General

1. What is SolidWorks® software?

2. How does SolidWorks software help AutoCAD® users migrate to 3D?

3. How do SoldiWorks users edit legacy DWG files?

4. How does moving to SolidWorks benefit AutoCAD users?

5. Does SolidWorks include photo realistic rendering?

6. Does SolidWorks include feature recognition for imported geometry?

7. Does SolidWorks include animation capabilities?

8. Does SolidWorks include web publishing capabilities?

9. Does SolidWorks include standard hardware libraries?

10. Does SolidWorks have a CAM package?

11. What languages are supported?

12. Where can I purchase SolidWorks?

13. Does SolidWorks include tools for surface design?

14. Are mold design tools included with SolidWorks?

15. Does SolidWorks have a sheet metal design module?

16. What other add-on products are available from SolidWorks?

17. What is contained in the software updates of SolidWorks ?

18. How does SolidWorks software compare to that of Autodesk Inventor®, Solid Edge™, Pro/ENGINEER®, and other 3D CAD systems?

Computer-related

1. What are the minimum system requirements for SolidWorks?

Data Exchange

1. What can I do with my DXF™/DWG files after they are brought into SolidWorks?

2. Does SolidWorks have any way to read in data from Pro/ENGINEER?

3. Does SolidWorks have any way to read in data from Mechanical Desktop®?

4. Does SolidWorks have any way to read in data from Unigraphics®?

5. What data exchange tools are supplies with SolidWorks?

API

1. Do you have a programming language?

2. How much does the API cost?

General

What is SolidWorks?

SolidWorks is the global standard in 3D mechanical design software. It helps organizations reduce time-to-market, design better quality product faster, maintain a competitive advantage, and increase sales. SolidWorks delivers powerful 3D design capabilities, unmatched ease-of-use, and an affordable cost. 

Back to Top

How does SolidWorks help AutoCAD users migrate to 3D?

SolidWorks software allows AutoCAD users to become rapidly productive using the 3D mechanical design and 2D detailing capabilities of SolidWorks, as well as leveraging 2D legacy data. SolidWorks provides tutorials specifically developed for the AutoCAD user, using familiar terminology to help speed the learning process. SolidWorks provides a data migration wizard and innovative 2D to 3D tools that allow AutoCAD users to maintain their legacy data or build 3D models from 2D drawings.

Back to Top

How do SolidWorks users edit legacy DWG files?

SolidWorks software includes the DWGeditor™.  The DWGeditor is for SolidWorks customers who use AutoCAD® to edit or maintain existing DWG files. The DWGeditor provides a low risk, low cost alternative for editing DWG files in their native format, using a familiar user interface.

Back to Top

How does moving to SolidWorks benefit AutoCAD users?

SolidWorks provides AutoCAD users with the ability to construct production-ready detailed drawings without drawing a single line or arc, eliminating time-consuming drawing view creation, manipulation, and maintenance. In addition, AutoCAD users benefit from the ability to visualize and capture design intent easily; quickly verify form, fit, and function; revise designs and drawings easily; reuse 2D design work more effectively; eliminate guesswork with truly associative dimensions; and generate Bills of Materials automatically.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks include photo realistic rendering?

SolidWorks software is fully integrated with PhotoWorks rendering software, available with SolidWorks Office Professional and SolidWorks Office.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks include feature recognition for imported geometry?

SolidWorks software is fully integrated with FeatureWorks feature recognition software, available with SolidWorks Office Professional and SolidWorks Office solutions.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks include animation capabilities?

SolidWorks software is fully integrated with SolidWorks Animator software, available with SolidWorks Office Professional and SolidWorks Office solutions.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks include web publishing capabilities?

SolidWorks software is fully integrated with the 3D Instant Website web publishing solution, available with SolidWorks Office Professional and SolidWorks Office solutions.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks include standard part libraries?

SolidWorks software is fully integrated with SolidWorks Toolbox. SolidWorks Toolbox, a standard part library is available with SolidWorks Office Professional and SolidWorks Office.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks have a CAM package?
SolidWorks provides CAM solutions and a wide variety of other engineering and manufacturing solutions through its partnership with over 300 Solution Partners. SolidWorks Corporation and its Solutions Partners offer over 45 best-in-class Certified Gold Products that supply single-window, fully associative integration. With Certified Gold Products, all the tools users need work together using the same design data and each change is updated automatically across all applications.

Back to Top

What languages are supported?

SolidWorks supports the following languages: Chinese, Japanese, English, Korean, French, Polish, Russian, German, Spanish, Czech and Italian.

Back to Top

Where can I purchase SolidWorks?
SolidWorks software sold exclusively by a global network of authorized value-added resellers (VARs), which provide the local service, support, and training needed to achieve a high return on investment

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks include tools for surface design?

Yes. SolidWorks is truly a hybrid design software. Users can work with both surfaces and solids in the same environment. Surface tools include: loft, sweep, radiate, offset, fill, extend, trim, untrim, and knit. SolidWorks provides all surfacing tools to users at no additional cost.

Back to Top

Are mold design tools included with SolidWorks?
Yes. SolidWorks software includes core/cavity functionality. Additional mold tools include 'Radiate Surface' to assist in the production of core/cavity using complex parting lines. Mold designs can be taken a step further with add-on applications for mold base creation and mold flow analysis.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks have a sheet metal design module?
Yes. SolidWorks contains sheet metal design functionality as part of the core product. Edge flange, mitre flange, selective fold/unfold, rip, tear, and auto relief functionality are all here. Design in the flat or bent states with the utmost in flexibility and associatively.

Back to Top

What other solutions are available from SolidWorks?

For a listing of solutions available with commercial versions of SolidWorks please refer to: http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/products.html.

Back to Top

What is contained in the software updates of SolidWorks?
These are updates for Subscription Customers to upgrade the latest major revision of the software. Service Packs consist of fixed customer problems and minor enhancements.

Back to Top

How does SolidWorks software compare to that of Autodesk Inventor, Solid Edge, Pro/ENGINEER, and other CAD systems?

Please visit the Information for Prospective Customers area of the SolidWorks web site for comparative information about SolidWorks and the CAD software market. For a detailed feature-to-feature comparison or other information, please contact a local SolidWorks reseller.

Back to Top

Computer-related

What are the system requirements for SolidWorks?

A list of minimum system requirements, hardware support notes, tested graphics cards and drivers, and other related information is available via by clicking on Hardware Support.

Back to Top

Data Exchange

What can I do with my DXF/DWG files after they are brought into SolidWorks?

You can leverage your 2D legacy data by reading in and exporting out DXF/DWG data for reuse in a SolidWorks environment. SolidWorks further eases data reuse by allowing you to create 3D parametric solid models from the imported 2D data by turning it into sketch geometry. SolidWorks can also import 3D DXF/DWG data as curves in the part environment that can be used to create solid models. 3D DXF files are also supported for import within SolidWorks.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks have any way to read in data from Pro/ENGINEER?

SolidWorks includes a feature-based converter for Pro/ENGINEER files. The SolidWorks Pro/E Converter recognizes most features in parts and assemblies created with Pro/ENGINEER version 17.0 - 20.0. 

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks have any way to read in data from Mechanical Desktop?

Yes. A converter for Mechanical Desktop files is available for SolidWorks. This is a feature-based converter for files created using Mechanical Desktop 4.0 and higher. The conversion utility provides direct translation of files created with Mechanical Desktop into the SolidWorks environment, complete with feature information. In the past, users migrating from Mechanical Desktop had to export data to a neutral file format and import the data. The Mechanical Desktop Converter is a free plug-in available for SolidWorks.

Back to Top

Does SolidWorks have any way to read in data from Unigraphics?

Yes. SolidWorks includes a translator which allows for the import of native Unigraphics part and assembly files. SolidWorks and Unigraphics use the same modeling kernel – Parasolid®. Instead of sending the data through translators such as IGES and STEP, the Parasolid file format (usually *.xmt_txt) is available for import and export. This capability allows you to bypass IGES and STEP, providing you with a cleaner data exchange between SolidWorks and Unigraphics products.

Back to Top

What data exchange tools are supplied with SolidWorks?

Back to Top

API

Do you have a programming language?

SolidWorks software has an internal macro/recording language and also supports an application programming interface language, accessible through an OLE interface. This provides support for Visual Basic® and Visual C++®.

Back to Top

How much does the API cost?

The SolidWorks API is an open programming language available to third parties and all end-users of SolidWorks as part of the product purchase price.

Back to Top