DriveWorks vs SolidWorks Equations

When talking to other DriveWorks users, the conversation always seems to follow a similar storyline: First - ‘We used SolidWorks and piled on equation after equation into the model to make the model “smart”.’ And then - ‘Unfortunately, the “smart” model quickly became unwieldy, slow and difficult to debug.’ The fact remains that in most cases, SolidWorks was never intended to be used in this extreme manner.

So when is the right time to make the switch to from leveraging SolidWorks equations to DriveWorks? That is an easy decision if you know what to look for. The great thing is that DriveWorks Express is bundled free with every version of SolidWorks. This is also a great opportunity to start showing others the power of design automation. From there you can move to a free trial of DriveWorks Solo to see just how far you can push the capabilities of the software with the availability of more features.

Since many of the questions and logic required for SolidWorks modeling are necessary for a configure, price, and quote tool, moving further to DriveWorks Pro is a no-brainer. It enables a shared environment so that others can take advantage of the work done. A comment we often hear from teams that are struggling to make the switch: “We don’t have time right now to work on automating our processes…”. Unfortunately, the reverse is true! You don’t have time to NOT automate your processes. As business continues to grow and you continue to add employees and the product offering is ever-expanding, driving down your non-value added work isn’t just good for business, it’s essential to retain your culture and your nimbleness.

Let’s get back to our original question. When is the time right to move to a DriveWorks solution? The easy answer is when SolidWorks begins to slow-down. If you have plans to continually evolve and refine your configured product, the right answer is yesterday. The fact of the matter is the sooner that you start automating the mundane, the earlier you will get your return on your investment. Reach out to us today for how to get started whether you’re just getting your feet wet with DriveWorks Express or you’re ready to make to take the plunge into DriveWorks Pro. Carpe diem!