Opening Existing Part, Assembly, or Drawing Documents

This information applies to SOLIDWORKS if you enable the Design with SOLIDWORKS app.

If you have legacy files on a local or remote disk, when you open and save them to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the software uploads them directly to the platform. They are not copied to the local work folder.

The benefit of this is that when you save assemblies that refer to data on the local disk, the system identifies that the data is already saved and does not create duplicate data. You can incrementally save data without creating duplicates.

If you open a model from the local drive, modify it and then save it to the platform, the original file is modified because you are working on the model that you opened from the local drive.

If you delete or move a file from where it was originally located on the disk when you saved it to the platform, the system downloads the file to the local work folder when you open the file from the platform.

If you enable Autoname, the software overrides this behavior and copies data to the local work folder before saving the data to the platform.

Using the Open Tool

You can use the Open tool to browse for and open existing part, assembly, or drawing documents. Filters let you specify the type of document to browse for.

To open existing part, assembly, or drawing documents:

  1. Click Open (Standard toolbar) or File > Open, or press Ctrl+O.
  2. Optional: 3DEXPERIENCE Users: If the Open from 3DEXPERIENCE dialog box appears, click This PC.
    To switch between Open dialog boxes, click This PC to open local files, or Open from 3DEXPERIENCE to open files from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
  3. In the dialog box, select a file type in Files of type or use the quick filter options to view commonly used SOLIDWORKS file types in any combination.
  4. Browse to select a document or documents.
    Text appears in the Description field if a description exists in the document properties or was added when the document was saved.
  5. Select options in the dialog box.
  6. Click Open to open the document.
    When opening files from a previous release of SOLIDWORKS, the files may open slowly. SOLIDWORKS Task Scheduler converts files so they open more rapidly.

Opening Drawings from Part or Assembly Documents

You can use the Open Drawing tool to open existing drawings associated with the active part or assembly document.

  • The tool is available on the File menu and on context toolbars.
  • You can add the tool to mouse gestures and assign a keyboard shortcut.
  • You can add the tool to the CommandManager or toolbars. Click Tools > Customize > Commands > Standard and drag Open Drawing to a toolbar or CommandManager location.

To open an existing drawing of the active part or assembly document:

  • Do one of the following:
    • Click File > Open Drawing.
    • Right-click the top item in the FeatureManager design tree or a blank region in the graphics area and select Open Drawing .

To open an existing drawing of an assembly component:

  • In the assembly document, right-click the component in the FeatureManager design tree or in the graphics area and select Open Drawing .

SOLIDWORKS looks for a drawing with the same name as the model, in the same folder as the model. If the drawing exists, it opens automatically. If such a drawing is not found, a browse window appears so you can locate a drawing manually.

When there is more than one open and unsaved drawing for a model, a message prompts you to select the drawing to open from the Browse Open Documents dialog box.

Opening Components from Assembly Documents

While you are editing an assembly, you can open its associated component documents (parts or subassemblies) in their own windows. Any changes that you make to the components automatically update the assembly.

To open a component from an assembly document:

In the assembly window, do one of the following:
  • In the FeatureManager design tree, click or right-click the component and click Open Part or Open Subassembly .
  • In the graphics area:
    • Click or right-click a part and click Open Part .
    • Click or right-click a subassembly, and then, on the Open Part drop-down, select the subassembly.
The component document opens in a separate window.

Opening Assemblies from Part Documents

While you are editing a part with in-context features, you can open the assembly document where the features were created.

To open an assembly from a part document:

  1. In the part window, right-click a feature or sketch in the FeatureManager design tree or graphics area that has an external reference.
  2. Select Edit In Context.
    The assembly that contains the update path for the selected feature opens in a separate window.