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SolidWorks version converter

Can it be saved down?

There is no general SolidWorks downgrade. Older releases cannot open files saved in a newer one; the working routes are a neutral STEP or Parasolid (X_T) export, or a copy saved before the upgrade.

A part, assembly or drawing saved in a newer SolidWorks release is converted permanently on save, and older releases refuse to open it. Because the feature tree is stored in the release's own schema, any "converter" that claims to rewrite SLDPRT or SLDASM files backwards is either exporting neutral geometry or uploading your design. These are the routes engineers actually use.

The procedure that works

  1. 1Ask the sender for a copy saved before the upgrade — PDM vaults and backup folders usually keep the earlier revision.
  2. 2Need exact solids: have the file exported as Parasolid (.x_t) or STEP AP214/AP242 from the newer release, then open it in your release. Geometry is exact; the feature tree is not.
  3. 3Need to edit the imported body: use FeatureWorks (in SolidWorks Premium/Professional) to recognise holes, extrusions and fillets back into editable features.
  4. 4Drawings: ask for a DWG or PDF of each sheet and re-link the views to your imported model.
  5. 5Prevent the repeat: fix the SolidWorks release and service pack for the project in writing before design starts.

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What the file loses

  • • Through STEP or Parasolid: the feature history, sketches, equations, configurations and design tables are gone — you receive dumb solids.
  • • Mates in an assembly do not survive; part positions do, so the assembly has to be re-mated if anything moves.
  • • Drawing annotations tied to the model are lost and must be redone against the imported geometry.
  • • Custom properties may come across in STEP AP242, but not reliably in AP214.

Questions

Can SolidWorks save as an older version?

Not in the general sense — files are converted to the current release on save and older releases cannot open them. Plan on a STEP or Parasolid export instead of a native downgrade.

Which neutral format keeps the most?

Parasolid (.x_t) — SolidWorks is built on the Parasolid kernel, so the solid comes across without any translation. STEP is the better choice when the receiver uses non-Parasolid CAD.

Will FeatureWorks rebuild my original model?

It recognises standard features well and gives you an editable tree, but the result is a reconstruction, not the author's original design intent.

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