CAD software is a crucial asset for enterprises of varying scales that require top-tier design and engineering capabilities. Nevertheless, the alteration of licensing options by a few CAD vendors, Autodesk for instance, has resulted in numerous users experiencing a notable rise in expenses.
Conversely, DraftSight presents an array of licensing alternatives, including designated-user, network, and perpetual licensing. These choices empower businesses to sustain their operations in a way that aligns with their preferences and the dynamics of their workforce.
Other CAD Providers are Reducing Licensing Options
Autodesk has retired plans based on serial numbers and now only assigns each subscription to a named user. While there may be benefits to this method, such as no longer needing to manage network servers or track anonymous licence keys, not everybody wants to purchase this way.
While specific promotions or changes in subscription policies may occur, the general trend is that many providers are transitioning from multiuser licenses to named-user licensing models, retiring maintenance plans and subscriptions with multi-user access.
Changes like this particularly impact companies using network licensing, as they will now have to purchase individual licenses for all users, significantly increasing costs. For example, a team of 30 previously relying on 6 network licenses now will need to purchase 30 individual licenses.
On the other hand, network-based licensing presents a flexible and economically efficient alternative for enterprises aiming to consolidate their network allocations and address the evolving requirements of their rotating personnel. This approach permits organisations to effectively manage costs, while ensuring continued availability of the critical software.
A licensing framework that offers choices suitable for diverse businesses becomes indispensable for enterprises striving to proficiently oversee expenses and optimise operational efficiency. Discover flexible licensing plans that keep your productivity at a high-level, without increasing your CAD license costs.
Why Use DraftSight?
DraftSight offers flexible licensing options, allowing you to pool your network seats to keep your team properly licensed while maximising resources. DraftSight looks, feels, and performs like other CAD software, so you can transition smoothly and keep your productivity level up.
Network license deployment streamlines the introduction to DraftSight Enterprise. The deployment wizard liberates CAD administrators from the burdens of installation and updates, overseeing license activations and storing them during periods of inactivity. DraftSight Enterprise seamlessly installs across numerous workstations with local network connectivity. The suite of tools within the Network License Manager simplifies the task of regulating user privileges in terms of access and duration. Particularly for sizable corporations accommodating intermittent users, the utilization of network licenses can substantially amplify the scope of CAD accessibility within the team.
DraftSight uses the same Network License Manager as SOLIDWORKS, making it easy for clients that use both to add DraftSight licenses to existing network license pools. DraftSight Enterprise integrates seamlessly with other Dassault Systèmes and SOLIDWORKS solutions and services, including SOLIDWORKS PDM and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
“The big word to us is value. There is a reason we chose DraftSight Enterprise with the network license and everything else.” DraftSight provides greater flexibility in licensing and directly integrates with Young Industries’ SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional product data management system. DraftSight Enterprise does exactly what we need. If I’m working with a customer that can’t use SOLIDWORKS, we use DraftSight to open the file, make changes, and communicate back and forth. It’s plugged into the network license server and SOLIDWORKS PDM system. It’s just easy.”
Ryan Vandine, Mechanical Designer at Young Industries.
Quick Transition to DraftSight
One of the foremost considerations when evaluating a new CAD solution revolves around preserving and potentially enhancing productivity levels. DraftSight excels here, offering an environment that exudes familiarity, allowing for rapid acclimatisation for your team within a matter of hours, rather than days.
The transition to DraftSight is seamless, thanks to its user-friendly interface that mirrors the look, feel, and functionality of other CAD software platforms. Your team’s established workflow should easily adapt since the same commands still work within DraftSight. Your pre-existing Dynamic Blocks, personalised configurations, keyboard shortcuts, layer state files, Sheet Set Manager files, LISP routines, and Script files integrate into the system.
Not all design tasks require the power and functionality of SOLIDWORKS. Sometimes a 2D CAD solution is required. Whether you are student, professor, small business owner, machinist on the shop floor or a designer in a huge engineering firm; having an easy to use design tool with a familiar interface and an intuitive workflow is needed now more than ever.
Advantages of DraftSight vs AutoCAD
One of the clear advantages of DraftSight is the lower price point – but that’s not all.
- DraftSight runs natively with DWG and DXF files, supporting the latest format and all the way back to R12.
- Transitioning from AutoCAD is a breeze. The interface is very similar to AutoCAD, so it won’t take long to get acquainted with a few new icons.
- Although some commands are different, DraftSight made aliases match the AutoCAD commands. For example E or Erase will start the Delete command, PU or Purge will start the Clean command, Osnap will start the Esnap command.
- The DraftSight user interface can be streamlined to how you like to work. There’s the more modern ribbon interface, but users can switch to the classic toolbar and pull down menus.
- Because DraftSight isn’t pushing 40 years old like other 2D CAD software, DraftSight has been built with the latest technology and the underlying code is much lighter, and more nimble.
- DraftSight supports Windows and Mac operating systems.
DraftSight Enterprise and Enterprise Plus
Both DraftSight Enterprise (£309 ex. VAT per year) and DraftSight Enterprise Plus (£542 ex.VAT per year) feature network licensing. A deployment tool helps IT teams install on multiple systems more easily.
3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight
3DEXPERIENCE DraftSight brings you all the functionality of DraftSight Premium, but adds connectivity to the 3DEXPERIENCE cloud platform. This means team collaboration, data management, and project planning which are all interconnected to your DWG format data.
Find out more about DraftSight over at CAD Software Direct .com