Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) Software Resources

Is Solidworks or Solid Edge better?

A question for mechanical engineers who handle both CAD modeling and CAE simulation in the same workflow: is SOLIDWORKS actually worth committing to as a combined design-and-simulation environment, or does the simulation depth leave mechanical engineers reaching for a dedicated solver anyway?

Looking through the Simulation & CAE category on G2, SOLIDWORKS surfaces as the most reviewed platform in the category. Here is my read on how it compares:

• SOLIDWORKS: The integrated simulation workflow of staying in the same environment from part design to FEA without file translation is the core argument. New hires onboard without formal simulation training. The built-in simulation tools handle linear static, thermal, fatigue, and motion analysis for the majority of mechanical engineering workflows. 

The dedicated simulation alternatives worth comparing:

• Ansys Mechanical: It goes deeper than SOLIDWORKS Simulation on nonlinear, dynamic, and fatigue cases. The tradeoff is steeper setup overhead and higher licensing cost.
• Simcenter 3D: Strong CAD-to-simulation integration for teams already on Siemens NX, with users crediting its direct connection to the digital thread for reducing rework between design iterations. Particularly strong for multidisciplinary analysis where structural, thermal, and acoustic results feed into the same model.
• SimScale: The cloud-native option for mechanical engineers who want to run concurrent simulations without hardware investment. 
• Altair SimSolid: Meshless structural analysis on complex assemblies in minutes, without geometry cleanup. Right tool for early-stage concept validation when the geometry is still changing rapidly and traditional mesh-based FEA would require constant re-setup.

SOLIDWORKS earns its place when the mechanical engineer owns the full workflow from design to simulation and values interface consistency over solver depth. 

Would value input from mechanical engineers who have used both SOLIDWORKS Simulation and a standalone FEA solver on the same project type. Where specifically did the SOLIDWORKS solver fall short, and was the workflow benefit worth accepting that limitation?

What is SOLIDWORKS used for?