Restore the Connection between SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

On occasion, users may find that the connection between SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform becomes broken or otherwise interrupted, resulting in a lack of communication between the two systems. This may be observed in the form of an error message, or you may see that the connection to the platform loads indefinitely without completing. This article walks through some common troubleshooting steps to restore this connection.

Examples of some of the possible signs of a broken connection to the platform:

Checking Eligibility for the Connection:

Before we take steps to repair / restore the connection, make sure that the connection is not being blocked by network security solutions like a firewall, Virtual Private Network (VPN), proxy server, and Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA).

1. Run the Cloud Eligibility Checker provided by Dassault Systèmes to ensure your environment meets the requirements for the connection to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform.
2. If your environment fails the eligibility check, please see QA00000302341 in the Dassault Systèmes Knowledge Base for more information on domains and ports that need to be open for the connection to be successful. If you cannot access this page, it is also attached as a PDF at the bottom of the article.
3. Once your environment meets the compatibility requirements for the connection, we can move on to the troubleshooting steps to restore this connection.

Restoring the Connection:

1. Clear your web browser's Cache and Cookies. These steps vary between browsers.
2. Rename the following directories by appending .old to the end of each of them:
   • %appdata%\DassaultSystemes\CATSettings
   • %localappdata%\DassaultSystemes\CATTemp
   • %localappdata%\Temp\swcefcache
     • Note: If you are not familiar with this syntax, %appdata% is equivalent to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming, and %localappdata% is equivalent to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local

Example of the %appdata%\DassaultSystemes\CATSettings folder renamed to CATSettings.old

3. Launch SOLIDWORKS Connected (3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS) or Design with SOLIDWORKS (Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS) from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform: https://eu1-ifwe.3dexperience.3ds.com/

At this point, most connection issues should be resolved, and the communication between SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform should be restored. If you are using Design with SOLIDWORKS / Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS and are still having connection issues, please continue below.

Uninstalling & Reinstalling the xCAD Connector (Design with SOLIDWORKS / Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS ONLY):

If the above steps failed to restore your connection between SOLIDWORKS and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, you can try uninstalling and reinstalling the application that provides this connection. This step is only applicable to users with Design with SOLIDWORKS / Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS. If you are using SOLIDWORKS Connected / 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS, this step is NOT applicable and is not advised.

1. Rename the folders listed in the above section.
2. Before re-launching SOLIDWORKS from the Platform, uninstall the xCAD Connector application:
   1. Windows Start Menu > Add or Remove Programs
   2. Locate and uninstall "Dassault Systèmes xCAD Connectors 3DEXPERIENCE R202Xx"

3. Once the uninstallation is complete, launch Design with SOLIDWORKS (Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS) from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform: https://eu1-ifwe.3dexperience.3ds.com/. This will prompt the reinstallation of the xCAD Connector.

If the connection issues persist, please contact our support team for further assistance at 877.266.4469 for the U.S. or 866.587.6803 for Canada and support@hawkridgesys.com.