3DEXPERIENCE CLOUD PDM

SOLIDWORKS PDM is a file-based vaulting system that manages CAD files on a local server, using check-in/check out to control access. It’s great for traditional engineering teams working primarily in SOLIDWORKS and relying on on-premises infrastructure.

3DEXPERIENCE Cloud PDM is a cloud native, database-driven platform that manages data as connected objects. It supports real-time collaboration, multi-disciplinary workflows, and enterprise-level scalability without local servers or custom add-ons.

In short: PDM manages files; 3DEXPERIENCE manages data and processes across the entire product lifecycle.

No.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes. It is compatible with all of these, and they may natively contribute to the same assemblies.

Yes. Licensed users can send secure hyperlinks to 3DEXPERIENCE's web-based 3D CAD viewing and feedback tools.

Yes. We offer a cloud-hosted SOLIDWORKS PDM solution, and we support 3DEXPERIENCE cloud data management.

Moving SOLIDWORKS data to the cloud facilitates collaboration; provides product data and lifecycle management beyond what SOLIDWORKS PDM is capable of; and enhances accessibility and mobility as no VPN is required for remote access. It eliminates IT overhead spent on manual updates and data backups, as these tasks are handled by Dassault Systèmes as part of your services. And the multi-CAD, multi-discipline platform and tools provide an ecosystem where every asset requiring access to data can participate in the lifecycle management of your product.

Yes.

FDA- and ITAR‑related requirements need to be evaluated on a case‑by‑case basis with a 3DEXPERIENCE specialist, as the appropriate approach depends on the customer’s processes and regulatory obligations.

For FDA‑regulated environments, the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform can be configured and qualified to support compliance needs, and Dassault Systèmes guides how to align the platform with applicable FDA expectations.

For ITAR or other controlled information (such as CUI), customers must ensure that no regulated data is transmitted, accessed, or stored outside approved U.S. boundaries. Dassault Systèmes requires customers to acknowledge and assume responsibility for meeting their regulatory obligations. The platform does offer administrative controls to restrict data replication to U.S.-based servers; however, compliance ultimately depends on customer practices. For example, if an authorized user accesses controlled data while physically outside the United States, that action could still constitute a regulatory violation.

For companies that require complete control, Dassault Systèmes does offer an on-premise version of 3DEXPERIENCE PDM. Like any other on-premise PDM, the customer assumes total responsibility for operation, maintenance, upgrade, etc.

Yes.

Dassault Systèmes deploys all updates to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. The Platform is updated every 6 to 8 weeks. Updates are scheduled to occur during off-hours, typically overnight Saturday to Sunday morning. Notifications of upgrades are sent out weeks in advance. It is strongly recommended not to connect to your tenant during these brief upgrades.

Yes. 3DEXPERIENCE calls this "locking/unlocking" data.

Yes.

Parts and assemblies are considered "Physical Products" and they both follow the same maturity cycle. If parts in a released assembly need revised, new revisions are also required of the assemblies.

Yes. 3DEXPERIENCE supports the same PLM/PDM processes for managing data from major CAD software packages, including: SOLIDWORKS, CATIA, Creo, Inventor, NX, SolidEdge, AutoCAD, DraftSight, Altium, EPLAN, Cadence Allegro, and Revit.

All 3DEXPERIENCE licenses are named-user licenses.

3 months.

Additional data storage is available at a cost and delivered in 25 GB increments. Data is scalable and can be added at any time.

(Migration requires discovery, planning, licensing, access, testing, and execution.) There is no "typical" migration as every situation is unique. That said, a PDM Standard customer can expect a migration to complete in around 3 months.

As part of GoEngineer's implementation services, we include training for administrators who are experienced and new to data management. Customers are included in scoping what topics their admins and end users want to receive. GoEngineer also offers self-paced training to review administrator and end user subjects.

For CAD data, users may export zip packages of data sets including assemblies, associated drawings and parts for each revision. Or they may open data sets in SOLIDWORKS to pull the data to their local working directories for disposition. If metadata and attributes are mapped to SOLIDWORKS properties, those properties will be embedded in the SOLIDWORKS files. Non-CAD documents can simply be downloaded.

In practice, performance depends heavily on factors like assembly structure, network bandwidth, local hardware, and how often the data has been cached. For well‑structured assemblies and a solid internet connection, 3DEXPERIENCE can feel comparable to a local vault for many workflows, but extremely large assemblies on a high‑speed LAN may still open faster in a traditional on‑premise PDM environment.

In short: 3DEXPERIENCE is optimized for cloud workflows and can perform very well, but a local LAN will generally have the raw speed advantage for extremely large assemblies.

There are API openings for Java or EKL scripts. Customers should speak with a 3DEXPERIENCE specialist to see if a specific trigger can be replicated on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

Any data managed by 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud must be saved to the cloud platform. The customer considering this would need to ensure that any controlled information is not saved to the platform and manage it locally by other means.

GoEngineer does not clean your data. But we have tools to help identify what data is not clean, and what other issues may arise from merging your data, to advise you on cleaning your data.