Convert SLDPRT to ACIS (SAT) from SOLIDWORKS

Converting SLDPRT to ACIS (SAT) is the request you get from Inventor and AutoCAD users, some CAM and simulation tools, and anyone whose software runs on the ACIS kernel. PDMPublisher added SAT output in version 2026.08.05. Parts, configurations and bodies can now be batched to ACIS from the same profile, or the same SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task, that writes STEP and PDF.

What you get

ACIS (sat) is the native exchange format of the ACIS kernel used by AutoCAD, Inventor and a long list of analysis and CAM packages. A SAT file usually imports into those tools more cleanly than STEP.

You get one .sat per part, per configuration with Convert multiple configurations, and per body with Split bodies (body name appended). ACIS joined the File formats list in version 2026.08.05, alongside 3D XML, VRML, VDAFS, CATIA Graphics, HCG and HOOPS HSF. The add-in or task must be at least that version. SOLIDWORKS’ current ACIS export options apply.

The manual way, and why it doesn’t scale

Open the part, go to File > Save As, pick ACIS (*.sat), set folder and name, save. Repeat for every configuration, and again for every body you want as its own file.

Fine for one part. For forty, or a supplier package redone at every revision, it’s an afternoon of clicking and badly named files. And since SAT is rarely the only format requested, the whole loop repeats for STEP.

Convert SLDPRT to ACIS with the add-in

1. Open the part in SOLIDWORKS, saved, references resolved. An assembly works too if you want its parts.
2. On the PDMPublisher tab, select Settings, then Publish.
3. Set Export location: a fixed folder, UNC path, relative folder, or placeholders from the >... menu.
4. Set the Filename pattern, such as (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision); the .sat extension is added for you.
5. Under File formats, tick ACIS (sat). Other ticked formats come out in the same pass.
6. Tick Convert multiple configurations and put (ConfigurationName) in the filename so configurations don’t overwrite each other. The Configuration Filter includes (PROD*) or excludes (*Flat*) by wildcard.
7. Tick Split bodies for one file per body, body name appended.
8. Tick STEP or Parasolid Text too if the receiver wants a second format.
9. Select PDMPublisher > Publish; the arrow beside it runs a named profile at once. Confirm the review dialog if it appears.
10. Open Publishing results to see every file, its configuration and destination.

In PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS, ACIS output needs Premium. The free Community Edition publishes PDF, DXF and STEP only, up to 5 references per run.

Automate it as a PDM task

PDMPublisher for PDM Professional runs the same engine as a task, so parts become ACIS when they change state.

1. In PDM Administration, right-click Tasks, select New Task, choose PDMPublisher and name it; users see that name in the right-click menu.
2. On the Options page, set Export Location and Filename. (VaultRootFolder)\Exports\ACIS keeps output in the vault, a UNC path keeps it outside; no trailing backslash.
3. Under File Formats, tick ACIS (sat).
4. Enable Convert multiple configurations and the Configuration Filter as in the add-in, with (ConfigurationName) in the filename.
5. Enable Split bodies for multi-body parts.
6. Pick Use this version of SOLIDWORKS: an installed year on the host, or Latest. For release workflows, enable Get latest revision only too; it exports the revised version, not work in progress.
7. Attach the task to a workflow transition, leave it in the right-click menu, or run it from Scheduled Items.

A task run on an assembly needs Template set to a PDM BOM layout with name, configuration and quantity columns, and Export references to file formats individually enabled. A single part needs neither.

Settings that matter for ACIS

Setting	What it does	Tip
Export location	Output folder: vault, relative, UNC or outside. Created if missing.	(TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports\(Revision) works; no trailing backslash.
Filename	Static text, placeholders, custom properties or PDM variables.	(ConfigurationName) for configurations, (Revision) for released files.
File formats	Tick ACIS (sat).	From version 2026.08.05; update the add-in or task if it’s missing.
Convert multiple configurations	Every configuration, not just the active one.	Needs a configuration-specific filename.
Configuration Filter	Include or exclude by name or wildcard.	Exclude *Flat* to skip flat patterns.
Split bodies	One file per body, name appended.	Flat pattern DXF has its own per-body option.
Customize Location	Per-format folders overriding the main one.	Premium in the add-in.
Use this version of SOLIDWORKS (task)	Which installed SOLIDWORKS year runs the export.	That version’s export options apply.

Naming and folders

Placeholders resolve when the job starts, so one profile or task names every ACIS the same way:

• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision): Cover-A.sat in (TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports\SAT.
• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(ConfigurationName) with Convert multiple configurations: one SAT per configuration.
• (VaultRootFolder)\Exchange\($Customer)\(TargetExtension) in the task: a sat folder per customer beside their step folder.

Customize Location (Premium in the add-in, standard in the task) gives each format its own folder: enable the sat row to override the main location for ACIS only. Handy when ACIS goes to one partner and STEP to another from the same release task.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Activate a Premium key under PDMPublisher > License Key; the PDM task is licensed per vault and includes every format.
• No ACIS entry in File formats? The add-in or task predates 2026.08.05. Update PDMPublisher on every computer that publishes or executes the task.
• Some formats depend on the SOLIDWORKS version installed; if one vanishes from the results, check what’s installed where the job ran.
• Can’t see the exported files? You need add and edit permission in the export location. The vault root is usually locked; target a subfolder such as (VaultRootFolder)\Exports.
• If the exported file already exists in the vault, the task (and the add-in in a vault context) overwrites it as a new version, with a check-in comment naming PDMPublisher.

Availability

Available in PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS (the add-in) and PDMPublisher for PDM Professional (the task).

Documentation and related features

• Run a Publish Job (PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS)
• File Formats option
• SOLIDWORKS part documents
• SOLIDWORKS assembly documents
• Extension-specific export locations
• Publishing profiles and company settings
• Convert SLDPRT to STEP
• Convert SLDPRT to Parasolid
• Convert SLDPRT to IGES

Frequently asked questions

Can PDMPublisher export SOLIDWORKS parts to SAT?

Yes. ACIS (sat) is in the File formats list from version 2026.08.05. Tick it, set the export location and filename pattern, and Publish or run the PDM task.

How do I convert every configuration of a SLDPRT to ACIS?

Enable Convert multiple configurations and add (ConfigurationName) to the filename.

Can I get one SAT per body of a multi-body part?

Yes. Tick Split bodies; each body goes to its own SAT with the body name appended.

Which other formats were added with ACIS?

Version 2026.08.05 also added 3D XML, VRML, VDAFS, CATIA Graphics, HCG, HOOPS HSF, Microsoft XAML, JPEG, TIF, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop outputs.