SOLIDWORKS Model-Based Definition (MBD) is a powerful solution that enables designers and manufacturers to create and communicate critical design information via the 3D model.

SOLIDWORKS 2019 adds support for sheet metal annotations. Bend notes can now be automatically inserted directly onto a components flat pattern view, displaying each bend direction, angle and radius. For components that contain many bends, a tabular display of the bend details is often the preferred method of capturing and viewing the information. Now in SOLIDWORKS 2019 you can capture all of your manufacturing information in a bend table. When a bend table is inserted, each bend on the components flat pattern view is tagged in relation to the table. This, combined with the tabulated bend information, enables you to now detail your sheet metal designs in the same manner as a traditional drawing. When finished all of the information can be captured in a 3D view, ready to be shared with other members of your design team and organization.

Protection of intellectual property is often the number-one priority when sharing designs with other parties. When creating a 3D PDF file in SOLIDWORKS 2019, you now have much greater control over the access of information contained within the document. New security settings provide even more flexibility, enabling you to set the access to printing, editing, and copying. Documents can be protected further by setting a password to open, plus an optional master password that can be used to override all security settings, if required.

Once a secure PDF document has been created, the password must be entered in order for it to be opened. Viewing the security information in Adobe Reader will confirm the limitations on printing, editing, and copying that were set back in SOLIDWORKS. Now you can create and share 3D PDFs of your SOLIDWORKS designs safely, knowing that your Intellectual property is secure.

When sharing parts for use in downstream manufacturing processes, derived parts provide an associative and controlled method of referencing the original design. Enhancing the workflow further, in SOLIDWORKS 2019 you can now copy the pre-existing Dimension and Tolerance Schemes to a derived part, eliminating the need to recreate any PMI.

SOLIDWORKS MBD 2019 puts the model at the heart of your design and manufacturing process, by providing a single source of intelligent information that removes the time and costs associated with creating traditional documentation.