Can you imagine if you had the ability to save your files anywhere you wanted?  You design with SOLIDWORKS on your Windows® desktop or laptop.  You may also create on a tablet.  With 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS you now have the flexibility to save anywhere and enjoy designing freely – wherever and whenever you want.

SOLIDWORKS files, parts, assemblies and drawings are associative – change a dimension in an assembly and the corresponding part updates; change the number of holes in a part and the drawing updates.  This associativity is one of the most powerful features of SOLIDWORKS.  To take SOLIDWORKS data from Windows to the Cloud requires a smart platform, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

SOLIDWORKS Connected allows you to take SOLIDWORKS native files, such as a part (sldprt) and through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform understand, manage and modify this associative data.

By default, in the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS native app, your SOLIDWORKS data is saved to the cloud-based 3DEXPERIENCE platform.  With the FD07 release, you can save SOLIDWORKS parts, assemblies and drawings to your desktop with File> Save, Save to This PC.  Select the correct file format.  Note: at this time SOLIDWORKS Composer is the default file type. For a part, select Part, .sldprt.

To open a SOLIDWORKS file saved to your Windows PC, select File>Open.  From Windows, browse to select the part, assembly or drawing.  From the 3DEXPERIENCE window, Select Open from This PC button on the lower left corner and browse to the correct folder.

With the FD07 upgrade, you can now save your SOLIDWORKS data locally to your PC. However saving your SOLIDWORKS data to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s secure cloud storage allows you these added benefits that you don’t get when saving locally to your PC:

–        Accessing your files from anywhere on any device – all you need is an internet connection – to continue working with the most flexibility.

–        Ability to move bi-laterally from SOLIDWORKS Connected to xDesign/xShape and back to SOLIDWORKS Connected.

When saving to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you can also take advantage of the Generative Design, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from xDesign, and the power to quickly digitally sculpt organic clay in xShape using Sub-D modeling.

My SolidWorks training content has created great videos and exercises to help you learn about saving data to the cloud and more.    You can save your SOLIDWORKS data to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.   From the cloud, you can save anywhere through a web browser.  You can begin to explore amazing apps and start using functionality that is not available on the desktop.  My favorite is SOLIDWORKS xShape app – it is like digital clay, creating organic shapes.

Try using great new apps, many 3DSWYM (See What You Mean) apps are free.  Learn more from blog posts on the free communities I belong to:  SOLIDWORKS User Forum/SOLIDWORKS Connect  Community, Makers Made in 3D Community.

Be well. Marie

Marie Planchard

Senior Director, Early Engagement, 3DEXPERIENCE Works at Dassault Systemes

Marie Planchard is an education and engineering advocate. As Senior Director of Education & Early Engagement, SOLIDWORKS, she is responsible for global development of content and social outreach for the 3DEXPERIENCE Works products across all levels of learning including educational institutions, Fab Labs, and entrepreneurship.