Hello,
I am a bit confused. What are the actual differences between student and educator versions?
Is student version a subset of the educator version?
Doesn't the educator verison contains language options such as Japanese?
Are both versions 2013?
http://www.solidworks.com/sw/education/education-software-mcad.htm
http://www.solidworks.com/sw/education/student-software-3d-mcad.htm
Thank you.
The only difference I'm aware of is the training software (Curriculum & "Courseware") supplied with the Educator version. The base software is identical and is the Premium edition.
http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/mechanical-design-software-matrix.htm
The year edition will be the lower of the two stated in the software name. i.e. SW2012 / 2013 will be the 2012 version.
The naming of the educational editions is a ridiculous marketing ploy which only serves to confuse it's users.
Thanks. Is it true that the educational editions (educator and student versions) are always one year behind the more expensive commerical version? For example now 2013 is available. Both the educator and student versions are still in 2012. Next year, when 2014 is available, the educator and student versions will be upgraded to 2012.
Student version cannot save out any file type other than SW, water marks drawings and a few other things
Educational Premium same as commercial, but saves files with a educational stamp internally, full simulation motion, flow. no water marks unless you open in commercial version, also in assemblies components show a graduation hat next to the icon in the assembly tree.
as with both they are 6 months behind not 1 yr, release it in June\July to meet schools needs.
so SW2012-2013 edcational\student is SW2012 commercial, fisrt year dictates the version of SW.
next release will be SW2013-2014 = SW2013, SW2014-2015 = SW2014.
and XP will no longer run SW after SW2012.
I'm not sure that's entirely correct unless there's an additional difference betweent the student edition and the "student design kit". My 2012-13 copy of the SDK seems to match up to the (unpatched) 2011 version of the professional software. The SDK also doesn't seem to recieve any of the patches and/or updates as it still has all the original bugs. I frequently have to go to the lab to finish projects on the educational version because they won't simply won't build under the SDK.
Kristen,
Student design kit is the student verion of SW. I work for the University and for the SW dealer for 3 yrs, know this quite well as I used this in my courses.
Educational version is exactly the same as commercial, just gets permently stamped educational\stundent not for commercal use.
From SW website.
The SolidWorks Student Design Kit (SDK) includes:
Note: Export functionality in the SDK is limited to SolidWorks native file formats only.
Maybe their policy has changed since you worked for Solidworks. The 2012-13 SDK I received through my class this fall is definitely not current. Even putting my serial number into the site here displays it as being Solidworks 2011. The SDK is definitely not the same as our educational copies used by our professors and labs as they receive update notifications from time to time and don't suffer the same build problems.
Yes educational does allow updates, aka service packs, Student versions do not.
As for SW2012-2013 working with it currently instructing CAD1 as well as using the commercal verson at a company I do side work for.
Now when you go to help from the pull downs and select about solidworks, what version is installed???
look at your and then at the ones your profesors are using.
If they are doing research they might be using the research license which is a commercal version because of having to send file to the company funding the research and as I stated, educational\student versions cannot be used for that.
Here's what SW offers:
Student
Educational
Research
Commercal
hope this explains what you or they have and why.
I contacted solidworks support over this same issue, only i discovered that Solidworks student 2012-2013 will not open Solidworks commercal files. They gave me some run around excuse and said to ask my instructor. I told them I am the instructor and they never got back to me. I think that is fine if they want restrict the educatonal versions but they shuold not lie about it to their costomers! Just let us know!
Yes it it opens commercial files, do it all the time, what do you think the tutorial files are in, commercial.
they don't change any of that stuff, the serial number just allows what is available and if it is a student\educational it watermarks the drawings and internally locks the files to a student\educational type.
Thanks for your response Lenny, I must be expirencing a different issue then, because trying to open tutorial files at this site. www.surfacedesign.webs.com
I get a diolog box telling me they are future versions. But i still get a preview. Maybe they are compressed in some format i dont have?
Dan
that because the commercial file are SW2013, your educational is SW2012.
the first year is always the version of SW, so not until SW 2013-2014 will you be able to open SW 2013 commercial files. Sorry.
Lenny, I was referring to the Student version and how it is not just crippled, but out of date. There are a ton of problems with the software (a lot I'm sure have been fixed in the 4+ service packs that are currently being withheld). A lot more care should be taken to explain that the student version is NOT the same as the educational version, further, the product matrix you linked to does not include the Student or Educational versions.
It seems very counter-productive of Solidworks to give us poorly working software as I have to learn alternative packages and competitors software to get my work done. When I move into the workplace I'll then be steering my employer(s) towards the alternatives. If you're going to ask students like myself to pay $150 for software that doesn't work half the time, you're not building any loyalty or excitement for when we become professionals and are asked to pay thousands.
I should probably be thankful that there is any sort of student version available as this isn't the case with other software I would like to learn, like Catia and Abaqus. Instead I'm now learning the full Autodesk suite as they make all their software available free for students.
Kristen,
I instruct here at the university and deal with these issues all the time, student vs. educational vs. research vs. commercial.
The student version is limited because companies were have students buy SW and using it instead of buying the commercial, in the early days the student version wasn't limited to just SW file and was on the current release as commercial... those cheaters ruined it for you and the others students now.
now that being said how is it crippled, our SAE Formula team has designed their car using the student version, the team is given seats thru the SW formula grant, they haven't complained to me as I also run the student shop.
you haven't even explained the ton problems you are having, what are they.
I frequently have to go into the labs to perform many of the lofts and sweeps because the 2012-13 student version won't build them. Exact same file, just works on the educational version with their service packs where the SDK fails to work. This has been an issue since last fall and many of the computer modelling assignments have had to be modified so they can be completed on the student version. Try uninstalling your educational version and use the SDK for a month.
As for blaming some 'cheaters', anyone willing to ignore the student/educational watermark probably doesn't mind downloading a pirated full-version of any one of the torrent sites. There would probably be a lot more upset posts if it wasn't so much easier to get ahold of the full commercial software than it is to get the educational version.
Kristen,
There is a difference between the Student Design Kit and the Student Edition. The SDK has a much more limited functionality set, and is only sold direclty to schools as a low-cost option for basic part/assembly modeling. In contrast, the Student Edition (which we sell on our website) includes all of the functionality found in SolidWorks Premium. If you are frustrated with the SDK, you might consider asking your school to upgrade to the actual Student Edition, or consider buying it yourself for $150. We just released the 2013-2014 update, which is based on SolidWorks 2013.
Matthew West wrote:
Kristen,
There is a difference between the Student Design Kit and the Student Edition. The SDK has a much more limited functionality set, and is only sold direclty to schools as a low-cost option for basic part/assembly modeling. In contrast, the Student Edition (which we sell on our website) includes all of the functionality found in SolidWorks Premium. If you are frustrated with the SDK, you might consider asking your school to upgrade to the actual Student Edition, or consider buying it yourself for $150. We just released the 2013-2014 update, which is based on SolidWorks 2013.
Or NovEdge student SW for $87 bucks. http://www.novedge.com/products/2928
your site still only has SW2012-2013 listed, I usally don't see the update until end of July\August as that is when we get the Educational version delivered to us at ASU.
So does the $150 student edition receive updates like the education edition ? I haven't been able to find anywhere that clearly lists what it is included (like http://www.solidworks.com/sw/docs/Student_Access_Product_Matrix_LB.pdf). The product I was really interested in was the Student Engineering Kit with it's electrical cable/harness design, but months after receiving emails from Solidworks to check it out, I have yet to see it listed for purchase anywhere.
The Student Edition does not get service pack updates--only professional users get those. The Student Edition is (usually) based on the third service pack of the existing commercial version, and the functionality remains the same for the year that it can be used. The ability to create electric cables and harnesses is part of SolidWorks Premium, and is included in the complete Student Edition and Student Engineering Kit, but not in the Student Design Kit. It is also available in the Education Edition. You should be able to get an evaluation copy of the full Education Edition here: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/purchase/educator-evaulation-request.htm
If you are still having trouble getting in touch with EDU sales, let me know and I can forward your email address you used for your forum account to our director of EDU sales.
Student version cannot save out any file type other than SW, water marks drawings and a few other things
Educational Premium same as commercial, but saves files with a educational stamp internally, full simulation motion, flow. no water marks unless you open in commercial version, also in assemblies components show a graduation hat next to the icon in the assembly tree.
as with both they are 6 months behind not 1 yr, release it in June\July to meet schools needs.
so SW2012-2013 edcational\student is SW2012 commercial, fisrt year dictates the version of SW.
next release will be SW2013-2014 = SW2013, SW2014-2015 = SW2014.
and XP will no longer run SW after SW2012.