In this page, you will learn how to access and utilize the SOLIDWORKS AI Virtual Companions.
Virtual Companions embed intelligence directly into your SOLIDWORKS Design session, guiding ideas, taking action, fixing issues, and helping you make decisions across design, simulation, and manufacturing. These Virtual Companions function as intelligent assistants that understand your design intent, automate routine operations, and provide predictive insights to keep your design projects on schedule and, most importantly, give you back time.
How To
The Virtual Companions can be accessed directly within SOLIDWORKS Design or from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using the 3DSwym application.
Using SOLIDWORKS Design, Virtual Companions, and AI capabilities can be accessed through the SOLIDWORKS AI Labs tab in the Task Pane
In the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you can access the 3DSwym application on the Communities tab of your SOLIDWORKS Role Cockpit. 3DSwym provides access to the Virtual Companions outside of your SOLIDWORKS Design session.
Your Virtual Companions
SOLIDWORKS Design roles provide access to two AI virtual companions. Each brings their own set of specialist competencies and skills.
AURA:
AURA is focused on connecting SOLIDWORKS users with knowledge and know-how to inspire and guide the product development process and will explore and analyze Web knowledge, adding new perspectives to your work.
LEO:
LEO is your AI engineering companion specializing in mechanical design and simulation. LEO takes your prompts from within SOLIDWORKS Design to help you with day-to-day design activities, streamlining your workflows, and providing insights. for example, generating assembly structures, converting images to mesh, adding parametric features to STEP files, evaluating assemblies, resolving design errors, and many more.
Note: There are many capabilities provided by the Virtual Companions that do not require your SOLIDWORKS Design data to be saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. However additional skills are available when your design data is stored in the cloud, for example Feature Generator.
Prerequisites and Setup
To access the Virtual Companions, you will need access to a recent version of SOLIDWORKS Design and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
- SOLIDWORKS Design (Named-User License)
- SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services (Device-Locked License)
- Have the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS role granted to you
- Install the Design with SOLIDWORKS application
Note: Version 2026 SP02 or later is required to use the Virtual Companions in SOLIDWORKS Design
Guidance on how to install can be found in the Install Your Roles and Applications section of the Getting Started Guide.
Using Your AI Virtual Companions
Accessing Virtual Companions in SOLIDWORKS Design
To access the AI Virtual Companions, first, your SOLIDWORKS Design session must be logged in to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Access your platform here: https://eu1-ifwe.3dexperience.3ds.com/
If you are using SOLIDWORKS with Cloud Services (Device-Locked License), launch SOLIDWORKS Design using the Open button on the Design with SOLIDWORKS panel in the Welcome app or directly via a Windows shortcut.
If you are using the SOLIDWORKS Design role (Named-User License), launch SOLIDWORKS Design from either the Welcome App or a shortcut on your Windows Desktop.
After SOLIDWORKS Design has loaded and connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the AI Labs tab in the Task Pane provides quick access to the AI Virtual Companions. On this tab your can find specific AI-powered skills to help you with specific design tasks.
Note: At SOLIDWORKS Design release 2026 SP02, the skills located on the AI Labs tab are currently in Beta.
Using the AI Virtual Companions in SOLIDWORKS Design
The AI Labs tab provides a set of preconfigured AI Skills to assist you with daily design tasks. Selecting a skill will start a new conversation with your Virtual Companion. The Virtual Companion (AURA, or LEO) best suited to the task will be automatically selected for you.
AI Skills and Capabilities in SOLIDWORKS Design
SOLIDWORKS Insight
Selecting SOLIDWORKS Insight starts a new conversation with AURA in the AI Labs Task Pane.
Start writing your prompt to use the SOLIDWORKS Insight to ask questions to reveal best practices and receive comprehensive SOLIDWORKS help and guidance.
Other Mechanical Designer Skills
All of the mechanical designer features, with the exception of SOLIDWORKS Insight, utilize the LEO virtual companion. Selecting one of these skills, for example, Sketch Doctor and Drawing Creation, will automatically start a new conversation with LEO. The conversation will be related to the part, assembly, or drawing that you currently have loaded in session. LEO will prompt you to provide the necessary information to help assist with the chosen design task.
To learn more about how you can benefit from all of the available skills go to the What's New in SOLIDWORKS Design for 2026x FD02 using the link below.
Accessing AI Virtual Companions Outside of SOLIDWORKS Design
Your Virtual Companion conversations can be accessed outside of SOLIDWORKS Design from the 3DSwym application on the Communities tab of both the SOLIDWORKS Design & Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS role cockpits
By using Virtual Companions via your role cockpit, you ask questions related to best practices without launching SOLIDWORKS Design. You can also ask AURA to reveal knowledge and Know-how insights from your internal 3DSwym communities.
AURA is available outside of SOLIDWORKS Design. As LEO's AI skills utilize your designs or drawings that are currently loaded in your SOLIDWORKS Design session, LEO is only accessible inside SOLIDWORKS Design via the AI labs Task Pane tab.
Next Steps
| Investigate how to: Share your designs with anyone and Store and Manage your SOLIDWORKS Designs on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform | |
| 🏃♀️ Getting Started Guide Home | |
