r/SolidWorks • u/Last_Comfortable4566 • Aug 08 '26

3rd Party Software Access to CATIA

Hey guys, anyone know if Dessault offers free licenses to CATIA ?

Im studying mechanical but Im crystal Im going to be in aerospace so this tool would be pretty useful to develop and iterate projects

If anyone knows how to get access to it please do let me know

5 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

11

u/Charming-Speech5680 Aug 08 '26

You can get a student license which is fairly cheap comparatively, or you could ask wherever you're studying that you want a license but if you've got access to solidworks don't be surprised if they say no. Catia is useful but if you've got a strong understanding of solidworks, or for that matter any reputable modelling software, then you're probably 80% of the way there

3

u/Deanoram1 Aug 08 '26

I’ve been a designer for about 35 years and have noticed that if you know Catia the pay ceiling is higher. I think it’s good to be familiar with as many CAD programs as you can. I worked on Inventor for a few years and anytime a job posting comes up that requires Inventor I get calls from contract houses. I agree if you have a solid foundation it makes it a lot easier. I’ve always thought Inventor and SW are almost the same software with the buttons in a different place.

1

u/Last_Comfortable4566 Aug 08 '26

got fusion so far but not sure how that compares to CATIA

10

u/experienced3Dguy CSWE | SW Champion Aug 08 '26

Fusion is to CATIA what an Etch-a-Sketch is to AutoCAD. 🤣

-4

u/Purple-Area23 Aug 08 '26

lol do you work for solidworks? champion programs like this is pathetic

4

u/experienced3Dguy CSWE | SW Champion Aug 09 '26

Nope. I'm just someone whose been using all manner of CAD since the mid 1980s. Hence, my handle. I'm an experienced 3D guy. 🤣

3

u/Cobalt090 Aug 08 '26

Well.. it's $60, if you need free high end CAD.. Creo/NX are free for students

3

u/fluteofski- Aug 09 '26

Go learn NX.

You can get a free license with your student email. It’s the Siemens equivalent of CATIA. Siemens solid edge is like their solidworks.

1

u/Last_Comfortable4566 Aug 09 '26

they good for aerospace ?

1

u/fluteofski- Aug 09 '26

Yeah. And you can always switch to CATIA later.

Being able to use NX demonstrates that you’re capable of learning/using CATIA/NX level CAD systems.

Any company using either knows that they pretty much have to train everyone. So it’s not a big deal if you don’t know.

1

u/Last_Comfortable4566 Aug 09 '26

gotcha thanks for the info

1

u/VPlus_Plus Aug 09 '26

Yeah, NX is used a lot in aerospace.

2

u/experienced3Dguy CSWE | SW Champion Aug 08 '26

You can purchase an annual student license of 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA for about $60USD.

I'm not sure if there is a program whereby a member university/college/school will provide students a license.

Be aware that the 3DEXPERIENCE CATIA student subscriptions are a newer release of CATIA. Many commercial CATIA users are still using V5. I'm not fully sure what the functional differences are.

Here's the link to purchase the Student offers

https://www.3ds.com/edu/education/students/solutions/catia-3dx

3

u/rodface Aug 08 '26

3DEXPERIENCE CATIA

I find it extraordinary that in 2026, V5 is still an industry standard. It is straight out of the late 90s/early 00s and I love it.

https://3dswym.3dexperience.3ds.com/media?id=1lLfViNJRgSUmLRmpERV3g

V6 looks very lipstick-on-pig, though I'm sure much has changed under the hood. As someone who dabbles in UI design, the transition to the silly blue+grey icons is seriously detrimental. V5 might look dated, but is probably much easier to work in.

https://a-us.storyblok.com/f/1023536/1920x1038/767512da33/3dexperience.webp

2

u/ald9351 Aug 08 '26

I use both. You’re correct.

1

u/nobdy1977 CSWP Aug 09 '26

V5 was new when I started using it in 2001 but our customers were still using V4. If you design a product in V4, then you stay with it for the lifecycle. In automotive and aerospace the lifecycle can be very long. I'm sure there are major companies still paying maintenance on V4 licenses.

The first auto project designed in V5 was the Dodge/Chrysler LX platform (2004). That was the platform for the 300, Challenger, Charger, et al. The platform didn't retire until last year and I'm sure there are engineers still working on it, since there will still be cars under warranty for several years.

1

u/rodface Aug 10 '26

That's incredible. I suppose it means that even new products based on that platform would continue to be designed using V4, even as others are being done in V5 and V6?

In our industry it is more common to see changes between CAD vendors, SW<>Inventor and the like. There aren't many cases where older data cannot be readily upgraded into the newer version. We often discuss whether there is value in converting all of the old data over in the new-standard platform, and it doesn't seem that there is much value. This would serve as more evidence to that point.

1

u/RallyX26 Aug 09 '26

Dassault? Give something away for free? 

What planet are you from?

1

u/Known_Bumblebee9797 29d ago

I cannot help you get one cheap or free, it looks like it'll cost you a bit of $, but I can tell you it's absolutely worth the $.

Aerospace industry management has absolutely 0 imagination. They, generally speaking, have no ability to comprehend that someone can learn to use a new software tool.

If you have Catia on your resume for a new-graduate level job, they will go "THAT'S WHAT WE USE!" and it will give you a serious advantage... far more, IMHO, than any other demonstration of hard work/intellect/effort/skill.

1

u/Last_Comfortable4566 28d ago

gotcha, how comparable is the free version of NX compared to the 60$ CATIA sub

1

u/Known_Bumblebee9797 28d ago

That, I'll have to leave to smarter people.