Product Matrix-SolidWorks Mechanical CAD Capabilities
	Features	Basic Module	Advanced Module	Premium Module
		SolidWorks Standard	SolidWorks Professional	SolidWorks Premium
	SWIFT
	SolidWorks Intelligent Feature Technology (SWIFT) lets you spend time creating products that work well, instead of trying to make your software work for you. WIFT automates time-consuming detail work and techniques, diagnosing and resolving problems related to feature order, mates, sketch relationships, and the application of dimensions. As a result, users of any experience level can be more effective and innovative.
	Getting Started
	Get up to speed fast. SolidWorks CommandManager logically groups similar functions for easy access. And integrated tutorials provide instructive workflow demonstrations along with visual cues.
	User Interface
	With the Heads-up User Interface, you get a complete, customizable set of visual display and mouse-driven control capabilities that reduce design steps, minimize the need for dialog boxes, and lessen visual clutter.
	Working with DWG
	There’s no need to start from scratch when you want to transition a 2D drawing to a 3D model. SolidWorks includes data translation tools along with help documentation for AutoCAD users, so you can smoothly convert DWG files into 3D models.
	Part Modeling
	Speed product development from concept to production with powerful and easy-to-use 3D part modeling tools. Design parts as they will be positioned in the assembly to manage relationships to other parts. Sketch in 2D and then extrude, revolve, blend or sweep the section along a path to create any 3D geometry. Edit by merely clicking and dragging geometry, or by clicking and changing dimensions. Time saving features such as holes, bosses, fillets, chamfers, slots, keyways, o-ring grooves, louvers and ribs are also provided. Drag/drop, pattern, copy and mirror features to eliminate repetitive modeling tasks.
	RealView Graphics
	Visualize and communicate your designs more clearly than ever. Without rendering, you can quickly create nearly lifelike, fully dynamic representations of your parts, assemblies, and completed products.
	Advanced Surfacing
	Improve the aesthetics, ergonomics, and usability of your product designs. Using the Freeform feature, creating new geometry or importing and manipulating new surfaces is easy and intuitive.
	Sheetmetal Design Tools
	Create sheet metal parts from scratch using folds, bends, flanges, rips, tabs, mitres, lofted bends, sketched bends, hems and more. Alternatively, create a solid shape as starting point then use advanced capabilities such as ‘convert solid-to-sheetmetal’ functionality to develop a manufacturable sheet metal part.
	Weldment Design
	Sketch a layout for your frame and select a weldment profile, then SolidWorks will automatically generate a weldment design in 3D. Modify, validate, reinforce your design then enhance it with standard parts that you can drag & drop from the Design Library and/or 3D ContentCentral. Then, generate precise manufacturing drawings with cut lengths for all segments.
	Mold Design Tools
	In SolidWorks, you can import any of the major CAD formats including IGES, STEP, Parasolid and ACIS to begin your mold designs. Complete your mold design using specialized mold design features such as parting lines and surfaces, and core/cavity splitting as well as specialized plastic part design features such as shrinkage, draft, ribs, fastening features and lip and groove features. Automatically check for draft angle, undercuts and thickness to ensure that parts are really ready for manufacturing.
	Assembly Modeling
	SolidWorks gives you the tools to “get it right” on screen when you create assemblies—saving the time and cost of physical prototypes and remanufacturing. Mate components by picking individual surfaces, edges, curves, and vertices. Create mechanical relationships between components. Conduct interference, collision, and hole alignment checks. Link motion of pulleys and sprockets. Automatically assemble fasteners and accompanying hardware. Automate assembly of commonly used components, appropriate hardware, and required features. Use MateXpert to fix conflicts such as over-constraining a component.
	Assembly Motion
	Simply by clicking and dragging components, you can check an assembly for proper motion and collisions. In addition, you can simulate physical motion involving assembly mates, contact, springs, and gravity, as well as create, edit and save video animations.
	Large Assembly Mgt
	Use “Lightweight” mode to reduce time spent opening and working on large assemblies. Speedpak technology enables simplified versions of assemblies to be created that speeds assembly operations and drawing creation. Use Quick View to select and open just the components you need to work on. Analyze and improve your assembly’s performance using the AssemblyXpert.
	2D Drawing Creation
	Develop production-ready engineering drawings that automatically reference the 3D part so that drawing views and bills of materials update each time that you modify the part or assembly design.
	Data Translation
	Easily import and use existing data, as well as data from external sources. SolidWorks includes translators that support DWG, DXF™, Pro/ENGINEER®, IPT (Autodesk Inventor®), Mechanical Desktop®, Unigraphics®, PAR (Solid Edge™), CADKEY®, IGES, STEP, Parasolid, SAT (ACIS), VDA-FS, VRML, STL, TIFF, JPG, Adobe® Illustrator®, Rhino®, IDF, and HSF (Hoops) formats.
	Part Validation
	SolidWorks Simulation tools help both new users and experts to ensure your design is durable, safe, and manufacturable. In addition, you can use SolidWorks FloXpress to optimize your designs for water and air flow effects.
	Design Automation of Repetitive Tasks
	Save time with SolidWorks Smart Component technology to automate the selection and insertion of standard components and DriveWorksXpress to automate repetitive design tasks and provide configurability of your design, allowing the quick creation of several variants from a single design.”
	Import/Export Capabilities
	With SolidWorks, you’ll have numerous capabilities for accurately communicating design ideas and data to collaborators, upstream and downstream partners, and customers. Formats include PDF, TIF, JPEG, DWG, DXF, IGES, STEP, STL, AVI, Parasolid, Pro/ENGINEER, eDrawings as well as many others.
	Design Collaboration
	Collaborate more effectively by creating eDrawings files that can be reviewed and marked-up. Let an unlimited number of recipients mark-up and provide feedback on product designs.
	Feature Recognition
	When people you collaborate with use other CAD systems, FeatureWorks helps you share imported data by allowing conversion directly to a SolidWorks 3D model. You can elect to rebuild the entire imported model with SolidWorks features, or select individual features to convert.
	Standard Hardware Libraries
	With SolidWorks Toolbox, you have instant access to thousands of pre-built SolidWorks models of standard hardware such as bolts and screws, bearings, o-rings, gears, etc. Just drag and drop them into your design, or use the SmartFasteners capability to automatically assemble and size fasteners.
	Photorealistic Rendering
	Use PhotoWorks and PhotoView 360 to leverage your SolidWorks 3D models for presentations, proposals, and virtual and material studies—before creating any parts. Save time and eliminate the high costs of prototyping and photography.
	Design Standards Checking
	Raise your quality level with SolidWorks Design Checker. With thorough, automated checks and autocorrect capability, you can ensure full compliance with your company standards before you release your designs for manufacture.
	Advanced Productivity Tools
	SolidWorks Utilities enables the designer to do many things including compare parts or drawings to find differences between two similar designs or similar drawings. FeatureWorks streamlines use of data from different CAD systems to work together.
	Leverage Scanned Data
	Import digital scans of handcrafted models into SolidWorks using ScanTo3D. You can also import design concepts created in Rhino® software or sketches developed in Adobe® Illustrator®.
	Routed Systems
	Automate and accelerate the process of routing tubes, pipes, electrical cables, cable harnesses, and electrical conduits with SolidWorks Routing.
	ECAD to MCAD Integration
	Use CircuitWorks, a bi-directional ECAD translator, to ensure the fit and function of printed circuit boards (PCBs) into electrical and mechanical products.
	Data Management Capabilities	Advanced Functionalities are available in Enterprise PDM (EPDM) Which is a separate product
	Secure Access
	Protect your product design data with secure, managed access to authorized individuals, over a network or via the web. In addition to internal users, you can also permit access to partners, customers and your supply chain.
	Revision Control
	Help your design team avoid overwriting files and help purchasing and manufacturing order and produce the correct parts, every time.
	Find Files
	Quickly and easily find SolidWorks files by searching on metadata (Custom Properties).
	Design Validation Capabilties
	Tolerance Stackup Validation
	TolAnalyst allows tolerance stack-up analysis directly inside SolidWorks, and analyzes designs based on the order and manner in which parts are assembled, as well as DimXpert-applied dimensions and tolerances. Determine if your design meets fit and function requirements without tedious and error-prone hand calculations. Study the interactions of assembly components onscreen, before incurring the costs of physical prototypes. Accurately simulate static or dynamic loads to evaluate your design’s performance under stress, strain, and displacement.
	Assembly Simulation
	Study the interactions of assembly components onscreen, before incurring the costs of physical prototypes. Accurately simulate static or dynamic loads to evaluate your design’s performance under stress, strain, and displacement.
	Fully-Integrated Mechanism Simulation
	Apply a wide variety of physics-based models to simulate real-world operating conditions for your design. Check for colliding parts. Output numerical and graphic data of the results, as well as animations of your tests.
	Simulate Welded Structures
	Ensure your welded structures perform at peak operating conditions. Apply pressure, forces, and bearing loads. Then use powerful visualization tools like sections plots, iso-clipping, and animation to review the response of either the full assembly or only certain parts.

 

Product Matrix-SolidWorks Simulation CAE Capabilities
	Features	Basic Module	Advanced Module	Premium Module	Flow Module
		SolidWorks Premium	SolidWorks Simulation Professional	SolidWorks Simualtion Premium	SolidWorks Flow Simulation
	Tolerance Stack-up Validation
	TolAnalyst seamlessly analyzes a design based on the order and manner in which parts are assembled, as well as DimXpert-applied dimensions and tolerances. Determine if your design meets fit and function requirements without tedious and error-prone hand calculations.
	Assembly Simulation
	Study the interactions of assembly components onscreen, before incurring the costs of physical prototypes. Accurately simulate static or dynamic loads to evaluate your design’s performance under stress, strain, and displacement.
	Mechanism Simulation
	Apply a wide variety of physics-based models to simulate real-world operating conditions for your design. Check for colliding parts. Output numerical and graphic data of the results, as well as animations of your tests.
	Simulate Welded Structures
	Ensure your welded structures perform at peak operating conditions. Apply pressure, forces, and bearing loads. Then use powerful visualization tools like sections plots, iso-clipping, and animation to review the response of either the full assembly or only certain parts.
	Product Failure Prediction
	Save the time and cost of prototyping AND create safer, more durable products. Predict structural failure thresholds due to yielding, overheating, buckling, and fatigue. Evaluate failure of both common materials as well as more advanced materials such as plastics, elastomers, and layered composites.
	Compare and Optimize Design Alternative
	Determine the best design option by comparing strengths, life, cost, and weight. Perform all comparisons and design modifications within the SolidWorks environment.
	Simulate Natural Frequencies
	Predict and control your products natural modes of vibration to avoid potentially damaging resonant frequencies. Study the effects of both loads and material choices on your products performance.
	Predict Buckling or Collapses
	Virtually apply forces, pressure, gravity, and centrifugal forces to your designs to determine maximum loads before buckling. Study the effects of various materials as well as isotopic and orthotropic factors.
	Simulate Heating or Cooling
	Thermal analysis capabilities enable you to easily study heat effects on your designs. Simulate thermal boundary conditions, fluid flow, thermal-structural interactions, and radiation effects in high-temperature applications.
	Simulate Drop Test or Prod Failure
	Save time and cost by reducing the number of physical tests. SolidWorks gives you integrated capabilities for detailed drop-test simulation. Define drop height, surface, and orientation. Perform realistic collision simulation between parts or assemblies. Visualize resulting contact, deflection, and even part-part separation.
	Simulate Repeat Loading
	With SolidWorks, you have the tools you need to simulate, evaluate, and improve a part or assembly that must withstand the rigors of daily operation. Evaluate the differences in your system’s performance to varying speeds or frequencies, and estimate the design life of your entire product.
	Simulate Forced Vibrations
	Predict and control vibrations or dynamic responses in your products with a choice of integrated design studies, including Transient study, Harmonic Response study, and Random Response study.
	Non-Linear Dynamics
	Thoroughly test and validate your designs with a broad range of advanced capabilities, including: nonlinear displacement analysis, nonlinear buckling analysis and snap-through events, analysis of nonlinear materials, design optimization of hyperelastic materials, onset-of-yield and post-yield elastoplastic analysis, creep effects and temperature-related material changes, dynamic response analysis of parts and assemblies.
	Simulate Plastic Parts
	Capture all the behavior of your plastic parts without special training or add-ins. Choose the best materials and material models for your design challenges. Simulate your plastic components in all possible tests and environments, and optimize parts for volume and cost.
	Fluid Flow Simulation
	Study the flow of liquids (including non-Newtonian liquids such as toothpaste, slurry, and blood) and gasses inside and around your designs. Examine the performance of electronic component cooling systems, valves and regulators, drug delivery systems, turbo machinery, and moving objects.