BabaJI am not really sure why people are saying that DM modeling sucks
It depends on what the user is aiming for.
For myself I like to create models that are dimension/measurement related forms to each other, that are also organic for the purposes of 3d printing.
I've used SolidWorks and Rhino and I know those programs could be considered more parametric but that doesn't mean knowing the tools you can't take a DM approach with that software; which I have done.
I found, especially with SolidWorks so many things are much easier to set up and do, both from viewing things in terms of an aesthetic viewpoint and establishing dimenstional relationships, e.g. the ease to set up very quickly, save by name for resuse - contruction planes which are synonemous with view planes. Along with drawing tools to create things like tangents and perpendiculars to curves, etc. from those viewing/construction planes. It makes it so easy for a very refined and 'absolute' dimensioned design - rather than doing some perspective viewing for a 'good enough' approximation. From my experience in the end, the difference between the two products designed/modelled that each software allows for is small but noticable. It takes much more work in Houdini to get your own tools refined enough so that the price point makes it worth the while ( 300 Indie vs 6k SW). And that is where I am, still developing my own tools and refining the approach to take with Houdini. It's a good thing I like fidgeting around making tools. Also once the tools are refined and you have your workflow established - You don't have to do it again, and can enjoy modelling at a much lower price point for the software.
One thing I do miss is SolidWorks awesome capacity to fillet, bevel and chamfer smoothly across very complex geometry that also changes in size; even with Rhino I found it's capacity can be missing in that department in comparison.
Unfortunately, I never had a chance to play with SW. On the other hand, that's the software exclusively made for modeling in more precision and CAD, so I would expect it's simply a better experience, in Houdini on the other hand you have more aspects to consider than just one. Houdini definitely shines in many aspects but it's not perfect as all other DCCs, in the end, you use what suits you the most and what you find fun to use. I choose Houdini after almost a decade with C4D for few reasons. Inide license and price of it, fact that SideFX is a still private company and on top of that, it's truly a DCC that can do so much more with the vanilla stuff than any other DCC. For all other DCCs you need a lot of plugins to be able to do what you can do with Houdini, so for me, it was really an easy decision, and on top of that even the fact that it was more technical at the beginning I knew Ill benefit later on and simply know more in technical terms of 3D which is a win-win combination due to my daily job and personal future development as QA and artis. In the end, it's all good fun especially when you are at the point where you finally get to understand the nature of the beast such as Houdini. I've been hearing over and over how Houdini is super technical, but I found that it doesn't have to be and it's just a totally different approach to everything which comes with a big advantage and some disadvantages.
Ans an update: