Editing a Third-Party CAD File in SOLIDWORKS

To edit a third-party CAD file in SOLIDWORKS:

  1. Open the third-party CAD file in SOLIDWORKS.
  2. Right-click the feature and select Edit Feature .
  3. In the PropertyManager, under File, click Browse to choose a different native CAD file format.
    By default the file browser opens the location from where the file was originally inserted.
  4. Make changes to the part file using SOLIDWORKS features.
  5. Under Transfer, select any of the following entities to retain the features applicable to the selected file format:
    • Solid Bodies
    • Surface Bodies
    • Planes
  6. Click .
    You can update the SOLIDWORKS part with the latest changes made to the base part. Right-click the SOLIDWORKS part in the PropertyManager and click Update Model. Any modifications made to the base part are updated in the SOLIDWORKS part without losing the downstream features.