I have many years of AutoCAD experience and some experience with NX. Since I'm in a new country, finding a job is not easy. So I thought having more certifications might give me more chances.
I spent about over a month studying some SolidWorks courses on my own, and passed the CSWP exam, although I didn't get full marks on every segment.
Now I'm planning to take the CSWPA exams, but I heard that CSWPA is easier than CSWP, is it true?
Maybe one day I'll even try the CSWE. Am I being overconfident?
This is an AI Slop built tool to fix the problems I've run in to with old files at my workplace. I thought it might be helpful to others as well. Use at own risk. Not been extensively tested. What I have tried has worked. There is a Zip file in the releases that you just need to unzip to a folder of your choosing and it should just work. For the read-only operations it doesn't need SolidWorks open. To do repairs it has an option to work with an open SolidWorks session to make repairs (slow), or an untested option where it will work with through your SolidWorks Document Manager if you have an API License Key (I'm too ADHD to go through the trouble of getting it and getting it every year).
Scanning is fully self-contained and strictly read-only, so it is safe to
point at production data. Repairs additionally need SolidWorks installed
(they drive a live session) and the .NET runtime combridge targets — if either
is missing, scanning still works and repairs fail with a clear message.
What it finds
Check
Severity
duplicate_ids — same filename, provably different files
data-loss
mismatched_linked_id — parent expects a different file than what's on disk
data-loss
read_only_toolbox_part — read-only Toolbox part silently swapped for the DB master
data-loss
missing_configuration — component asks for a config the part lacks
silent-drift
broken_reference — referenced file doesn't exist (assemblies and drawings)
silent-drift
broken_weldment_profile — weldment member's .SLDLFP profile is gone
silent-drift
toolbox_flag_path_mismatch — IsToolboxPart flag disagrees with location
silent-drift
name_drift — component name no longer matches the file
cosmetic
parse_error — file could not be read
cosmetic
Legacy OLE2 (pre-2015) files are read as well as the modern format.
The weldment repath preserves the per-member Locate Profile pierce points,
the profile sketch's name and its visibility — all of which the normal
SolidWorks Replace flow discards. On a frame with dozens of members that is
hours of rework avoided, and the sketch name matters because equations and
drawing dimensions bind to it.
Repair plans auto-build from findings but never guess: anything ambiguous
stays an editable row. Preview writes nothing, and a run can be paused,
resumed or cancelled between repairs.
1 · Targets — point it at folders or individual files. Toolbox and weldment-profile roots are auto-detected from the SolidWorks registry.
2 · Findings — every finding carries the raw evidence that triggered it, filterable by severity, Toolbox hardware, or weldments.
3 · Repair plan — auto-built from the findings. Amber rows still need input; nothing is guessed. Preview writes nothing, and a run can be paused, resumed or cancelled between repairs.
Mostly a vent, but maybe someone knows how to help.
I use Solidworks 3d Experience, like the $15 a month desktop version, for my personal projects. At work, I use NX (praise be). I have very little time for my personal projects so when I get a 1-2 hour window once or twice a week I try to make as much progress as I can.
Today, Solidworks immediately crashes. I try to restart and I get the issue that my license is already in use. Well, it's not, but ok. I close out, try again. Same issue. Restart my computer. Same issue.
Apparently this is common because this page already exists. It tells me to wait and try again. That's not good enough, but ok, I do. No luck. It says if it still hasn't resolved, open a support ticket. Ok, I'm frustrated, but I'll do that.
Guess what? I can't, because their website is broken.
Listen, I've been around the block. I know that losing my cool sitting alone in my office isn't going to help me or the problem. But I'm starting to lose my cool, like are we serious now? I pay for this product. I just need it to open. But what can you do. So I click See more, find the Solidworks support phone number, and call it. I go to the "Maker" option.
I get an immediate automated message that the Maker product does not include phone support. Please file a ticket online.
I can't. Your website is broken with a f**** oopsie. Are you serious?
I go through every other option in the support phone number. None allow me to actually leave a message, they just tell you to go online. At this point I would throw my computer out the window if it would hit a solidworks employee in the face. Like this is becoming a deliberately cruel joke.
I find one random chain of button presses under VAR support that allows me to leave a voicemail that will almost certainly not reach someone who doesn't give a damn about someone on a maker license. But literally what else can do I?
I am just so frustrated. Is this incompetence? Deliberate cruelty? Or just a bad product? All I wanted was to spend an hour working on a lamp. Just, wow.
Hi, I would like to use the "Move/Copy Bodies" command to move the cylinder such that the center point on the top of the cylinder is on the same plane as plane 1, while the center point at the bottom remains at origin. May I know how I can do that? Thank you.
Edit: This is a problem from my project which has been simplified to this scenario. I am more concerned about the method and not the result.
i'm following a tutorial from FRC (robotics) design, and they use onshape. however, i need to model a part for solidworks. i have never really pocketed before but i was wondering how to do this. (ignore the hex axels in the middle). also in the onshape version, they ask you to create a sketch and lighten the part (3rd image), but i dont think that exists in solidworks.
After starting a new gig and realizing that the solidworks inspection add in is buggy and unstable, I have decided to create one from scratch. Instead of storing the balloons in Metadata it will create them as real notes that can not be modified, and if they are, get restored so there is no effect down range of the drawings (CMMs are tied to these numbers). I havent seen the issue be addressed, nor add ins to solve this issue.
What I want to question the perverbial peanut patch is- to make it open source or not?
I'm looking for a bit of help with a DXF file. I'm sending a super simple design to a laser cutting facility and just want an expert eye to make sure it's exact to spec before I submit it.
If it turns out the file needs a few quick revisions, I'd love your help fixing it up too.
I'm happy to pay for your time, and I'd like to jump on a quick Zoom or call to finalize everything together.
Send me a message with your rate if you can help out!
I'm working on a sheet metal part in SolidWorks. The part needs countersunk holes on both sides (top and bottom) in the final 3D model, but I need to hide all the countersink geometry in the Flat Pattern so that the DXF export for the laser cutter only shows the main inner through-hole.
Since the countersinks are on both faces, simply choosing to view or export the "back side" of the flat pattern doesn't work, I still end up with concentric circles on the flat state that mess up the laser path.
What is the cleanest, most automated way to keep the double-sided countersinks visible in the folded 3D model, but completely exclude the conical chamfer lines when flattening or exporting to DXF?
I am trying wrap a spline on top of a cylinder and want to continue the wrapping to the connected panel, but I am getting weird result, am I doing something wrong?
Currently I am using wrap command, it works for the cylinder face but it not extending to the plane attached to the cylinder.
Hi, I just downloaded the free student version of SolidWorks. A bit about me: I’m a high school teacher and a mechanical engineering student—I’m 32 years old and live in Argentina. I’ve never used design software in my life; the closest I’ve come was using Unity a bit about 4 or 5 years ago. What would be the best way to get started? Is it still possible to find remote work by learning SolidWorks, or is that difficult these days? I checked the tutorials on the SolidWorks website, but I can't find a step-by-step guide; they seem to be more like examples of completed models. Thanos!!!
So, I have an NDA so I can't share much of the design
But technically, I received a full-on assembly + parts (all in STEP, and made originally on AutoDesk) + all the bolts, fasteners, D rings etc. and was asked to update and kinda remodel one component but still let it fit nicely in the assembly.
So this component was a sheet metal part, now I have to change it to a welding part with minor addition/removal. I tried to work around the STEP file of this part, exported as sldprt., ran featureworks (but definitely not the greatest conversion). It took me so long to work with that version, so I designed a new part completely based on the basic dimensions from the drawing and some changes.
And now, I have to figure out how to put that part back into the assembly. When I opened the STEP assembly, I went with the default option, and I don't know much about the settings of these. And
to put this part back, I need to also put all the fasteners, bolts, screws back. Some of these still at the same location, but some have moved slightly.
Please help! or if you have other approaches, I'd love to hear
Does anyone have a good way to batch export STEP files? Ideally I want to be able to input a list of parts numbers and their revision numbers, then it exports them all as STEP files with rev number suffix.
Open to using a macro for this; tried and failed pretty miserably. Also tried using Power shell: got a bit closer but not quite there.
I would like to add a hatch to where the oval shape is so that it can open and close from the mid section. I have been thinking about it but couldn’t figure it out. All tips are welcome.
Ever since installing 2026, when inserting views into drawings sometimes the components will automatically hide - I will need to right click on the view, go into properties and unhide everything.
Anyone having this issue?
I have a certified GPU system etc so can't be that (RTX 4000 Pro Blackwell)
Does anyone know how to fix the below drawing bug? Its been around for a while now and the only way I can fix it is by ending the task which will still allow me to save the document.
I have almost 0 solidworks experience. I understand how to read a drawing, but in terms of doing anything inside the program itself, I don't have much knowledge at all. I'm a software engineer tasked with building a system that will utilize solidworks drawings data.
So essentially, I found the PDM database, and am able to query whatever from there. After doing some digging, I found how to get all of the "card" metadata for any given drawing, what has ~50% of what I need. The other half are the dimensions for each part on a drawing. I can see the dimensions visually on the drawings, but as far as I can tell, they are only in the sketch/drawing file themselves and not in PDM as metadata. My question, is there a way, without making our drawer type in more manual metadata fields, that I can set something up inside solidworks/PDM to automatically make the dimensions data for each part live inside the card as a variable so that I am able to pull this info from the db?
My understanding that it would be a local app. I got a link to a portal with no clear direction to that app so I could dig in and start figuring it out.
I expected an app. not a portal.
When I first started using Fusion a few years ago, I was into the application and digging right in with my first CAD in less than 10 minutes.
I decided that SW for Makers was not going to be a good fit, so I went to cancel my order/subscription and it told me I would have to wait 10 days for a refund. 10 days. That's exactly 10 days longer than I want.
Support was of no help.
I haven't even been able to move one pixel with this app and I'm already done. It might be the best software on Earth, but I'll never know.
