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Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version
8

Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

(OP)
Anyone know is there a way to open a part created using Solidworks 2012, with Solidworks 2010?

Thanks in advance.

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

No. A million threads and discussions on the web over the years on this subject.

Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

Someone with 2012 would have to save the part as a parasolid, which you could then import into 2010. Run feature recognition on it and you'll end up with a partially dumb solid.

Jeff Mirisola
Director of Engineering
M9 Defense
My Blog

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

(OP)
Interesting JMirisola. I worked with 2012 (at my last company), and did some personal work. Now I work with a company using 2011 (wow). But at home I have 2010....I don't want to have to redo my work, I will give it a try. I have a friend with 2012, guess I will have him save files as "Parasolid's" then put them on USB card...

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

Might be even a little careful using the parasolid workaround. SW allows you to select the version of parasolid file you want to save to. I am guessing that SW 2010 might not be capable of opening a parasolid 2012 version file. Be sure to save to parasolid 2010 or earlier.

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

According to the respective Help files;
SW10 & SW11 support all Parasolid versions up to and including version 19.1
SW12 supports all Parasolid versions up to and including version 22

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

(OP)
Would I be saving as a PARASOLID "*.x_t", or Parasolid Binary ".x_b"?

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

(OP)
One thing else, should part always be saved to the latest "VERSION"?

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

Quote (designmr)

Would I be saving as a PARASOLID "*.x_t", or Parasolid Binary ".x_b"?
The Binary format (.x_b) is supposedly more platform independent and stable, but it doesn't matter for most applications.

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

For SW 2013, also see:
http://www.rickyjordan.com/2012/02/solidworks-2013-sneak-peek.html

Scroll toward bottom

Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

Yeah Chris, it sounds good in theory, but I think this simply means the beginning of the end for the SolidWorks as we know it. They'll drag it around for a few more releases with minimal enhancement, trout the compatibility card to get a few more sales and then introduce SWV6.

Certified SolidWorks Professional

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

I'm totally with you on that one Kevin!

I would not be surprised that much of their developper are working on V6 or Catia Lite or whatever you want to call it, and only a small portion of them are left to make just enough improvement to say they are not giving up on SW as we know it.

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

Ask in a few years and it may be possible in a few years. Dassault Systems is working on or has a V5 V6 intercompatabillity they are working on.

Parasolids can be made Binary .X_b or default .X_T for the non binary files.

PTC can save files and be worked on at multiple version levels WF2-WF5 can use Neutral Files any new geometry that doesn't exist in older versions comes in as dumbsolid and other features are maintained.

We'll see if SolidWorks attacks between version interoperability or Direct Modeling first.
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Michael Cole
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RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

I agree about the CATIA. My thought for past several years.

Chris
SolidWorks 11
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

That release of SW V6 will not be a concern for any of us for at least 5-10 years... by then I probably won't care, but for those that do you will have to review it each year. We plan to keep up with any new changes and run a second test platform of the new V6 version as its released and test out our files... but we have no plans to make the switch until it becomes a requirement, which like I said is going to be many years from now.

Scott Baugh, CSWP pc2
Berry Plastics
Cad Admin\Design Engineer
GEASWUG Greater Evansville Area SWUG Leader
www.scottjbaugh.com

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RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

I've always used the *.x_t version of parasolid with great success, but I have encountered "future" versions of parasolid that wouldn't import into an older version of SolidWorks--so what CorBlimeyLimey says above matters.

As to why your company may choose to remain on v2011 to this day, there are good reasons for doing so. Pushing some of the SW features to their limits will reveal entire crops of crippling bugs. I've been burned by this personally in the past, which now has me lagging in version adoption for production work. I stay current with installations, generally, but as a rule I don't trust "new" versions of SW until a few service packs into the release (and I watch the forums to see what issues people are encountering) before jumping on board. You can go forward, but you cannot go back. We'll see if the future versions support backward compatibility in a useful way or not, but in the meantime I don't find it worth the risk.

Jeff Mowry
www.industrialdesignhaus.com
A people governed by fear cannot value freedom.

RE: Opening Solidworks 2012 files with Solidworks 2010 version

If you have access to 2010 install files, you can install 2010 on your work machine and use that. Since work is on 2012, it shouldn't matter until you are ready to share your work and your co-workers might get annoyed by the down-rev notice every time they open your files. :)

Matt Lorono, CSWP
Product Definition Specialist, DS SolidWorks Corp
Personal sites:
Lorono's SolidWorks Resources & SolidWorks Legion

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