Ideally, the needs of engineering design firms or manufacturers define which CAD program is the best. Through years of research and development, several designers, programmers, engineers, and other professionals from diverse industries have created various CAD tools with escalating intricacies and functionality.
Read on to understand the currently prevailing best CAD software, their strengths, and weaknesses, the industries for which they are appropriate, their price, and much more.
1. AutoCAD (by Autodesk):
Benefits:
- Perfect for mechanical engineering, architectural design and construction industry, and 3D modeling.
- Embraces industry-specific tools for architecture, electrical design, mechanical engineering, and more.
- Web and Mobile applications allow for anytime and anywhere viewing, annotating, and editing of work files.
- Works on both PC and Mac.
- For reviews and work collaboration, it lets sharing the details of project files according to the requirement.
Harnessing AutoCAD, Hi-Tech’s project engineers assigned appropriate dimensions to bespoke furniture and joinery according to the material selections and veneer choices, and depicted everything on drawings. This assisted in introducing a standard work technique for the improvement of bespoke furniture design, preparation of manufacturing drawings, and production. The streamlined method simplified the collaboration between stakeholders and saved 25% of the time. Read the full case study >>
Drawbacks:
- Steep learning curve.
- Does not work with BIM, which is rapidly becoming a standard for the construction industry.
2. SolidWorks (by Dassault Systèmes):
Benefits:
- A comprehensive tool for industrial applications like animation, designing, engineering, manufacturing, rendering, sketching, simulation, and testing.
- Mid-market CAD, CAE, and CAM tool.
- Encompasses diverse industries, ranging from automotive, consumer products, and high tech to aerospace and defence.
- The 3D experience provides a cloud-based solution for an enhanced shared working backdrop.
- Effortless to learn, comparatively user-friendly, but difficult to master.
- No mandatory annual license renewals and upgrades, and just a yearly maintenance price of a minor percentage of the license cost.
By employing SolidWorks, the professionals of Hi-Tech produced a standard CAD library for one of its client’s furniture 3D models. The knockdown design approach reduced 45% of the transportation expense, the modular design approach reduced 60% of design expense and offered 30% of inventory benefits. Offshore design improvement shortened 70% of the total design cycle. Read the full case study >>
Drawbacks:
- Extremely expensive.
- Runs on only Windows.
3. Inventor (by Autodesk):
Benefits:
- 2D/3D mechanical design and solid modeling tool.
- CAD, CAE, and CAM solution.
- Decent with parametric modeling.
- Hugely user-friendly, specifically for former 3ds Max users.
- Effortless learning and proficiency.
Using Configurator 360 and Autodesk Inventor iLogic, the design automation professionals of Hi-Tech produced and applied logical rules for automatic generation of BoMs, 2D drawings, and part files, along with 3D imageries. This shortened the overall engineering lead-time from 3 to 5 days to 1 hour, that increased production units as well as profitability. Read the full case study >>
Drawbacks:
- Standard license along with a collection of other Autodesk products.
- Massive work files.
- Not robust for sheet metal work.
- Few of its tools possess bugs requiring exasperating workarounds.
4. Fusion 360 (by Autodesk):
Benefits:
- Ideal mainly for 3D designing, product development, 3D modeling, and prototyping.
- Being CAE facilitated, it is an outstanding option for mechanical engineers.
- Effortless and efficient design communication through its cloud-based solution.
- Possesses photorealistic 3D rendering and animation competences.
- Works on both PC and Mac.
- The comprehensive product development tool, CAM facilitated for CNC machining and additive manufacturing.
- Generative technology allows the automatic generation of CAD solutions according to manufacturing requirements.
Drawbacks:
- A steep learning curve.
