Answering a few common questions about SOLIDWORKS EDU.
SOLIDWORKS Educational Version is a great way to introduce middle school, high school and college students to the world of CAD and the power of SOLIDWORKS. But, each fall we get a bunch of calls from teachers trying to set up for the school year. So, in the interest of efficiency, I thought I'd answer some of the more common questions we get.
1) What's included in SOLIDWORKS EDU?
SOLIDWORKS EDU Includes the following features:
- SOLIDWORKS Premium
- SOLIDWORKS Simulation
- SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation
- SOLIDWORKS Plastics
- SOLIDWORKS Electrical
- SOLIDWORKS MBD
- SOLIDWORKS Composer
- SOLIDWORKS CAM
- SOLIDWORKS PDM
- SOLIDWORKS Visualize
- eDrawings
- MySolidWorks for Students
Solidworks EDU grants access to Solidworks Premium, the strongest form of the base software available, plus a remarkable spread of useful add-ons that cover nearly the entirety of what Solidworks software can provide.
2) Where do I go for SOLIDWORKS EDU Resources?
In April of 2023, the SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal was discontinued for all users. The functionality contained within was scattered to other sources, (mostly 3DEXPERIENCE,) and the site was eventually taken down. But, those resources were lost, just relocated. Here are a few links that might get you where you're going.
- Here is our guide to accessing the new Admin portal.
- Here is an explanation for how to access Downloads, Certifications, and the Knowledge base.
- Here is SOLIDWORKS's official page on what to do now that the Customer Portal is gone.
- Here is the new Knowledge Base, which will require a 3DEXPERIENCE Login.
- Here is the new location for Learning Resources.
- Here is the new location for Training.
- Here are the Educator Resources and Curriculum resources, under "Learning Resources for Academia" (Note, this will also require a 3DEXPERIENCE Login.)
- Here are the SOLIDWORKS Community Forums on 3DSwym (Another login requirement)
- And finally, Here is the link for the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program.
3) SOLIDWORKS Student Access
If you have ever thought how nice it would be for your students to have a copy of SOLIDWORKS for their home systems, SOLIDWORKS agrees with you. The Student Access Initiative has been in place for quite some time now, and has been extremely effective in giving students and faculty the ability to access SOLIDWORKS software outside the classroom.
SOLIDWORKS Student Access offers a range of solutions to SOLIDWORKS Education Edition customers. Subscription service is required for the Student Engineering Kit (SEK) and Student Design Kit (SDK), Network License Borrowing is available to both subscription and non-subscription service customers.
The primary two methods for a student to get the software are the Student Design Kit (SDK) and the Student Engineering Kit (SEK). The SDK is a download and includes the SOLIDWORKS software. The SEK includes SOLIDWORKS and most of the other software modules and features included in the school’s Education Edition. All features and functionality can be found in this matrix.
4) MySolidWorks.com
There are 3 levels of access to MySolidWorks: MySolidWorks, MySolidWorks Standard, and MySolidWorks Professional. The general MySolidWorks access is FREE to all, regardless of EDU or Subscription Service. MySolidWorks Standard is also FREE to schools that have the SOLIDWORKS Education Edition and the license is on Active Subscription. If your students are using the Student Engineering Kit (SEK) they will also have access to MySolidWorks Standard for FREE by using their SEK serial number. If you have created a SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal Account, you already have a MySolidworks ID, it uses the same username and password.
5) Technical Support from CADimensions
CADimensions has a tremendous staff of technical people who ensure you are getting the most out of your SOLIDWORKS products. Our support engineers perform many functions including technical support for all the software products, teaching users in our classrooms, creating technical blogs, tech tip videos and Lunch & Learn webinars. They demonstrate the software to prospective new users and will regularly consult with users on the best ways to utilize the software.
They are very passionate about what they do, and I can assure you they are excited to help educators and students with any questions or issues you might have. A majority of our technical staff were on Robotics Teams in high school and various Engineering Clubs in college.
If you have questions about SOLIDWORKS EDU or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.