Question about the EXPERIENCE add-in for Solidworks

[bnemec]

Anyone using the 3DX platform Solidworks add-in? I wasn't really involved but we purchased Simulia which is only on their platform. Our VAR tech doing the training is telling the three users that we need some add-in. I'm assuming is the 3DX addin to upload files to the platform? Of course the Add-in requires at least 2019SP5.1 I go to download SP5 and see 2019 downloads have been removed from the portal. So I ask VAR tech support (not the guy doing 3DX onboard training) and get links to download. I ask about a SP5.1 and am informed there is not a 2019SP5.1 only 5.0

Second, I'm asking for confirmation that they actually need the add-in to use Simulia. We have PDM Pro here and will not be doing any PDMing on the platform in the near future. But I cannot get a straight answer about if the Solidworks add-in is actually needed for us to get out Solidworks models into Simulia.

Also no word on if the add-in helps propagate model edits from Solidworks to Simulia, mostly so the study setup can just be updated not started from scratch again. Or if it provides any functionality above what can be done from the browser.

We can install the add-in but this is what the side bar looks like:

Is anyone using solidworks and simulia and can shed some light on this for us please?

Thank you.

[mgibeault]

From what I understand, it's not possible to upload a SolidWorks file to the platform and it still being considered a CAD file.
When you install the connector you also add a translator that converts SolidWorks file into a format readable by 3DEXPERIENCE, probably some sort of CATIA file.
If at all possible, you should migrate to at least SolidWorks 2020 SP5.0 that is currently available to download for costumers.

[bnemec]

From what I understand, it's not possible to upload a SolidWorks file to the platform and it still being considered a CAD file.
When you install the connector you also add a translator that converts SolidWorks file into a format readable by 3DEXPERIENCE, probably some sort of CATIA file.
If at all possible, you should migrate to at least SolidWorks 2020 SP5.0 that is currently available to download for costumers.

Thank you for responding.

Yeah, updating to new version just isn't feasible at this point in time. Closest we could do is the three users install newer version of Solidworks for the sole purpose of making models for Simulia then keep another copy of the part modeled separately in 2019.

More about this uploading. What are we calling a "CAD file"? Specifically, is it the .sldprt that has all the features and info that Solidworks needs? Or any form of 3D geometry (Parasolid, body for example)?

If I understand what I've been hearing, the best "translation" is the platform can interpret a .sldprt as just a dumb solid of some kind, there is no app on the platform that can open and build a .sldprt? Is that what you mean by " not possible to upload a SolidWorks file to the platform and it still being considered a CAD file" ?

What I thought was possible is uploading a translated file type or that the parasolid 3D data stored in the sldprt file could be interpreted by Simulia or whatever storage mechanism is used in the platform. Or are you saying there is no way to even get the 3D geometry (not features, sketches, etc.) from a sldprt to that platform?

This translator is only available via the SW Add-in? Nothing like it anywhere else in the 3DX?

[John]

The SW connector is supported for 3 versions (latest and 2 behind so for now it is supported for SW 2023, 2022 and 2021). If your colleagues are using SIMULIA, you can save your SW data into 3DX, they can open in it SIMULIA and do their studies. If you change the model in SW, the change will reflect in the database. When you save the SW data to the platform, an exact geometry conversion is done cloud side to allow the models to be used in the 3DX thick client (CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA etc). There is no model history in the tree and no modifications can be done directly to the geometry but it can be used to do studies, add to CATIA assemblies as well as for DELMIA machining and digital manufacture etc. The data is still a SW file in the background and gets cached as such when opened back in SW.

[mgibeault]

I don't know specifically about Simulia, it may have a tool to import a CAD file other than within 3DX.
What I meant about uploading a file in 3DX, is that SolidWorks files have more than just geometry, and that may be lost that way. It all boils down to whether Simulia has the capability of working with any 3d file in 3DX.
Since I don't have Simulia...

[bnemec]

The SW connector is supported for 3 versions (latest and 2 behind so for now it is supported for SW 2023, 2022 and 2021). If your colleagues are using SIMULIA, you can save your SW data into 3DX, they can open in it SIMULIA and do their studies. If you change the model in SW, the change will reflect in the database. When you save the SW data to the platform, an exact geometry conversion is done cloud side to allow the models to be used in the 3DX thick client (CATIA, SIMULIA, DELMIA etc). There is no model history in the tree and no modifications can be done directly to the geometry but it can be used to do studies, add to CATIA assemblies as well as for DELMIA machining and digital manufacture etc. The data is still a SW file in the background and gets cached as such when opened back in SW.

Thank you John that is helpful. A couple of follow-up questions.

When you say save the SW date into 3DX, can this be done in web UI or is the SW Connector the only method available?

Does the SW Connector have anything specific for SIMULIA or is it generic to all 3DX, it's just a way to get SW files to/from the 3DX Platform?

[John]

For the data to be useable by the SIMULIA team, the data has to be saved via the connector.

Yes, the connector is just a way to manage SW data in 3DX, it is not specific to SIMULIA. As well as being revision and maturity controlled, data saved in through the connector could also be used in CATIA as a multi CAD assembly or by DELMIA for machining or digital manufacture etc.

[bnemec]

For the data to be useable by the SIMULIA team, the data has to be saved via the connector.

Yes, the connector is just a way to manage SW data in 3DX, it is not specific to SIMULIA. As well as being revision and maturity controlled, data saved in through the connector could also be used in CATIA as a multi CAD assembly or by DELMIA for machining or digital manufacture etc.

That's going to be a problem.

[John]

The SIMULIA guys probably have capability to import the SW parts or assemblies straight into 3DX through the thick client but at that point they will be converted to 3DX native objects (dumb solid) so if you change the geometry in SW, they will need re-importing as a new object.

[bnemec]

John, I appreciate your clear and concise responses. No one else that I've asked has been able (or willing) to answer the questions.

It sounds like our least bad option is to have the SIMULIA users install the newer version of SW alongside the current version that everyone else is using (including the PDM servers). Then we would need to keep the files up to date in both systems.