Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com)

5 May 2004

 

Reader Q & A: Looking for a SolidWorks Replacement on the Mac

Architosh Reader Feedback: Questions and Answers

Q: I am looking for 3D CAD software for Mac OS 9 which is equivalent to "SolidWorks for Windows". I have had a hands on demo of "SolidWorks" and know it will do what I want. Please let me know if there is something equivalent to this for the Mac. Thanks.

A: The key word here is "equivalent". If it implies 'equal' then there is no such equivalent of SolidWorks for the Mac because there is no Solidworks for the Mac. On the other hand, if you are looking for a mechanical 3D modeling and CAD system which is a competitor of SolidWorks (or "potential competitor" as in the case of a newer software choice) then there are some options for you to consider. Bear in mind that no two software applications in the CAD world do exactly the same thing or in the same way. There are capabilities that Solidworks has that other CAD systems on the Mac will not and vice versa. Here is a partial list of options for you to consider (in alphabetical order:)

• Ashlar-Vellum's Designer Elements - Ashlar makes a series of related CAD and 3D modeling/rendering tools that are renown in the industry for their longtime Mac OS support. The company's best tools focusing on mechanical or industrial design are likely their Cobalt and Xeon products offering class-A NURBS surfacing and ACIS solids-modeling. ACIS is one of three industry leading modeling kernels and competes in the market against Parasolid which just came out for OS X as well.
• solidThinking by EVOQE - solidThinking is sometimes considered the best overall modeler in the Macintosh market. It is an advanced NURBS surfaces and polygonal modeler that is highly regarded in European and American industrial design shops. However, the program is not considered strong in the area of mechanical drafting capability. In this case, coupling solidThinking with a strong versatile CAD product like Ashlar's Graphite could make sense for some users.
• VectorWorks MECHANICAL by Nemetschek N.A. - VectorWorks MECHANICAL is a relatively new entry in the mechanical CAD market built on top of the award-winning VectorWorks CAD product. Unlike the two products above VectorWorks products incorporates a different modeling kernel called SMLib by Solid Modeling Solutions, Inc.. SMLib should not be considered a weaker modeling kernel than ACIS or Parasolid, just because it is a younger product in the market. SMLib has won numerous awards, been featured at NASA, and is co-authored by Wayne Tiller, Ph.D., a world-renowned NURBS expert.

A few more words of encouragement about mechanical CAD in the Macintosh market. With the announcement of Parasolid for Mac OS X suddenly the potential for other industry heavyweights in MCAD to join in on the Mac OS X fun is a real possibility. In addition to the request for information on a potential market for SolidWorks on Mac OS X, Architosh receives even more requests for information on a potential market for ProEngineer on Mac OS X. ProE is considered one of the main engineering CAD competitors to SolidWorks. PTC has taken the first move into the Mac OS X technical design market with the introduction of Pro/CONCEPT 2.0 for Mac OS X and numerous reports from readers and the grapevine suggest the company may be hard at work with a OS X native version of ProEngineer.

Architosh Marketplace

MacroEnter. is a CAD/AEC/Design, networking and large format printing solutions integrator, serving business, government and education customers. Reseller of VectorWorks, Microspot, HP and Encad product lines.

CAD Garage. is an online store dedicated to Architects, Engineers, Builders, Designers and Mac enthusiasts featuring ArchiCAD, formZ, Piranesi, Cinema 4D, HP and more product lines.

Lim Consultants, Inc. provides creative architects with practical solutions while incorporating cutting edge technology, pushing the art of structural engineering to new levels of excellence.

Place your text ad here and reach thousands of professionals each month for very affordable prices. (contact: karen@architosh.com)