Solid Edge Portfolio

What do you like best about the product?

I have used multiple tools for CAD design and found Solid Edge to be one easy stop for all types of work, including 3D modeling and other use cases. The instructions are fairly easy to understand, and movement and viewing angles of the design are also very seamless.

What do you dislike about the product?

Sometimes I would have a problem exporting the designs. But it got resolved quite easily with some tweaks. Overall experience of the tool is very good.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

I used it to design a PCB housing for the flight controller during my time at Challengers. Challengers is a team that works mostly on plane and drone modeling and competes in competitions. Most of my work with Solid Edge revolved around designing a robust case for the flight controller to be kept safe.

What do you like best about the product?

What I like best about Solid Edge is its synchronous modeling technology — it genuinely changes the game for CAD design workflows. Unlike traditional parametric systems that force you to build and edit geometry in a strict history-based order, Solid Edge lets you make direct edits at any point, even on imported models from other CAD tools, without breaking downstream features.

This flexibility is incredibly valuable when working in fast-paced environments where design changes happen frequently, or when collaborating across teams that may use different software platforms. I can revise geometry, move faces, adjust features, or rework entire assemblies without rebuilding the model from scratch — and without the “feature tree errors” that tend to plague other CAD systems.

Additionally, Solid Edge does a fantastic job combining:

Ease of use for quick concept modeling,

Robust features like sheet metal design, simulation, and CAM tools,

And excellent multi-CAD compatibility, which is crucial for supplier collaboration.

It’s the rare CAD platform that gives both power and speed — without the overhead of larger, more complex systems like NX or CATIA.

What do you dislike about the product?

While Solid Edge is a powerful and flexible CAD tool, there are a few areas where it falls short — especially when compared to more mature or enterprise-level platforms.

1. PLM and ERP Integration Is Limited or Cumbersome
Out-of-the-box, Solid Edge doesn’t offer the tight integration with PLM or ERP systems that some other Siemens tools (like NX with Teamcenter) provide. If you're in an environment where full digital thread or traceability is needed, setting that up with Solid Edge can require custom workflows or middleware, and it’s not always straightforward.

2. Customer Support Can Be Inconsistent
While Siemens and its resellers do offer support, the quality can vary significantly depending on your service tier and region. For critical issues, response times and escalation procedures are not always as fast or transparent as one would expect from an engineering-grade tool.

3. User Interface Can Feel Dated in Places
Though the ribbon-based interface is generally easy to navigate, some dialogs and tool configurations still carry a legacy feel. It’s not as modern or polished as, say, Autodesk Fusion 360 — especially when it comes to visualization, real-time rendering, or customization options.

4. Resource Usage & Stability Under Large Assemblies
Solid Edge handles small to medium assemblies quite well, but with very large or complex assemblies, you may experience slowdowns or memory issues — especially on mid-tier workstations. It’s better than it used to be, but still not as optimized as high-end platforms like Creo or NX.

5. Limited Cloud Collaboration Tools
Unlike newer CAD tools that are fully cloud-native (e.g., Onshape), Solid Edge is still largely desktop-based. While Siemens has started offering cloud-connected options, true real-time collaborative features are lacking, which can be a bottleneck for distributed teams.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Complex 3D Design Bottlenecks
→ Creating intricate part geometries and assemblies used to be time-consuming and error-prone. Solid Edge’s synchronous technology allows me to make fast, flexible edits without the constraints of history-based modeling.

Revision Control and Design Reuse
→ With built-in data management tools, it’s easier to track versions, reuse existing designs, and reduce duplication — which used to be a nightmare in legacy file systems.

Simulation and Validation Delays
→ Previously, we had to export models to third-party tools for basic simulations. Now, integrated simulation (FEA, motion, CFD) in Solid Edge allows early-stage design validation, helping catch structural or thermal issues before prototyping.

What do you like best about the product?

Having utilized Solid Edge for several months for mechanical design tasks, I have established that it is a powerful and feature-rich application that is especially applicable in product development and manufacturing environments for engineers. The ensuing is an evaluation of my experience:

1. User Interface & Learning Curve
Solid Edge has a new, ribbon-style interface that's intuitive if you're familiar with other Siemens applications or even Microsoft Office. For complete beginners, however, the learning curve is fairly steep—especially if you're transitioning from applications like SolidWorks or AutoCAD. Some of the terminology and workflow differ slightly, but Siemens offers excellent tutorials and an active user forum.

2. Synchronous Technology
A highlight is Synchronous Technology. This allows you to directly edit geometry without worrying about a feature tree. This hybrid modeling approach (synchronous and ordered) can seriously speed up design iteration and makes editing imported models so much easier. At first, it was strange not to be working with a parametric history tree only, but in the end, it was a huge time-saver.

3. 3D Modeling Capabilities
The modeling strength is good. From simple components to complex assemblies, Solid Edge handles them well. Patterning, mirroring, and component relationships are all straightforward features. It is also competent in sheet metal design with a good set of bend and flattening tools. Complicated surfacing is not as fluid as in some of the high-end CAD packages like NX or CATIA.

4. Assembly & Simulation
Solid Edge assembly environment is efficient. Large assemblies perform better than I expected, though the performance is sluggish on low-power machines. Built-in simulation tools for stress analysis and motion simulation are adequate to perform basic validation, but I found myself exporting to more advanced FEA packages quite often to run detailed simulations.

5. Drafting & Documentation
The 2D drafting is powerful. Dimensions, tolerances, and BOM generation are straightforward. Drawing mode is well integrated with the 3D model, with changes being automatically updated. Annotation tools are professional-level and can be customized.

6. File Management & Collaboration
Integrated Teamcenter integration (for those who use it) is a huge benefit in the enterprise space. The file system can become unwieldy for single users or small teams if not managed properly. Fortunately, the data management functionality continues to improve, and Siemens has introduced cloud-based services with Xcelerator Share.

What do you dislike about the product?

Steep learning curve for new users

Not ideal for complex surfacing or organic design

Interface may feel outdated next to more modern cloud-native tools

Performance issues on budget machines

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

In traditional parametric CAD systems, editing a model—especially one with a highly nested history tree—is sluggish and error-filled. Solid Edge does away with this with its Synchronous Technology enabling me to directly edit geometry without caring how the original was built. This has reduced my time spent reworking designs or fixing broken relationships in imported models by a huge amount.

Advantages: I can adjust to design changes right away, particularly for clients who keep making changes in requirements.

What do you like best about the product?

As a beginner in civil engineering design, I find Solid Edge’s synchronous technology incredibly empowering. It lets me drag and reshape parametric models in real time without breaking relationships, so I can explore ideas freely and learn by doing. The user interface balances simplicity and depth: core commands are easy to find, and contextual ribbons surface advanced tools when I need them. Integrated drafting and analytical modules help me transition seamlessly from 3D concepts to construction-ready drawings, boosting my confidence as I tackle infrastructure projects.

What do you dislike about the product?

Despite its strengths, Solid Edge can feel overwhelming when diving into simulation or detailed finite element analysis—menus multiply, and it’s easy to get lost. Handling large assemblies of beams, columns, or rebar sometimes causes lag, slowing my workflow and testing my patience. The modular licensing model also bites: unlocking specialized civil tools or simulation packs can strain a beginner’s or small firm’s budget. Finally, native support for some civil-specific file formats is limited, so I often need extra export steps, adding friction to collaboration with other CAD platforms.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Solid Edge tackles the complexity of parametric and direct modeling by uniting both in one interface. For a beginner, this means I can sketch civil components and reshape them instantly without fear of breaking parent-child relationships. It solves the problem of endless trial-and-error and gets me to viable structural concepts faster.

What do you like best about the product?

The best feature of Solid Edge is its Synchronous Technology—it allows for incredibly fast and flexible design changes without having to worry about complex history trees. I also appreciate its strong support for sheet metal design and the wide range of simulation tools built directly into the platform. It’s a solid choice for professional mechanical engineering workflows.

What do you dislike about the product?

The user interface feels outdated compared to other modern CAD tools, and the learning curve is quite steep for new users. Collaboration features aren’t as seamless as cloud-based platforms like Fusion 360, and licensing can be both expensive and complicated.

What problems is the product solving and how is that benefiting you?

Solid Edge helps solve complex mechanical design challenges by providing powerful tools for 3D modeling, simulation, and sheet metal design. The integration of Synchronous Technology speeds up revisions and design iterations, which is especially beneficial in fast-paced engineering projects. It also streamlines documentation and drawing generation, saving significant time during product development.