3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS SHARE AND MARKUP
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Share and Mark-up
SOLIDWORKS Share and Markup provides a simple and efficient method of sharing designs with eternal stakeholders for the purpose of viewing, annotating, and sharing comments. This functionality is available to anyone who has the 3DSwymer, Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS or 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS roles.
One benefit of using Share and Markup is that the recipient of your file doesn't need a 3DEXPERIENCE role or SOLIDWORKS license to view the file, make notes and share comments with you. All they require, is a 3DEXPERIENCE account, which can be created for no cost. This way, you can avoid the hassle of alternative file sharing tools that can add unnecessary overhead to your design collaboration process.
1. How to enable Share and Markup capabilities
To share files with external recipient some initial setup is required using the Drives Control Center app. The platform Administrator must turn on:
These settings are located on “Share with External” tab.
2. Sharing a file from SOLIDWORKS
In SOLIDWORKS you chose the file format to share. From the “Lifecycle and Collaboration” tab you can select the ‘arrow down’ on the “Share a file” button and then select the desired file format.
In this example 3DXML is chosen, this is the recommended format for sharing an assembly. The 3DXML file will contain all of child components and sub-assemblies.
After choosing the file format, you can create the sharable link. Click the “Share a file” command again and a formatted file is created and placed in your 3DDrive application, in the folder named “Shared with external”.
plus, a dialog box will appear with an option to enable guests to comment on the file, plus an option to restrict access to specific users. If you do NOT enable “restrict access to specific users” anyone with the shared link can access the file.
However, if you activate “Restrict access to specific users” you will have the option to type in the email address of the person you wish to share your file with or multiple email addresses if several persons are to be involved and finally, you can add a message in the dialog box.
Having applied the required settings, next click the “Share” button, to automatically send an email to your chosen recipient that will include a link to the file and a message.
The recipient will receive an email with a subject line stating the name of the sender, the name of the file, and a link to access the shared file.
When recipients click on the link, they will be prompted to set up a free 3DEXPERIENCE ID account, if they don’t have one already. If they do have an account, they can just select the link and access the model by signing in to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Note: They must use the same email address entered when creating the shared link.
3. Adding annotations and comments to the shared file
Once the recipient has logged in, they can access the model from their browser, which will take them to the shared model in the 3DPlay viewer application, where they can rotate, view, mark up, and comment on it using the intuitive tools in 3DPlay.
All the recipient needs to do is hover over the icons to get a description of the various tools to begin a “mark-up” procedure.
As an example, they can click on the Edit Clipping tool, which cuts through objects using a section plane to view and to access details inside an object, and also to measure hidden items.
4. Sharing annotations and comments with the original sender
When the recipients are done commenting, they can save their markups/comments as a snapshot by hitting the “Share as Comment” command, which will then show up in the Comments window to the right of their screen.
When the feedback has been applied and sent, the original sender will receive a notification from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Clicking on the notification displays the 3DPlay app in the SOLIDWORKS task pane, where of the annotations and comments made by the recipient of the file can be viewed.
5. Understanding where shared files are stored in 3DDrive
The process which has just been described, seems very automatic and simple, and so it is. However, it’s always important to be aware of where the shared files are located, if you, at some point, wish to search for a specific file and other files that might have been shared.
By opening the 3DDrive application, searching can be performed in SolidWorks as well, simply locating the 3DDrive application through the Compass and open it.
The 3DDrive application appears and shows all the 3DDrive folders you have access to. When you share a file like shown in previous steps, the folder “Shared with external” is automatically created and to be found in the “My Files” folder.
This is where all the files you have shared using the “Share a file” feature in SOLIDWORKS are be located.
All the files you have shared from SOLIDWORKS are accessible from this folder. From here you have several options, for example viewing the information of the files you have shared and previewing it so you are able to see exactly what the external recipient is seeing when they open the file in the browser. You have the option to delete the file but please bear in mind, all the comments and markups added to files will be removed as well. The information is attached to this file in the 3DDrive and not to the file in your 3DSpace.
6. Adding new users to existing shared files
If you want to add more external recipients to collaborate with, you can do it from the folder as well. Just select the desired file, select the share button and then the “Share with external” tab and you get the same window as described previously.
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Note: Although there is an expiration date “30 days from link creation” it is only the link to the file that expires, not the file itself. The shared file will still be located in the 3DDrive until it is removed.
7. Revoking access to shared files
You have the option to revoke the shared access. When you have located the file you wish to revoke access from in the 3DDrive “Share with external” folder, open the “Share with external” tab in the “Share this file” menu.
Select the “Authorized list”
The list of authorized users for this file, will be shown and you can select the recycle bin to revoke the access from that user.
Share and Markup – use case examples
In this chapter you will find 3 use cases for sharing documents. These examples are commonly used in daily exchange of information between different stakeholders as consultant designers, suppliers, and manufacturers.
1. Sharing a SOLIDWORKS drawing
Let’s say you need to share 2D drawing with a supplier. In this case you have made some changes to an original part and would like to get feedback from the supplier.
From the drawing in SOLIDWORKS, you can share the file as PDF, DXF, DWG and PNG.
Having chosen PDF as file format - select “Share a file” again. In this example we will not restrict the access to the file, so we will just make sure that the “Enable guest comments” is active and then click the “Copy external link” followed by “Close”.
After closing the dialogue, a message appears stating that the file has been uploaded to 3DDrive. And if you forget to copy the link before closing the “Share a file” window, there is a Copy Link button in the info pop-up. This pop-up will disappear after a while. Hovering over it, will keep it visible.
The copied link can be sent to an external supplier by email.
Having received the message, the external recipient can paste the link into a browser, and then login to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using their account credentials, since the file is not restricted to one in particular.
When logged in the recipient can now access the drawing and start giving feedback within the drawing, share comments as described previously.
2. Sharing a design for manufacture
Let’s say your design is approved and ready for manufacturing and you need to send the file in a 3D format. You could send it as a STEP file or as a native SLDPRT file. This can in some cases make it much easier to start producing data for CNC machining or 3D Printing.
If a modification or a change to the model occurs after the file has been shared, it is easy to update the file. Just select the “Share a file” and a dialogue box is displayed with the option to update the existing file.
All the previous annotations and comments are retained on the updated file, enabling the same communication thread to continue.
3. Sharing a large assembly design for review
When dealing with large assemblies, sharing a design efficiently can pose a real challenge as file sizes can get large. In the past a recipient would often be required to have to use a workstation running the native CAD application to open a large assembly – even in lightweight mode.
This task is now much easier in SOLIDWORKS by utilizing a combination of the 3DXML file format and the Share a File feature.
The 3DXML file format can be viewed on a workstation or on a mobile device using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. As long as you access the received link for the shared file – you will be able to open, view, zoom and rotate, explode even complicated assemblies.
Let’s have a look at an example using an all-terrain adventure bike designed by Bowhead Corp.
The assembly is opened in SOLIDWORKS and ready for sharing. 3DXML has been selected as the desired file format.
the “Share a file” command is selected, and the sender steps through the sharing procedure described earlier.
The recipient having received the link and logged in to 3DEXPERIENCE can view easily view the assembly and add their comments. These screenshots are taken from a non-windows device.
Share and Markup compared with traditional methods of file sharing
Using the Share and Markup workflow can remove the need to use traditional methods of file sharing, for example PDF’s, copying and pasting screenshots of a model into various types of documents, or even – SolidWorks Pack and Go. Share and markup takes away previously used unstructured workflows and eliminates the typical obstacles in historical file sharing which include:
Share and Markup summary
The SOLIDWORKS Share and Markup capabilities that utilize the Share a File command and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform remove the need to less efficient methods of file sharing. There is no longer necessity to manually zip the files, send files by email, use a file transfer tool because file is too big to email, and the recipient no longer needs to download or install a native viewer application like e-Drawings to view the files. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform being browser based offers the added benefit of enabling the recipient to view and add comments to the shared files on a mobile device.
With Share and Markup, SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides a fast and effective way for designers and all stakeholders involved to collaborate on a design and get their products to market faster.