Whether you're designing complex assemblies, collaborating across teams, or detailing production-ready drawings, SOLIDWORKS 2026 offers something for every engineer and designer!
Enhanced Search Interface
SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026 introduces a redesigned search interface featuring a split-button layout.
This intuitive design allows users to quickly relaunch their last executed search or access card searches, favourites, and search tools with fewer clicks.
Split-button search interface in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026. The result is a more efficient data retrieval process, reducing time spent navigating menus and improving productivity.
This simple, but extremely useful enhancement means we can quickly relaunch the last search executed from a single click!
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
No time to fill out a Search Card? Discover the Quick Search Tool in SOLIDWORKS PDM.
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Search Favourite Control
This enhancement actually snuck into Service Pack 1 (SP1) of SOLIDWORKS 2025, so users of SOLIDWORKS PDM now have greater control over the execution of search favourites thanks to the new option to disable the automatic running of a search upon load.
The 'favourite searches' settings panel in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026. This means engineers can load saved search criteria, then adjust parameters as needed, executing them only when ready, meaning it’s ideal for refining broad queries without triggering unnecessary results.
By turning off the option that automatically searched a vault for ‘Files Checked Out to Me’ when I clicked it, I no longer have to sit and wait for the search to scan the whole Vault before I can adjust the scope to only search within my current Project folder’.
A sneaky time-saver!
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Wildcard Search Expansion
Several Search Card controls have been upgraded to allow for the default search behaviour to be defined as either “exact value” matching or “implicit wildcard” searches.
Wildcard search has been expanded in the latest release of SOLIDWORKS. This means that Engineers can now search for files using partial terms across combo boxes, dropdowns, and list boxes, making it easier to find relevant data without knowing the exact property value.
To learn more about PDM Wildcard searches, check out Javelin's guide to using search operators and wildcards in SOLIDWORKS PDM.
This was another ‘secret’ new feature added in 2025 SP1 and one that really opens up the search process.
For example, if you have a Workflow State List that contains both 'Pending Checking' and 'Pending Approval', try setting that search control to use the wildcard option. Then we can type in "pending" to find all the files currently held up in the Workflow.
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Ownership Transfer for Unsaved Data
One of the most impactful updates in 2026, and my personal favourite, is the automatic synchronization of Vault Views and with it, the ability to transfer ownership of files that haven’t been checked back into the vault.
This lets different or the same users work on these files on different computers without checking in the files to the SOLIDWORKS PDM.
The 'ownership transfer' menu in SOLIDWORKS PDM is new for the 2026 release. This also goes some way to address a critical risk scenario where unsaved changes could be lost due to user departure or system failure.
With automatic background vault synchronisation, managers can recover and reassign data seamlessly and Engineers can quickly delegate design tasks to their colleagues.
With Transfer Ownership, we can work on a file on our PC then, by using transfer ownership, carry on working later with that data on a laptop, without the need for an extra check-in.
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Improved File Relationship Tracking
System Variables such as Revision, (database) ID and ID (Hexadecimal) are now available when configuring the column display in both “Contains” and “Where Used” views.
The 'Contains' feature shows all the components referenced within a model in a neat interface. This enhancement gives engineers and administrators deeper insight into component relationships to support better decision-making during approval and change workflows and simplifies data recovery in adverse events.
Expanded File Preview Support
Within the integrated Preview TAB, capabilities have been extended to include native viewing of Parasolid files up to version 37.1 and STEP formats AP203, AP214, and AP242.
The integrated preview panel has been enhanced, here it is shows a selected STEP file. Engineers can now review these files directly within drawings, eliminating the need to open them in SOLIDWORKS and accelerating design validation.
3DInterconnect in SOLIDWORKS simplified the need to ‘translate’ typical external CAD formats to use them inside SOLIDWORKS.
This enhancement to the eDrawings Viewer takes that even further, meaning STEP and Parasolid files can be interrogated in the Viewer without any need to import them to SOLIDWORKS first.
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Granular Folder Access Permissions
Another highly requested enhancement in PDM 2026 is one that greatly simplifies access, and navigation, to specific subfolders in the Vault.
In 2026, users with restricted access, can now navigate to subfolders within restricted hierarchies, without needing Read access to those higher-level Folders.
A PDM Admin demonstrates setting Folder permissions for a Manufacturing team. Using the new permission “May see folders” alongside “Read file contents,” and (where appropriate) “Show working versions,” means that Users are able to browse the Vault seeing Folder structures required, but only seeing the folder content in locations that they have explicit access too.
Before 2026, users needed either direct shortcuts or 'read' access to all parent folders to reach lower-level folders, which increased admin workloads to keep protected files hidden.
With this new feature, I can now navigate to any folder without necessarily viewing its files!
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Web2 Interface and BoM Enhancements
Web2 provides Users with a lightweight Intranet style interface to the PDM Vault.
Although already feature-rich, SOLIDWORKS 2026 sees several visual and functional enhancements. As part of a visual overhaul, we now see a progress indicator during login and the information panel is now collapsible.
Web2 Bill of Materials now supports Computed and Named BOMs These refinements improve usability and allow users to tailor their workspace to suit individual workflow needs.
Web2 has also had a major functionality enhancement within the Bill of Materials (BOM) Tab which now supports both Computed and Named Bills of Materials.
A 'Named BOM' in SOLIDWORKS PDM is a custom, user-defined BOM view that you create, save and check in independent of the parent assembly.
Unlike the default BOM views (such as Computed or CAD BOM), a Named BOM allows you to define exactly how the BOM should appear and what data it should include.
For clients using Named BOMs to support ERP integration or to manage alternative BOM views (such as those used for Purchasing or Maintenance), having them available to Web 2.0 users greatly extends their availability to those ‘occasional’ PDM users.
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Convert Task Output Improvements
SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Customers taking advantage of the additional Convert task options, will see even more options in the 2026 release, with the task capabilities having been expanded with support for SAT files up to version 33 and Parasolid files up to version 35.1.
Convert task settings with Deviation Tolerance controls for STL files. For STL files, a new resolution deviation tolerance controls will enable precise output quality management, while IGES conversions offer enhanced geometry handling options for both Surface and Solid subtypes.
To learn more about the additional options available, watch our video on how to configure the Convert Task for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.
EDrawings and HTML Publishing
Within the Convert Task, eDrawings conversion now supports the preservation of file properties at both the individual and component levels to ensure metadata integrity.
The Convert Task settings for eDrawings showing the new option. Also, for Convert, HTML publishing for eDrawings Web is now supported directly within SOLIDWORKS , offering a new output format for web-based sharing.
Advanced PDF Conversion Workflows
The script editor has been enhanced in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2026. Here it shows a Draftsight to PDF conversion script. The final enhancement within Convert, PDF conversion workflows have been streamlined for DraftSight and Office documents.
Opening up the option for Advanced scripting in both of these Tasks will allow things like dynamic output path and filename modification, giving administrators greater flexibility in automated document generation.
Prior to 2026, the PDF filename/path was configurable but could not be manipulated within the task’s ‘advanced’ script, something that is possible in the standard SOLIDWORKS task add-in.
This new functionality means we are now able to replace parts of the file name with dynamically-generated values, or strip illegal characters from any variables used to create the output name, using code inserted into the Convert Task’s script.
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Workflow Archiving and Path Conditions
Administrators can now archive workflows intended for future retirement while retaining the ability to restore them.
Workflows can now be archived and restored from the SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration tool. Also, when setting up a Workflow and it’s associated Workflow Conditions, the most commonly used option of “File Path” is now selected by default, simplifying setup and reducing configuration time.
Whilst it is simple enough to stop new files entering a Workflow that you plan to retire or rework, files already in that Workflow will continue as before.
Archiving a Workflow and stopping new files from entering now also stops existing files from transitioning or being rolled back to another state within the archived workflow.
This opens an interesting possibility when it comes to how Administrators manage the introduction of major changes to their Workflows.
Wayne Marshall, PDM Product Manager
Conclusion
As well as those features highlighted above, other less obvious (but equally important!) enhancements around data encryption and user authentication (on the desktop and Web2 clients) will ensure that SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional 2026 continues to deliver a robust and forward-thinking data management platform tailorable to the needs of modern engineering teams.
Enhancements that span search, ownership, interface design, and administrative control ensure that this release empowers professionals to work smarter and collaborate more effectively.
To explore these features in depth visit the Solid Solutions website, and connect with our expert team for tailored guidance.
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