Why link SOLIDWORKS properties to 3DEXPERIENCE attributes?

It is useful to map these SOLIDWORKS properties to their related 3DEXPERIENCE attributes, this will mean you only need to input information in one place, saving time and avoiding the risk of information going out of sync.

For example, if we have a “description” property in SOLIDWORKS, we can map that to the equivalent 3DEXPERIENCE attribute also called “description”.

How to enable 3DEXPERIENCE integration inside SOLIDWORKS

There is a useful setting when working with 3DEXPERIENCE attributes and SOLIDWORKS properties that you may want to enable.

This setting is found inside SOLIDWORKS inside ‘System Option > 3DEXPERIENCE Integration’, it is simply called ‘Enable 3DEXPERIENCE Integration’.

The main effect that this has it to cause part-level custom properties in SOLIDWORKS to map to a CAD Family item inside 3DEXPERIENCE, and to cause configuration-specific properties to map to a Physical Product item in 3DEXPERIENCE.

For this guide we will work with configuration-specific properties inside SOLIDWORKS and their related physical product attributes inside 3DEXPERIENCE.

How to check 3DEXPERIENCE attribute settings

Before making any changes you should check how your 3DEXPERIENCE attributes are currently configured. To do so use the Platform Manager role to access the Collaborative Spaces Control Center and then select Attribute Management.

In this case we want to view the physical property type, selecting it will display a list of all of the existing attributes. From this screen you can add, edit or delete attributes.

3DEXPERIENCE attributes list for physical products

Adding new 3DEXPERIENCE Attributes

To add a new attribute click the + icon in the top right of the window. When adding a new attribute, you can choose from a list of attribute types including string, boolean, integer, real and date. Most often we work with string attributes for plain text.

If you want a property’s values to be chosen from a drop-down list then you can specify options by entering options into the Authorized Values box.

A 6W Predicate tag can also be added to the attribute for use in advanced searching.

Once an attribute has been created, it is important to use the Configuration Deployment tool inside the Collaborative Spaces Configuration Centre to push this attribute out to existing data.

This should be done out of hours and while the data is not being modified or updated, and ideally this would be done prior to any data being added to 3DEXPERIENCE.

To push this change across the platform you will need to run Reload Server Cache and Update Index Model .

How to control how 3DEXPERIENCE attributes interact with SOLIDWORKS properties

Inside Collaborative Spaces Configuration Centre, select CAD Collaboration and then SOLIDWORKS.

CAD Collaboration – SOLIDWORKS Properties

On this view you can see the directional behavior between the 3DEXPERIENCE attributes as product attributes and our SOLIDWORKS properties as category reviews, the arrows shown indicate indicates where the information is driven from and where it is applying to.

Typically, if you are entering information into properties on the SOLIDWORKS side, you want the arrow pointing from CAD attribute to product attribute. This makes sense for some properties such as weight, which will always be driven by SOLIDWORKS.

Conversely, if you want the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to drive the property value, then set the arrow to point from product attribute to CAD attributes.

If you want the information to come from both sides, set the arrows to be bidirectional. In general, you want to keep directions to a minimum as having more directions mean the system has to make more checks when saving a file.

Working with properties in SOLIDWORKS & 3DEXPERIENCE

Once setup is complete, you can begin adding properties to our files and viewing them in both SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

In the example shown in our video above we created a new a property to test that everything was linked correctly. To begin we opened a SOLIDWORKS part and created a new property called ‘Project’.

Once created this SOLIDWORKS property can also be viewed by right-clicking the on the file in the 3DEXPERIENCE “MySession” tab inside the SOLIDWORKS task pane and choosing “Properties”.

Once this model is saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform you will also be able to view this property by right clicking and choosing file information. This shows that the SOLIDWORKS property has correctly linked to the 3DEXPERIENCE attribute.

About this xSheetMetal On-Demand Webinar

TriMech onboarding team show you how to create sheet metal flanges, first with traditional means of defining parameters and flanges, then moving on to managing the flat pattern and converting both a surface and a solid to sheet metal by thickening and identifying bend edges. Get ready to create that DXF and get to cutting!

In this on-demand webinar we:

• Explore the xSheetMetal user interface
• Define sheet metal parameters such as Thickness, Bend Radius and Bend Allowance/K-factor
• Use sketch geometry to create different flange types
• Convert some preexisting geometry to sheet metal parts
• Produce the flat pattern and DXF

Whether you are an existing SOLIDWORKS customer using the platform, or you are considering the benefits of a cloud-based platform for data management, the following on-demand webinar will have relevant information for your team. We will also quickly touch on cloud-design apps within the platform:

Three notable enhancements in 3DEXPERIENCE Platform 2023x FD01

Every couple of months, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform sees enhancements added to improve the user experience and add new functionality.

These enhancements are designed to ease the day-to-day life of both platform and SOLIDWORKS users.

One of the benefits of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution like the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, is that every release delivers real, functional value, not just bug fixes.

And with so many new and exciting enhancements, it can be hard to work out which ones will bring you the most value.

So we’ve done the hard work for you, and picked out the top 3 enhancements from the February 2023 release of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

#1 – Enhanced Open Dialog

The SOLIDWORKS Open dialog is where most of us head first thing after starting SOLIDWORKS, to quickly access recent work and design projects.

The Open dialog was enhanced a few platform releases ago to integrate directly into the platform, and now has been made even better with improvements made to:

1. Recent files access, and an indicator of whether they are saved locally or in the platform. A handy cloud symbol now indicates whether a file has been saved to the platform or not.
2. Quick links – the open dialog now comes preloaded with 2 handy searches: Locked By Me, and My Content
   • Locked By Me finds all the content that is locked to you (i.e. Checked Out)
   • My Content finds every piece of content you’ve saved and own in the platform
3. Bookmarks, a great way to organize content, and they offer a easy transition from a Windows folder-based environment. Now, the Open dialog lists bookmarks you’ve recently opened content from, as well as one-click access to all your bookmarks.

SOLIDWORKS Open dialog

#2 – Revision Table Integration

We now have full support for the standard SOLIDWORKS revision table driven by the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Revision Table Integration

Revision table in SOLIDWORKS drawing

#3 – Document Editing and Markup

3DEXPERIENCE Platform 2023x FD01 isn’t just for CAD users, there are some great tools in there for non-CAD users and reviewers.

Document management has always been possible in the platform, but with the latest release come some key enhancements to the process.

Users can now access a full rich text editor directly inside the platform without needing to download a local copy and work in Word etc.

Document editing

We’ve also seen enhancements to the Markup app. This can be used for conducting design reviews, but is now equally useful for providing comment and review functionality to documents.

Markup in a document

Multiple Collaborative Spaces can be used when working on different projects or isolating data between work groups in your company. It is important to know which Collaborative Space you’re working in at any time.

3DEXPERIENCE Collaborative Spaces

You can use the MySession window to switch between Collaborative Spaces, and the title bar if you’re using SOLIDWORKS Connected. When you save a file to 3DEXPERIENCE, it will become visible in the Collaborative Space it was saved in, which in turn is visible from the 3DSpace app on the platform.

3DEXPERIENCE Collaborative Space Selection

Searching within SOLIDWORKS

When it comes to opening our files in SOLIDWORKS, we want to be able to find these files quickly. To do this, we’ll first use a search. We can search directly from the SOLIDWORKS File Open window. Using tags, we can isolate parts depending on what 3DEXPERIENCE Collaborative Space they reside in, who their author is, when they were last modified, etc. tags, strings, the file type, and so much more can be used to filter search results. We can also use the file window quick link to see files we have locked for ourselves.

Searching in the ‘Open’ Window

Search scenarios

Searches can be favourited for quick access going forward or a 3DSearch app can be added to a dashboard. For example, if you are asked by your manager to go through any unreleased parts for the bench assembly and confirm if they’re finished by changing the maturity states.

You can search for the project number, and filter on unreleased items, the results then become a to do list. A quality control member of the team could similarly set up a search filter only to show released items. Another method to find files quickly is by using Bookmarks.

Organising with Bookmarks

If Collaborative Spaces are your cloud storage ‘drives’ then Bookmarks are your cloud storage ‘folders’.

Viewing Bookmarks from the ‘Save’ Window

Bookmarks allow you to create a folder structure and browse for content. The ‘Save with Options’ command allows you to assign a bookmark to files being saved. We can also create and manage our bookmarks from here or with the Bookmark Editor app on the platform.

Files can be added from a Collaborative Space to a Bookmark by dragging between apps.

The File Open window in SOLIDWORKS allows us to navigate to the bookmarks for our files, much like we’re used to doing in Windows Explorer. Recently visited bookmarks are saved to the home screen for quick access.

Recent Bookmarks In ‘Open’ Window

Further reading

If you would like to learn more about Collaborative Spaces and other data management advice then please check out our previous posts on Managing CAD Data on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform – Part 1: Terminology and saving – Part 2: Organizing data in a collaborative space.

Revisions in 3DEXPERIENCE

Revisions help us to track design changes, and store the history and evolution of our products. While revising files can be driven by change actions, which introduce approval stages, this video focuses instead on the tools available under Lifecycle and Collaboration.

Enable and Configure Revisions in 3DEXPERIENCE

Under the ‘Platform Management’ role, open the ‘Collaborative Spaces Control Centre’ app.

Collaborative Spaces Control Center

On the right hand side, select ‘Lifecycle and Collaboration’.

Lifecycle and Collaboration Settings

To specify the formatting of a revision, under ‘Revision Format’ we can specify ‘Primary’ or ‘Primary.Secondary’.

If a secondary component to the revision is enabled, this is incremented when a ‘New Revision’ is created when the file is not in the ‘Released’ State.

When a new revision is created for a file that is in the ‘Released’ state, the next primary revision is created, and the secondary component is reset.

Primary Revision Scheme

Primary and Secondary Revision Scheme

While the secondary component will always be numerical, we can choose whether we want letters or numbers to denote the primary component of a revision.

Now under ‘Revision Naming Rules’ for Physical Products we can choose which naming convention to follow.

When selecting the alphabetical component a variation can be selected where uncommon letters such as I, O, Q, S. X, and Z are skipped.

Revisions in 3DEXPERIENCE – Naming Rules

Making a New Revision in SOLIDWORKS

While working on our part in SOLIDWORKS, we can use commands under the ‘Lifecycle’ tab to move the file through our maturity graph, and create new revisions for our file.

Using the ‘Maturity’ command, under the ‘Lifecycle’ tab lets us see our maturity graph and the routes available to us to move our file between the states. We’ll use this to release the file.

Maturity Graph

Once the file is released, we can start a new revision to implement a design change.

Using the ‘New Revision’ command will move us to the ‘In Work’ state, set the file to Revision B, and lock the file to us so we can implement our design change.

Revisions in 3DEXPERIENCE – Starting a New Revision

After modifications are complete, we want to save our changes, unlock the file and use the Maturity command again to release the file to Revision B.

Locking & Unlocking with the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

Locking and unlocking files in a collaborative environment is how we indicate that a file is being worked on, and when those changes are complete.

• A locked file can only be updated by the user it’s locked to.
• An unlocked file cannot be updated without first being locked.

This is especially useful when working collaboratively on an assembly, where a file being unlocked instantly indicates to you that a colleague has completed their changes.

How to lock files on 3DEXPERIENCE from within SOLIDWORKS

The locking and unlocking commands can be accessed from the bottom of the 3DEXPERIENCE task pane and from the right click menu on the model itself. We can also unlock files using the same method.

Lock files on 3DEXPERIENCE

Locking a file will update the icon to a green key.

Locked File

The locked status of the model is also viewable from the top of the SOLIDWORKS window.

For an assembly we’re working on, we can see when our colleague starts work on referenced files by the red padlock showing they have those files locked. This will prevent us from editing those files until our colleague saves their changes and unlocks the file.

Locked By A Colleague

We can work on the top-level assembly that includes the components our colleague is working on, as the top-level file is unlocked.

After making changes and saving, the save window now has an option to ‘unlock’ the file after saving our changes to the platform.

Unlock Files After Saving

Lock files on 3DEXPERIENCE with the Bookmark Editor app

Files don’t need to be open to lock or unlock them. We can also lock and unlock files through the Bookmark Editor app, either through the task pane in SOLIDWORKS, or from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using our browser. Both are accessed by selecting the compass icon, ‘Collaborative Industry Innovator’ role, and then the ‘Bookmark Editor’ app. We recommend adding this to ‘My Favorite Apps’ for easy access.

Lock Files in Bookmark Editor App

Save files locally

If you save a file locally then clicking the save icon in future will continue to save the file locally. Both of these save options can be accessed from either the ‘File’ menu, or from the dropdown arrow next to the ‘Save’ icon.

Save files to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

Alternatively we can save the file to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Save Options – Save to 3DEXPERIENCE

Saving using this method will update our local file and also place it into the 3DSpace we’re currently connected to.

Once saved to the platform, the task pane on the right-hand side will update to reflect the file’s information relating to the platform, including the file’s status, whether it is locked or unlocked, its revisions, maturity state and description.

At the bottom of the 3DEXPERIENCE Task Pane there is also a button for ‘Save to 3DEXPERIENCE’. Using this we can see that subsequent saves give us the option to save the file into a bookmark on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Save to 3DEXPERIENCE – With Bookmark

Bookmarks act as a folder or filing system for our files being saved into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. To learn more about bookmarks and organising files with collaborative spaces please view our blog on how to organise your files on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. 

Opening Files in SOLIDWORKS from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform

Once SOLIDWORKS is open your first view will be of the home screen. From here we can see our library of recent documents as well as the handle we worked on in the previous video – Saving files to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

The SOLIDWORKS welcome window

To view a complete list of documents we’ve recently worked on – we can navigate to the next tab along labelled “Recent”, where the entire list of your recent projects are available. This is also possible by clicking on “File” in the toolbar at the top of your screen.

Going to the “File” dropdown menu can also show us a list of recent documents as well as the option to open files from your computer (CTRL+ O). This command can also be pinned to the top tool bar for easier access.

File menu showing recent documents and the open command

How to open files from the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

In SOLIDWORKS

When working with 3DEXPERIENCE, the open command in SOLIDWORKS gains a few new options to allow us to open from 3DEXPERIENCE.

First, we have the “Home” button showing us our recent files as it did before.

Next is 3DSearch, which allows us to search for files on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using the search box.

Bookmarks are our third option, allowing us to browse through our bookmark structure, or search for our file name.

“This PC” is the final option and will let you browse files stored locally on your PC.

Open window showing 3DEXPERIENCE options

In the ‘MySession’ task pane on the right hand side of SOLIDWORKS, we can search for our file name similar to the search in the ‘Open’ window.

We can also view the files stored in a chosen Bookmark by selecting the compass icon in the top left of the ‘MySession’ task pane, selecting the ‘Collaborative Industry Innovator’ role, and then the ‘Bookmark Editor’ app. This allows us to browse through our bookmarks like a conventional folder structure in Windows Explorer / File Explorer.

Bookmark editor within MySession

Files saved to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform are also saved locally to your machine. We can view a list of these files by checking the tab second from the bottom on the task pane labelled: ‘3DEXPERIENCE files on this PC’. This shows us a list of locally stored files that are also uploaded to 3DEXPERIENCE, and allows us to open files from here.

This area also allows us to safely delete these files from our hard drive, knowing that if we need them again, we can open from 3DEXPERIENCE.

3DEXPERIENCE files on this PC

In the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

If we don’t already have our a browser window open displaying our files stored in 3DEXPERIENCE, we can quickly get to this from within SOLIDWORKS. We do this by selecting the compass icon in the top left of the ‘MySession’ task pane, selecting the ‘Collaborative Industry Innovator’ role, and then the ‘3DSpace’ app.

This will open a browser window to view our collaborative spaces. Selecting a collaborative space will show us all the data that has been stored within that Space.

3DSpace view from browser

We can also get to the bookmark editor through a similar method, or by using the ‘My Data’ tab on our Dashboard. When using the ‘My Data’ tab, we can drag files from the Bookmark Editor app, into the 3DPlay app to get a 3D preview of the file.

Viewing files in 3DPlay

NOTE: If you have a license of desktop SOLIDWORKS and are looking to connect it to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform then please view our guide on how to install the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS.

About 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS

3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is a cloud-focused version of SOLIDWORKS that has a virtually identical set of capabilities as SOLIDWORKS Desktop but it has a built in connection to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, which is why it is also known as also known as SOLIDWORKS Connected.

3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS launches from and saves files to the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform but it still runs locally, this means that you still need a machine with the power to run SOLIDWORKS.

Before you Begin

Before beginning the installation it is important to know that 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS cannot be installed on a machine that has an installation of SOLIDWORKS Desktop that has the same major version. For example, 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS 2023 can be installed alongside SOLIDWORKS Desktop 2022 but not 2023.

How to Install 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS

To install 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS you will need to log into the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Next click on the compass in the top left to browse our roles and apps. As a designer, the platform administrator has allocated us the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Role.

Filtering the apps belonging to this role, we see “SOLIDWORKS Connected”. This will be the button we click to launch the software, but for the first time, it prompts us to install.

Selecting the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Role

You may first be prompted to download & install the 3DEXPERIENCE launcher if it hasn’t been installed already. Click to download the 3DEXPERIENCE launcher and progress through the 3DEXPERIENCE launcher setup window. Click finish and the setup window closes.

Click continue in the web browser. After a short wait another prompt will appear and this time we shall choose “Install all roles containing SOLIDWORKS Connected” and the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS installer will appear.

Installing 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS – The 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher

We recommend using the cloud eligibility check to ensure your hardware and connection is suitable for running cloud data management. Then click next until you reach the installation directory stage.>

Check the installation location, and toolbox location before starting the installation.

The download and install are quite large, so it may take some time to complete.

Once the installation finishes, restart your computer and log back into your 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Now that the installation of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is complete you can use the SOLIDWORKS Connected app to launch SOLIDWORKS from the platform.

If you would prefer, then you can create a desktop shortcut to use by selecting the drop-down arrow next to the SOLIDWORKS Connected app icon and clicking the “create desktop shortcut” arrow icon.

Create Desktop Shortcut

How to Download SOLIDWORKS

The first step is to download the SOLIDWORKS installation manager, you can find this on the download page on the SOLIDWORKS website.

SOLIDWORKS Download Page

You will need to log in with your 3DEXPERIENCE ID to access the downloads, if you do not have a log in you can sign up for one there. We recommend that you download the latest version of SOLIDWORKS so that you can take advantage of the newest enhancements to the software, however it is also important to use the same version of SOLIDWORKS as your colleagues.

Once the installation manager download has completed double click to run it and when the small grey window appears choose “Unzip”, this will extract the files from the download and then automatically launch the installation manager.

SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager – Unzip Files

SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager Settings

On the installation manager welcome screen, select to “Install on this computer” and proceed by clicking “next”. Then fill in any serial numbers to be used by this machine. You must input your SOLIDWORKS serial number under 3D Design for it to be available as an installation product.

After inputting your serial numbers press next and the installation manager will quickly check that the serial numbers are valid and then you will proceed to the summary screen.

SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager – Summary Screen

From the summary screen you can confirm which products will be installed and set where to install SOLIDWORKS and the toolbox.

We recommend modifying the names of your installation location and Toolbox folders to include the version year, for example change “C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp” to “C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS 2023“. This will help you to avoid confusion when you upgrade SOLIDWORKS in future.

SOLIDWORKS Install Tip – Change Location Name

After confirming the installation locations and product selections you will need to accept the terms and conditions and then press download and install, this will install SOLIDWORKS. Note that the download and installation process may take some time as the file set is large.

Activating your SOLIDWORKS Licenses

Once the installation has finished open SOLIDWORKS. When SOLIDWORKS opens for the first time, the Activation Wizard will start, select any products that require activation and choose the option to automatically activate over the internet. Once activated, SOLIDWORKS will be available to use.

Activate SOLIDWORKS Licences

NOTE: before installing the add-in, please ensure you have SOLIDWORKS installed on your computer, if you haven’t installed it yet then please check out our video guide on how to install SOLIDWORKS.

Install the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-in

To install the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-in, start by clicking the compass in the top left of the platform to open your list of assigned roles and apps. Each role contains a set of apps and clicking on a role will show all the apps contained within it. Locate the ‘Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS’ role, click it and then click the ‘Design with SOLIDWORKS’ app.

Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS Apps

Design with SOLIDWORKS App

After you click the ‘Design with SOLIDWORKS’ app a pop-up will display prompting you to download the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher. The steps here are simple, just click next, install and finish.

3DEXPERIENCE Launcher Setup Window

Install All Roles Containing Design with SOLIDWORKS

Once the installation has completed the window will close and you should return to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform in your browser, here click continue and then ‘Install All Roles Containing Design with SOLIDWORKS’ and press next when the launcher appears.

• We strongly recommend using the cloud eligibility check to ensure your machine’s hardware is suitable for running Cloud Data Management.
• We suggest the leaving the installation location and language as default and then selecting install.

3DEXPERIENCE Cloud Eligibility Check

Once the installation has finished, the Design with SOLIDWORKS app can be used to launch SOLIDWORKS from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

If you’d prefer you can continue to launch SOLIDWORKS from the conventional desktop shortcut however launching the “Design with SOLIDWORKS” app from the compass ensures a smoother connection with Cloud Data Storage on the platform.