Will Autodesk Show High-End MCAD Soon?

Autodesk has a broad range of CAD software, but seriously lacks a high-end MCAD package, along the lines of Catia. The gap becomes obvious when you compare the offerings from Autodesk and its MCAD competitors:

Vendor -- Mid-range -- High-end
U G S -- Solid Edge -- NX
P T C -- Pro/E F.A. -- Flex3C
Dassault -- SolidWorks -- Catia
Autodesk -- Inventor -- nothing

With a new, tech-oriented CEO soon in place, I anticipate Autodesk announcing its high-end, Inventor-compatible MCAD package in March -- to match its high-end visualization acquired from Alias.

Update

Autodesk says that Inventor is their MCAD, period:

"From an Autodesk perspective, it is not Inventor-or-nothing. It's Inventor -- period. Inventor already delivers what users need to do their jobs today, and the so-called 'gap' with the high-end is more a ploy for justifying the prices of products that grew up on UNIX (while apologizing for the short comings of their user interfaces and workflows)."

Comments

[Jason]

If anything, I see Autodesk pushing SolidWorks into the "High end" as well since they are neck and neck and at each other's throats.

The next acquisition for Autodesk is most likely going to be manufacturing (CAM) related. This means pushing Solidworks to do the same...or perhaps Solidworks may try to jump the gun and purchase someone before Autodesk does...CAMWorks anyone?

I mean, look at the recent SWWorld announcement. CosmosMotion will be added to Solidworks Premium at no additional cost. Why cause Autodesk bought a product to add to IV Pro that does motion.

Question is cost and packaging. Autodesk upset their customers be adding the "Pro" version after telling them that IV would be all they ever needed. CAM programs aren't cheap. Can they just afford to add it to "Pro"? Do these CAM people even really need the rest of what's in the package.

SolidWorks already has an "OEM" version it allows venders to "bundle" so that their customers don't have to purchase a seat of Solidworks. I think it's limited to parts and/or assemblies, no drawings.

[Karl]

I agree with Jason, Inventor Pro is a high as it gets. If Autodesk gets a high-end system, they won't wait to build one up over the years, they buy something and then Autodeskize it. Has anyone checked the classifieds to see whats available?

[Jason]

Don't hold your breath guys.....where are they gonna pull this "high end" system from...mid-air.

All the high-end systems started small and worked their way there.

If anything, the mid range systems are becoming more high-end, and they are including stuff for alower price. Look at Solidworks Premium now, for $8000 ($2000 maint) you get all Solidworks add-ins plus PDM, routing, FEA, and now Motion analysis.

The same set of tools in Catia or UG would cost 4x that.

[Leonard Bordian]

I happen to agree with Ralph here. I was privileged to see the 'RUBICON' years ago. And since then been working with Inventor. What would the 'High-End' Autodesk MCAD product be call? Hmmm...

[Evan Yares]

Do you have some inside scoop on this, Ralph?

"High-end" in the MCAD world is a nebulous concept. It's not something you can decide to do one day -- rather, it's the result of years of development work, adding capabilities that only a limited number of aerospace and automotive manufacturers are going to need. High-end systems, by their nature, have hundreds of specialty modules.