Expand IntroductionIntroduction
Expand AdministrationAdministration
Expand User InterfaceUser Interface
Expand SOLIDWORKS FundamentalsSOLIDWORKS Fundamentals
Expand Moving from 2D to 3DMoving from 2D to 3D
Expand AssembliesAssemblies
Collapse CircuitWorksCircuitWorks
Expand ConfigurationsConfigurations
Expand SOLIDWORKS CostingSOLIDWORKS Costing
Expand Design CheckerDesign Checker
Expand Design Studies in SOLIDWORKSDesign Studies in SOLIDWORKS
Expand Detailing and DrawingsDetailing and Drawings
Expand DFMXpressDFMXpress
Expand DriveWorksXpressDriveWorksXpress
Expand FloXpressFloXpress
Expand SLDXML Data ExchangeSLDXML Data Exchange
Expand Import and ExportImport and Export
Expand Model DisplayModel Display
Expand Mold DesignMold Design
Expand Motion StudiesMotion Studies
Expand Parts and FeaturesParts and Features
Expand RoutingRouting
Expand Sheet MetalSheet Metal
Expand SimulationSimulation
Expand SimulationXpressSimulationXpress
Expand SketchingSketching
Expand Sustainability ProductsSustainability Products
Expand SOLIDWORKS MBDSOLIDWORKS MBD
Expand SOLIDWORKS UtilitiesSOLIDWORKS Utilities
Expand TolerancingTolerancing
Expand TolAnalystTolAnalyst
Expand ToolboxToolbox
Expand WeldmentsWeldments
Expand Workgroup PDMWorkgroup PDM
Expand TroubleshootingTroubleshooting
Glossary
Hide Table of Contents

Exporting Models

You can export a SOLIDWORKS assembly from SOLIDWORKS into CircuitWorks. Once in CircuitWorks, manipulate the assembly as needed, and then save it as an IDF file. Use this capability to bring SOLIDWORKS changes back into your ECAD software.

You can also construct a solid model of a circuit board and its components from scratch in SOLIDWORKS, and then export the model so that the electrical information can be added. You might take this approach when a PCB has a complex packaging-driven shape that is easier to define initially in SOLIDWORKS than in the ECAD system.

CircuitWorks uses a series of rules to determine what each SOLIDWORKS component represents, such as a part of the board, a cut-out, or an electrical component. Because IDF is a "2½D" rather than 3D format, CircuitWorks also determines how to simplify the shape of a component so it can be saved as IDF while retaining as much detail as possible. CircuitWorks knows what each SOLIDWORKS feature represents when saving an assembly it originally created (by processing an IDF file). CircuitWorks only needs help identifying features that have been added since it built the assembly or when exporting an assembly that was built from scratch in SOLIDWORKS.

Contents

  • Exporting SOLIDWORKS Models to CircuitWorks

    You can export SOLIDWORKS models to CircuitWorks to take advantage of specialized printed circuit board functionality. You can export models that originated in CircuitWorks or files that were modeled manually in SOLIDWORKS. Once in CircuitWorks, you can save the model as IDF for use by an ECAD system.



Provide feedback on this topic

SOLIDWORKS welcomes your feedback concerning the presentation, accuracy, and thoroughness of the documentation. Use the form below to send your comments and suggestions about this topic directly to our documentation team. The documentation team cannot answer technical support questions. Click here for information about technical support.

* Required

 
*Email:  
Subject:   Feedback on Help Topics
Page:   Exporting Models
*Comment:  
*   I acknowledge I have read and I hereby accept the privacy policy under which my Personal Data will be used by Dassault Systèmes

Print Topic

Select the scope of content to print:

x

We have detected you are using a browser version older than Internet Explorer 7. For optimized display, we suggest upgrading your browser to Internet Explorer 7 or newer.

 Never show this message again
x

Web Help Content Version: SOLIDWORKS 2015 SP05

To disable Web help from within SOLIDWORKS and use local help instead, click Help > Use SOLIDWORKS Web Help.

To report problems encountered with the Web help interface and search, contact your local support representative. To provide feedback on individual help topics, use the “Feedback on this topic” link on the individual topic page.

0.20.21