You can open and save
only part of a SOLIDWORKS assembly using filters in the Design with SOLIDWORKS app. You
do not need to load the entire model. You only need to load the parts you want to work
with.
Benefits: Filters help reduce load time and memory usage by
avoiding the need to open the entire assembly.
For example, if you are working on a
skateboard model, you can create a filter that includes only the deck and wheels. Or you
can create another filter that includes the trucks and bearings. You can choose what to
load.
There are two types of filters:
- Transient filters are
temporary. You define them, use them, and they disappear after the session. You
do not save them to the platform.
- Persisted filters are
saved on the platform. You can reuse them, search for them, and open them like
any other item.
You can apply filters only to SOLIDWORKS model saved on the platform. Filters let
you work faster by focusing only on the parts you need.
On the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you define filters directly on the product structure of the
model. These filters control which components load in SOLIDWORKS. When you apply a
filter, the software opens only the selected parts.
You can create filters in the Product Structure Editor or MySession apps, and then use them with the Design with SOLIDWORKS app.
You can define a filter based on selection, attributes, geometry, or product
configuration.
Filters support both one-time use
(transient) or reusable workflows (persisted). Persisted filters behave like saved
objects and are available across sessions.
When you open a filtered assembly:
- A filter icon appears in both the SOLIDWORKS FeatureManager
design tree and the MySession pane.
- An informational banner appears in SOLIDWORKS to indicate the
model is filtered.
You can also filter assemblies based on
PLM configurations, such as variants and options. This capability extends filtering
beyond selection or geometry. It allows you to open specific configurations directly in
SOLIDWORKS, based on how you define the product.
You can also open drawings that reference
filtered assemblies, but their behavior depends on the filter type:
- Drawings based on persisted filters. You can open and save these
drawings. They stay connected to the filtered definition of the assembly.
- Drawings based on transient filters. You can open them, but you
cannot save them to the platform. This restriction prevents saving drawings
based on temporary, unsaved filter states.
When you open a
drawing referencing a filtered assembly, keep in mind that components
excluded by the filter (such as hidden mates or parts) may be removed from
the drawing view. If you save the drawing in that state, those changes will
be saved to the platform and may affect how the drawing looks the next time
it is opened.