Hi
I'm running Alibre PE 12.1 - what used to be the 'free' version but is now selling for ~$99. getting the yearly maintenance is advised.
Yes, it works very well - similar to the older and very expensive Pro-E, Solid-Edge and Solid-Works. You can upgrade the PE version to the pro and Expert versions.
What no-one has mentioned yet is actually it's greatest feature". It is parametric. Systems without that feature are now dead. What 'parametric' means is that you no longer have to worry about getting the dimensions exactly right at the start: you can alter them later. So if you made the hole 4.5 mm dia, but found out later it should really be 4.8 mm (sorry - we are metric here), then all you have to do is click on the dimension and change it. The model adjusts automatically.
Another great feature is that you can re-order the steps used to make the model. Suppose you filleted the corners (that is done almost automatically, with blending), but later on found you want to do something in the region of a fillet. Well, go ahead and do it after the fillet step, then move the fillet step (in the list of operations) to a place after your new addition. The filleting will then take into account the extra step you have added. Yes, it will look a bit different - as it should.
In general you no longer have to get things exactly right, and you no longer have to think 'plan and elevation'. Instead you think 'solid object' and 'operation'. The software converts those into the model. It can become addictive ...
Cheers
