New Features in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2017

The release of SOLIDWORKS 2017 is right around the corner and drumming up a lot of excitement for power users and new users alike. With every new SOLIDWORKS release, users anticipate enhancements and features that will increase their productivity and help make their design and product development processes easier.

There is no better way to bring an idea and design to life than with the power of SOLIDWORKS. With multiple tools and functions such as electrical, simulation, and visualization, it’s possible to design a product seamlessly and effortlessly.

SOLIDWORKS 2017 also provides key product data management functionality for:

• – Securely storing and retrieving data quickly and easily
• – Sharing and collaborating on designs with people inside and outside of your location
• – Developing an electronic workflow to manage, document, and increase development all while eliminating concerns of lost data.

In this post, we highlight the latest and greatest features and enhancements in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2017. But first, it’s important to point out that there are two options to choose from: SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional and SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard.

• – SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard provides data management solutions for small workgroups that are based in the same location.
• – SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional is fully featured and manages data for companies large and small and for companies that have offices in different locations.

So now that you have a feel of which version may be best for you, here are some of the new features and enhancements in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2017:

SOLIDWORKS PDM Client and Server Service Pack Compatibility

No more waiting around! The latest version of SOLIDWORKS now gives customers the ability to upgrade the client or the server independently. This new upgrade allows flexibility when upgrade time draws near, and prevents full stops during the upgrade which ultimately reduces downtime.

What this also means, is if the administrator decides to upgrade the server during the day, for instance, the client will still be able to continue usage with minimal interruptions.

SOLIDWORKS PDF Task Add-In

SOLIDWORKS 2017 now allows tasks inside PDM that are in an Office (Word, Excel, and Powerpoint) file to be converted to PDF. You can also convert DWG/DFX format files to PDF. So if you found it frustrating that files were not able to be converted to PDF in previous versions, your workflow has become easier and user-friendly.

Reference Tree Display Enhancements

SOLIDWORKS PDM 2017 makes the Reference Tree Display easier to understand at a glance. There is now a single node for the file that is displayed at the top of the tree which will improve the user experience dramatically.

Rollback with File References

Rollback and reference redirection has been made easier with the latest version of SOLIDWORKS. When choosing a parent file, children can now be rolled back at the same time instead of individually. The new Rollback feature allows the user to roll back a file with all of its references.

Latest Version Overwrite

Get ready to save space. Latest version overwrite now allows users to overwrite the current file without creating a new file during check-in and change state operations. Small changes such as fixing a typo and day end check-in on a file or document will dramatically reduce the number of archives saved on the device. In previous versions, SOLIDWORKS PDM would create a brand new file version for any changes that had been made.

We’re so excited about the latest features from SOLIDWORKS PDM 2017. Data management has such a crucial role in the design process to bring ideas, tasks, and completions together during development.

Related Articles: 

• – What’s New: SOLIDWORKS 2017 Technical Communication Tools
• – Large Assembly Mode Made Easier with SOLIDWORKS 2017

About the Author: 

Angelle Erickson writes about how companies are using innovative technologies, such as 3D printers and SOLIDWORKS software to increase productivity, improve product development processes, and maximize business potential.