You can view the most recent Release Notes here.
For a list of fixed SPRs, click here.
Refer to What's New, available from the Help menu, for descriptions of new functionality.
SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP5 is the last release to support SOLIDWORKS Explorer as a stand-alone application. The supported functions such as Pack and Go, Rename, Replace, and Move are available in file shortcut menus in File Explorer.
For current information about SOLIDWORKS active products and End of Life products, see SOLIDWORKS and SW PDM System Requirements. For Microsoft Operating System Lifecycle information, see Microsoft’s Windows lifecycle fact sheet.
SOLIDWORKS Version | SOLIDWORKS Support | Microsoft Extended Support | SOLIDWORKS Lifecycle Start | SOLIDWORKS Lifecycle End |
---|---|---|---|---|
SW 2018 | Yes | Yes | Oct 2017 | Dec 2019 |
SW 2019 | Yes * | Partial (15 months) |
Oct 2018 | Dec 2020 |
SW 2020 | Yes * | Partial (3 months) |
Oct 2019 | Dec 2021 |
SW 2021 | No/Install blocked | No | Oct 2020 | Dec 2022 |
SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP5 is the last release to support the Windows Server® 2012 R2 operating system. SOLIDWORKS 2020 products will not install on Windows Server 2012 R2.
SOLIDWORKS 2018 SP5 is the last release to support the Windows Server® 2012 operating system. SOLIDWORKS 2019 products will not install on Windows Server 2012.
SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP5 is the last release to support Microsoft® Excel 2013 and Word 2013.
SOLIDWORKS 2018 SP5 is the last release to support Microsoft® Excel 2010 and Word 2010.
SOLIDWORKS 2019 SP5 is the last release to support SQL Server® 2012.
To ensure successful installation and optimum performance, see SOLIDWORKS and SW PDM System Requirements.
For optimum graphics performance and stability, see SOLIDWORKS Hardware Certification.
To use SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020 with SQL Server® 2014 or SQL Server® 2014 Express, you must install Service Pack 3 or later. To upgrade your SQL Server 2014 or SQL Server 2014 Express installation to SP3, download the service pack here.
Beginning with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP1, subscription service customers can use Early Visibility Online to test from a browser. Log in to MySolidWorks and, from the top menu, click SOLIDWORKS <release>/EV.
Beginning with SOLIDWORKS 2020, DVD distribution media is provided only on request. Contact your Reseller for more information.
Some antivirus software prevents proper installation of SOLIDWORKS. For more information, see Antivirus Products.
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.
When you save a drawing document as a PDF file, and the drawing contains non-English (non-ASCII) characters, the appropriate fonts must be available to render the characters. If the specified font is not installed on your computer or does not support Unicode character glyphs, then the Arial Unicode MS font is used. If the Arial Unicode MS font is also missing, then the characters fail to render. The Arial Unicode MS font is not provided with Microsoft® Office® 2016 software. (See Windows 10 Fonts Missing, above.) Workaround: To install the Arial Unicode MS font, install both Microsoft® Office® Professional Plus 2013 (minimal installation with only International Options enabled) and Microsoft® Office® (2016 or later).
Recommendation: Use the 64-bit version of Microsoft Office. If you are embedding Microsoft Office 32-bit OLE objects in your SOLIDWORKS documents, refer to Microsoft Knowledge base article 983396 to fix OLE objects displaying as an icon.
There are no functionality-specific items at this time.
Corrections and Clarifications:
Microsoft SQL Server® 2019 is supported beginning with SOLIDWORKS 2020 and SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020.
When using the Mirror Components tool with Create opposite hand version selected, you are warned if the software cannot find the material assigned to the seed component.
The 3D ContentCentral content is removed from the Design Library.
For parts, assemblies, and drawings, the 3DExperience Connector for SOLIDWORKS allows you to have a display name that is different from the file name. The file name is a unique identifier that remains unchanged. The display name lets you refer to the file by a name that you can change as needed over the course of the file’s lifecycle. When you open the file in SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP4 or later, the display name is shown in place of the file name in, for example, the Reload, Pack and Go, and References dialog boxes, the FeatureManager design tree, and the ConfigurationManager.
You can generate cut list IDs or unique reference IDs for each cut list or cut list folder based on the cut list attributes. Click Cut list IDs, select Generate Cut list IDs. You can define different expression values based on the type of cut list. Unique cut list IDs result in the unique naming convention of cut lists that can be used to index the database.
. UnderHelp has been removed from the SOLIDWORKS menu. To access the help menu, click the Help icon next to the minimize button.
Simulation data sensors are enhanced to track strain component results. You can track any strain component available in strain result plots (elemental values).
SOLIDWORKS integrates the Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF). In the Microsoft Windows Task Manager, one or more instances of SOLIDWORKS CEF Sub Process, swCefSubProc.exe, appear when you use SOLIDWORKS.
For concise instructions on how to install a standalone seat of SOLIDWORKS, see SOLIDWORKS Standalone Install Guide.
The 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace Add-in is installed by default with SOLIDWORKS 2020 SP1.0 and later. The add-in allows easier interaction between 3DEXPERIENCE Marketplace services and SOLIDWORKS by bringing the tools right into your modeling environment.
There are no items specific to SOLIDWORKS CAM at this time.
There are no items specific to SOLIDWORKS Composer at this time.
To use SOLIDWORKS Electrical 2020 with SQL Server® 2014 or SQL Server® 2014 Express, you must install Service Pack 3 or later. To upgrade your SQL Server 2014 or SQL Server 2014 Express installation to SP3, download the service pack here.
Updated Online Help
For all supported languages, the content of Online Help is updated for SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation 2020 SP2.
There are no items specific to SOLIDWORKS Inspection at this time.
There are no items specific to SOLIDWORKS PCB at this time.
The SOLIDWORKS Plastics tutorials PDF is available only in English.
New Multi-Material Overmolding Injection Process
A new multi-material overmolding injection process is available for parts you design with two-shot or multi-shot overmolding injections processes. When creating a new Plastics study, for Injection Process, select Multi Material Overmolding.
Within one injection cycle, you can inject sequentially a maximum of 6 polymer materials into the various cavities of your multi-material overmolding design (one material per cavity).
Updates for the Plastics Material Library
Tutorials
The SOLIDWORKS Plastics tutorials PDF is now available in Japanese.
To ensure successful installation and optimum performance, see Prerequisites and System Requirements.
For a comparison of render performance across different NVIDIA graphics cards, see SOLIDWORKS Visualize Benchmarks.
Refer to What's New, available from the Home Screen, for descriptions of new functionality.
A new option, Allow denoiser from pass, in , lets you specify at what pass your scene starts using the Denoiser.
Functionality
Functionality
Functionality
Functionality