Introduction

Before saving any files from SOLIDWORKS Design to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, it is important that the SOLIDWORKS environment is configured to meet the customer’s requirements.  A poorly configured environment can result in unexpected or unintended behaviour when using SOLIDWORKS Design.

The following sections cover the key SOLIDWORKS configuration topics that need to be considered to ensure that you and your design team start on the right track from day one. These apply to both the SOLIDWORKS Design and the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS roles.

SOLIDWORKS MySession Settings

The SOLIDWORKS Design MySession settings provide the ability to configure the open and save behaviour on each user’s workstation. In order to have the best experience, it’s important that all users understand these options and how they affect the behavior of SOLIDWORKS. When teams of users are working together on the same project, it’s important that the settings chosen are consistent across all workstations to avoid unexpected behavior.

The MySession options are located on the Tools tab of the MySession toolbar.

The following two graphics explain the recommended MySession option settings.

Open Options

Save Options

MySession Options

For more information related to the MySession options, please refer to the 3DEXPERIENCE online documentation here. 

Managing SOLIDWORKS Design System Options in the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

In a situation where a user’s SOLIDWORKS Design system options are controlled by an administrator via an sldsettings file, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can be used to store and manage the settings file. Managing the sldsettings file in 3DEXPERIENCE removes the need to store it on an in-house server and provides a quick and easy way to deploy standardized SOLIDWORKS settings to multiple users at a company. 

A sldsettings file is generated using the Settings Administrator utility. For customers using SOLIDWORKS Design, the utility is located in the SOLIDWORKS installation folder. For customers using SOLIDWORKS Design desktop and the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS role, the utility is located in the SOLIDWORKS administrative image.

A sldsettings file is managed in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform by uploading it to the SOLIDWORKS settings area located on the CAD Collaboration tab in Collaborative Spaces Configuration Center. 

The settings file will be automatically downloaded to each user’s workstation when SOLIDWORKS is launched, connected to their 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The settings file from 3DEXPERIENCE will override the user's local SOLIDWORKS system options.

Storing SOLIDWORKS Templates in 3DEXPERIENCE

SOLIDWORKS templates are a method of enabling all users at a company to work together using consistent SOLIDWORKS settings and defined drawing standards. If you are an existing SOLIDWORKS user adopting 3DEXPERIENCE, storing templates in the platform allows you to maintain that consistency of settings and standards with some added benefits.

Security, storing SOLIDWORKS templates in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides control over who can modify and delete templates. This is important for customers operating in tightly regulated industries where drawings have to adhere to strict standards, and for customers working concurrently on large assemblies where having consistent settings across all users will enable everyone to work in the most efficient way.

Storing and managing SOLIDWORKS templates in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides the additional benefit of lowering administration overhead. Templates don’t need to be backed up from a server, and any modifications can be immediately made available to all users in a company, which can be a big benefit to customers both large and small.

The process of uploading Part, Assembly, or Drawing templates is the same as a regular SOLIDWORKS Design file. When opened in SOLIDWORKS Design, a template is saved to a collaborative space using the MySession save. However, there are a few subtle differences. Templates are recognized as their own object type, which is XCAD Template. During the save, the user is offered the option of either creating the template in the Released maturity state, making it available to all users, or in the Private maturity state, where it will only be accessible to the person saving. Any templates saved in the Private state can always be promoted later to Released if required.

Once saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, templates can be revised and modified. Who can modify and when will depend on a user’s collaborative space permissions and the maturity state of the template. Templates can be deleted from a collaborative space using exactly the same methods as a Physical Product using either the 3DSearch, Bookmarks Editor, or Collaborative Lifecycle widgets.

For more information and guidance on this topic, please refer to the 3DEXPERIENCE SolidPractices guide titled Storing Templates.

Working with SOLIDWORKS Design Properties and 3DEXPERIENCE Attributes

The majority of SOLIDWORKS Design users adopting the 3DEXPERIENCE platform will be used to storing their files in a folder structure. The folder structure will typically follow a naming convention, for example, project names, and users will either search or browse the folder structure to find and open content.

An existing SOLIDWORKS user’s experience of using attributes will be in the form of SOLIDWORKS Properties. Properties are typically used to capture information and display it in a drawing parts list and title block. Common properties could be, for example, part number, material, weight, supplier, etc. For many customers, especially those who are not using SOLIDWORKS PDM, their usage of property information will not extend to anything more than this.

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform utilizes a different approach to organising content, which is based around searching and filtering using attributes. SOLIDWORKS Design content is stored in a collaborative space, which is a flat structure. Different apps provide the user with views of their content depending on what they need, for example, a folder-style view in Bookmarks Editor, or interrogating an assembly structure using Product Explorer. No matter which of these apps is used to navigate content, attributes are used to enable the user to rapidly drill down, or “filter” their view to get to specific information. This helps users make more informed product development decisions.

It is a different concept from using Windows folders, and it can take a little time to reprogram from thinking in terms of folders. However, once you do, this approach offers a faster and more efficient method of interrogating design or project information.

Attributes from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can be mapped to SOLIDWORKS Design parts, assemblies, and drawings. There are two types: PLM attributes, for example, Revision and Maturity, which are available without any setup, or user-defined attributes from an object (Physical Product, Drawing). Likewise, SOLIDWORKS Design properties can be mapped to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. This is useful for passing property values to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that are generated by SOLIDWORKS Design, for example, Material.

When configuring attribute mapping from SOLIDWORKS Design, you must be familiar with the concept of CAD Family vs Physical Product in relation to SOLIDWORKS Parts and Assemblies. Any properties defined in SOLIDWORKS Design must be stored on the configuration-specific tab. Configuration-specific properties map to the related Physical Product and, therefore, will be searchable and visible in all of the 3DEXPERIENCE web apps.

For a comprehensive overview of how to configure attribute mapping with recommended best practices, please refer to the 3DEXPERIENCE SolidPractices guide, Attribute Mapping for SOLIDWORKS.

Configuring the SOLIDWORKS Design Library for 3DEXPERIENCE

The SOLIDWORKS Design Library tab in the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane provides a central location for reusable design elements such as parts, assemblies, and sketches. Traditionally, the Design Library displays subfolders and their contents located on a local or network drive.

Companies adopting the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can store their Design Library parts and assemblies in a collaborative space and organize them using a Bookmark folder structure. This is called a Connected Design Library and is displayed in the Task Pane with a blue library icon.

Bookmarked parts and assemblies appear in a Connected Design Library as a hierarchy in the same way as a local folder structure, and can be downloaded to a local workstation on demand.

To create a Connected Design Library, first upload the desired library parts and assemblies to a collaborative space and organise them in a Bookmark folder structure. If the local files are currently organised in the desired folder structure, then it is recommended that the Batch Save to 3DEXPERIENCE Utility is used to upload the files, replicating the existing folder structure as Bookmarks. To avoid users unintentionally modifying the Design Library items, it is recommended that after the upload, the library items be promoted from “In Work” to the “Released” state if no further modifications (geometry, attributes, etc.) are required.

Once the upload is finished and items are organised in a Bookmark folder structure, to add a connected Design Library, do one of the following

• In the Task Pane, on the Design Library tab, click Add File Location
• In SOLIDWORKS Options > File Locations, show folders for Design Library and click Add

In the Choose Folder dialogue box, click Select from 3DEXPERIENCE.

Next, select a Bookmark folder to add to the library.

The Bookmark hierarchy appears in the Design Library as a Connected Design Library with a blue icon, ready to use.

Managing Design Library Content

For organisations that have a requirement to manage extensive component libraries, it’s recommended that a dedicated collaborative space be created and used for this purpose, and managed by a dedicated group of users. Consideration needs to be given to the Visibility type of Collaborative Space used to manage the library components, as each setting, Private, Protected, or Private will impact who in the company has access to the content.

Using a “Protected” Collaborative Space type provides a simple method of restricting access to Design Library components undergoing modification while in the In Work maturity state, followed by automatic exposure of the Design Library components to the wider business when they are promoted later to the Released state.

Configuring SOLIDWORKS Toolbox for 3DEXPERIENCE

It's common practice for companies using SOLIDWORKS Design Professional and Premium to be utilizing Toolbox for their standard parts library.

The Toolbox component library can be fully managed using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. It is important that you have a complete understanding of how to use Toolbox in the context of 3DEXPERIENCE.

General Recommendations for Configuring 3DEXPERIENCE and Toolbox

The majority of companies deploying Toolbox will be working in a multi-user environment. To ensure that every SOLIDWORKS Design user in your company is accessing one common environment, the Toolbox database and configuration files must be packaged together and then uploaded to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform by your platform administrator. The package file can be automatically created from step 6 in the Toolbox configuration utility.

The package file must then be uploaded to the SOLIDWORKS Settings area in the Collaborative Spaces Configuration Center under CAD Collaboration.

When a user launches SOLIDWORKS Design connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the Toolbox package file will be automatically downloaded to their workstation. The configuration files from the package will disable any local Toolbox configuration on the workstation and force the user to work with the 3DEXPERIENCE Toolbox configuration.

Before uploading Toolbox parts to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the default collaborative space and initial maturity state of uploaded Toolbox components can be configured from the Standard Libraries Management area of the Collaborative Spaces Configuration Center.

By default, the Collaborative Space for Toolbox components in a new 3DEXPERIENCE Tenant is set to Common Space. This will meet the needs of most design teams. However, for companies that want to control who can access Toolbox content and when, it is recommended that a dedicated Public Collaborative Space be created and used instead. If a design team starts out using the Common Space collaborative space but later decides that more access control is required, the existing Toolbox components can be moved from Common Space to another. However, be aware that if the target Collaborative Space has a different security context, e.g. Public Vs Private, it will restrict some users' access to the Toolbox components.

All uploaded Toolbox components by default are automatically promoted to the Released maturity state.  While this prevents people from modifying these components, it also restricts the ability of an administrator or library manager to edit the components and add additional information, for example, an Enterprise Item Number.

If Toolbox components need to be edited before being made available to the wider design team, then it's recommended that the default Maturity state be set to In_Work. When in the In Work state, Toolbox components can be modified and then promoted to the Released state as a separate operation.

For a comprehensive overview with recommended best practices, please refer to the SolidPractices guide titled Working with Toolbox.

Recommendations and Strategies for Using SOLIDWORKS Configurations

Before starting any new design project, it is important to choose the right strategy for working with SOLIDWORKS configurations. Failure to plan can result in many unwanted and unnecessary linked Physical Products being created when saving new parts and assemblies. The result of this can lead to an unnecessarily complex experience for both SOLIDWORKS and other 3DEXPERIENCE platform users, loss of revision and lifecycle flexibility, and, at worst, degraded SOLIDWORKS opening and saving performance due to the additional items and information being managed in session.

Taking the right approach will enable you and your design teams to maximize the benefits of working in the 3DEXPERIENCE right from the start.

Prototype and Production Parts and Assemblies

Recommended Strategy - One Physical Product per Part and Assembly File

It’s recommended that parts and assemblies designed and developed in-house for production should only have one SOLIDWORKS configuration converted to a Physical Product on save to 3DEXPERIENCE. This nominated SOLIDWORKS configuration should be configured to contain any key SOLIDWORKS properties related to engineering and manufacturing. 

The resulting Physical Product in 3DEXPERIENCE will represent a single engineering definition for that part and assembly, including the maturity state, Enterprise Item Number, plus any Physical Product-specific attributes.

There will still be use cases where additional configurations are required to aid design in SOLIDWORKS. These should be created as representation configurations so that Physical Products are not created when saving the file to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. 

For more information, please refer to the Part and Assembly Use Cases section of this guide.

In order to manage the two different configuration types, the SOLIDWORKS option “Update SOLIDWORKS files for compatibility with the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform” should be enabled for all users.

Maintaining one Physical Product configuration per SOLIDWORKS file reduces unnecessary complexity for all SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE users within an organization. 

For companies using SOLIDWORKS Design 2024 and later its recommended that the Remove CAD Family option is utilized so that only one Physical Product configuration can exist per file. Any additional SOLIDWORKS configurations will be automatically created as Representation configurations.

To help enforce this methodology for new designs, from SOLIDWORKS 2024 SP1, a SOLIDWORKS system option can be enabled to “allow a single physical product in new parts and assemblies. This option is on by default for new installations of SOLIDWORKS Design.

For companies using SOLIDWORKS 2023 or earlier, users will have to manually choose which SOLIDWORKS configuration to nominate as the Physical Product configuration. The platform administrator can't configure the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to force this to be the default behaviour. Therefore, it's important that users are well-trained and have a complete understanding of the recommended working practices detailed in this section of the guide.

Saving Pre-existing SOLIDWORKS Designs to 3DEXPERIENCE

For existing SOLIDWORKS users that are adopting the 3DEXPERIENCE platform its important to understand how configurations have been used in their Parts and Assembly files before saving any to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Due to their versatility its common practice for design teams to treat configurations as individual part numbers. In this scenario, time will need to be spent analysing the files (see configuration rules utility) and factored into any migration project.

If the intention is to maintain any part or assembly configurations as individually lifecycled engineering items, then those configurations must be split off into their own individual part and assembly files, each containing one Physical Product configuration only. Note, this is a manual process, but it can be automated using a SOLIDWORKS Design Macro. 

Understanding the Impact of maintaining Multiple Physical Product Configurations per part and assembly file

If a clearly defined single Physical Product configuration strategy for parts and assemblies is not put in place, then users can find themselves in the situation where multiple Physical Products are created for each file during the first save. Maintaining multiple Physical Product configurations per file can have several negative impacts on the user experience and SOLIDWORKS performance. 

• Multiple Physical Products representing one SOLIDWORKS part or assembly can make it difficult for users to easily identify which is the actual Physical Product that represents the engineering definition of the part or assembly file.
• Individual revision and lifecycle operations are applied to all the Physical Products related to a single part or assembly at the same time. It is not possible to have related Physical Products at different revisions or maturity states to one another.
• When opening or saving a SOLIDWORKS part or assembly that contains multiple Physical Product configurations, all of the attribute and lifecycle information for every Physical Product configuration is processed. This can negatively impact open and save performance in SOLIDWORKS.
• When a user deletes a Physical Product configuration from a part or assembly, this will cause an issue if that configuration is referenced in another assembly. In some cases, it may no longer be possible to open the referenced assembly in SOLIDWORKS Design from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, without removing that Physical Product from the product structure first. The Product Structure Editor or Engineering Release widgets.

Summary

Adopting the recommended SOLIDWORKS configuration strategy for prototype and production items outlined in this section will ensure that only one clearly defined engineering item will exist in 3DEXPERIENCE for each part and assembly. Taking this approach will enable you and your design teams to maximize the benefits of working in the 3DEXPERIENCE platform right from the start.

To learn more about working with configurations and how to tackle common customer use cases, please refer to the SolidPractices guide “Using SOLIDWORKS Configurations with the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform” located here.

Standard Library and Purchased Parts and Assemblies

Recommended Strategy

Externally purchased parts and assemblies can be treated differently from components designed in-house. Typically, purchased items are managed in a library and are not modified or revised by the engineers utilizing them in their designs. 

When deciding which SOLIDWORKS configuration strategy to take with purchased parts, please consider the following:

1. SOLIDWORKS part files with configurations that represent different size variations
   1. If there are 20 or fewer size configurations per part file, Physical Product configurations can be used without negatively affecting SOLIDWORKS performance.
   2. Greater than 20 configurations per part file, it's recommended that a single Physical Product configuration per file strategy be deployed to maximize SOLIDWORKS performance. Each size configuration will need to be saved out to its own individual part file.
      1. In this scenario Representation configurations must not be used to represent different size variations.             Representation configurations are not saved to 3DEXPERIENCE, and the size variation of the part will not be displayed in any of the 3DEXPERIENCE viewer widgets.
2. SOLIDWORKS Assembly files with configurations. For all assembly files its recommended that a single Physical Product configuration per file strategy is deployed. Each size configuration will need to be saved out to its own individual assembly file.

Summary

When deciding on which configuration strategy to deploy for SOLIDWORKS library parts, it’s important to ensure that the user experience is kept consistent. Keep to one strategy, and avoid having a mix of single and multiple Physical Product library parts. 

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