A welding simulator rehearses torch motion on a virtual coupon. DimeVision reads a photo of a real bead.
Use a simulator, a free app, or a game to practice your hands before you strike an arc. Use the DimeVision welding app after you have a bead on metal: defect callouts, and what to fix on the next pass.
They answer different questions. They work better together than as substitutes. DimeVision is a practice aid. It does not accept a weld, and it does not qualify you.
What a simulator is for
Motion, distance, and travel speed on a virtual joint. Booth rigs add a torch-shaped tool and a virtual puddle. A free phone app and a browser game do a thinner version of the same idea. None of them are looking at your plate. The rigs are on the VR welding simulator page. The free options are on the free welding simulator page. Screen games are on the welding games page.
What a DimeVision scan is for
A photo of the bead you ran. Callouts for visible issues such as porosity, undercut, spatter, or cold lap, when the photo shows them. A next-pass note that tells you the one change to try. It does not move the torch for you, and it does not replace hood time. The steps are on how a DimeVision scan works.
How to use them together
- Rehearse on a simulator or a game if that is what you have.
- Weld a coupon.
- Photograph the bead and scan it.
- Change one thing. Run another pass.
The longer look at simulator apps is the welding simulator apps review.
What DimeVision costs
Free is 3 scans a day. Pro is $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year to save scans to your logbook and portfolio, plus Danny text chat past the free daily cap. A separate 7-day plan is $14 one-time. Plan details are on pricing.
Key facts
- Simulator
- Virtual hands. Torch motion, and on a rig, a virtual puddle.
- DimeVision
- Photo of a real bead. Defect callouts and one next-pass change.
- Free
- 3 scans a day.
- Pro
- $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year.
- What it is not
- A practice aid. It does not accept a weld, and it does not qualify you.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Is DimeVision a welding simulator?
No. A simulator rehearses torch motion on a virtual coupon. DimeVision reads a photo of a bead you already ran and names the visible defects plus one next-pass change.
Can I use a simulator and DimeVision together?
Yes. Rehearse the hands on the simulator or the game, weld a coupon, then scan the photo. Change one thing and run another pass.
What can a simulator show that a photo scan cannot?
The motion while you are still holding the torch: angle, distance, and travel speed on a virtual joint. A photo scan only sees the bead after you stop.
What can a photo scan show that a simulator cannot?
Visible defects on the metal you actually welded, such as porosity, undercut, spatter, or cold lap, plus one change to try on the next pass.