We no longer have subscription services with Solidworks.
We are currently using SW 2022 SP5
we are able to go to either SW2023 SP5 or as high as SW2024 SP4 (our subscription service ended before SP5 was released)
Does anyone have any recommendations on which we should upgrade to?
Should also mention that we do not use PLM if that changes anything.
Thanks.
Mark
I’m on 2023 SP4, we went to SP5 but had some minor issues. Some here are still on SP5 because they are less eccentric then me, most people haven’t had issues with SP5 as far as I’m aware.
If I were you, I’d test run both on the side and then flip the coin and hope that you chose the one with the least issue.
I didn’t notice any significant difference between 2022, 2023 or 2024. Unless you have a good reason to change, I would stay on 2022.
I probably would not go to SW2024 SP4. There was an issue with sketches not staying absorbed when using Hole Wizard. Then when you upgraded to SP5 I believe the only way to fix the issue was to delete the hole wizard feature from the part & recreate it.
https://forum.cadmunity.com/t/fyi-2024-sp04-is-now-available-for-download/3254/1
Edited to correct above link.
If I leap frogged SP4 i.e. went from SP2 to SP5, would that circumnavigates the issues mentioned? Sheesh, it’s like a minefield. Exchange one fix for a new bug.
I believe so.
As far as I, yes.
Do you work with drawings much, and if yes, do you often want to move the end of dimension extension lines? If you answered yes to that one, be aware that the new “enhancement” introduced in SW2024 changed the way that dangling dimensions are re-attached, and in doing that they removed the ability to adjust the end of the extension lines.
Maybe some people like it, but in my opinion we were better off without that particular enhancement. In recent years the development people have gotten better about not fixing one thing and breaking another one, but they missed this one.
I wholeheartedly agree with this assertion. 2022SP5.0 is good as has gotten since 2014SP5.0. (2016 wasn’t horrible if you didn’t mind the contentious icon colour changes.)
I am currently trialling 2024SP2.0. Not impressed. There are a couple issues that displease me.
(Despite asking for 2 years now in the top ten for escape to cancel any command, escape no longer closes the measure tool. 
)
This does annoy me. I’m used to only having to delete the dim and redo if BOTH ends were detatched.
But now I don’t even bother to try re-attach any that are brown, just delete and redo.
Sounding like I should just stay as I am. Not surprising really .. that’s why we stopped paying for subscription services. there are 2 full years of new Solidworks above what we are using .. and no real advantage on using them at all. Makes me feel really good about the decision not to continue paying for it. Thanks for all of the feedback everyone. really appreciate it.
I also agree that 2022 SP5 is extremely stable and reliable.
I’m on 2023 SP5 and have not noticed any huge issues in my workflow.
We are currently discussing dropping our support next month when it come up for renewal. With special deals on new seats all the time it’s cheaper appears to be cheaper to go 4 or 5 years then buy new licenses, only thing we don’t know is when they might do away with standalone seats and go all subscription.
If you buy a new licence you can’t buy just one year of subscription anymore, you have to buy multiple years. You will be tying a lot of money up for services you haven’t had yet. When you look at current interest rates and potential cost of financing those special offers don’t look so good.
They looked a lot better when interest rates were rock bottom.