# 3D Design / 3D Scanning / 3D Modeling > 3D Modeling, Design, Scanners >  Become a Solidworks 2016 Beta Tester

## Brian_Krassenstein

Dassault Systèmes is hoping pro subscription users of their SOLIDWORKS products will sign on to be testers in the SOLIDWORKS 2016 Beta Program to help them improve their software by identifying issues that affect day-to-day operations. Testers will have a chance to interact with SOLIDWORKS R&amp;D and product management teams and gain access to competitive, global contests which offer a chance to win a variety of prizes. You can read the whole story here: http://3dprint.com/76102/solidworks-beta-tester

Let us know if you are participating win the testing for this latest edition of Solidworks.

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## joop1987

Your link don't work.  I use Solidworks everyday at my job.  It crashes so much I feel like I'm beta testing it every day.  Version 2015 is already on SP3  :Frown:

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## Sebastian Finke

> Your link don't work.  I use Solidworks everyday at my job.  It crashes so much I feel like I'm beta testing it every day.  Version 2015 is already on SP3


I'm amazed at how often I hear this. And yet its halo grows ever larger...  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## joop1987

What choice do we have.  Can't go back to archaic AutoCAD.  It's fine with simple things but when you have an assembly with 1000+ components, crashes and lockup's are normal.

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## Sebastian Finke

AutoCAD is a 2D drafting package. Don't understand how that could replace a 3D parametric solid modelling package...  :Confused: 

However there other 3D parametric solid modellers:
- Geomagic Design
- Catia
- Creo
- SolidEdge
- Inventor
- NX
- UG/Siemens
- Spaceclaim

Those are the big names. The then are still Solidface, VariCAD, Moi3D, Rhino, Bricscad, Topsolid, etc, etc.  (<-- some of these may not be parametric)

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## robosmith

Even though my company has a site license, apparently I'm not eligible for the beta cause we don't have a subscription.  :Frown:

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## Sebastian Finke

> Even though my company has a site license, apparently I'm not eligible for the beta cause we don't have a subscription.


Don't worry, you not missing out. I end up on the Geomagic beta tester list every year, did it once. Basically you get a buggy new version that expires at the end of the beta and is neither backwards nor forwards compatible. So unless you have a second PC that you can use for testing and have the time to play around and design things you will never use again its really no loss.

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## robosmith

> Don't worry, you not missing out. I end up on the Geomagic beta tester list every year, did it once. Basically you get a buggy new version that expires at the end of the beta and is neither backwards nor forwards compatible. So unless you have a second PC that you can use for testing and have the time to play around and design things you will never use again its really no loss.


You're right, that sucks. I only wanted to do it to get a licensed version for personal use.

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## joop1987

If you have a licensee at work, you can legally install it on your 2nd computer with the same serial number.  On the Solidworks website you can see what computers your serial number is installed.

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## robosmith

> If you have a licensee at work, you can legally install it on your 2nd computer with the same serial number.  On the Solidworks website you can see what computers your serial number is installed.


We have a license server. I was told I'd need a VPN to contact the license server from home. Probably not worth installing the VPN.

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## soofle616

With a license server you still have what's known as a Home Use License for each (network) seat. However, with a network license you have to contact solidworks to request the HUL serial number for your installation (using the network serial number will not work unless you have a VPN). In my case, I'm the only user, and the entire engineering department, network admin and IT department so I can do pretty much whatever I want with our license. If you work for a larger company you can request a HUL from your IT group (probably through your boss in the engineering department) but you may or may not get it especially if you don't have a legitimate work related need for it.

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## robosmith

Ours is a rotating site (4 user) license, so you're saying we can have 4 HUL licenses?

I may be able to get one of the 4, if they don't cost extra. Do they need to be renewed? Go away if the site license is terminated?

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## Brian_Krassenstein

Dassault Systèmes released all of the details for what they have in  store for their popular SOLIDWORKS CAD and CAE program for 2016. The  toolbars have been simplified, so rather than a massive tool bar,  smaller object, tool, app or project specific toolbars will pop up with  relevant tools, only when needed. There was also a robust upgrade to the  simulation tools, which hopefully will eliminate the need to use  multiple programs for a single project. They also added a whole bunch of  new 3D printing tools like 3D printer batch pre-visualization, a  preview of the printed models striation and a cost evaluation tool. You  can find out more about the upgrade in store for SOLIDWORKS 2016 over on  3DPrint.com: http://3dprint.com/107441/solidworks-2016/

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## ServiceXp

My FIL purchased a copy of the prev. version and according to him the software is way too buggy.  So in the end he lost ~5K (Don't ever expect to get your money back from Dassault) and wound up going with Pro/E. IMO, from what I've heard I would think twice before using Solidworks.

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## Sebastian Finke

Pro-E become Wildfire became Creo. Years ago. And PTC imake awful software. Not a day goes by that I don't curse PTC...

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## ServiceXp

So you would say that Solidworks, is less buggy then Pro/E ?

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## Sebastian Finke

Absolutely.

Now, I am *not* saying that Solidworks is perfect.

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## LambdaFF

> AutoCAD is a 2D drafting package. Don't understand how that could replace a 3D parametric solid modelling package... 
> 
> However there other 3D parametric solid modellers:
> - Geomagic Design
> - Catia
> - Creo
> - SolidEdge
> - Inventor
> - NX
> ...


CATIA ! CATIA ! CATIA !
I love that girl.

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## Sebastian Finke

> CATIA ! CATIA ! CATIA !
> I love that girl.


Yeah Catia is awesome. Unbelievably powerful and the best there is.

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## curious aardvark

only the cheap versiona of autocad are 2d. The full fat version is full on 3d. 
At least that's what it says on the tin :-)

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