We aim to provide a fair and objective comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of both SolidWorks and Inventor. These are among the most powerful and widely used 3D CAD software solutions, both globally and in the Vietnamese market. The information presented in this article is as accurate as possible. However, if readers notice any errors or inconsistencies, please feel free to share your feedback via email at info@onecadvn.com. We greatly appreciate your insights!

The versions available

Autodesk Inventor is available in multiple versions, including Inventor LT, Inventor Professional, as part of the Product Design & Manufacturing Collection
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks offers three versions: SolidWorks Standard, SolidWorks Professional, and SolidWorks Premium.

Basic Comparisons

Inventor VS SolidWorks

Here, we will compare Inventor Professional 2017 with SolidWorks 2016, SolidWorks Professional 2016, and SolidWorks Premium 2016. From a fair comparison perspective, and disregarding minor differences, most of the features in Autodesk Inventor Professional are nearly equivalent to those in SolidWorks Premium..

Giao diện tương tác Inventor và Solidworks

Inventor LT only supports 3D modeling for the purpose of creating 2D drawings. It does not support assembly file formats or analysis tools. However, you can still create multiple parts within the same file (Part environment), which means you will not be able to automatically generate the Bill of Materials (BOM).
SolidWorks, also known as SolidWorks Standard, allows for the creation of 3D parts, assemblies, 2D drawings, and the generation of BOM. It is much more powerful compared to Inventor LT.
SolidWorks Professional adds additional features, such as realistic rendering tools, content libraries, file comparison utilities, advanced data management, and several other capabilities. While SolidWorks Professional offers 3D modeling and 2D drawing creation, it lacks certain advanced features that are available in Autodesk Inventor Professional and SolidWorks Premium, which we will analyze in detail later in this article.

Since Inventor LT only supports 3D modeling in the Part environment, which is quite similar to AutoCAD 3D, it is significantly less powerful compared to the other software mentioned in this article (especially considering its relatively low price of around $300/year). Therefore, we will not discuss this version further in the following sections.

3D Modeling Design

When it comes to 3D modeling design, both software solutions offer similar tools, with each having its own strengths and weaknesses. The user interface largely depends on personal preferences and habits.

3D Design Inventor
Professional
Solidworks
Standard
Solidworks
Professional
Solidworks
Premium
Part Modeling Yes Yes Yes Yes
Assembly Modeling Yes Yes Yes Yes
Parametric Modeling Yes Yes Yes Yes
Direct Editing Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hybird Modeling Yes No No No
B-Rep Surfacing Yes Yes Yes Yes
T-Splines / N.U.R.B.S Yes No No No
Mesh Modeling Yes No No No
Flatten Surface No No No Yes
Rules based automation Yes Yes Yes Yes
Parts Library Yes No Yes Yes
Bolted connections Yes No Yes Yes
Design accelerators Yes No No No
Configurations Yes Yes Yes Yes
Sheet metal Yes Yes Yes Yes
Weldments Yes Yes Yes Yes
Plastics Yes Yes Yes Yes
ECAD Collaboration Yes No Yes Yes
Electrical Harmessing Yes No No Yes
Sync 3D harmess / 2D schematic Yes No No No
Tube & Pipe Routing Yes No No Yes
Large Design Review / Express Mode Yes Yes Yes Yes
Editing in Large Design Review
/Express Mode
Yes No No No
The SolidWorks Standard version provides tools for modeling and assembly creation, but it has some limitations, including the following:
  1. No library management tools: SolidWorks Pro/Premium and Inventor Professional come with a library of standard components such as bolts, nuts, and steel types, which can be customized through a user-friendly interface for easy searching and application to your 3D model. With SolidWorks Standard, you must manually download each component (e.g., bolts, nuts) and store them in regular folders.
  2. No Bolted Connections and Smart Fasteners tools: SolidWorks Standard has an automatic hole creation tool, but you cannot select multiple holes at once to quickly add bolts, nuts, etc., that are compatible with the holes, as you can with Inventor Professional and SolidWorks Pro/Premium.
  3. No Design Optimization/Calculation tools: In Inventor Professional and SolidWorks Pro/Premium, you have design and calculation tools to optimize the design of components such as bearings, cams, and gears. SolidWorks Standard lacks these advanced tools.
Dựng mô hình 3D

When comparing Inventor Professional and SolidWorks Professional/Premium, both software suites provide the essential tools for professional 3D modeling. While you may find certain advantages in one software over the other when examining specific details, overall, they are nearly equivalent.

Some advantages of Autodesk Inventor Professional include:
  1. Hybird Modeling: Both systems are parametric modelers that allow you to modify dimensions directly on the model. However, Inventor Professional has the added feature of editing driven dimension parameters, allowing you to modify the model’s dimensions while maintaining the modeling relationships, if necessary.
  2. T-Splines Modeling: Inventor Professional provides the "free form" tool that maintains G2 continuity and is suitable for adjusting splines. It allows you to apply parameters and convert from solid or B-rep surfaces to T-Splines, creating a hybrid modeling environment that includes solid, T-spline, and B-rep surfaces.
  3. Rules based Automation: Inventor Professional fully supports design automation tools based on a simple Visual Basic programming platform, allowing you to automate tasks such as creating 3D and 2D models, managing Excel files, and integrating with other databases. In contrast, SolidWorks has reduced some of these capabilities and relies on third-party software, such as DriveWorks Xpress, which provides limited automation tools for tasks like dimensioning and file naming...
  4. Electrical Design: Both Inventor Professional and SolidWorks Premium support 3D electrical design. However, Inventor offers automatic synchronization with 2D electrical design software like AutoCAD Electrical.
  5. Fully compatible with other Autodesk software such as AutoCAD, Nastran, and HSM, Inventor Professional helps users minimize data loss during the import/export process.
Some advantages of SolidWorks include:
  1. SolidWorks supports Flatten Surface, a feature that Inventor does not offer. This function is particularly important for individuals who frequently work with sheet-like surface geometries. SolidWorks handles this task very well and provides highly professional tools for this purpose.
  2. Some reviews suggest that the user interface of SolidWorks is more user-friendly than Inventor. However, this can also be subjective and largely depends on the user's habits and preferences.
  3. The sketching tools in SolidWorks offer some optimized commands that better support users compared to Inventor.
  4. As the software that was released earlier, SolidWorks has a relatively large user community, with many training courses and businesses adopting it. On the other hand, Inventor is gradually becoming more popular as well.

Most of the missing features in both software solutions can be added through add-ons, but you may incur additional costs or encounter compatibility issues.
When it comes to 3D modeling, both software solutions have their own strengths and are fairly similar. However, if you need to use Flatten Surface, SolidWorks has the advantage.

Simulation

In this category, we can clearly see both similarities and differences. When analyzing models, both software solutions perform DFM tasks such as interference/collision detection, draft analysis, wall thickness checks, etc. SolidWorks Professional and Premium offer tools for symmetry checks, geometric analysis, and model comparison, which are quite useful and time-saving compared to Inventor.

When it comes to simulation, SolidWorks provides demonstration tools in the Standard and Professional versions based on FEA and CFD, which can only be applied in certain aspects of FEA simulation and closed-loop flow analysis. In SolidWorks Premium, you can handle linear FEA simulations at the Part and Assembly levels, as well as dynamic simulations.Inventor Professional also supports FEA and dynamic simulations, plus a Shape Generator tool to optimize part geometry and analyze models. Additionally, Inventor Professional integrates plastic injection mold flow analysis, a simplified version of Autodesk Moldflow. Overall, both Inventor Professional and SolidWorks Premium offer basic simulation tools, which are simplified versions of professional simulation software. If you require more accurate results or need to simulate more complex problems, both companies provide specialized software for advanced simulation needs.

Autodesk nastran in-cad

Currently, the Autodesk Product Design & Manufacturing Collection has fully integrated the professional simulation software Nastran-In-CAD directly into the Inventor Professional workspace, completely free of charge. It supports almost all common solid modeling simulation tasks, such as drop tests, impact analysis, and frequency response. With this integration into a single workspace, you won't have to spend much time on data import/export, reducing data loss and file errors during the process. The price of this product suite is only about 25% higher than that of Inventor Professional.

Here is the link to Part 2: Comparison of SolidWorks and Inventor Professional Software (Part 2) - EXPLORING RENDERING, ANIMATION, WORKFLOW SUPPORT TOOLS, STORAGE SYSTEMS, PRICING, LICENSING OPTIONS, AND CONCLUSION.
 
Note: OneCAD VN strives to provide the most balanced analysis possible. For any advice or suggestions, please send them to the email info@onecadvn.com. We greatly appreciate all feedback.
Send Request now 0919-019-964