looking ahead which software to purchase, creo or solidworks?

I thought you were doing SW already, Rohit?

I thought Creo 3.0 would play nice with SW, but that isn't turning out as I thought we were promised.

I will be forced to buy SW soon since core Creo doesn't do anything good for collaborating with SW.

Having and knowing SW will only help my business... and from that perspective, it's all good!

I too am frustrated with the slow development with Creo (28 months from Creo 2 to Creo 3 and Creo 3 has been out 9 months and not even a target date for Creo 4). 18-30 months between versions is an insult to maintenance paying customers in my view.*

That said, I'd still pick Creo hands down over SW. I find Creo gives me much better control over my design than SW. SW is faster up front in the design process, but because of the control you can exercise over your data, Creo shines when it counts - making those last minute changes.

*Our solution to that is to only pay maintenance every 3-4 years. No new software from PTC, no new payments from us.

It all depends on what you're doing with it. I learned CAD in SolidWorks and really liked it. Then I got a new job with Pro-e and HATED it with a passion. But after using it for 3 years, have learned how to customize to what I do and I feel that you have better control of your model after it's made. I now have a side job that I had them buy SolidWorks for and am having some of the same frustrations with SolidWorks that I used to have with Creo, simply because I am not as used to it anymore. (but it's not quite as bad)

I my mind here are the benefits/uses of solidworks,

1. you can hit the ground running. Get the software and be designing and creating content quickly. You don't need special config file, or standard files set up to be productive. and you don't need to be a computer programmer to use the settings file easily. Keyboard shortcuts are easy to set and activate with one key.

2. Individual part modeling is easier/faster. Sheet metal parts especially are much easier to manipulate and be more productive with.

3. Drawings are more intuitive to make, but feel less customizable.

Benefits of Creo.

1. Much more customizable, however you have to almost be a computer programmer to utilize all of this functionality. You will not be able to buy Creo out of the box and be productive right away. It probably took me 2 years to make all of my mapkeys and shortcuts to get around the inefficiencies of creo (and I still make new mapkeys now and then). However, you can and that is important. If there is an inefficiency in Solidworks, or you want to string come commands together, you're pretty much SOL.

2. Large assemblies are much easier to manipulate and adjust in CREO and it makes more sense with parent child relationships once you get used to them. It's convenienct in SolidWorks to be able to click on any parts and add mates, but adjusting them later is a nightmare. Many times you will get to the point where you just delete and start over. Also Creo handles them better so your computer doesn't bog down. I have a brand new computer for the SolidWorks models, and a model 1/10th the size is bogging the machine down compared to creo.

There is good and bad to both systems. If someone would make a system that had the best of both and got rid of the crap, a lot of people would be really happy.