I am currently using SOLIDWORKS connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform (PowerBy and Solidworks Connected). I am writing to ask for advice regarding a critical issue I’ve encountered while using the Product Structure Editor (PAU) web application.
1. The Issue When I modify a SOLIDWORKS assembly (Physical Product) structure within the PAU web app—specifically performing actions like Reordering or simple Copy & Paste of components—the original file becomes corrupted. Subsequently, when I try to open this assembly back in the desktop SOLIDWORKS application, it fails to load or throws an error.
2. Response from Technical Support (VAR) I reached out to my local support team regarding this, and they provided the following explanation:
"Because SOLIDWORKS is file-based and was developed before the Platform, there are structural limitations in how 'PowerBy' handles these files. Modifying the structure order in PAU inevitably breaks the SOLIDWORKS file schema. Therefore, users should NOT use PAU for structural changes. All structure edits must be done within the SOLIDWORKS desktop application only."
3. Confusion regarding the "3DEXPERIENCE Works" Portfolio This response was quite confusing and disappointing. Since these tools are marketed under the "3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio," I naturally assumed that compatibility between the Web Apps (like PAU) and SOLIDWORKS was fully verified and guaranteed.
If the core data management app destroys the integrity of the CAD data, it seems to contradict the purpose of a unified portfolio.
4. My Question to the Community I would like to ask the experts and experienced users here:
- Is this really a known limitation (Working as Designed)? Is it generally accepted in the community that PAU should not be used for editing SOLIDWORKS assembly structures?
- Does anyone successfully use PAU to reorder or add parts to SOLIDWORKS assemblies without corrupting the CAD data?
I am trying to determine if this is a fundamental flaw in the software integration or if there might be an issue with our specific tenant/environment configuration.
Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.
