventor. Most of the jobs posted for draftsmen are for 3D modeling. A lot of freelance stuff is up for grabs, so you need to consider what is in high demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\nUnderstand what your clients need<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBeing able to use the software is only half<\/em> of the work. There’s a lot more it takes to be a successful draftsman. You need to know what your clients need. Without understanding the industry requirements, you won’t be useful to an employer.<\/p>\n\n\n\nFor instance, if you draft irrigation designs, you need to know something about irrigation. If you model parts for an engine, you need to see how those parts are made and how your 3D model helps the machinist or fabricator. You need to know how your “deliverable” (remember that word?) actually helps<\/em> a client.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe only reason you are drafting something is because someone needs the drawing\/model. You need to understand them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Specialize in an industry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nWhen it comes to being a draftsman, specialized skills earn you big bucks. People hiring you need your help<\/em> because they can’t do what you can do. They can’t produce the deliverable that you can. However, they also can’t hold your hand every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThat is why the highest-paid draftsmen are also those with an intuitive understanding of a particular field. I once interviewed for a position drafting irrigation designs. However, it didn’t work out because the client needed me to have a more advanced understanding of how to design the system. What he really needed was an irrigation designer\/draftsman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He recommended I get certified in Irrigation Design by the Irrigation Association. For another example, an interior designer who can’t draw her ideas is just as useless as a draftsman who can’t represent interior design concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAutoCAD and Solidworks are