Installing 3DExperience SolidWorks for Makers
This document will step you through installing 3DExperience / SolidWorks for Makers. It can be a daunting process to get to the point where you can launch SolidWorks for Makers, after subscribing, as SolidWorks for Makers feels as if it's "hidden" within the 3DExperience community environment. This Procedure aims to simplify that initial setup process.
Think of 3DExperience as a collaboration platform, intended to bring together individuals in an organization... where each individual has assigned Roles. Dassault Systemes, the software developer, refers to 3DExperience as a "unified collaborative environment".
SolidWorks for Makers is a tool available to someone in 3DExperience that is assigned the Role of 3DExperience SolidWorks Professional.
This is where the initial confusion sets in for most people: you cannot simply subscribe to SolidWorks for Makers. You must subscribe to 3DExperience at a level that includes access to SolidWorks for Makers.
In other words, we need to first navigate through the installation of the online community aspect of 3DExperience, before getting to install SolidWorks for Makers.
At a high level, the SolidWorks for Makers installation process has these major steps:
- Verify free disk space
- Purchase a SolidWorks for Makers subscription containing the appropriate Roles
- Wait for the Getting Started email
- Login to the 3DExperience landing page
- Verify that the proper Roles have been assigned to your subscription
- Download & Install the Launcher application
- Install Solidworks for Makers
- Create a desktop icon
- Launch SolidWorks
- (optional) Work offline mode
Each of the above steps will be covered in detail in the sections that follow.
SolidWorks for Makers alone will take up approx 16.5GB of space. It is recommended to installation the application and toolboxes to your C: drive. Therefore, make sure you have adequate space available on that drive before continuing.
3DExperience SolidWorks for Makers is a paid application. A subscription can be purchased monthly or annually.
Use the following link to select & purchase a subscription: https://www.solidworks.com/solution/3dexperience-solidworks-makers The subscription costs are:
- $48 USD / year, or
- $15 USD / month (Subscription prices above are current as of January 2024.)
Complete the checkout process, and create a 3DExperience account, before proceeding.
This may seem like a trivial detail not worthy of its own installation step, but it is incredibly important:
You will receive several emails from Dassault Systemes after subscribing in Section 2. above.
- You MUST wait for the "Getting Started" email before attempting to do anything else.
- Don't log in to any other Dassault Systemes sites wondering how to get started.
- You MUST NOT lose the link included in that email! That link, which you'll likely never find through Google, is your only way to ever get back to your 3DExperience dashboard.
We cannot emphasize this enough. This is one of the many sources of frustration with 3DExperience: there are several other Dassault Systemes sites you will be able to log in to, but none of them will get you to SolidWorks! Don't lose the link in the "Getting Started" email!
Wait patiently for the email to arrive. There have been reports of the "Getting Started" email not arriving until the following day.
The email should look like this:
Make sure you have the following before proceeding:
- Getting Started email w/ link
- 3DExperience account login & password
It is now time to click the link provided to you in the Getting Started email you've received.
You will be taken to the Welcome to the 3DExperience platform landing page, as shown below:
Go ahead and enter your 3DExperience account credentials, and click the Log In button.
Do not continue until you have been able to log in successfully.
Once logged in to the 3DExperience platform, we now need to verify that the proper roles have been assigned to your subscription.
Note: this can be another potential sticking point, as the assignment of roles can sometimes lag behind your ability to log in.
First, click on the Compass icon as indicated by the red arrow in the image below:
The left column of your browser window will expand, to now show your available Roles. Verify the following:
- "ME" is selected on the top row, and
- "3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional" is listed under My Roles as shown below:
Assuming your Roles appear as shown and described above, you are ready to continue.
NOTE: before continuing with this and subsequent sections, again make sure you have sufficient space available on the disk on which you intend to install SolidWorks for Makers. It is recommended to use the default installation directories, which will be on your C: drive. SolidWorks for Makers alone will take approx. 16.5GB of space.
Now, click on the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional role. The left column will now switch to show the applications available to the Role, including SolidWorks, as shown below:
Click on the down arrow to the right of the SOLIDWORKS Connected entry, and wait a few moments.
You should then be presented with the following Welcome to the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher window:
It is very important that you follow the steps given in this window, and described below, in order!
First, click the blue button to download the "3DEXPERIENCELauncher.msi" file.
Determine where your browser saved that .msi file, and run it. The Launcher installer will open:
Follow the prompts to complete installation of the Launcher application.
Finally, return to the Welcome to the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher window and click the blue Continue button as shown below:
If prompted with this warning shown below:
...make sure to click on the Always button.
Installation will automatically continue, so proceed to Section 7. below...
The installation process started in Section 6. above will automatically continue, by popping up this small dialog window:
Click Install Now to start the SolidWorks for Makers installation process.
You will be immediately prompted with this window:
Click the large blue button to continue.
The Solidworks for Makers installer will now launch, as shown below:
Click the Next button to begin the installation.
It is recommended to use the default installation directories for the application and the toolboxes when prompted.
The installer will eventually reach this point:
Click the Install button to finally begin installation of SolidWorks for Makers!
Wait for installation to complete before proceeding to the next section.
By creating a desktop shortcut to launch SolidWorks for Makers, you can avoid having to navigate to the 3DExperience website every time you want to use SolidWorks.
To create the shortcut, return to the 3DExperience page (and the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional role).
Again click the down arrow to the right of the SolidWorks Connected entry, and in the flyout click the arrow circled in red below:
We've finally made it! At this point you should be able to launch SolidWorks for Makers.
We recommend that the first launch be done through the 3DExperience site, and not the desktop shortcut, however.
To do so, click on the red SolidWorks Connected icon listed in the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional role as indicated below:
Wait a few moments, and your patience should be rewarded with the SolidWorks splash screen.
Subsequent launches of SolidWorks for Makers should be able to be done from the desktop shortcut. However, a dialog window will pop up requiring you to enter your 3DExperience credentials each time as shown below:
SolidWorks for Makers offers an optional Offline mode, which can save you from having to enter your 3DExperience credentials every time you open the application.
You can work offline for up to 30 days at a time, during which SolidWorks for Makers will open and you will not be nagged for credentials.
To do so, look for a circular icon containing your initials near the upper right corner of SolidWorks, and click that icon. "Work Offline" will appear as a drop-down as shown below:
Click on Work Offline.
The subsequent dialog that appears will then allow you to enter the number of days to be offline. The maximum is 30 as shown below:
At this point, you should be all set with your subscription and have SolidWorks for Makers installed.
You are now ready to download and open the Input-Inc. CAD and get to work!