choosing a 3D modeler or interpreter

[BBrown]

I hope I have posted this in the right place. I have seen a number of discussions about Autocad vs. Solidworks, but I am still scratching my head. We are a somewhat typical fabrication shop with a need for 3 view paper drawings for the shop floor. We have a long history with Autocad and it does that job well. Our new customers now want to supply 3D models and no drawings. They do not want us tampering with the models, so we do not need to do 3D design at this time. The models are in a wide range of formats. Solid works, ProE, step and iges seem to be the most common. Would you recommend a full blown 3D program or would a viewer do the job? The models are for military vehicles, ship, sub and machine parts, process equipment. Any guidance would be appreciated.

[JD Mather]

...a number of discussions about Autocad vs. Solidworks, but I am still scratching my head. ... The models are in a wide range of formats. Solid works, ProE, step and iges seem to be the most common.

Any discussion you have found about Autocad vs. Solidworks are a waste of time because that is like comparing apples and oranges. Anyone doing a valid comparison should be comparing Autodesk Inventor and SolidWorks.

Autodesk Inventor opens SolidWorks, Pro/E, STEP, IGES, ACIS, Parsolids, DWG, DXF, UGS NX files and includes AutoCAD for free.

Not sure if a viewer will give you what you need but there are many out there including free viewers for Inventor and SolidWorks files. Hoops for ACIS (*.sat) files. Probably others as well. If you are only going to be supplied with solid models make sure the viewer was a measure function.

If you could attach a typical sample file of each type it might be easier to make a recommendation.

[ReMark]

And you are expected to produce these parts how? Don't you still need fully dimensioned views of the object? Who generates those views? Your company? Still sounds like you would need some sort of CAD program. A viewer just...views.

[JD Mather]

....They do not want us tampering with the models, so we do not need to do 3D design at this time.

From long experience with many thousands of files from different sources I have come to the conclusion that only about 10% of 3D CAD operators (using any CAD program) know what they are doing.

It follows that about 90% of recieved work will have to be "tampered with".

[BBrown]

My apologies, I meant to say Inventor vs. Solidworks. We do make parts from the models. They frequently supply a drawing in .pdf, but is is almost always incorrect or incomplete. We look at the model to correct it or create our own .dwg. We definitely need the measure function. We have been getting by with some free viewers, but are passing the free programs capabilities.

[ReMark]

So you just "measure" the various parts of the 3D object while looking at it in the viewer? Interesting.

[JD Mather]

My apologies, I meant to say Inventor vs. Solidworks.

You have posted your question in and AutoCAD forum?

[Cad64]

I have moved this question to the Inventor forum.