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SOLIDWORKS® PDM

One Vault. Single Source of Truth.

Replace emailed CAD files and shared drives with a secure, version-controlled vault. Every file, every revision, every approval — in one place your whole team can trust.

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30%
fewer lost or duplicate files
20%
decrease in revision errors
What It Is

SOLIDWORKS PDM

SOLIDWORKS PDM (Product Data Management) is a vault-based file management system that replaces emailed CAD files, shared network drives, and tribal knowledge with a single, version-controlled repository. Every file your engineering team creates — parts, assemblies, drawings, PDFs, spreadsheets, even emails — lives in one indexed vault with a complete revision history, audit trail, and access control.

  • Vault-based architecture: one server installation, accessible to every seat in the shop. No more "which version did you send me?" conversations.
  • Check-in/check-out prevents simultaneous edits. When someone is working on a file, it is locked — others see the current released version.
  • CAD-neutral: manages SOLIDWORKS files, but also STEP, DXF, PDF, Excel, Word, and any other file type your team uses.

PDM Standard is included at no additional cost with SOLIDWORKS Design Professional and above — if you are already on Professional subscription, you have PDM Standard available right now. PDM Professional unlocks additional capabilities for larger teams, multi-site access, web-based access, and full BOM management.

SOLIDWORKS Authorized Reseller Morphos 3D is an authorized SOLIDWORKS reseller. We set up and configure PDM vaults for manufacturing teams.
SOLIDWORKS PDM vault folder structure showing organized project hierarchy with revision states
Morphos value-add: A PDM license without a properly configured vault is just software. We handle the full implementation: server setup, folder structure design, workflow configuration, permission mapping, and user training. We have set up PDM vaults for single-site job shops and multi-location contract manufacturers — we know what works.
Choose Your Tier

SOLIDWORKS PDM Packages

Two tiers. Standard is included with your SOLIDWORKS subscription — you may already have it. Professional adds multi-site access, full BOM management, and enterprise workflow features.

PDM Standard
Included with SOLIDWORKS Subscription
No Additional Cost

Version control, check-in/check-out, automated change tracking, and PDF creation for single-site teams.

  • Version control with full revision history
  • Check-in / check-out file locking
  • Automated change tracking
  • Team notifications on file status changes
  • Automated PDF creation from SOLIDWORKS drawings
  • Integrated eDrawings preview
  • Windows Explorer integration for easy file access
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PDM Professional
Standard + Enterprise Features

Everything in Standard plus remote web access, BOM management, approval workflows, and vault replication for multi-site teams.

  • Web browser remote access (any device, anywhere)
  • Email notifications for file and workflow events
  • Full Bill of Materials management and reporting
  • Multi-CAD support (connects to third-party CAD tools)
  • Configurable approval and release workflows
  • Vault replication for multi-site teams
  • Serial number generation for part numbers
  • Task scheduling (automated actions on vault events)
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Available on Device Term License (machine-locked, 3-month or 1-year) or Single-User Subscription (person-tied, any device). Contact us to discuss which fits your shop.

Compare All Features

Capability PDM Standard PDM Professional
Version Control & Revision History ✓ ✓
Check-In / Check-Out File Locking ✓ ✓
Windows Explorer Integration ✓ ✓
Data Card Metadata (Part Properties) ✓ ✓
Automated PDF Creation (from SOLIDWORKS drawings) ✓ ✓
eDrawings File Preview ✓ ✓
Team Notifications (In-App) ✓ ✓
Search by Name, Date, and Metadata ✓ ✓
Web Browser Remote Access — ✓
Email Notifications — ✓
BOM Management and Reporting — ✓
Multi-CAD Support (Third-Party CAD) — ✓
Configurable Approval / Release Workflows — ✓
Vault Replication (Multi-Site) — ✓
Task Scheduling (Automated Vault Actions) — ✓
Serial Number Generation — ✓

Already on SOLIDWORKS Professional subscription? PDM Standard may be included in your current license. Let us check for you

Capabilities

What You Can Do with SOLIDWORKS PDM

Vault Architecture
One Repository. Every File Your Team Touches.

The PDM vault is a centralized file server that stores and indexes everything your engineering team produces. Files are checked in and out like library books — one person works on a file at a time, and everyone else sees the last checked-in version. The vault tracks every save, every rename, every move, and every deletion. Nothing is ever truly lost.

  • Indexed central repository on your company server
  • Automatic tracking of all file changes, moves, and renames
  • Full revision history — browse, compare, or restore any previous version
  • Stores any file type: SOLIDWORKS, STEP, DXF, PDF, Excel, Word, images
  • Windows Explorer integration — vault looks and works like a network drive
SOLIDWORKS PDM vault folder structure showing organized project hierarchy with revision states and file statuses
Replacing shared drives: Most shops start with a shared network drive and a folder naming convention that only three people understand. PDM replaces that with a structured, searchable, permission-controlled vault. The transition takes a few days — the efficiency gains last for years.
Revision Control
BOM Management and RELEASED Status Tracking

PDM tracks revision letters and states (Work in Progress, Under Review, Released, Obsolete) for every file. When a drawing is released, it is locked — no one can overwrite it. Engineers working on a new revision check out a new version and work in parallel with the released state. Bill of Materials in PDM Professional shows complete component trees with revision numbers, statuses, and quantities pulled directly from SOLIDWORKS assemblies.

  • Configurable revision schemes (numeric or alphabetic)
  • File states: WIP, Under Review, Released, Obsolete — you define the states
  • Released files locked against modification
  • BOM with contains view showing all child components and their revision states
  • Where-used report — find every assembly that uses a given part
SOLIDWORKS PDM BOM contains view showing component list with revision history and RELEASED status indicators
ECN workflows: When a part needs to change, PDM's workflow engine routes the new revision through review and approval before it can be released. Every approval is logged with timestamp and user — a complete electronic change record that replaces paper sign-off sheets.
Assembly Intelligence
Component Dependency Trees and Where-Used Tracking

PDM reads the SOLIDWORKS assembly structure and builds a live dependency map. You can see exactly which assemblies reference a given part, which parts are in a given assembly, and what version of each component was used in any historical release. When a component is updated, PDM immediately shows which parent assemblies are affected — so you can decide whether to roll the change forward or keep existing assemblies on the previous revision.

  • Component tree showing all child parts and sub-assemblies with version numbers
  • Where-used: which assemblies reference a given component
  • Cross-reference drawings to their referenced models
  • Copy tree for creating new projects from existing designs
  • Instant impact analysis before approving a component change
SOLIDWORKS PDM component dependency tree showing assembly hierarchy with version numbers and part references
Design reuse: How much time does your team spend recreating parts that already exist? PDM's search tools let engineers find existing geometry by name, description, material, or any custom property — and reuse it instead of starting from scratch. The best part is saved from the first project. Every subsequent one benefits from it.
Data Cards
Metadata That Travels With Every File

Every file in the vault has a data card — a customizable metadata form that stores part number, description, revision, material, weight, cost, approval status, and any other properties your workflow requires. Data cards link to SOLIDWORKS custom properties, so filling out the card automatically populates the title block on your drawings. When files are exported or released, the metadata travels with them — no manual property entry, no mismatches between the file and the paperwork.

  • Fully customizable data card templates per folder or file type
  • Two-way sync with SOLIDWORKS custom properties
  • Automatic title block population on release
  • Searchable metadata — find parts by any property combination
  • Dropdowns and controlled vocabulary prevent data entry errors
SOLIDWORKS PDM assembly data card showing metadata fields including part number, material, revision, and approval status
ERP integration: If you are running DELMIAWorks for manufacturing operations, PDM passes part properties (part number, description, material, weight, BOM structure) directly into your ERP for purchasing and production planning. We configure that integration as part of our implementation service. Learn more about DELMIAWorks
How Morphos Helps

Vault Setup, Workflow Configuration, and Training

We handle the full PDM implementation so your team actually adopts it from day one.

  • Server installation and vault creation on your hardware or hosted environment
  • Folder structure and workflow configuration mapped to your engineering change process
  • Data card templates linked to your SOLIDWORKS title block properties
  • Hands-on training for every user: check-in/out, searching, reviewing, and approving
Already have SOLIDWORKS Professional? PDM Standard may already be included in your subscription at no extra cost. Contact us and we will verify your license status and get you set up — often within a single day for small teams.
Our PDM Implementation Process
1
Discovery
We review how your team currently manages files, where the pain points are, and what the ideal end state looks like.
2
Vault Design
Folder structure, naming conventions, data card templates, and workflow states designed before any software is installed.
3
Installation and Configuration
Server setup, vault creation, workflow configuration, permission mapping, and SOLIDWORKS integration tested end-to-end.
4
Training and Go-Live
Hands-on training with your actual files. Your team is self-sufficient from day one. We stay available for questions as you ramp up.
Frequently Asked Questions

Common Questions About SOLIDWORKS PDM

PDM Standard is included with SOLIDWORKS Design Professional and Premium subscription licenses — there is no additional license fee. If you are on a Professional or Premium subscription, you may already have it available. PDM Professional is a separate licensed product that adds enterprise features on top of PDM Standard. Both versions install as an add-in to SOLIDWORKS and integrate directly with the SOLIDWORKS interface — saving files to the vault, browsing revision history, and checking files in and out all happen from inside SOLIDWORKS without opening a separate application.
PDM Professional is priced per contributor seat (users who check files in and out) plus one server license. Viewer seats (read-only access for manufacturing, purchasing, management) are lower cost. PDM is available on a Device Term License (machine-locked, 3-month or 1-year) or Single-User Subscription (person-tied, any device). Pricing depends on the number of contributor and viewer seats you need. Because our configurations are customized to your team size and infrastructure, we provide quotes rather than publish a price list. Contact us and we will build a proposal that fits your budget and team structure.
Yes. SOLIDWORKS PDM is CAD-neutral — it manages any file type you put in the vault. SOLIDWORKS parts, assemblies, and drawings get extra intelligence (automatic reference tracking, BOM reading, property sync), but STEP files, DXF files, PDFs, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, images, and even email attachments can all be stored, versioned, and searched. This makes PDM useful not just for engineering, but for quality documents, customer correspondence, and manufacturing instructions — anything that needs to be controlled and traceable.
The PDM vault server runs on Windows Server (2016, 2019, or 2022) with Microsoft SQL Server for the database. For small shops (2–10 users), a modest dedicated server or a high-spec workstation running Windows Server is sufficient. For larger teams or PDM Professional with replication, a proper server-class machine with RAID storage and regular backups is recommended. We can assess your current infrastructure and recommend the right server configuration, or help you evaluate cloud-hosted options. The vault clients install on each SOLIDWORKS workstation and connect to the server over your local network.
Yes — configurable approval and release workflows are one of the core differentiators of PDM Professional over PDM Standard. Workflows define the states a file moves through (Draft, Under Review, Approved, Released, Obsolete) and the transitions between them (who can approve, what notifications are sent, whether all approvers must sign off or just one). Workflows are built graphically in the PDM administration tool and can be as simple or complex as your engineering change process requires. We configure workflows as part of our implementation service, mapping them to your existing ECO/ECN process so adoption is smooth.
Shared drives have no version control, no check-in/check-out, no audit trail, and no access control beyond folder-level permissions. The most common failure modes are: two engineers accidentally overwriting each other's work on the same assembly; someone accidentally deleting or moving a file with no way to recover it; production running from an old drawing version because someone emailed it six months ago and it never got updated; and no record of who approved a design change or when. PDM eliminates all of these. The transition from shared drive to PDM typically takes one to three days of setup and training — and shops that make the switch almost never go back.
Yes, through several mechanisms. If you are running DELMIAWorks as your ERP, a native integration passes SOLIDWORKS part properties (part number, description, material, weight, BOM structure) directly from PDM into DELMIAWorks for purchasing and production planning — eliminating manual re-entry and the errors that come with it. For other ERP systems, PDM Professional exposes APIs and supports automated task execution that can push data to external systems on workflow transitions (for example, creating a new item in the ERP when a part is released in PDM). We configure these integrations as part of our implementation service.

Ready to replace emailed CAD files with a real vault?

We can check whether PDM Standard is already included in your current license, walk you through a demo, or put together a vault setup proposal for your team.

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