It's really funny how everyone has a CAD program that clicks with them, and the rest ends up infuriating them.
Myself, I clicked with Inventor when I had a free educational license. I later got a solidworks license through EAA (a benefit that no longer exists, thanks Dassault!) and found it frustrating and unstable in so many ways. It felt like so many submodules just jammed together without any concern about consistency of interface or experience. Though it did have more options for putting assemblies together than Inventor did. Comparing and contrasting the two was really enlightening.
Eventually my educational license for Inventor ran out and I got upon Solid Edge. Like you (I presume) I found the sketching to be different from what I was used to. Then I learned that it actually had a completely separate mode that turned on the classic history CAD and suddenly it looked like Inventor again.
These programs all have so much functionality that can be so hidden behind years of changes and updates and best practices. Somehow though, I wouldn't call them UI or discoverability nightmares (though I think solidworks is both, haha). Both Inventor and Solid Edge really did a good job holding my hand as I gradually learn to use more and more of their power. Some of their help systems are really well designed. I'm impressed by how they both can have (mostly) consistent interfaces between their various features so learning a new part feels more natural. The way Solid Edge integrates its help system is really neat too. Maybe the rest of the computer industry can learn a thing or two from how these CAD programs provide gradual discoverability.
You probably already know this, but EAA does still get a discount for the maker license of Solidworks. $50/year. I'm actually designing a mold for some generative art with it right now :)
Not quite, unfortunately. EAA now gives a discount for "3DEXPERIENCE Solidworks", not Solidworks proper.
I'm not too torn up about it though. I really didn't like Solidworks (as you probably saw in my other posts) and losing the $50/year license for it led me to Siemens Solid Edge, which I'm substantially more productive in. For me the only downside to the free edition of Solid Edge is that it doesn't come with the fastener / standard part library that you get with the commercial license. But hey, guess what, 3DEXPERIENCE Solidworks has the exact same problem! No Solidworks toolbox (when I used it, their version of the standard parts library). Hilarious that that's their offer for the EAA though, you'd think something for designing aircraft parts would at least come with standardized rivets you could use in your assembly!
Myself, I clicked with Inventor when I had a free educational license. I later got a solidworks license through EAA (a benefit that no longer exists, thanks Dassault!) and found it frustrating and unstable in so many ways. It felt like so many submodules just jammed together without any concern about consistency of interface or experience. Though it did have more options for putting assemblies together than Inventor did. Comparing and contrasting the two was really enlightening.
Eventually my educational license for Inventor ran out and I got upon Solid Edge. Like you (I presume) I found the sketching to be different from what I was used to. Then I learned that it actually had a completely separate mode that turned on the classic history CAD and suddenly it looked like Inventor again.
These programs all have so much functionality that can be so hidden behind years of changes and updates and best practices. Somehow though, I wouldn't call them UI or discoverability nightmares (though I think solidworks is both, haha). Both Inventor and Solid Edge really did a good job holding my hand as I gradually learn to use more and more of their power. Some of their help systems are really well designed. I'm impressed by how they both can have (mostly) consistent interfaces between their various features so learning a new part feels more natural. The way Solid Edge integrates its help system is really neat too. Maybe the rest of the computer industry can learn a thing or two from how these CAD programs provide gradual discoverability.