1. SOLIDWORKS 3D Interconnect
- Open proprietary 3D CAD data in SOLIDWORKS and retain associativity to original file
- Insert Proprietary CAD data directly into SOLIDWORKS assembly without converting to SOLIDWORKS file
- All downstream operations and features created in SOLIDWORKS update if referenced proprietary file is updated
- Supported formats include Creo®, CATIA® V5, Solid Edge®, NX, and Autodesk Inventor®
Benefits
Work seamlessly with anyone and incorporate design changes dramatically faster.
2. Streamlined Assembly Development
- Mate Controller for fast capture and recall of mate positions
- Copy multiple components and retain mates
- New Asset Publisher and Magnetic Mates speed equipment layouts
- Replace sub-assembly with multi-body part and maintain downstream references; Replace missing references all at once
Benefits
Accelerate design of assemblies and layouts for machinery and equipment.
3. More Powerful Modelling Tools
- Sheet Metal allows cuts in swept flange bend area; edge flanges can now be longer than attachment edge plus support for 3 bend corners
- New Advanced Hole Wizard to create and reuse customized holes, plus Thread Wizard
- Wrap Feature now for any surface; Offset 3D Curve on surface with multiple faces
- Fillet/chamfer conversion, curvature continuous edge fillets; Use face, curve, or edge as Sweep Profile plus bidirectional sweep
Benefits
Expanded modelling improves accuracy, speeds design, with fewer picks and clicks.
4. SOLIDWORKS Visualize Boosts Renderings and Animations
- Improved functionality for media-ready images, movies, and immersive content including Support for VR
- Included with SOLIDWORKS 2017 Professional and Premium
- Uses CPU, GPU, and with “Visualize Boost” to speed up network rendering for less time to quality result
Benefits
More realistic photo-quality rendering in less time.
5. Faster 2D Drawing Creation
- Parametrically mirror drawing views without need to mirror the model
- Automatic Border controls sheet format border
- Reference and link to BOM table cell elements in annotations
- MicroStation DGN import and attach, heads-up display, and insert centerlines in DraftSight
Benefits
Simplified, faster drawing creation.
6. “Drawingless” Manufacturing Enhanced
- Create DimXpert dimensions in Assembly
- Compare geometry and 3D PMI between two models
- Define DimXpert 3D PMI more easily for drafted parts – castings, forgings, and molded parts
- Publish and print multiple sheets, tables, and viewports in 3D PDF,
plus STEP 242 output for STEP with 3D PMI
Benefits
Ease the transition from 2D drawings to MBD and enable model based enterprises (MBE).
7. Electrifying Your Designs
- Electrical: Automatic creation of schematic from spreadsheet
- Electrical: Compound parts, accessories
- PCB: Stress free ECAD-MCAD integration and collaboration
- PCB: Seamless interface between schematic editing, board layout, and 3D layout
Benefits
Expanded capabilities mean improved productivity for electrical design.
8. Simplifying Design Validation
- Simulation: Find unconstrained degrees of freedom, turn constraints on/off, and perform mesh sectioning
- Simulation: Display simulation results in SOLIDWORKS Graphics Area
- Plastics: Enhanced Solver performance, improved indirect flow front tracking
- Flow: Multi parameter optimization added to Parametric Study to now conduct optimization study for more than one input variable
Benefits
Simulation expanded to handle more use cases – extended capabilities tackle more design scenarios.
9. Integrating Design and Manufacturing
- 3D Printing: 3D print preview shows areas requiring supports, full 3MF support, and import mesh data in SOLIDWORKS Standard
- Costing: Cost an entire assembly, nesting for sheet metal and get instant cost estimates from real manufacturers via the My.SolidWorks Manufacturing Network; Easier template creation
- Inspection: Manual and selective ballooning, OCR Editor to customize and improve optical character recognition dictionaries and output horizontal inspection reports
Benefits
Extending SOLIDWORKS capabilities for the manufacturing ecosystem.
10. Improved Data Management and Collaboration
- eDrawings®: Augmented Reality (AR) for Android™; 3D Views and annotation views for assemblies; Component descriptions; Weld beads; Undo/redo
- SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard: New product offer based on SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM (now named SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional) designed for smaller workgroups to manage SOLIDWORKS data and provide easy upgrade to SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional
- SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional – Database Vault Database Replication
- Import/Export: Export material properties to IFC 2×3, export IFC 4.0
Benefits
Collaborate at more levels and manage data more efficiently.