-> SOLIDWORKS tab

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  MechDesigner Reference & User Interface > Dialogs >

-> SOLIDWORKS tab

CAD-Line > SOLIDWORKS tab

See also: Mass-Properties tab, DXF tab, STL Import tab, Display Options tab.

Enable Visibility toolbar > Show Solids in Mechanisms to see CAD-Solids in Mechanism-Editors.


Use the CAD-Line > SOLIDWORKS tab to:

Import to add a SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document  ( SOLIDWORKS refers to their CAD files as documents ) onto a CAD-Line.

Remove a SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document from a CAD-Line.

Open a SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document in SOLIDWORKS that you have previously imported onto a CAD-Line.

Control the surface accuracy of a SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document when you import it from SOLIDWORKS.

Rename the CAD-Line to the name of the active SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document.


CAD-Line dialog

SOLIDWORKS tab

CAD-Line dialog> SOLIDWORKS tab

CAD-Line dialog> SOLIDWORKS tab


Before you import a document from SolidWorks:

Make sure the SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document you want to import is open in SOLIDWORKS and it is the active document.

Make sure the SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document has a file-name.

Usually, add a Coordinate-System feature to the SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document to align with the CAD-Line.

Usually, simplify the SOLIDWORKS document to reduce the complexity of the model.


Warning: The SOLIDWORKS Part/Assembly document does not import into MechDesigner if, in SOLIDWORKS, you use a Chinese Traditional font to name a Configuration.

Rename the Configuration feature with a Western font.

 Import from SOLIDWORKS 

CAD-Line dialog > SOLIDWORKS tab

CAD-Line dialog > SOLIDWORKS tab

STEP 1: Click the Read Red-14-2 button

WAIT until the:

SolidWorks® Part/Assembly name (read-only) shows in box Red-14-4

SolidWorks Configuration (read-only) shows in box Red-14-5

Model Status (read-only) shows in box Red-14-6

Model Status:

Unavailable - before you import SolidWorks® document the first time.

Out of Date - the file in boxRed-14-4 is older than the current date/time.

Up to Date - the date/time of file in boxRed-14-4 is the equal to the date/time when imported.

STEP 2: If there is more than one Coordinate-System, select a Coordinate-System Red-14-8.

STEP 3: Click the Import Red-14-12 Button

Wait - a large model can take time to import.


Optional Buttons(Red-14-1bRed-14-3)

ButtonRed-14-1b : Remove the SolidWorks® document in box Red-14-4 from the CAD-Line

ButtonRed-14-3 : OPEN the document in box Red-14-4 (that you have previously imported) in SolidWorks®

ButtonRed-14-11 : Rename CAD-Line to the file-name of the SolidWorks document in boxRed-14-4.

CAD-Solid File Quality Red-14-10a

Fine: more vertices

Coarse: fewer vertices

Custom : edit

Linear DeviationRed-14-7: Maximum =0.5mm; Minimum =0.014mm - see Warning

Angular DeviationRed-14-9: Maximum =30º; Minimum =0.4º - see Warning


Warning : Number-of-Vertices increase rapidly as you reduce the Linear/Angular Deviation to give a large STL file. A large STL file slows down MechDesigner.

The display of the CAD-Solid does not always improve as you reduce the Linear/Angular Deviation. Experiment! See: Edge Angle Limit.