Preparing SOLIDWORKS for CoDesign

Updated: October 22, 2026

Parent page: Installing & Configuring Altium CoDesigner

Altium CoDesigner is an interface for transferring printed circuit board designs between the ECAD and MCAD design domains. Once the CoDesigner add-in has been added to your MCAD software, CoDesigner can pass design changes back and forth. Design changes are passed through an Altium Workspace, which acts as a bridge between the ECAD and MCAD domains.

► Check the version compatibility between your MCAD software and CoDesigner

To access the Altium CoDesigner panel in SOLIDWORKS® you must install an Add-In (Plugin), as detailed below. You can download the MCAD CoDesigner plugin from the Altium website download page.

Installing and Configuring CoDesigner in SOLIDWORKS

To interface to and from SOLIDWORKS®, you need to install the Altium CoDesigner for SOLIDWORKS Add-In.

Install the Add-In to access CoDesigner in your MCAD software.

To install the Add-In:

Close SOLIDWORKS before installing.
Download and install the SOLIDWORKS Add-In (AltiumCoDesignerSolidWorks_<VersionNo>.exe).
Launch SOLIDWORKS and enable the Add-In via the Add-Ins dialog ().
Once the Add-In has been enabled, the Altium CoDesigner Tab can be added to the Taskpane Tabs in the usual way. All collaboration activities are performed through this Tab.

Displaying the CoDesigner Taskpane Tab

In SOLIDWORKS, MCAD CoDesigner is accessed through the Altium CoDesigner Taskpane Tab (often referred to as a panel). Click the CoDesigner button () to make the panel active.

CoDesigner is accessed through a SOLIDWORKS Taskpane Tab.

If the Altium CoDesigner Taskpane Tab () does not appear in SOLIDWORKS:

Click the Setup cog at the top of the Taskpane (). The Customize Taskpane Tabs dialog will open.
In the dialog, enable the Altium CoDesigner Tab.

Connecting to your Workspace from SOLIDWORKS

MCAD CoDesigner in SOLIDWORKS collaborates with your ECAD software (Altium Designer) through an Altium Workspace, which you must sign in to the first time you use it. When you are not signed in, the Altium CoDesigner panel offers two sign-in modes, one for signing into an Altium 365 Workspace – Altium Account, the other for signing in to a Workspace on an On-Prem Enterprise Server – Custom Server.

From version 3.16 and higher Altium MCAD CoDesigner uses Altium's unified login system, the same system used across other Altium solutions, such as Altium Designer. The system is simple to use, once you've selected the type of Altium Workspace that you'll be connecting to, click the Sign In button. A browser window will open, where you complete the sign in process.

Learn more about Logging in to Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Once you have signed in, you are ready to start collaborating on board designs through Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

CoDesigner has been installed and is ready to use. Click Pull to pull a board design from ECAD.

Managing MCAD CoDesigner

The top of the Altium CoDesigner panel displays your user name, the Workspace you are currently connected to, and an identity icon. The icon includes a dot that reflects the Workspace connection status.

Click anywhere on the text or icon to display the MCAD CoDesigner menu, as shown below. From here you can: switch to another Workspace (if available), configure your profile, access the collaboration settings, and Sign Out of your Altium Account.

Click anywhere on the text or icon at the top of the panel to display the MCAD CoDesigner menu.

In SOLIDWORKS, CoDesigner supports working with an assembly of boards, referred to as a Multi-board Assembly (MBA) in ECAD. Learn more about Synchronizing a Multi-board Assembly with Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Configuring the SOLIDWORKS Collaboration Settings

Once you have signed in, CoDesigner settings can be configured in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog, opened via the Settings menu entry in the CoDesigner menu, as shown above.

Configure the CoDesigner options in the Settings dialog.

Common folder for storing models that are coming from ECAD - All component models created by CoDesigner are stored in this location, regardless of the project they belong to (note that the board part and board assembly are created by CoDesigner in the project folder specified during the initial pull into Solidworks). If no location is specified, all component models will be created in the project folder and will be unavailable for reuse in other projects.
Build 3D geometry for Copperi - Top and bottom layer copper layers are always represented as decals on the surfaces of the board part. When this option is enabled, CoDesigner will also create extruded features to represent all copper layers, as well as thruhole pads. Note that enabling this option can create a large amount of data that significantly impacts performance.
Build Viasi - enable this option to also include the Via barrels. Note that enabling this option can create a large amount of data that significantly impacts performance.
Flat Folder Structure - When this option is enabled, child part and assembly files are stored in the same folder as the main assembly file. When the option is disabled, all child part and assembly files are stored in the sub-folder \<McadAssyName>-EDM. A flat folder structure is recommended if you use SOLIDWORKS with Windchill as the Product Data Management system.
Smart Sketch Update - when enabled, during a Pull MCAD CoDesigner only redraws the elements of a sketch that were changed in ECAD, keeping dimensions and constraints related to non-changed elements as they were. Disable this option if it produces undesirable results. Learn more about Smart Sketch Change support.
Build Route Tool Path – The Route Tool Path is an outline defined for milling the board out of the panel that it is fabricated on. Disable this option if the path is not required in MCAD. Learn more about the ECAD Route Tool Path.
Transfer board sketch holes that are bigger than <Size><Units> to ECAD as cutouts - Any hole included in the board profile sketch that can be interpreted as a pad in ECAD (including circular, square, or slotted holes), with a hole size (or slot width) equal to or less than this value, will be converted into a free pad in ECAD. Holes with a size larger than this value will be converted to a board cutout. Non-circular holes that do not correspond to a square or slot shape are always converted to a board cutout, regardless of size.
Ignore components smaller than <Value><Units> in height - Smaller components can be excluded from the synchronization process. Configure this option to exclude components less than <Value><Units> when a Pull is performed. Note that the component height is defined in ECAD as a property of the component (footprint), it is not the height of the 3D model placed on the footprint. Learn more about configuring CoDesigner to ignore smaller components.
Participate in the product improvement program - Enable this option to automatically share technical information about your use of MCAD CoDesigner with Altium. Learn more about the product improvement program.

Use a common folder for storing models if you work with multiple PCB designs with a percentage of reused components, as it will save time and storage space when loading a new project.
If a component is fixed or constrained in MCAD, it becomes locked in ECAD (regardless of if that constraint allows any movements within the PCB assembly or not). If a component is locked in ECAD, it becomes fixed in MCAD unless it is already constrained in MCAD. Changes in the locked/fixed state are synchronized between MCAD and ECAD.

Working in SOLIDWORKS

This section details SOLIDWORKS-specific settings that are important when working with Altium MCAD CoDesigner.

Harness Design in SOLIDWORKS

If you're planning on using MCAD CoDesigner's Harness Design capabilities, SOLIDWORKS Routing Electrical must be installed to be able to synchronize the harness (included in the SOLIDWORKS Premium package). Please note that SOLIDWORKS Routing Electrical also requires Microsoft Excel to be installed to be able to read the harness connectivity information. Learn more about Harness Synchronization with SOLIDWORKS and MCAD CoDesigner.

SOLIDWORKS Default Templates

To avoid being prompted for a component template each time a new component is created, it is recommended to configure and use default templates for parts, as shown below. These can be the supplied SOLIDWORKS templates, or your own company templates. Define the location of the templates for Parts, Assemblies, and Drawings, and select the Always use these default document templates, as shown below.

Configure your preferred SOLIDWORKS templates.

It is recommended to re-select the default templates whenever you update your SOLIDWORKS software to a later version. If this is not done, you may get the following error in the log when pulling a design into SOLIDWORKS:

2025-12-04 13:21:52.1740|1|Error|MCAD: Could not create a new assembly. Make sure default document templates are specified in Tools - Options - Default Template

CoDesigner for SOLIDWORKS assumes the board sketch, extrusion, mates, and placement reference planes are based on the Y-up template orientation. This means CoDesigner for SOLIDWORKS expects Y-up templates, where the default reference planes are oriented as Front = XY, Top = XZ, and Right = YZ.

In SOLIDWORKS 2025, Z-up templates were released. This change means that the plane geometry is different, for example Front = YZ, resulting in CoDesigner rejecting the template during assembly/part creation. Renaming the planes does not resolve this because CoDesigner checks the actual reference plane orientation, not only the plane names. Z-up templates cannot be used with MCAD CoDesigner, Y-up templates must be used.

Display of the PCB Copper, Masks and Silkscreen in SOLIDWORKS

CoDesigner combines images of the top copper, top soldermask and top silkscreen into a single top-side decal, and repeats this process for the same bottom-side layers of the board. These top-side and bottom-side decals are applied when the board is pulled into MCAD.

The Top decal is a combination of the top copper layer, the top solder mask layer, and the top silkscreen layer.

Notes about decals:

If the decals do not display correctly, it may be a rendering issue in SOLIDWORKS. For more information on certified video cards and the latest video driver software updates, refer to https://www.solidworks.com/support/system-requirements. Note that the page includes a link to Certified Cards and Drivers, where you may be able to download an update patch for your video card.
If the previous step does not resolve the display of decals, try toggling the Enhanced graphics performance option in the Performance page of the SOLIDWORKS System Options dialog (). For some video cards, disabling this option will help, for other video cards enabling it will help.
If the Build 3D Geometry for Copper and Solder Mask mode is enabled in the CoDesigner settings, each copper and solder mask layer is transferred as an individual layer, they are not combined into a decal. In this mode, the Silkscreen detail is applied to the Solder Mask layer as a decal. Learn more about How CoDesigner Handles Copper, Mask and Overlay Layers

Decal Storage in SOLIDWORKS

To better support designers who use SOLIDWORKS with a PDM system, CoDesigner saves the decals (image files that represent the copper, silkscreen and soldermask layers) directly into the board part file. This simplifies the management of the PCB-related files when a PDM system is used on the MCAD side.

Decals are stored in the SOLIDWORKS prt file, simplifying the process of working with SOLIDWORKS and a PDM system.

If you use SOLIDWORKS with a PDM and find that the Image file path continues to reference a location on the hard drive, close the design and remove the image files from that location. SOLIDWORKS will then use the decals stored within the board part the next time the design is opened.
If you need access to the temporary image files creating during the Pull process, for example when you work with SOLIDWORKS Visualize, Altium CoDesigner can be configured to not automatically remove the temporary files created during the Pull-to-MCAD process. Note that the Windows registry must be edited to do this, which should only be undertaken if you understand the associated risks.
Retaining the temporary files
1. Open the registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Altium\CoDesigner
2. Right-click and add a new DWORD: called DoNotDeleteOrigFiles
3. Set the Value to 1
WARNING: Incorrect modification of the registry can result in Windows becoming unusable. Use the Registry Editor at your own risk and only after backing up the registry as outlined in the Microsoft article How to back up and restore the registry in Windows.

Working with Multiple Versions of SOLIDWORKS

If your company works with multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS, then you'll be aware that SOLIDWORKS does not support opening newer files in an older version of SOLIDWORKS. If you have CoDesigner configured to use a Common folder for storing models then this can become an issue, as an engineer working with a newer version of SOLIDWORKS might overwrite shared models, making them unusable to an engineer running an older version of SOLIDWORKS.

CoDesigner stores the Common model folder path in a configuration (config) file:

File: SolidworksAddin.config
Location: %localappdata%\Altium\Altium CoDesigner\Config\

This file is loaded when SOLIDWORKS is launched and saved when you exit SOLIDWORKS. If you need to work with multiple versions of SOLIDWORKS and want to configure Altium MCAD CoDesigner to support a different Common model folder location for each version, you can create a unique config file for each version of SOLIDWORKS that you wish to run.

This install of Altium CoDesigner has been configured to run with SOLIDWORKS 2023 and SOLIDWORKS 2024.

To achieve this:

Create a copy of the config file for each version of SOLIDWORKS that you will be working with.
Include the SOLIDWORKS version in the filename of each copy of the config file; for example SolidworksAddin.2023.config.
The unique Model path needed in each version of SOLIDWORKS can then be defined by: editing the Value of the SolidWorksPartsLibraryFolderPath key in the config file (as shown below), or by running SOLIDWORKS and editing the path in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog.

Configure a config file to launch each version of SOLIDWORKS with a unique CoDesigner Model path.

Configuring SOLIDWORKS PDM for CoDesign

CoDesigner has been developed and tested with SOLIDWORKS® PDM Professional.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Client

A useful addition when you work with SOLIDWORKS PDM is the SOLIDWORKS PDM Client. The Client provides access to the PDM Vault (Server), allowing you to browse and explore the contents of your PDM Vault.

The PDM client is installed via the SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager ().
You will also need a Vault View, which allows the Vault contents to be displayed in the Windows File Explorer. The Vault Viewer will be available for installation once the PDM Client has been installed ().

PDM Settings

Disable the Prompt to check out file if opened in read-only mode option in the SOLIDWORKS PDM settings (accessible from the Tools menu in SOLIDWORKS) as shown below. Doing this means that existing components will not need to be checked out, so there will be no inconvenience to other mechanical engineers. However, when it is necessary to change component properties, the corresponding components should be checked out.

SOLIDWORKS Product Data Management (PDM) is an on-premise data management solution supporting team management and collaboration during product development.

Recommended to Keep Under PDM Control

The Common folder where CoDesigner stores models. Configure the folder specified in the Common folder for storing models option in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog to be under SOLIDWORKS PDM control and synchronize that folder with the local storage before collaborating with ECAD.
For MCAD CoDesigner 3.7 or older, include the \Orig and \Expt sub-folders.
For MCAD CoDesigner 3.8 and newer, it is recommended to enable the Flat Folder Structure option in the Altium CoDesigner Settings dialog if Windchill is being used as the Product Data Management system.
Assemblies and parts related to the PCB project.

Not Necessary to Keep Under PDM Control

PNG files are used for generating the decals (pictures that represent the copper, silkscreen, and soldermask). These image files are stored in the same folder where the board part is stored.

Now that SOLIDWORKS PDM is ready for CoDesign, the last step is to configure the Altium Workspace options to indicate that you want to use native MCAD components, and define which ECAD component parameter will be used to reference the equivalent MCAD component. Learn more about Linking from the ECAD Components to the MCAD Components.

Once that has been done, you're ready to learn more about Working with SOLIDWORKS PDM.

Where to Next?

Now that CoDesigner is installed in your MCAD software and connected to your Workspace, the next step is to configure the relevant Workspace settings.

► Learn more about Configuring your Workspace Settings

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