SOLIDWORKS Frequently Asked Questions

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.

SOLIDWORKS is leveraging the latest technology to deliver you incredible 3D software over the internet. With that in mind, we do suggest using this with a broadband connection of at least 3000/300 Kbps (Download/Upload). For best experience, we have found 5000/500 Kbps to be ideal for 1920x1080 resolution. For an acceptable experience, a minimum of 1000/100 is as low as a user should go.

If for any reason you get disconnected, the platform will preserve your session for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, you will be given a new instance and any unsaved work will be lost.

Yes. Get started with SOLIDWORKS 3D CAD free trial!

This can happen if you are kicked out of your session. Refresh ( F5) your browser and wait 30-60 seconds for the previous session to close.

Here are some basic tools for using SOLIDWORKS in a browser.

Settings

Accesses more SOLIDWORKS applications, changes the resolution, shows and hides usage statistics, shares and quits the session, and so on.

My Files

Uploads files from your local computer to the Home folder using My Files

Launch Applications

You can launch SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS Visualize, eDrawings and Treehouse.

• You can access many sample files at Document > SOLIDWORKS Product Trial. Click File > Open to access the sample content.
• The Recent Documents list in the SOLIDWORKS software is pre-populated with files. Press R to access the Recent Documents list.
• Any files you create will be deleted from the evaluation system after you close the evaluation session, unless you save them to the Home Folder.
• To test your own data, you can Upload Files using the My Files tool  . TIP: Drag and drop files from your local Windows Explorer to the Home Folder (or sub folders you create) once in My Files. Files uploaded here are available to open via This PC > Home Folder

You can save files from the browser to your Home Folder and then clicking any file on your Home Folder will download it to your local machine.

To download files:

1. Save the files in Home Folder.
2. In the dialog box, click the file you want to download.

Click Profiles on the upper right of the SOLIDWORKS window and use the End Session option to quit the session. Save any open documents. Your changes will be lost if you don't save them before ending the session.
The SOLIDWORKS in the browser session may also end if it times out. Time outs happen if you:

• Exceed the maximum duration. The maximum duration of a session is shown in a countdown timer at the bottom of the screen while you run SOLIDWORKS in the browser.
• Do not interact with it (by keyboard or mouse) for 10 minutes.

You can upload files from your computer to the Home Folder under My Files.

To upload files:

• Click Upload files 
• The uploaded files appear in the Home folder (under My Files).
• You can create your own Folders using Add Folder option. 
• TIP: Drag and drop files from your local Windows Explorer to the Home Folder (or sub folders you create) once in My Files. Files uploaded here are available to open via This PC > Home Folder

SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD software delivers powerful design functionality with the intuitive SOLIDWORKS user interface to speed your design process and make you instantly productive.

If you are new to SOLIDWORKS, we recommend that you start with the INTRODUCING SOLIDWORKS Guide.

Below are free training videos from MySolidWorks.com. You can open these videos in a separate Web browser so you can use the training videos along with the SOLIDWORKS in the browser version.

• Editing Parts 
• Bottom up Assembly Modeling 
• Introduction to Drawings and Detailing 
• Starting a Sketch on a Plane or Face 

You can access the training files used in the videos. Click File > Open. In the dialog box, browse to Libraries > Documents > SOLIDWORKS Product Trial > Training Files.

Tutorials are available in the product to help you learn SOLIDWORKS subjects from basic to advanced. Click Help > SOLIDWORKS Tutorials to navigate to the topics.

Finally, a collection of sample files are also included in the SOLIDWORKS Product Trial folder to help you further explore SOLIDWORKS capabilities.

The SOLIDWORKS software is maximized (dynamic) to your browser window size.

To experiment with video resolution settings to find the best balance of performance and clarity:

• Click  Settings  > Screen resolution    (upper left of the browser window) to find the setting that works best. Most people use Match local display.

You might also need to experiment with your browser's zoom level. A value less than 100% causes buttons and menus in SOLIDWORKS to shrink. To make them more accessible, increase the zoom level through your browser’s settings.

Increase the zoom level in your browser's settings to 100%. This setting is available in all supported browsers, but its location varies. In Google Chrome, for example, the zoom level is in the Zoom section of the Chrome menu on the browser toolbar.

• Check your internet connection quality using www.speedtest.net.
• Switch to an ethernet-wired instead of wireless connection.
• Try a different, supported web browser.
• Try reconnecting at a later time.

Today, SOLIDWORKS requires local installation on a Windows PC. See system requirements here.

We do not currently offer any SOLIDWORKS tools through the browser platform - it is limited to free evaluations and trials only.