CREO Parametric is cad-cam software widely used for product design and assembly.

It is differing from
AutoCAD in such a way that it is based on Parametric (expressed in terms of parameter) which affect
the actual part. For example let us consider a line drawn in AutoCAD and CREO both. Now if we change
the dimensions of the line then in AutoCAD it will not affect the line but in CREO it will also change the
line.

PTC Creo provides an amazing ability to work with and edit data from any CAD source. This means no
recreating designs because of incompatible data, and no need to ask your partners or customers to
change CAD software systems. Engine toolkits dramatically simplifes the modeling and analysis of the
major components of internal combustion engine systems, such as valves, pistons and crankshafts. This
allows you to create and analyze highly realistic engine models quickly and easily.

Creo is made for 3D modelling . 3D modelling is used majorly to see how your product will look like
before actual manufacturing. So obviously it is more advantageous to go for Creo.

In comparison with AutoCAD which is mainly used to generate 2D drawings, is better to go for Creo. In
AutoCAD there are only few commands by which you can generate 3D parts. But assembly is not
possible in AutoCAD which is possible in Creo.

As others have already told Creo is parametric means it has few advantages:

If you change any dimension value in drawing of any part Creo will pass this value to your 3D part and it
will get updated.

No need to create bill of material which is basic manufacturing requirement, whereas you need to
create it manually in AutoCAD.

You can use relations easily in Creo (which is inbuilt feature of any part created inside Creo), but you
have to establish this feature in AutoCAD manually.

Interference check : Like if two parts are having relative movement from connector they should not
collide with each other at any moment. This you can check in Creo not in AutoCAD.

Mechanism working model video is possible in Creo not in AutoCAD.

These are few main reasons which I have highlighted here, likewise there are many other.

Ultimately is the user who decides which software to use for particular purpose.
AutoCAD has its own advantages like:

You can do modeling easily for conceptual drawings which do not required much detailing. This is time
consuming activity in Creo.

Your drawings detailing is very easy in AutoCAD but is somewhat difficult in Creo.

So I will advise you to learn at least one 3D software and one 2D software. This will give you detailed
comparison and you can select the platform according to your requirement. It is not always the case that
you need to go for 3D all the time, but yes it is always better to do modeling in 3D.

Pros:

AutoCAD is perfect to use when the graphic representation of objects are shown in multiple drawing
locations. Then this graphic can be changed once and all occurrences will be automatically updated.

Using AutoCAD to draw plans is so much more efficient than drawing by hand. This is especially true
when it comes to having to make changes. Everything can be done on the computer. There's no need to
redraw or retrace the plan because with one command it's so easy to just make a digital copy of it.

AutoCAD supports not only two-dimensional drawings but also three-dimensional drawings. With a
three dimensional model, a user can actually create walk through and flybys of the project instead of
having to create a physical model.

PTC Creo contains many advanced tools with better optimization for creating part models and other
production related drawings.

The initial concept designs can be done more adequately.

The parameters of 2D drawings can be changed easily by editing the 3D model.

The productivity can be increased by customized tools for modeling.

Cons:

The biggest downside of AutoCAD is absolutely the complexity of the product. Gaining proficiency (in my
opinion) requires an in-person class with a skilled instructor that can guide a beginner.

You need a pretty beefy machine with a newer-generation processor and top-notch video card to really
use AutoCAD. Don't assume you can run it on just anything, as it will take forever for files to load and
rendering will mean a lot of waiting around otherwise. We use machines that are well suited for high-
end gaming with 256GB of RAM and a multi-processor CPU motherboard, plus dual video cards, so it's
not cheap, but time is money so its worth it.
You also need much larger than normal displays (like with any type of drawing work) and with a 4K/60hz
resolution to reduce eye strain. Once again, not inexpensive but necessary.

Creo:

Drawing creation is bit difficult for the user.

User interface can be more user-friendly.

Units and Basic Datum Geometry Setups:

Units Setup

When starting a new model, the first thing we should do is to choose the set of units we want to
use.

1. Use the left-mouse-button and select File in the pull down menu area.
2. Use the left-mouse-button and select Prepare in the pull-down list as shown.
3. Select Model Properties in the expanded list as shown.
4. Select the Change option that is to the right of the Units option in the Model Properties
window.
5. In the Units Manager – Systems of Units form, the Creo Parametric default setting Inch lbm
second is displayed. The set of units is stored with the model file when you save. Pick
desired units by clicking in the list window as shown.
6. Click on the Set button to accept the selection. Notice the arrow in the Units list now points
toward the desired units set.
7. In the Changing Model Units dialog box, click on the OK button to accept the default option
to change the units.
8. Note that Creo Parametric allows us to change model units even after the model has been
constructed; we can change the units by (1) Convert dimensions or (2) Interpret dimensions.
9. Click on the Close button to exit the Units Manager dialog box.
10. Pick Close to exit the Model Properties window.

Adding the First Part Features – Datum Planes:

CREO Parametric provides many powerful tools for model creation. In doing feature based parametric
modeling, it is a good practice to establish three reference planes to locate the part in space. The
reference planes can be used as location references in feature constructions.

1. Move the cursor to the Datum toolbar on the Ribbon toolbar and click on the Datum Plane tool
icon as shown.
2. In the Navigator Model Tree window and the display area, three datum planes represented by
three rectangles are displayed. Datum planes are infinite planes and they are perpendicular to
each other. We can consider these planes as XY, YZ, and ZX planes of a Cartesian coordinate
system.
 3. Click the model name, in the Navigator window to deselect the last created feature.

In CREO Parametric, the parametric part modeling process involves the following steps:

 Set up Units and Basic Datum Geometry.

 Determine the type of the base feature, the first solid feature, of the design.
 Note that Extrude, Revolve, or Sweep operations are the most common types of base features.
 Create a rough two-dimensional sketch of the basic shape of the base feature of the design.
 Apply/modify constraints and dimensions to the two-dimensional sketch.
 Transform the two-dimensional parametric sketch into a 3D feature.
 Add additional parametric features by identifying feature relations and complete the design.
 Perform analyses/simulations, such as finite element analysis (FEA) or cutter path generation
(CNC), on the computer model and refine the design as needed.
 Document the design by creating the desired 2D/3D drawings.