Free for EAA Members: SIEMENS SolidEdge CAD

[Eric Page]

Yeah, there's a bit of confusion. The EAA email links to a page on the EAA website that says, "Download Solid Edge Maker & Community Edition." Father down the page it says that EAA members get a 25% discount on the subscription products you mentioned. The Siemens site says the free version puts watermarks on its output and that files created with it cannot be opened in commercial (subscription) versions of the software.

There's text on the EAA site with instructions to view a video that explains how to access a $900 training course for free. That's a nice touch.

So, it appears that EAA members get the free "Maker" version of the software and a free training course. However, everything we produce will be watermarked and if we want to turn it into a product for sale, it will have to be re-drawn in the commercial package. That's fair enough.

There's a link on the Siemens sign-up page for on-line subscriptions. Clicking it returns a "Page Not Found" error. Searching the site for "Solid Edge" returns nothing. I poked around for awhile and found the monthly subscription prices for Solid Edge. Adjusted for the 25% discount, those rates are:

SE Basic: $62.25/mo (part/assembly design, automated drawings, basic animation/rendering)
SE Foundation: $175/mo (adds: sheet metal, frames, weldments, surface modeling and 2.5-axis milling)
SE Classic: $188.25/mo (adds: design for cost, reverse engineering, subdivision modeling, generative design)
SE Premium: $270.75/mo (adds: motion/stress simulation, point cloud visualization, electrical routing)

I couldn't immediately find obvious matches to the other modules listed on the EAA page (CAM, tech pubs, wiring/harness design).

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Frankly, I'm more inclined to put my effort into learning FreeCAD than any commercial CAD package. There are numerous tutorials on YouTube and an active forum. At least this way I control my own data, I don't get watermarks and I can sell my designs without paying large monthly subscription fees and duplicating my work.

[bigdog]

... The Siemens site says the free version puts watermarks on its output and that files created with it cannot be opened in commercial (subscription) versions of the software...

If this is true then we would be unable to send files to vendors for laser cutting, 3D printing and the like. That to me is a major problem.

[Eric Page]

I would imagine that production shops would want DXF files, not native Solid Edge. No idea if the Maker version of Solid Edge can export DXF...

[DNytes]

Meagan and Eric: Thanks so much for keeping us informed with regards to SolidWorks and SolidEdge. The EAA just may have saved itself a membership with this news.

However Dassault's feet should be held to the fire with how utterly poor SW Maker installation and HotFixes installs are processed. What a debacle...