Saving SOLIDWORKS Documents as Previous Versions

Beginning with SOLIDWORKS 2024, you can save SOLIDWORKS parts, assemblies, and drawings created or saved in the latest version of SOLIDWORKS as fully functional documents in a previous version of SOLIDWORKS. You can save documents back to the previous two releases. Pack and Go also supports this functionality.

You can save SOLIDWORKS 2024 files as SOLIDWORKS 2023 or SOLIDWORKS 2022 versions. This previous release compatibility lets you share files with others who use one of the two previous versions of SOLIDWORKS. You cannot extend the previous release compatibility beyond those two releases.
SOLIDWORKS users must have an active subscription license to access this functionality. 3DEXPERIENCE users are active subscribers by default.

Workflow

You must manually address incompatible items in this process. Incompatible items, as described in the table below, are items that do not exist or are not supported in the selected previous release.

Recommendation: Addressing incompatible items might significantly change a model. Save a copy of the current model and address incompatible items in that copy before saving it as a previous version.

To save a SOLIDWORKS document as a previous version:

  1. Open or save a SOLIDWORKS document in the latest version of SOLIDWORKS.
  2. Click File > Save As.
  3. In the dialog box, for Save as type, select the previous version to which to save the document and click Save.
    If the document contains Incompatible Items or Other Items as described below, the Previous Release Check dialog box appears. Otherwise, the software saves the document as the previous version.

    To open this dialog box at any time, click Tools > Evaluate > Previous Release Check .
    Tab Description
    Incompatible Items Lists items that you must manually address before you can save the file as a previous version of SOLIDWORKS. If you remove or edit the incompatible items, it might change the mass properties, size, shape, or rebuild behavior of the model.

    In some instances, you must delete the incompatible item. In other instances, changing a feature option might address the incompatible item. The list of incompatible items is in the order that they first appear in the FeatureManager design tree.
    Other Items Lists items that the software will automatically remove in the save process. These are items that do not impact the rebuild, mass properties, or topology of the document, such as display items like annotations or information on drawings.
    If the document contains only Other Items and no Incompatible Items, on the Other Items tab, click Proceed With Save to save the document to the previous version.

    After you address all the Incompatible Items, a message confirms that the document is fully compatible with the selected previous release.

  4. Repeat the save process to save the file as the previous version.