Creo Elements/Direct Modeling Express - any experience?

[tibi]

Hello,

I have found software PTC Creo™ Elements/Direct™ Modeling Express. It is free for both hobby/commercial use with limitation, that you can have max. 60 unique parts in an assembly (which is plenty for most woodworkers).

Is there anyone who is using this software for woodworking? I have tried it, but I find it unintuitive (i.e. very different workflow, which is not similar to Autodesk Inventor/Solidworks). I would need to watch some youtube tutorials.
Do you find it quick and easy, once mastered?

I am not going to sell any furniture, but I might create some youtube videos in the future, where I can enable monetization, so I would like to avoid Fusion 360/ Solidworks Community/Solid Edge or other noncommercial use only software (as I might show some drawings in the videos). I have given a chance to FreeCAD maybe 20 times, which is open source, but I kept banging my head again and again in frustration.

Thank you.

 

[Spectric]

It is free for both hobby/commercial use with limitation

That is a trial version with big limations, this is a commercial product aimed at people who can make it repay the cost. Look at their pricing structure.

You could end up spending more time learning and using the program than actually making things, if you need something them Sketchup seems popular round here but for me I can either use hand drawn sketches or a 2D program called Qcad which does all I need.

 

[tibi]

That is a trial version with big limations, this is a commercial product aimed at people who can make it repay the cost. Look at their pricing structure.

View attachment 155821

You could end up spending more time learning and using the program than actually making things, if you need something them Sketchup seems popular round here but for me I can either use hand drawn sketches or a 2D program called Qcad which does all I need.

Thank you, Spectric. Sketchup 2017 is free only for non-profit purpose and monetizing youtube videos would violate the EULA, I think. My only safe bet is to play with Freecad more and swallow the limitations.

 

[Spectric]

Essentially education purposes, I suppose these companies look at usage as, if you are going to make money from our products then we want paying which is ok providing they do a package that is not overkill with a price to match. A lot of big companies like Adobe are now litterally renting their products out on a subscription service, again great if you are using it on a full time basis and maybe are there any 3D cad companies doingthe same, then you only pay when you are needing it.

 

[tibi]

I generally need to design things maybe 3-4 times a year. Autodesk Inventor - the program that I am certified in, has a monthly subscription of 290 USD/month, what is an overkill for a hobby user that might ocasionally earn some money from youtube videos. They do not even offer this product for hobbyist. Only students and faculty members can use it within the terms of use.

If they had a subscription with price compared to Adobe Photoshop + Lightroom combo, which costs 20 USD per month, I would already be a happy paying customer and buy it for 1 - 2 months a year to design all the projects that I want to build for that year.

 

[deema]

Have a look at Onshape, it’s creators were engineers at Solidworks, so has a similar feel. It’s free for none commercial use, and you can pay for a say just a month (or annually) for commercial work. So best of both worlds and it’s not cut down if you don’t pay the license, just everything you design is public. What you design when you take out a license is confidential. You can dip in and out of the license.

 

[J-G]

Thank you, Spectric. Sketchup 2017 is free only for non-profit purpose and monetizing youtube videos would violate the EULA, I think. My only safe bet is to play with Freecad more and swallow the limitations.

SketchUp 2014 is the last totally free version. It is still available though difficult to find.

 

[tibi]

SketchUp 2014 is the last totally free version. It is still available though difficult to find.

I have found out that sketchup 8 is the last version that is free for personal and commercial use.

 

[tibi]

Have a look at Onshape, it’s creators were engineers at Solidworks, so has a similar feel. It’s free for none commercial use, and you can pay for a say just a month (or annually) for commercial work. So best of both worlds and it’s not cut down if you don’t pay the license, just everything you design is public. What you design when you take out a license is confidential. You can dip in and out of the license.

Thank you, that sounds interesting. But, I have looked at their website, and their commercial offering is 1500 € annually with no monthly option. That is one decent brand-new bandsaw a year.

 

[J-G]

I have found out that sketchup 8 is the last version that is free for personal and commercial use.

That is at odds with my knowledge. I do know that V2014 (four years younger than V8) is free - I don't use it commercially so don't need to know whether that is allowed but I have seen a reference to V8 having a restriction as far as commercial use is concerned.

 

[deema]

Q

Thank you, that sounds interesting. But, I have looked at their website, and their commercial offering is 1500 € annually with no monthly option. That is one decent brand-new bandsaw a year.

Thanks, it’s changed! I hadn’t realised! It used to be monthly option, and I also now see they’ve restricted simulation and render to subscription only. The creep has started to eliminate the free side!

 

[Bodone]

Here you go free/maker version of SolidEdge - they all/most of them use the same parasolid kernel and pretty much have the same workflow, just variations in naming/menu structure. This version restricts sharing with paid version and watermarks 2D prints. Lots of tutorials around.

Solidedge gets lots of technology from its big brother NX so keeps it current.

If the link doesn’t work just search Solidedge community version.

SolidEdge Community Version

Review from model engineer if it helps.

Solid Edge - Community Edition | Model Engineer