What is the difference between AutoCAD and Solid Work?
What is the difference between AutoCAD and Solid Work?
They are two very different types of CAD programs.
AutoCAD is a "standard" CAD program, that allows you to "draw" 2D drawings, and create 3D models.
Solidworks is a parametric 3D modeler.
I don't really know how to describe the differences to someone that would be asking what the differences are.
Gerry
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Solid Work is much more well equipmented. It is better tool for strick modeling
Thanks for Your Reply
the difference is like between paper and clay.
stiffethomas,
The aforementioned comments are good. AutoCAD is a good 2D program. You draw lines, circles, polygons, etc... to create a perspective view of what you drawing or designing. The analogy of paper is right. How would you draw a house if viewed from the front or top. Or a computer monitor if viewed at different angles. AutoCAD would enable you to draw the features on the screen as you would drawing with a pencil on paper. You can erase and move objects like lines to edit your drawing. If something is wrong you either draw again or adjust the features to correct it. There is capabilities to build 3D models, but is horrible when compared to parametric modeling. A couple examples: I drew my yard for landscaping. I can lay out my sidewalk, plants, rocks, as if looking down from above. This helps me plan my yard. Or we laser cut flat parts, All we need is the outline of the part. A circle with another small circle in the center would create a washer, and be as thick as the material you cut it from. Like cutting a silhouette.
SolidWorks is like a play-dough fun factory. You create sketches of what you want to make, or a shape that is a component of what you want to make. If we made a stick of butter, we would make a square. But then we could tell the square to "extrude" into a long rectangle. Viola...Butter Stick. Like steryd said about clay. If you have an open rectangle die, and push clay through it, it would form a square and push out based on the amount of clay. Or a circle die would make a "rope". Now imagine you made a cube of butter, 25mm x 25mm x 25mm. If you wanted a hole through the block, you would likely take a drill and drill through the block. In modeling you would draw a sketch of a circle, and tell it to cut through the block. Now you could hang your butter cube on a necklace. If you decided I need to change my butter cube, you can go back to the sketch and type in new numbers easily. The sketch is "smart" in that it will change to match the dimensions. Then leaving the sketch the software will rebuild the rectangle and then the hole. They are all linked together or parametric. That same circle could also become a round dowel, or stick. You could have a Butter Cube on a stick (trademark). AutoCAD would require undoing or redrawing or starting over. The idea is that you make the 3D model which later is used to make the drawings, or put together in an assembly.
Hope this helps a little.