Introduced in beta version with SOLIDWORKS 2019, SOLIDWORKS Extended Reality (XR) provides the ability to export CAD models to formats that can be utilized in AR, VR and web experiences. Whether you’ve been using this tool in previous versions of SOLIDWORKS, or you’re just discovering its existence – if you’re trying to locate a SOLIDWORKS Extended Reality install file for any version of SOLIDWORKS beyond 2021, you’re probably finding it very difficult to do so…That’s because SOLIDWORKS 2021 was the last supported version of the Beta add-in.
Rumor has it…
The exact details surrounding why the XR add-in is no longer supported are unknown. However, according to communications seen through online threads and SOLIDWORKS communities, it seems that SOLIDWORKS XR suffered some losses during the pandemic. Created by a 3rd party company, the relationship with Dassault Systèmes is said to have ended mid-pandemic, with Dassault not taking over support for the tool since.
Good News!
On the bright side, the ability to export SOLIDWORKS models to extended reality formats does still exist! While it appears that current versions of SOLIDWORKS will no longer be able to export XR formats directly, SOLIDWORKS Visualize does support and offer this functionality. Available in both Visualize Standard & Professional, exporting to .GLB and .GLTF file types will output the 3-dimensional data needed for VR and AR applications.
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