On 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.
Jump to Prerequisites and Setup
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 are accessed via two methods. Either by selecting the Virtual Companions icon from the Quick Access Tools. The Quick Access Tools are located on either the Menu Bar or the Command Manager.
or by selecting the Virtual Companions tab in the Task Pane.
Note: The location of the Quick Access Tools is controlled via the Customize dialogue box.
The Customize dialogue is accessed by right mouse button click over any toolbar or Command Manager tab.
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 converting an imported BREP model into a fully featured one.
Prerequisites and Setup
To access the Virtual Companions, you will need access to your companies 3DEXPERIENCE platform and SOLIDWORKS Design.
- 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 SP3.2 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. If your 3DEXPERIENCE platform has not been activated, information on how to activate it for the first time is located in the Your First Steps on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform section of the 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 Virtual Companions tab in the Task Pane provides access to AURA and LEO. Click on this tab, and select a companion to start writing your first prompt.
Your First Steps Using the AI Virtual Companions in SOLIDWORKS Design
Using AURA for Accessing SOLIDWORKS Knowledge and Know How
AURA is focused on connecting SOLIDWORKS users with general knowledge and know-how. Use AURA for general guidance and best practices.
To get started, select AURA as your companion and then type your prompt in the Start Writing area at the bottom of the Task Pane.
Using LEO to Assist With SOLIDWORKS Design Tasks
LEO is available to assist you with day to day SOLIDWORKS design tasks.
First select LEO as the companion, and type your prompt in the Start Writing area at the bottom of the task pane. Using prompts to aid design in SOLIDWORKS although powerful is a different method of working compared with the traditional user experience of having to select commands.
To help you get the best response from LEO and become better acquainted with this new approach, a library of common prompts can be accessed by either clicking the Explore SOLIDWORKS AI icon at the top of the task pane or clicking the the Virtual Companion icon menu on the Quick Access Tools.
Selecting a category displays suggested prompts for a multitude of different design tasks.
Each category contains a comprehensive list of suggestions and at the start of their AI adoption journey, its recommended that you start by exploring each category one at a time.
The Engineering Guidance category provides a range of SOLIDWORKS Design prompts that are related to common design activities. This is a great place to start when you are a new user because the suggested prompts are relatable to day-to-day modelling challenges without requiring that you save their design work to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Selecting the Try This Prompt button for any of the prompt examples will automatically start a new conversation with LEO about that specific topic.
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.
Being familiar with these phrasing examples will also help you to start experimenting with your own prompts.
To learn more about how you can benefit from all of the available AI capabilities go to the What's New in SOLIDWORKS Design for 2026x FD03 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
Check out: AI Virtual Companion Use Cases Investigate how to: Share your designs with anyone and Store and Manage your SOLIDWORKS Designs on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform | |
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