DESIGN|||Software Review
46 DE| Technology for Optimal Engineering Design August 2019 /// DigitalEngineering247.com
Finally, when someone opens a document and they have
view-only permission, they now see a special view-only toolbar
near the bottom of the screen. This toolbar helps non-CAD
users navigate within the model without having to spend a lot
of time learning Onshape. You can even display the configura-
tion panel, making it easy for anyone to build configurations
on the fly. You can add comments and upload images to com-
ments, follow others in the document, export and print as well
as measure and obtain mass properties.New Enterprise Edition
There are now five ways to use Onshape. A free version enables
anyone willing to share their designs to sign up for an account
and immediately begin using the software.
For students and educators, Onshape’s free Education
Plan lets students log in from home or school and collabo-
rate together in real time. The Standard version ($1,500 per
year) includes part and assembly modeling and drawings. The
Professional version ($2,100 per year) adds formal release
management, approval workflows and notifications, complete
data management, custom properties and metadata, and com-
pany-level administration tools. Users can collaborate with
any other Onshape user, regardless of their plan (assuming
they have access permission), but free plan users cannot edit
private documents (even if the sharer has given them editing
permission).
Last summer, the company launched a premium Enterprise
edition, which adds real-time analytics and dashboards; project-
based activity, reporting and audit trails; centralized intellectual
property control; role-based access control; and project-specific
workflow settings. An Enterprise subscription starts at $20,000
per year; companies can provision their users with a mix of full
user licenses ($3,000 per user) or light user licenses ($300 per
user) to reach the $20,000 minimum.
Because Onshape runs in a browser, a powerful workstation
and a discrete graphics card are not required, although the pro-
gram does perform better on systems equipped with a separate
graphics processing unit (GPU) as long as the computer uses it
when running the web browser.
Over the past year, Onshape has gained even more power,
proving itself as a robust alternative to expensive software running
on expensive hardware. It is suited for single users, small teams
and now—with the advent of the new Enterprise version—large
manufacturers. DEDavid Cohn is the senior content manager at 4D Technologies. He also
does consulting and technical writing from his home in Bellingham,
WA. He is a Contributing Editor to Digital Engineering and is the
author of more than a dozen books. You can contact him via email at
[email protected] or visit his website at dscohn.com.//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
INFO➜Onshape: Onshape.com
PRICING:- Onshape Free: Free to anyone
- Onshape Education: Free for students and educators
- Onshape Standard: $1,500 per user per year
- Onshape Professional: $2,100 per user per year
- Onshape Enterprise: $20,000 minimum per year
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - Any computer with a compatible web browser:
- Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari (Mac OS only) and
Opera. Microso Edge and Internet Explorer are currently not
supported.
- Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari (Mac OS only) and
- Onshape is also available as an Android app or an iOS app:
- Android: requires Android 4.4 or higher
- iOS: requires iOS 10.0 or later
You can now integrate Onshape with
Google Drive and Dropbox.The new Onshape Enterprise edition
adds dashboards with real-time
analytics, project-based activity tracking
and role-based access control.Onshape has recently added a new
dimension tool for chamfer features, with
the ability to include an optional pre x.DE_0819_Review_Onshape_Cohn.indd 46 7/11/19 11:25 AM