NX users that switched to Creo

[bmarchand]

Looking for some feedback

I have been using Unigraphics NX for about 10 years and used Pro E 2001 and 2002 for a year before that

I am thinking of dusting off the Pro E seat and get back into Creo

Are there any NX users using Creo? I am wondering how they are getting along

When I had Pro E before I had the Advanced Surface Extension, I am told that It is not necessary in Creo as it has been rolled into the package

I am a Stamping Die designer and Automation Designer. I use the wave linking feature quite heavily in NX, not sure how that will go over in Creo,

Any info or comments you have would be great, I am downloading the 30 day demo this weekend

Regards,

Brian Marchand

[bmarchand]

‌Well I guess there are no Unigraphics NX people that have switched---that kind of scares me!

Is there anyone that is using crew stictly for stamping die design. All the videos online show machine or automation.

I Design very complex stamping dies and am evaluating creo parametric And would like some feedback from this type of work to decide if I should purchase creo or save up 35000 for Unigraphics

[BenLoosli]

I was involved with a company decision to switch from UG after 18 years to Wildfire. They have since been sold and switched again to CATIA.

To get the advanced modules you will need to stamping dies, the price won't be that much different. 35K for NX is high from what I have seen. I think the Mach3 bundle was only about $26K, but that can be negotiated with your sales rep.

[bmarchand]

The 35000 included the first years maintenance ( I think i was quoted 27000 for mach 3 with PDW)

[TomU]

I've never used NX, but I've used Creo extensively for over 11 years now.  (I've also had some experience with Catia.)  The company I worked for previously specialized in designing both progressive and transfer dies.  We designed everything from little bracket dies with only a couple of stations to mammoth, 20' long dies with dozens of stations, aerial cams, manifolds, etc.  There is nothing we needed to do that would couldn't do with  Creo and the Advanced Assembly extension.  Of course in Creo, almost nothing is pre-built for you, so it will take time for you to build a library of common parts, customize fasteners to your liking (or create your own), and develop a methodology for how to construct things, but Creo is very, very capable.

If I ever got back into prog. die design, the only thing that might make me jump ship from Creo is Logopress for SolidWorks.  I've watched the videos and participated in one on one demos, and the things they can do with this software, and speed with which than can do them blows the doors off anything I every seen with Creo (including B&W's Smart Library, PTC's Progressive Die Extension, etc.)  It truly is amazing, and if I was starting or running a die design business, I would be hard pressed to compete running anything else.

[bmarchand]

I have used Solidworks and Logopress in the past and it is very good. The only thing that solidworks doesn't do is surfacing. Every time I had to surface anything I struggled. Then the reference/wave linking capability is not there either, which after using NX, is something I wouldn't want to design without using.

I have a quote on solidworks as well, that's why I am doing this creo demo, deciding if its something I want to purchase

[TomU]

For those of us that don't know NX (like me!), what exactly is "reference/wave linking"?  Is this similar to Creo's copy geometry/published geometry functionality in AAX?

[bmarchand]

Its similar to copy geom, but it can reside in any file or assembly. For example you can have a socket head cap screw designed, then you design the counter bored hole on top of it and then the tapped hole solid with a simplified thread on top of it. Each one is set on a different reference set.

When I add my shcs to the assembly  and constrain to to a block sitting on a plate, I can turn on reference set for the counter bored hole, activate the block, link it into the block and subtract it out, then activate my plate, turn of tapped hole reference set, link it into the plate and subtract it out, then activate assembly, set my reference set to the main solid shcs.

Now these are all parametric, if I move my screw, the cb and tap move with it, if I change to a bigger screw, the cb hole and tap change as well.

This is a simple example, but all you common components that have a pocket or a clearance hole all have these built into them in the library

There are many things you can do because the geometry linked can be wire frame, surface or solid data

That is why I'm evaluating creo because it has a similar reference type linker

Brian

[wbowling]

NX Wave sounds like using flexible components in assembly or using an inheritance model to turn on/off, or modify values for parts of a model. Is that right?

[BenLoosli]

Wave would be more like inheritance features.

NX has its own version of flexible components, too.

[ThoRig]

If you are referencing the advanced surface extension as the interactive surface design extension (ISDX), then no, it is not included in the core package.  You will have to purchase the ISDX license, and ISDX does have 3G acceleration. 

[CAD_user]

I'm Evaluating as well creo. I Worked till 2014 with NX, and since then with CATIA. At the moment in my company we have both (CATIA and NX), and we are deciding to use only one software, We draw metal stamping dies.

Our Options:

-NX

-Catia

-Creo

CATIA and NX prices are quite high compared to Creo. My boss is thinking about switching for creo, and he asked me to make the trial, and talk with the VAR. They will make me a demo of it in the next few days.

It's really a hard decision to make.

[CAD_user]

I forgot to say, my VAR didn't talk about  interactive surface design extension (ISDX). Is it important for design metal stamping die design?