3D costs too much:

While 3D systems cost more than 2D to buy, the cost of eliminating a single ECO, or getting a single order, often pays for the system. Solid Edge, one of the new mainstream series of 3D CAD systems, is very cost effective relative to traditionally more expensive “high-end” CAD systems.

“For the roughly $5,000 per seat price of Solid Edge, we could purchase enough licenses to spread the software throughout the design team. That, combined with a few seats of premium, high-end NX, gave us all the functionality we needed at a price we could afford. Modeling is so intuitive with Solid Edge that it lets the people doing part modeling work fast, and the drafting component of Solid Edge is unmatched in ease of use."

My people think in 2D, not 3D:

While growing up, children actually think in 3D. Drawing something in 2D is actually the learned, as opposed to the inherent, behavior. “Learning” to design in 3D is actually more natural and is more a process of unlocking what you already know. By applying the 2D to 3D hybrid approach to design, 2D thought processes are applied to 3D problems, encouraging 3D learning, while accomplishing the task.

One of the main benefits of working in Solid Edge is that it is now much easier to visualize how all the different individual components fit together into subassemblies, and how the subassemblies interact with one another in the context of the entire machine. We can easily grasp design concepts when we see 3D models; it is much easier than trying to interpret 2D drawings. The superior visualization of 3D also helps Angelus meet customer requests for easy maintenance."

Luisito Chong, Manager of Production Engineering Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Co.

3D is hard to learn:

Many people have already made the transition with Solid Edge. Not only are the user interface and the applications designed to help 2D users learn 3D, but real world demonstrations and tutorials bring a practical approach to learning. With the Solid Edge step-by-step system of evolving to 3D, most former 2D users are doing productive 3D work within a few weeks.

“SolidWorks had too many pop-up menus and you were always having to confirm and constrain everything you wanted to do. I believe that Solid Edge required 30 percent fewer keystrokes so you could work much faster. The software (Solid Edge) wasn’t always interrupting your flow.”

Per Carlson, Vice president, General Mgr. MJC Engineering & Technology Inc.

Carlson taught himself to use Solid Edge by using the manuals and tutorials that came with it. Within three weeks, he was using Solid Edge to make production drawings

2D is faster than 3D at making drawings:

While at one time performance of 3D systems was suspect when it came to creating 2D drawings, this is no longer the case. Enhancements to system architectures and automated methods allow 3D users to create 3D models and their associated drawings faster than expert 2D users can create drawings alone – thus making the benefits of 3D essentially “free.”

Since making the switch to Solid Edge, Ikegami now produces engineering drawings in one-tenth the time it took with 2D design, and has halved the time from design to prototype. Design bugs have been slashed to one-third, and there have been almost no mistakes at all in recent projects."

Hatsuo Kitada, Chief of Mechanical Engineering, Camera Department, Broadcast Division Ikegami Tsushinki Co., Tokyo, Japan.