This document provides general information about Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation releases. You can view the most recent release notes here.
Refer to What's New, available from the Help menu, for descriptions of new functionality.
For a list of fixed SPRs, click here.
For current supported operating systems, see System Requirements.
All SOLIDWORKS 2016 products will not install on Windows 8.0. You must upgrade from Windows 8.0 to Windows 8.1. For current supported operating systems, see System Requirements.
SOLIDWORKS 2014 was the last release that supported the Windows 7 32-bit operating system. SOLIDWORKS 2016 products will not install on the Windows 7 32-bit operating system.
SOLIDWORKS 2015 was the last release that supported Microsoft Access Databases.
SOLIDWORKS 2016 products will not install on Windows Server® 2003 and 2008 operating systems.
SOLIDWORKS Viewer is replaced by eDrawings® Viewer 2016. eDrawings Viewer 2016 is available on 64-bit operating systems only. For current supported operating systems, see System Requirements. The SOLIDWORKS 2014 Viewer will remain available for download, but will not open SOLIDWORKS 2015 and later models.
SOLIDWORKS 2015 was the last release that supported COSMOSM. After the release of SOLIDWORKS 2015 SP5, COSMOSM will no longer be enhanced or supported.
As of SOLIDWORKS 2015, you cannot save a model as Universal 3D file format. The is removed.
Direct integration between ScanTo3D and NextEngine scanning software (ScanStudio) is no longer included in SOLIDWORKS 2015 SP3 and future releases. The NextEngine file types nzip, nxm, and scn can no longer be opened and the NextEngine Scan menu option has been removed from . Alternatively, NextEngine scanner users can generate scan files in other scan file formats and import them into SOLIDWORKS.
It is no longer possible to import Parasolid or Unigraphics (UG) files into Composer.
SOLIDWORKS 2018 and later will not support SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM.
To ensure successful installation and optimum performance, see System Requirements.
SOLIDWORKS 2016 includes support for the Windows 10 64-bit operating system for all SOLIDWORKS products.
For optimum performance and stability, see Video Card Requirements. Recommended graphics cards and drivers are flagged with the gold RealView icon.
Some antivirus software prevents proper installation of SOLIDWORKS. For additional information, see Antivirus.
You can no longer install COSMOSM from the DVDs or using the Installation Manager. You must download COSMOSM from the Downloads area of the Web site.
To modify an installation of SOLIDWORKS PDM Server and its components, use Programs and Features from the Windows Control Panel. You cannot modify the installation with SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager (SLDIM), even if that is what you used to install SOLIDWORKS PDM Server.
Some fonts that shipped in prior versions of Windows have moved into optional features in Windows 10. When upgrading to Windows 10, these fonts may not be installed on your system. If you find that a SOLIDWORKS document uses a font that is no longer installed on your computer, refer to Microsoft Knowledge base article 3083806.
If you use Windows® 7 64-bit version, you should install Microsoft Hotfix KB 983396 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/983396. This fixes problems when trying to embed Microsoft® Office 97-2003 Compatible Format documents into SOLIDWORKS documents. This applies to all installed versions of Microsoft Office.
ScanTo3D is now included in SOLIDWORKS Professional and SOLIDWORKS Premium. Previously, it was only included in SOLIDWORKS Premium.
SOLIDWORKS Utilities and FeatureWorks are now included in SOLIDWORKS Standard. Previously, these were included in SOLIDWORKS Professional.
TolAnalyst is now included in SOLIDWORKS Professional. Previously, it was included in SOLIDWORKS Premium.
Costing for assemblies is included in SOLIDWORKS Premium.
SOLIDWORKS Enterprise PDM is now called SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional. Starting with SOLIDWORKS 2016, SOLIDWORKS PDM is shipped on the SOLIDWORKS DVD.
A delay has been added when you select a midpoint with dynamic highlighting. When you hover over a sketch entity or model edge, there is a delay before you can select the midpoint.
Use to enable or disable the ability to change component file names directly in the FeatureManager design tree.
SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2016 supports SOLIDWORKS 2016, 2015, and 2014. SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard 2016 supports SOLIDWORKS 2016 only. The combination of a newer version of SOLIDWORKS and an older version of SOLIDWORKS PDM is not supported.
There are two limitations when creating and editing a thread feature in SOLIDWORKS SP0 and SP0.1. These limitations are resolved in SP1.
In SP0, the thread profile filenames were transposed for Inch Die with Inch Tap, and Metric Die with Metric Tap. The filenames were corrected in SP0.1, but the profile orientation was incorrect. The profile orientations are corrected in SP1.
In SP1, to update an existing thread feature, temporarily select a different Type or Size from the list, then revert back to the original setting. For example, if the thread size is 0.2500-20, select 0.2500-28 (the SOLIDWORKS software reads the thread profile file and updates the profile in the graphics area), then change it back to 0.2500-20. The software does not update the profile for existing thread features until you change the Type or Size.
Before upgrading to SP1, verify the location of the thread profiles in . The default location for thread profiles is C:\ProgramData\SolidWorks\SOLIDWORKS YYYY\ThreadProfiles. If the profiles are stored in a different location, copy the updated files from the default location to your customized location.
There are no documentation-specific issues at this time.
There are no SP 5.0-specific issues at this time.
The sketch tools pointers have changed to use a pencil-themed icon, similar to the icons used in SOLIDWORKS 2015 and earlier. The crosshair-themed sketch tools pointers are no longer used.
More color is used in icons for the default and classic icon sets. Clarity of icons has improved by introducing highlight colors, such as the use of yellow for lightning bolts and pencils, green for open and import arrows, and magenta for selection filters.
Many icons in the user interface are now available in two color schemes:
To set icon color options, click , and in Icon color, select Default or Classic.
Interface Brightness has been renamed to Background. Medium Light is a new option for the brightness of the user interface. Click , and in Background, select Medium Light.
Changes to icons in the FeatureManager design tree include:
To transfer a SOLIDWORKS license from one computer to another, click to deactivate the license on the first computer and to activate it on the other computer. Previously, Deactivate was called Transfer.
Creating Animations
You can create animations quickly, using a library of predefined animations.
Composer Player Plug-in for Firefox
You can replay Composer experiences that are published to HTML using Mozilla Firefox®. A new, dedicated plug-in lets you read Composer content in Firefox. This plug-in is automatically installed and registered when you install the Composer Player. See Publishing to HTML and Publish to HTML (Save As) in the Composer User's Guide.
Composer Player Application Programming Interface
The Composer Player Application Programming Interface (API) is enhanced. For more information, click .
SOLIDWORKS PCB is a standalone electronics design product for creation of printed circuit boards (PCB) which provides a bi-directional link between MCAD and ECAD designs. SOLIDWORKS PCB allows your printed circuit board to be used in your SOLIDWORKS assembly, reducing the need for prototyping. On-demand synchronization enables designers to check for problems such as misalignment of mounting holes and mechanical interference within the assembly. For product information, click here. Contact your SOLIDWORKS Value Added Reseller for SOLIDWORKS PCB purchase information.
For customers with Altium Designer, the SOLIDWORKS PCB Connector allows Altium Designer users to create a SOLIDWORKS assembly of a printed circuit board (PCB) directly from within the Altium product. SOLIDWORKS PCB Connector allows your printed circuit board to be used in your SOLIDWORKS assembly, reducing the need for prototyping. On-demand synchronization enables designers to check for problems such as misalignment of mounting holes and mechanical interference within the assembly. For product information, click here. Contact your SOLIDWORKS Value Added Reseller for SOLIDWORKS PCB Connector purchase information.
In the Customize dialog box, the name of the command that the shortcut key D is mapped to is now more specific. It has changed from Move Controls to Pointer to Move Selection Breadcrumbs, Confirmation Corner.
You can turn off the automatic scaling that occurs when you specify the first dimension in a sketch. Click and clear Scale sketch on first dimension creation.
There are no SP 1.0-specific issues at this time.