Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

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s0b_
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Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by s0b_ »

Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?
Why is there no default/pre-configured option/setting to switch the UI/UX to that of Solid Works?

The overhead of learning a new UI/UX inhibits adapters (and potential contributers).
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Kunda1
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by Kunda1 »

*sigh*
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s0b_
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by s0b_ »

Solid Works is a widely used CAD program and Inventor is also widely used, they both share a similar UI/UX. Why not leverage their design, user feedback, and the muscle memory their users have built?

I asked here because I was unable to find the reason in the documentation.
chrisb
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by chrisb »

FreeCAD is a widely used CAD program. Why don't the SolidWorks developers adapt their UI to that of FreeCAD? They get even paid for it - unlike the FreeCAD developers.
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Kunda1
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by Kunda1 »

@s0b_, FreeCAD has a VERY long history. Not sure you're familiar with it. That may sound condescending but it is a response to the unconscious condescension of your questions. Think about it? Coming in to a Free Libre Open Source project and asking, hey why aren't you guys doing what <enter current trending proprietary CAD/CAM/FEM software here> is doing? is pretty tone deaf. This is what GIMP, Inkscape, Scribus, Blender experience on the daily and it's exhausting hence my original response.

It is also a reason for the pinned tweet on the FreeCAD twitter account:
FC twitter account pinned tweet
FC twitter account pinned tweet
Screenshot_20220611_114643.png (45.05 KiB) Viewed 2026 times
ref: https://twitter.com/FreeCADNews/status/ ... 9088148480

Here's the upshot, thanks for monumental efforts done over the years but especially in the v0.20 development cycle, users will be able to customize the FreeCAD interface to their hearts content. We have the possibility to theme FreeCAD now, great examples are all over the forum. But you can follow folks like @MisterMaker, @OficineRobotica and of course @realthunder who has been experimenting with advancements to FreeCAD on his own branch of FreeCAD called 'FreeCAD Link'.

If you're talking about push/pull CAD (AKA Direct Modeling) then there is an effort going on in the Design456 external workbench to add this feature.

But we're really not interested in trying to be persuaded to adopt/copy other CAD UI/UXs, especially if they are proprietary (due to their litigious nature, but more importantly because FreeCAD is developing its own style and approach). If you want to create a theme, or rally folks to create a theme that reminds you of environments that you are used to, that you can express your 'muscle-memory' to its fullest potential.. by all means have at it. You are standing on the shoulder of volunteers that have gotten us to a place where FC is becoming so customizable that this is more possible than it's ever been.

Edit:
See Preference Packs on the wiki. Forum thread: https://forum.freecadweb.org/viewtopic.php?t=62477

Edit2: typos
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user1234
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by user1234 »

Can we please bury this thread? Normally i say, there are no strupid questions, but that is clearly one.

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MisterMaker
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by MisterMaker »

My icons are mostly based on Solidworks icons, because I was a long time Solidworks user.
But anyway:
Solidworks doesn't have unlimited theme's.
Solidworks doesn't have an option to customize your icons.
Freecad difference from Solidworks because it is setting up to be something better.

Only with 0,001% of Solidworks budget.

So it's only gets better.

It goes faster if you HELP.
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adrianinsaval
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by adrianinsaval »

I don't think solidworks was as popular as today back when freecad was created, anyways the same argument could be done for basically any proprietary CAD software but they would all be invalid arguments. FreeCAD is it's own thing, it doesn't aim to be a clone of any other software. Feel free to take the code and adapt it to follow solidwork's design if you want.

PS: we could add "Why isn't freecad more like X CAD software?" to the FAQ
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Roy_043
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by Roy_043 »

There is this:
FreeCAD_Managing_Expectations

But IMO this page and some of the answers given here show a too high level of frustration. I understand that emotion, but it does not help turning this discussion in a more constructive direction.
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Kunda1
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Re: Why is the UI/UX different from Solid Works?

Post by Kunda1 »

That's a good place to lock this thread. No need to spend more time on this. Especially this close to release.

PS Maybe we can improve the FreeCAD_Managing_Expectations page? Especially since we're about to get a deluge of interest in FC due to v0.20 release.

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