CAD Forum

A customer sends me a file, how do I tell what version solidworks it is in?
Shy of trying to open it in various versions of eDrawings, and see what or which one opens it?
Any quick method?
Thanks

Conklin wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 12:04 pm A customer sends me a file, how do I tell what version solidworks it is in?
Shy of trying to open it in various versions of eDrawings, and see what or which one opens it?
Any quick method?
Thanks

Add this column to your folder list:

Also, assuming you are only using the file that the customer sends you for reference, then ask for Parasolids every time. Then SW version doesn't matter.

And since the background kernel of Solidworks is parasolid, then no actual translation is happening. When SW saves it as a parasolid, it just strips everything that isn't geometry, and can be opened in any version (assuming the Parasolid version is compatible).

DanPihlaja wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 12:35 pm Also, assuming you are only using the file that the customer sends you for reference, then ask for Parasolids every time. Then SW version doesn't matter.

Newer version SW use newer version Parasolid which older version SW cannot open.

Conklin wrote: ↑Mon May 22, 2023 12:04 pm A customer sends me a file, how do I tell what version solidworks it is in?
Shy of trying to open it in various versions of eDrawings, and see what or which one opens it?
Any quick method?
Thanks

Why you want to try different eDrawings, just run the latest version and all should be good.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 8:55 am Newer version SW use newer version Parasolid which older version SW cannot open.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 8:55 am Newer version SW use newer version Parasolid which older version SW cannot open.

Are there documented limitations on this? Just exported an SW23 file in to a .X_T and successfully opened it in SW21.

dave.laban wrote: ↑Wed May 24, 2023 11:26 am Are there documented limitations on this? Just exported an SW23 file in to a .X_T and successfully opened it in SW21.

I am not entirely sure, but if you look at the output version, they need to be compatible.

You can output as any previous parasolid version: SW 2022 goes up to Parasolid version 33, where as SW 2018 went up to Parasolid version 26 (I think...I could be wrong on the number). So it would probably be safe to say that SW 2018 cannot open any parasolids higher than 26.

https://blogs.sw.siemens.com/plm-compon ... d-release/

STEP is similar. Beside the main 203, 213, 242, there are revisions. So sometime older CAD cannot open STEP from newer CAD.

DanPihlaja wrote: ↑Wed May 24, 2023 11:30 am I am not entirely sure, but if you look at the output version, they need to be compatible.

You can output as any previous parasolid version:
image.png

SW 2022 goes up to Parasolid version 33, where as SW 2018 went up to Parasolid version 26 (I think...I could be wrong on the number). So it would probably be safe to say that SW 2018 cannot open any parasolids higher than 26.

SW21 can export up to Parasolid 32.0, but was fine importing Parasolid 34.1 (despite the help saying otherwise). So it's not as simple as whatever version the previous SW version could handle.

Frederick_Law wrote: ↑Tue May 23, 2023 8:55 am Newer version SW use newer version Parasolid which older version SW cannot open.

The best thing I've found is to set the default parasolids export to an older version than what may be used. We used Mastercam for the longest time and the parasolids kernel was always 2 or 3 versions behind Solidworks. I have mine set for version 19.1 which is old enough for most of the programs we use and Mastercam as we no longer have maintenance on it. That can be set in the System Options > EXPORT > and select Parasolids.