SolidWorks Premium Reviews

SolidWorks is a very powerful software for mechanical design. While FEA in Premium can be limited, it's very helpful for performing basic statics analysis of a component. If you take the time to set up component, weldment, fastener etc libraries and tweak several hidden settings, you can do a lot of complicated designs and large assemblies, then generate drawings and BOMs all in one software package.

-Hole wizard and similar tools are extremely useful
-FEA is helpful for validating designs
-Reference and parameter-driven components (when they work) within assemblies allows flexible and complex designs
-Convenient tools like sheet metal, weldments/structural members etc make industrial design easier

Unfortunately, SolidWorks' strength is also its weakness. Over the years it has become extremely bloated with features and truly needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.

-Unstable. Crashes at least once a day unexpectedly and with little to no warning, with no hope of recovery, even on hardware built specifically for running SW.
-Unreliable and finicky at times, settings/references/converted entities/mates are notorious for somehow spontaneously changing or breaking between sessions.
-Solving mates, especially in large assemblies, can be extremely slow. Eg. adding and mating fasteners to an assembly with hundreds of parts is a nightmare.
-Drawings are convoluted and performance hurts with large assemblies. Chock full of features but hard to use.
-No great built-in way to create/export clean BOMs from assemblies without putting in a lot of work.
-SINGLE CORE? IN 2021?? COME ON! Not all operations have to be limited to one thread!

All in all, works as it is supposed to. It became so widely used because it had a much better user interface than the other software. Also, you can draw anything you want because it has a wide of tools and you don't need to be a brain surgeon or a nuclear scientist to understand how they work.

When I worked in big assembly projects, I experienced erratic behavior from the program. Sometimes it shutdowns, other times it breaks the relations I set up before.

2D modeling is not much different compared to other applications but when it comes to 3D modeling, it can be highly rated since it is a very much updated software where I can find the most recent tools to meet the design standards. rendering and creating 3D images is critical to making a realistic design to meet clients' requirements. User-friendliness is another positive fact on SolidWorks Premium.

Although it is very useful, It is a highly expensive software. Complex designs will have large file sizes which are difficult to share easily. A powerful ram is needed especially for rendering process.

SolidWorks Premium excels in its integrated simulation and analysis capabilities. With features like structural analysis, motion simulation, and flow simulation, users can evaluate and validate their designs with confidence. The ability to perform simulations within the same software environment saves time and enhances the design iteration process

One aspect that i have found challenging is the complexity of features in SolidWorks Premium. With its vast array of advanced design tools and functionalities, the software can be overwhelming for beginners or those transitioning from simpler CAD software.

Am using solidworks for past 4 years. I like its user friendly interface and we can able to customize that based on our convenience. Solidworks Sheetmetal and part modeling has many tools for making complex shapes and models easily. Specifically It helps me to do tolerance stack up analysis to fix the precise tolerance for the parts.

Very few tools available for surface modelling compared to other software. Rendering process is too slow and rendered images are not up to the mark.

Great software for 2D/3D modeling with great features. Customer support is good and try to resolve the issues on priotity.

The pricing of the software is quite high than other available software. Takes some time to fully understand and have command of it.

all the features are very powerful, but i like the most 2 Modules: 1- Sheet metal 2- Animation

when i work with large assembly it sometimes stop working, maybe it's a hardware problem, i'm not sure

I use SolidWorks Premium for mechanical product design and I am extremely satisfied with its performance. The user interface is easy to use and the parametric design tools are incredibly powerful, allowing for quick and easy modifications to existing models. The simulation tools are also incredibly useful for testing the functionality of models before production.The 3D visualization is excellent, the photorealistic renderings allow you to truly see how the finished product will look, and the animations make it easy to effectively communicate projects to other people.I am also impressed with SolidWorks Premium's interoperability. It's able to import and export files of various CAD formats, making it easy to collaborate with other members of the team.In conclusion, SolidWorks Premium is an incredibly powerful tool for mechanical product design and is highly recommended for anyone looking for a high-level CAD solution.

One of the least appreciated aspects of SolidWorks Premium is that the cost can be high for small businesses or individual users. There are less expensive licensing options available, but they may not include all the features of the full version.Another aspect that could be improved is the complexity of some of the simulation tools. The simulation tools are very powerful, but they can be difficult to master for less experienced users and may require training for those not familiar with simulation tools.Finally, there are compatibility issues that can arise when importing or exporting files from other CAD software. Sometimes data can be lost or corrupted during file translation and can cause errors in the models.Despite these drawbacks, SolidWorks Premium remains an extremely powerful CAD tool that is ideal for mechanical product design and offers great flexibility for users who are willing to invest time in learning to use its advanced features effectively.

I love how specified the software is & how it makes industrial design so wonderful and so lovely to be able to collaborate with a whole staff in designing something through CGI before heading to the real world production process.

I don't think if their is anything i don't like about the software since it makes life generally easy for engineers and 3D designers but it's kinda complicated to learn and can take a little bit long to get used to but overall it's a wonderful software which i recommand you to purchase.