Free CAD Software for Displaced Engineers

It seems longtime CAD rivals Autodesk and SolidWorks are in agreement on one thing—it’s a good idea to give your software away for free to displaced engineers and designers.

Autodesk’s implementation of this policy is called the Autodesk Assistence Program (launched this week).  If you’re one of the people who’ve recently been laid off, Autodesk suggests you “invest in yourself by increasing your knowledge and expanding your skills.”

Autodesk’s program gives you access to a free student license (usually good for 13 months) of AutoCAD, Revit Architecture, Autodesk Inventor Professional, and/or AutoCAD Civil 3D software. To qualify, you’ll need to apply and let Autodesk verify your employment status with your former employer’s HR department.

In addition to the software, you also get free online training, discounted classroom training, and discounted certification offer.

SolidWorks’ version is called the SolidWorks Engineering Stimulus Package (first launched in February at SolidWorks World). The package is available to “any U.S. or Canadian resident seeking to develop, upgrade, or refresh the valuable 3D CAD skills that employers need.”

Under this program, you get to download the SolidWorks Student Design Kit, which includes the standard SolidWorks software (good for 90 days). The Engineering Stimulus Package portal offers little or no information on the qualification process, which suggests SolidWorks isn’t too strict about who downloads the software.

Files created in the software acquired from this program are watermarked, effectively barring you from commercial use. You also need to carefully pick the workstation to install the Engineering Stimulus Package software, as it will “node-locked onto the first computer on which you install it,” according to the FAQs.

Currently, at the job posting site Monster.com, a keyword search for SolidWorks returns 487 posts, for Inventor 165, and for AutoCAD 1,713.

Soon, some Autodesk employees could be competing for these CAD-related jobs too. The CAD software giant had already announced plans to reduce operating costs by about $130 million a year. Last week, it revealed plans to further cut costs by $100-150 million more annually. The initiatives will involve cutting discretionary spending, consolidating facilities, and cutting jobs.

The one hiring Autodesk recently made was Mark J. Hawkins. Leaving his post as the CFO of Logitech International, Hawkins takes up his new post as Autodesk executive VP and CFO on April 27.