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This guide will walk through how to access the SOLIDWORKS AI Virtual Companions, AURA and LEO. The Virtual Companions are AI assistants built into SOLIDWORKS that take natural-language prompts to answer questions, guide best practices, and help with day-to-day tasks. 

The Virtual Companions are powered by "Blue Tokens", which is also how SOLIDWORKS AI activity is measured. Tokens are only used when a Virtual Companion runs a skill and produces a result. Simply interacting with a Virtual Companion does not use tokens.  

Tokens are shared across your entire organization in a single pool on your 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. As a one-time introductory offer, each 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Design or SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services license adds 2,100 free tokens to this pool.  

Note: The 2,100 introductory tokens do not renew and will expire after one year. More information about the tokens can be found here: SOLIDWORKS AI Blue Tokens: An Engineer’s Usage Guide | Hawk Ridge Systems

Hawk Ridge Video on access: Meet SOLIDWORKS' New AI, Aura and Leo

Note: SOLIDWORKS 2026 SP3.2 or later is required to use the Virtual Companions. If SOLIDWORKS is already installed, make sure it is updated to SP3.2 or later. 

Step 1: Confirming Prerequisites

To access the Virtual Companions, you will need to have access to your organization's 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, and your installation of SOLIDWORKS will need to be connected to it. This will require you to have one of the following licenses: 

• 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Design (also known as 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS or SOLIDWORKS Connected). This uses Named-User licensing and is installed from the platform directly.  
• SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services*. This uses the traditional device-locked licensing via SOLIDWORKS serial numbers. 

Note: Cloud Services is a set of 3DEXPERIENCE roles providing users access to cloud data management on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform. As of July 2023, Cloud Services is included with all new licenses of SOLIDWORKS Design. Licenses purchased before then can be upgraded to include it.

Step 2: Granting Roles to Users

Before SOLIDWORKS can be installed or connected, a Platform Administrator needs to grant each user the roles for their licenses. If your organization's 3DEXPERIENCE Platform has not been activated yet, follow the steps here: Getting Started with 3DEXPERIENCE – Hawk Ridge Systems

Follow the steps below to grant the Roles needed to the Users:

1. Open the platform's Dashboards and select the "Members Management Cockpit", or launch the "Members Control Center" app from the compass.
2. Select the "i" to the right of a user's profile to view their assigned roles.
3. Switch to the "View all" tab.

4. Confirm the user has the SOLIDWORKS Design or Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS role assigned, and if they don't, assign the role

   

Note: For full steps on inviting new members and assigning roles, see STEP 2 of: Getting Started with 3DEXPERIENCE – Hawk Ridge Systems

Step 3: Installing SOLIDWORKS and Connecting to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

Once the roles have been granted, use the article below that matches your license to install SOLIDWORKS or connect your existing installation to the platform. 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Design is the 3DEXPERIENCE version of SOLIDWORKS, and Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS is the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-in for SOLIDWORKS that uses traditional Standalone or Network Licensing.

• 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Design: How to install 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Design – Hawk Ridge Systems
• SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services: How to install the Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS – Hawk Ridge Systems

Note: SOLIDWORKS 2026 SP3.2 or later is required to use the Virtual Companions. If SOLIDWORKS is already installed, make sure it is updated to SP3.2 or later. 

Step 4: Accessing the Virtual Companions in SOLIDWORKS

The Virtual Companions only appear once SOLIDWORKS is connected to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform, meaning you have signed in with your 3DEXPERIENCE ID from within SOLIDWORKS. Follow the steps below to access them:

1. Launch SOLIDWORKS  
2. Log in with your 3DEXPERIENCE ID when prompted, or from the "3DEXPERIENCE" tab in the Task Pane if using SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services
3. Select the "Virtual Companions" tab in the Task Pane

Note: If the "3DEXPERIENCE" tab is missing when using SOLIDWORKS Design with Cloud Services, confirm the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-In is enabled under Tools > Add-Ins. 

Step 5: Accessing AURA outside of SOLIDWORKS

AURA can also be accessed from the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform without launching SOLIDWORKS. LEO is only available inside SOLIDWORKS because its skills work on the designs and drawings loaded in your session. 

1. Log in to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform by going to: https://www.solidworks.com/pro-cloud 
2. Open your "SOLIDWORKS Design" or "Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS" role cockpit
3. Select the "Communities" tab
4. Navigate to the "Virtual Companions" tab

For additional support, existing customers can submit a ticket or new customers can contact Hawk Ridge Systems.