SOLIDWORKS Frequently Asked Questions

Most schools that purchase a SOLIDWORKS Education Edition license receive additional home use license for their students to work on a home or personal computer. Hence, please contact your school and ask them to provide a student home use licenses (SDK or SEK, or Student Premium or Student Standard).

However, if your school does not have a SOLIDWORKS Education Edition license, you will need to purchase your own Student Edition from the SOLIDWORKS online store: www.solidworks.com/studentstore

Design with wall thickness, tolerance, and support direction in mind. FDM printers require thicker walls and fewer overhangs, while resin printers capture finer details but require good drainage and proper orientation. SOLIDWORKS for Makers helps you analyze both, ensuring your figurine prints cleanly across various printer types.

You should only purchase software directly from Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS Corporation or through an authorized SOLIDWORKS reseller.

Avoid online marketplaces, websites and peer-to-peer networks that offer SOLIDWORKS software for free or at a discounted price.

Adopt Software Asset Management standards and best practices to manage your company’s software lifecycle and reduce the risks of litigation that arise from non-compliance issues.

The easiest way to order SOLIDWORKS Subscription Services is to contact your local VAR. If you are unsure who your VAR is, please contact SOLIDWORKS and we will assist you.

Software releases and service packs can be downloaded directly from our Downloads page on SOLIDWORKS.com.

You can report the suspected non-compliant reseller here. 

During your browser-based session, any files created or modifications made to sample files are not saved on disk after the session is closed. The exception to this is files saved under the Home Folder location during your session.

You can also download or upload individual files through the virtualization platform.

Signing up is easy and takes less than 1-minute to complete! You must complete the student sign-up form online by entering your school name and other basic information. You are then presented with the download link, unique serial number to use during installation, and an installation guide.

Use the Split and Assembly tools to divide big models, such as helmets or armor, into smaller printable sections. You can add tabs, joints, or dowels for easy alignment and reassembly after printing, ensuring accuracy and ease of use.

You can move your software from your current computer to a new computer, open SOLIDWORKS then use the Help > Transfer License feature.

This feature deactivates the product on your current machine so it can be reactivated on the new machine. You then go to the new computer, install SOLIDWORKS then start it and select Help > Activate to proceed with the activation process.

This issue can occur if the SOLIDWORKS® License Service is not installed properly on the machine. In most of the cases, this issue is resolved by performing a repair installation of SOLIDWORKS. Follow the below steps for a repair installation:

1. Login as an administrator
2. Go to Start > Control Panel > Program and Features > SOLIDWORKS and click ‘Change’ to repair the installation
3. Select ‘Repair the individual installation (on this computer)’
4. Click ‘Next’
5. Follow the instructions to complete the modification

After the repair is successful, try following the steps to perform the activation:

1. Rename the FLEXnet folder and try activation again:
   Go to C:\ProgramData\FLEXnet and rename the folder FLEXnet (maybe to FLEXnet_old) (The ProgramData folder is a hidden folder. Either you can enable to show hidden folders from Folder options or you can directly type c:\Programdata into the address bar and press enter to access this folder. You will be able to find the Flexnet folder)
2. Try the activation again

After modeling, you can export STL files for 3D printing or DXF files for laser cutting. Once printed, finish your parts with sanding, priming, and painting—or add foam, LEDs, and fabric details to complete your look.

Run fit checks, motion studies, and stress simulations to confirm that your drone design is ready for assembly. You can also create drawings and 3D renderings to document your project or share it with other makers for feedback.

SOLIDWORKS AI Virtual Companions are built to empower designers by handling time-consuming tasks like repetitive geometry creation, assembly structuring, and drawing annotations. By automating these processes, the AI allows you to stay in the driver’s seat, focusing on strategic, high-value design decisions. With AI as your assistant, you maintain full control over your projects while working more efficiently and creatively.

Generative design uses AI algorithms to explore all possible solutions to a design problem based on constraints you define, such as materials, budget and manufacturing methods. The software then generates multiple design options that meet your criteria. This allows for greater optimization and innovation in product design. Capabilities in SOLIDWORKS AI, like generative drawings, enable designers to eliminate time-consuming, high-cognitive load tasks and focus on creating better products.