SolidPractices: Understanding

SOLIDWORKS My Session Architecture

and Optimizing Performance
SOLIDWORKS® 3DEXPERIENCE Works
Design with SOLIDWORKS (UES)
SOLIDWORKS Connected (XWA, XWB, XWC)
Last Update: September 2022

3DS.COM © Dassault Systèmes | Confidential Information | 06/27/2017 ref.: Document_Reference |

Revision 1.0
Table of Contents

1) PREFACE: ....................................................................................................................................................... 4

2) 3DEXPERIENCE PLATFORM INTEGRATION WITHIN SOLIDWORKS .................................................................. 5

A) 3DEXPERIENCE TASK PANE ..................................................................................................................................5

i) ENOVIA MySession app ................................................................................................................................5
ii) 3DEXPERIENCE platform navigation ............................................................................................................5
iii) SOLIDWORKS content...................................................................................................................................6

3) CLIENT/SERVER COMPONENTS ...................................................................................................................... 7

A) PLM COLLABORATIVE SERVICES ADAPTER CLIENT ........................................................................................................7

B) 3DEXPERIENCE PLM SERVICES .............................................................................................................................7

4) SOLIDWORKS TO 3DEXPERIENCE PLATFORM DATA MODEL .......................................................................... 8

A) ATTRIBUTE MAPPING .............................................................................................................................................9

B) ENOVIA MYSESSION “SAVE GRAPHICAL PROPERTIES” OPTION ......................................................................................9
C) ENOVIA MYSESSION “SAVE INFORMATION ABOUT WEIGHT AND BALANCE” OPTION .........................................................9

5) 3DEXPERIENCE FILES ON THIS PC ................................................................................................................. 10

A) FOLDER LOCATIONS .............................................................................................................................................10

6) SOLIDWORKS OPEN PROCEDURE FROM 3DEXPERIENCE THE PLATFORM .................................................... 12

A) FAQ .................................................................................................................................................................13

7) SOLIDWORKS SAVE PROCEDURE TO 3DEXPERIENCE PLATFORM ................................................................. 15

A) FAQ .................................................................................................................................................................16

8) ADDITIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING FOR SOLIDWORKS PARTNERS................................................................. 17

A) OPEN PERFORMANCE ...........................................................................................................................................17

B) SAVE PERFORMANCE ............................................................................................................................................17

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 Revision History
Rev # Date Description
1.0 Sept 2022 Customer-facing version of this document was altered as listed below.

Modifications:
- Detailed Technical Flowchart 6) SOLIDWORKS Open Procedure from
3DEXPERIENCE Platform
- Detailed Technical Flowchart 7) SOLIDWORKS Save Procedure from
3DEXPERIENCE Platform
Additions:
- Section 8) ADDITIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING for SOLIDWORKS
Partners

This is not a customer-facing document. However, there is a separate version of this document which is
customer facing and available to download from https://my.solidworks.com/support/solidpractices

Note
All SolidPractices are written as guidelines. It is a strong recommendation to use these
documents only after properly evaluating your requirements. Distribution of this document is
limited to Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks employees and the VARs. You may not post this
document on blogs or any internal or external forums without prior written authorization from
Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation.

This document was updated using version 3DEXPERIENCE R2022x HotFix 4 (FD04)
September 2022 Update. If you have questions or need assistance in understanding the content,
please get in touch with your designated reseller.

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1) Preface:
This content applies to the following roles for public cloud 3DEXPERIENCE Works:

 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Premium

 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Professional
 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Standard
 Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS
This content applies to the following apps for public cloud 3DEXPERIENCE Works:

 SOLIDWORKS Connected
 Design with SOLIDWORKS
SOLIDWORKS within the public cloud 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio communicates
with different web services while also managing objects within the 3DEXPERIENCE
platform. This type of solution adds another layer of client/server communication and
additional information to consider on top of the traditional SOLIDWORKS Desktop
Windows® application.

You will learn more about how the SOLIDWORKS client connects to the 3DEXPERIENCE
platform and discover how the SOLIDWORKS data model extends to the 3DEXPERIENCE
platform. You will also gain a better understanding of what operations are client-side versus
server-side.

Dassault Systèmes continuously works to enhance the public cloud 3DEXPERIENCE Works
products. Look for future updates to this document including future enhancements and
updates that may influence performance.

Your Feedback Requested

We would like to hear your feedback and suggestions for new topics. After reviewing this
document, please take a few minutes to fill out a brief survey. Your feedback will help us
create the content that directly addresses your challenges.

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2) 3DEXPERIENCE Platform Integration Within SOLIDWORKS
The 3DEXPERIENCE business platform consists of many different roles that contain
different applications for different job functions that work with a single data model. The apps
range from native applications where you install code locally on your computer, to dashboard
apps and web apps that run in your browser. All of these apps communicate with the various
web services that make up the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

SOLIDWORKS within the public cloud 3DEXPERIENCE Works portfolio communicates

with many of these web services such as 3DSpace, 3DPassport and 3DDashboard.

a) 3DEXPERIENCE Task Pane

i) ENOVIA MySession app

The ENOVIA MySession (MySession) app is the starting point when you activate the
3DEXPERIENCE tab* within the SOLIDWORKS task pane. The MySession app is
responsible for showing you the CAD content from your current SOLIDWORKS Session and
providing 3DEXPERIENCE Platform information from the CAD content such as the Status,
Revision, Maturity State and others. The MySession app also provides commands for
managing the content within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

* The 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Add-in must be active to use the MySession

app with the Design with SOLIDWORKS installation.

ii) 3DEXPERIENCE platform navigation

The 3DEXPERIENCE tab runs as an embedded browser instance using the Chromium™
embedded framework (CEF) within the SOLIDWORKS task pane.

The blue top bar in the 3DEXPERIENCE tab behaves similar to the blue top bar in the
3DEXPERIENCE platform within your browser, such as Google Chrome™. The
3DEXPERENCE Compass is interactive and dashboard apps open within the ENOVIA
MySession app, similar to the behavior you see within your internet browser. For example,
the BookMark Editor app opens within the 3DEXPERIENCE tab with client/server
communication to the 3DSpace web service. The Search bar communicates with the
3DSearch web service. You may see some similarities to the behavior you see in the
3DEXPERIENCE platform within your internet browser.

For example, if you experience a performance issue interacting with different apps within the
3DEXPERIENCE tab CEF browser instance, you may also experience the same
performance issue within the stand-alone browser, such as Google Chrome. This is assuming
that the fault is with the client/server communication to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform web

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services, especially if using the Chrome or Microsoft® Edge internet browser. Both use the
Chromium embedded framework and communicate with the same web services.

 3DEXPERIENCE tab CEF cache

The CEF browser instance of the 3DEXPERIENCE tab in the SOLIDWORKS task pane has
a dedicated folder for caching temporary files.

The cache location for versions SOLIDWORKS 2020 Service Pack 1.0 and newer is
[%localappdata%]\SOLIDWORKS\swcefcache.

The cache location for versions SOLIDWORKS 2020 Service Pack 0.0 and older is
[%localappdata%]\DassaultSystemes\CATTemp\ENOUSWC\BrowserCache.

If you do experience unusual behavior within the 3DEXPERIENCE tab, you may clear the
files within the cache location to correct the behavior.

iii) SOLIDWORKS content

The 3DEXPERIENCE applications in the 3DEXPERIENCE tab communicate with

SOLIDWORKS and with each other through messages while working with SOLIDWORKS
files and 3DEXPERIENCE platform objects. These applications also call the
3DEXPERIENCE client/server components to download SOLIDWORKS files or
3DEXPERIENCE platform metadata from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

The MySession app always refreshes to show the content of the active SOLIDWORKS
document window each time a SOLIDWORKS document window changes.

For example, when you click to select a SOLIDWORKS file within the MySession app, the
MySession app sends a Select message. SOLIDWORKS responds by calling the
SelectByID2 method of the SOLIDWORKS application programming interface (API) to
select the file within the Feature Manager® design tree of the SOLIDWORKS user interface
(UI). This is only one example how SOLIDWORKS and the MySession app communicate.

During normal usage, many other events occur between both SOLIDWORKS and the
3DEXPERIENCE apps including the MySession app in the 3DEXPERIENCE tab.

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3) Client/Server Components
a) PLM Collaborative Services Adapter Client

The PLM Collaborative Services Adapter (PLMCSA) client (ENOPLMCSAClient.exe) is

responsible for client/server communication with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform web
services to save, open and manage SOLIDWORKS data within the 3DEXPERIENCE
platform. For example, when you save a SOLIDWORKS file using the save commands
within the MySession app, the PLMCSA client handles the client/server network
communication to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

This process involves sending and receiving SOLIDWORKS files (SLDPRT, SLDASM and
SLDDRW) to and from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as well as sending and receiving
database operation requests and responses for the 3DEXPERIENCE platform objects.

The PLMCSA client appears in the Windows notification area as a 3DEXPERIENCE icon
with a tooltip of PLM Collaborative Services Adapter Client.

b) 3DEXPERIENCE PLM Services

This is a small application (EdmServerV6.exe) that assists with the client/server XML
messaging activity of the PLMCSA client. The application appears in the Windows
notification area as a 3DEXPERIENCE icon with the tooltip 3DEXPERIENCE PLM
Services.

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4) SOLIDWORKS to 3DEXPERIENCE Platform Data Model
When you save a SOLIDWORKS file to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you create objects
within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that correspond to the components of the
SOLIDWORKS structure. SOLIDWORKS files and SOLIDWORKS configurations map to
certain 3DEXPERIENCE platform objects on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

SOLIDWORKS part (SLDPRT) and assembly (SLDASM) files map to CAD Family objects
within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Each SOLIDWORKS configuration with a
SOLIDWORKS part or assembly file maps to a Physical Product object within the
3DEXPERIENCE platform.

CAD Family objects for SOLIDWORKS part (SLDPRT) and assembly (SLDASM)
documents with only one configuration are not visible within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
applications. For more information about this behavior, refer to the Knowledge Base Article
ID: QA00000102922.

SOLIDWORKS drawing (SLDDRW) files map to Drawing objects within the

3DEXPERIENCE platform.

The following illustration depicts the SOLIDWORKS to 3DEXPERIENCE platform data

model for a SOLIDWORKS part document.

In this illustration, a single SOLIDWORKS part (SLDPRT) document that contains three
configurations creates one CAD Family object and three Physical Product objects within the
3DEXPERIENCE platform. Each SOLIDWORKS configuration is a Physical Product object.

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform data model keeps track of the relationships between the
CAD Family, Physical Product and Drawing objects for the SOLIDWORKS assemblies,
parts and drawings.

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a) Attribute Mapping

You may map SOLIDWORKS configuration-specific properties to ENOVIA Physical

Product attributes. However, use caution if you choose to do so. Mapped attribute metadata is
processed during save and open transactions with the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

For example, if you define 10 mapped bidirectional attributes to Physical Product objects for
SOLIDWORKS part documents and you work with a SOLIDWORKS part (SLDPRT) file
with 100 configurations, you may experience slower than usual save times or slower times to
complete the open procedure.

 10 ENOVIA database attributes x 100 SOLIDWORKS configurations (Physical

Product objects) = 1000 database attributes for the ENOVIA attributes alone.

For more information about 3DEXPERIENCE platform attribute management with

SOLIDWORKS, see the SolidPractices document“3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS:
Attribute Mapping for SOLIDWORKS” in the SolidPractices library.

b) ENOVIA MySession “Save graphical properties” Option

This option saves additional metadata to the 3DEXPERIENCE data model. This option
extracts the color, hide or show state, and transparency of components within a
SOLIDWORKS assembly (SLDASM) to the Physical Product object within the
3DEXPERIENCE platform.

This option may influence the save performance, especially for SOLIDWORKS assembly
structures with more than one configuration or many component-level appearances.

c) ENOVIA MySession “Save information about weight and balance” Option

This option saves additional metadata to the 3DEXPERIENCE data model. This option
recalculates and extracts the mass properties from each SOLIDWORKS part (SLDPRT) and
saves the mass property information to the Physical Product object within the
3DEXPERIENCE platform.

This information is available within downstream 3DEXPERIENCE applications such as

Weight & Balance from the Weight & Balance Designer or Weight & Balance Manager
roles.

This option requires the following option in SOLIDWORKS: Tools > Options > System
Options > Performance > Update mass properties while saving document

This option may influence the save performance, especially for complex SOLIDWORKS part
files with many configurations.

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5) 3DEXPERIENCE Files on This PC
SOLIDWORKS content that you save to and open from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform
appears within the 3DEXPERIENCE files on This PC tab in the SOLIDWORKS task pane.

Some users refer to this as the local work folder.

This is a view of all the SOLIDWORKS files that you manage or intend to manage with the
3DEXPERIENCE platform.

This view shows columns with 3DEXPERIENCE platform attributes such as Status,
Collaborative Space, Maturity State, Lock Status and others.

a) Folder Locations

The SOLIDWORKS files that appear within the 3DEXPERIENCE files on This PC tab
view may exist in different folders of your computer.

SOLIDWORKS stores hidden files with the extensions .v6 and .srv.v6 with the same name as
the SOLIDWORKS files. These files are binary files that contain 3DEXPERIENCE platform
metadata that is associated with a given SOLIDWORKS file. This information relates to the
3DEXPERIENCE platform data model. These files control what attribute values appear
within the 3DEXPERIENCE files on This PC tab and the MySession app.

SOLIDWORKS creates the .v6 and .srv.v6 format files when you save or open
SOLIDWORKS files from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The content within these files
drives the status and other 3DEXPERIENCE platform properties that you see within the
3DEXPERIENCE files on This PC tab and the MySession app.

The default locations for these files are as follows:

 Default location of Design with SOLIDWORKS files:

C:\3DEXPERIENCE\[TENANTID]([3DEXPERIENCE ID Username])

 Default location of SOLIDWORKS Connected files:

[%localappdata%]\DassaultSystemes\3DEXPERIENCE\[TENANTID]([3
DEXPERIENCE ID Username])

Deleting SOLIDWORKS files within the 3DEXPERIENCE files on This PC tab also
removes the associated .v6 and .srv.v6 format files for the deleted SOLIDWORKS files.

As a best practice, use the Refresh the view command within the 3DEXPERIENCE files on
This PC tab before deleting files.

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Important: Before choosing to delete files, review the Status icon before choosing to delete
files.

If you delete a SOLIDWORKS file with the status of Up-to-date, you may download the file
from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform again, and not lose any work.

If you delete a SOLIDWORKS file with the status of Local File, you will lose your work
because the file does not exist on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

The Delete from this PC command within the 3DEXPERIENCE files on This PC tab only
removes the SOLIDWORKS files you have created and saved or downloaded from or to your
local work folder on your local computer, or the SOLIDWORKS files you have saved into
the folder locations on your local computer mentioned earlier in this section.

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6) SOLIDWORKS Open Procedure from 3DEXPERIENCE the Platform
The following workflow image provides a detailed technical summary of what happens when
you open a Physical Product object, a CAD Family object or a Drawing object of a
SOLIDWORKS file (CADMaster: SOLIDWORKS) from 3DSearch within the
3DEXPERIENCE task pane.

As you can see, if the SOLIDWORKS file does not exist in your local work folder, the time
to open the data is heavily dependent on the network plus the time to open the
SOLIDWORKS data in SOLIDWORKS.

If you have already saved SOLIDWORKS files to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform that are
located locally on your computer, you may experience much less network activity with the
3DEXPERIENCE platform network services during the open procedure.

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a) FAQ

Question: Does a Reload from Server operation follow the same open procedure?

Answer: Very Similar. The number of files downloaded may vary depending on the
current status of the files within the MySession app.

Question: Are there recommendations for troubleshooting when SOLIDWORKS takes a

very long to open files and the network requests happen very fast?

Answer: This may be a performance issue that is occurring locally on the client
computer in SOLIDWORKS after the network operations finish. There are many
possible reasons for this behavior. A good place to start is to run the Performance
Evaluation tool.

Question: What can I do to improve performance if SOLIDWORKS displays the

Downloading window for a long time?

Answer: This is the PLMCSA server request operation to download SOLIDWORKS

files. Your network performance (bandwidth and latency) is a key influencer for the
time that it takes to download the SOLIDWORKS files. Check your network
performance by running the Cloud Eligibility tool.

If you are unable to improve your network performance. The size of the
SOLIDWORKS files also may contribute to the time it takes to download the files from
the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. Review the file size of the SOLIDWORKS files in
your local work folder. If any file sizes appear unreasonable based on your design, you
may try to open the files in SOLIDWORKS, and make modifications to reduce the size
of the file. Examples might include lowering the image quality of the SOLIDWORKS
document or removing unnecessary details within the model.

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Question: Why do I see the Open completion is
running message after I open a SOLIDWORKS file
from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform?

Answer: One scenario where this may happen is

when you open a SOLIDWORKS assembly
document with many suppressed components that do
not exist in the local work folder, and the suppressed
components include SOLIDWORKS files with very
large file sizes.

The first PLMCSA requests gather the structure and metadata from unsuppressed
components, then downloads the unsuppressed components. SOLIDWORKS opens the
assembly and then in parallel, the PLMCSA client requests to download the
SOLIDWORKS files for the suppressed components as well as the metadata for the
entire structure of the assembly document.

The PLMCSA server request to collect the entire structure including downloading
additional files and metadata of all objects within the structure may still be
downloading the suppressed components or gathering the metadata.

Question: Are there any log files or traces that I can send to my local Technical Support
Professional for troubleshooting a performance issue that relates to the PLMCSA client?

Answer: Yes. Follow item “5. MySession XML Logs (Windows administrator rights
required)” in the 3DS.com Knowledge Base article QA00000103804.

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7) SOLIDWORKS Save Procedure to 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
The following workflow image provides a detailed technical summary of what happens when
you save a SOLIDWORKS file within the MySession app within the 3DEXPERIENCE task
pane.

There are many steps during the save process. Refer to the 3DS.com Knowledge Base article
QA00000069720 for the details about each step during the save process.
See the FAQ for additional questions about the save process.

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a) FAQ

Question: Why might the Step 2 of 7 Saving files locally… process take a long time while
saving a SOLIDWORKS assembly document?

Answer: Confirm that the MySession > Options > Save tab > Save information about
weight and balance option is active. This option requires that the Tools > Options >
System Options > Performance > Update mass properties while saving document in
SOLIDWORKS is also active. Assembly documents that contain complex components
may take additional time to recalculate the mass properties.

If you experience a significant delay accessing Tools > Evaluate > Mass Properties in
SOLIDWORKS or when clicking Recalculate in the Mass Properties dialog box, then
this could be the source of the delay.

Question: Why might the Step 3 of 7 Extracting file information... process take a long time
while saving a new simple SOLIDWORKS part document?

Answer: First, consult your 3DEXPERIENCE platform administrator to confirm that the
Check for file uniqueness option is active. Next, review the 3DEXPERIENCE files on
This PC tab to determine how many files exist in your local work folder. This step
queries the files in your local work folder. If thousands of files exist in the cache, this
procedure may take longer than expected.

Question: Why might the Step 6 of 7 Generating derived formats… process take so long?

Answer: If your 3DEXPERIENCE platform administrator created a conversion rule such

as Step_AP203 with SOLIDWORKS (Synchronous, at save) for a SOLIDWORKS part
and you save a SOLIDWORKS part document with many configurations, you may
experience this behavior.

SOLIDWORKS needs to create a .Step file for each configuration during the save
process.

Question: Are there any log files or traces that I can send to my local Technical Support
Professional for troubleshooting a performance issue that relates to Step 7 of 7 Saving in
[Collaborative Space…]…?

Answer: Yes. Follow item “5. MySession XML Logs (Windows administrator rights
required)” in the 3DS.com Knowledge Base Q&A Article QA00000103804.

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8) Additional Troubleshooting for SOLIDWORKS Partners
a) Open Performance

Where can I find more information about using the XML logs to troubleshoot a performance
issue that relates to the PLMCSA client?

Yes. Follow item “5. MySession XML Logs (Windows administrator rights required)” from
3DS.com Knowledge Base Q&A Article QA00000103804 to gather the XML logs.

See 3DS.com Knowledge Base Q&A QA00000103792 for tips analyzing the XML files.

b) Save Performance

Where can I find more information about using the XML logs to troubleshoot a performance
issue with Step 7 of 7 Saving in [Collaborative Space…]…?

For tips about analyzing the XML files, see the 3DS.com Knowledge Base article
QA00000103793.

We hope that you find this document informational and useful and request that you leave a
brief feedback about the topics that you want us to cover in the next revision of this
document. Click here for a complete list of SolidPractices documents available from
Dassault Systèmes SOLIDWORKS Corp.

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