Ansys SpaceClaim vs. SOLIDWORKS

I will highly recommend Ansys SpaceClaim, or in fact any Ansys to my colleague because of its wide spread acceptability around the globe and around the different industries. Thus, the results provided by Ansys simulation tools, given the proper boundary conditions are properly simulated, are highly reliable. Also, learning to utilize Ansys tools in the engineering design activities also helps in career advancements.

Incentivized

As a mechanical engineer, it is one of the best tools to just start modeling and engineering with. The UI tools are intuitive and engineering analysis such Mold Analysis, FEA, are great! Other 3D CAD modeling tools have a longer learning curve to master. All in all, if you're not planning to design an entire airplane with large assembly files, then Solidworks is your tool!

Incentivized

• It efficiently divide/split the surface into multiple fragments as per the user's requirements which helps in easy application of loads and boundary conditions.
• It helps in reducing the model complexity with it's efficient defeaturing options in order to reduce the model complexity.
• It also helps in making quick model changes as per the simulation results in order to improve the design and thus helps in quick FEA of the improvised design.

Incentivized

• The collaborative work environment is a cool and useful feature where groups of people can work on the same model at the same time, and SOLIDWORKS ensures that you don't overwrite each other's work.
• The ease and amount of customization options are very useful for creating a personalized and intuitive user interface, whether SOLIDWORKS is your native CAD package or not.
• It is very easy to quickly edit a model you have already created. The software allows sketch and feature editing without having to take the time to actually enter the sketch/feature environment.
• The use of configurations and configurations-specific dimensions in the same sketch is very useful for creating different forms of the same part

Incentivized

• With time, Ansys SpaceClaim has evolved so much in its functionality and Ansys has added so many useful and complex features into it, but most of the team member are not aware about those features.
• For the newly added features and improvement in legacy features, Ansys can try adding training videos to better aware the engineers about their evolving features.
• Apart from that, I don't find anything disadvantageous about SpaceClaim.

Incentivized

• To date, the baked in surfacing tools lack power compared to dedicated surfacing software.
• In a similar vein, the core modeling kernel is not owned by SOLIDWORKS themselves and so there exists limitations with regards to implementing certain modeling/math.
• SOLIDWORKS is playing catchup to other online vendors of CAD (notable OnShape); instead of being the once leader, they are being forced to compare themselves. This, however, may work to their advantage and in turn allow them to produce a better on-line CAD tool.

Incentivized

We have absolutely no reasons to not keep with SolidWorks for the foreseeable future.

Incentivized

As a Mechanical Design Engineer working in and designing heavy structures for battery packs and chargers, I use Ansys SpaceClaim, day in and day out regularly as whenever the design team forwards the CAD model to FEA team, FEA team optimizes the model in SpaceClaim only, and to do so, design team also helps them in Ansys SpaceClaim

Incentivized

I have been using SOLIDWORKS for around 12 years as of writing this review, so have learned where most things are and how they work. When first starting out it was quite daunting, but the interface is well laid out with like functions near each other which made finding new functions relatively easy.

Incentivized

We have an unusual arrangement. We don’t pay for support, but we’re partnered with a VAR for second-tier support.

I work with other users if I have questions but when we’ve had to ask the VAR, they always have answers. It appears that all of the VARs have access to a support platform from DS SOLIDWORKS that helps them answer most questions.

Incentivized

For the FEA analysis, PTC Creo, which is a CAD modelling software has inbuilt FEA simulation tool called as Creo Simulate which we generally use a very quick FEA on smaller parts. But when the geometry is very complex and we need to simplify it before the simulation, then we use Ansys SpaceClaim to simplify the model and then use Ansys Mechanical for structural simulation.

Incentivized

Onshape is a direct competitor. It has great entry level pricing and it is easy to access with no installation required. Being a web based app there is sometime some lag being based in NZ. Management also have concerns over where the data is stored on the cloud. With SW we can control where it is stored

Incentivized

• Ansys SpaceClaim helps in easy modelling different types of design and different iterations of design which in turns helps in designing a cost effective products thereby saving a lot of material and production cost.
• Because of the easiness in modelling, changing and modifying the design and then running the simulation over it, the design team is able to test and every concept, which I turn helps in producing an efficient and cost effective design.

Incentivized

• Hard to answer directly. Given our customer's needs, we absolutely have to have SW to open their file types.
• Given the relatively limited use we need at our company, it would be useful to have a cheaper option that was more stripped down but still had some capabilities. Something in-between SW and eDrawings, for example. SW is very capable and expensive, eDrawings is free and super limited. Would be nice to have a middle option.

Incentivized