Is Onshape enough similar to solidworks?

MM1379

Hello everyone
Our school is holding a solidwork tutorial class but my OS is ubuntu so I cannot install SW........
I want to know Is onshape enough similar to solidworks  that I can use it as a SW alternative for the class?
Also I 've found Onshape interesting.

Sorry for my poor English &Thanks in advance.

tim_hess427

The answer is really "it depends".  Like Ian said, they are really similar in fundamentals, but Solidworks has been around a lot longer and has more features in some areas. So, if your teacher or curriculum forces you to use those specific things, you may run into issues. 

Solidworks also has built-in tools for simulation and rendering included with academic licenses sometimes (maybe always?). In contrast, onshape has 3rd party options for these and they aren't always free. So, if the curriculum includes these you may have difficulties doing assignments there as well. 

Also, you would need to figure out how you are submitting assignments. Your teacher would need to either create an onshape account to see your documents, or you'd have to export your files for submission. This might be OK, but if you need to submit native solidworks files specifically, you wouldn't be able to create those using onshape. 

So, you would need to talk to your teacher and see if it would be compatible with the assignments. 

ian_d_gardiner

Onshape is similar to SW in the way parts and assemblies are modeled. It is a good choice and should work well for your school project if your teacher allows

tim_hess427

The answer is really "it depends".  Like Ian said, they are really similar in fundamentals, but Solidworks has been around a lot longer and has more features in some areas. So, if your teacher or curriculum forces you to use those specific things, you may run into issues. 

Solidworks also has built-in tools for simulation and rendering included with academic licenses sometimes (maybe always?). In contrast, onshape has 3rd party options for these and they aren't always free. So, if the curriculum includes these you may have difficulties doing assignments there as well. 

Also, you would need to figure out how you are submitting assignments. Your teacher would need to either create an onshape account to see your documents, or you'd have to export your files for submission. This might be OK, but if you need to submit native solidworks files specifically, you wouldn't be able to create those using onshape. 

So, you would need to talk to your teacher and see if it would be compatible with the assignments. 

mahir

It's been a while since I dabbled in Linux, but I believe there are also emulation options for running Windows apps. Obviously, there would be a performance hit. But if SW is being provided with the class, using a Windows emulator might be the path of least resistance for this specific class. But beyond the class, learning Onshape is definitely a good idea, and they have plenty of free tutorials that would let you learn at your own pace.