Convert SLDDRW to DWG from SOLIDWORKS in batch

Converting SLDDRW to DWG is what happens whenever a customer, site contractor or legacy 2D department works in AutoCAD: they want the drawing as DWG, not a screenshot. PDMPublisher writes the DWG beside the PDF from one job, names it by revision, and does the same as a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task.

What you get

DWG is the native AutoCAD format, and the one most 2D CAD tools and plant-layout teams still exchange. A SOLIDWORKS drawing exported to DWG keeps its sheets, views and annotations as 2D geometry the other side can edit.

PDMPublisher writes one .dwg per drawing. DWG (dwg) sits in the Drawings group of the File formats list next to DXF, so one job can produce DWG, DXF and PDF of the same drawing. The Drawings group converts drawings only; sheet metal flat patterns are a separate option. SOLIDWORKS’ current DWG export options apply.

The manual way, and why it doesn’t scale

Open the drawing, File > Save As, pick DWG (*.dwg), name it with the revision, save. Next drawing, same again. Internal reference or manufacturing sheets mean deleting sheets first or cleaning up after.

Fine for one drawing. For forty drawings at every revision it’s an afternoon of clicking, and the names depend on who did the saving. Then the AutoCAD side asks for the PDF too, and you save the whole set again.

Convert SLDDRW to DWG with the add-in

1. Open the drawing in SOLIDWORKS, saved, references resolved (Get Latest first in a vault).
2. On the PDMPublisher tab, select Settings, then Publish.
3. Set Export location: a fixed or UNC folder, or placeholders from the >... menu such as (TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports\(Revision).
4. Set the Filename pattern, such as (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision); .dwg is added for you.
5. Under File formats, tick DWG (dwg); other ticked formats come out in the same pass.
6. Under Sheets to export, keep All sheets, or pick Sheets matching name with a wildcard Sheet name such as Sheet* or (ConfigurationName)* to leave internal sheets out.
7. Tick Adobe PDF in the same list when the recipient wants a read-only copy beside the DWG.
8. Select PDMPublisher > Publish, confirm the review dialog, and check Publishing results afterwards.

In PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS, DWG needs Premium. The free Community Edition does PDF, DXF and STEP only.

Automate it as a PDM task

PDMPublisher for PDM Professional runs the same engine as a task, so the drawing becomes DWG on a state change, not when somebody remembers.

1. In PDM Administration, right-click Tasks, select New Task, choose PDMPublisher and name it. Tick the task hosts under Execution Method.
2. On the Options page, set Export Location ((VaultRootFolder)\Exports\DWG, no trailing backslash) and Filename. PDM variables such as ($PartNumber) are in the >... menu.
3. Under File Formats, tick DWG (dwg). Keep Export affected document on so the drawing that launched the task is exported.
4. Set Sheets to export and the Sheet name pattern as in the add-in.
5. While validating, enable Vault Activity Logs with Log Folder (Vault Only) at (VaultRootFolder)\Logs\PDMPublisher; Task Details then lists every file checked in.
6. Pick Use this version of SOLIDWORKS (a year on the task host, or Latest). For release workflows, enable Get latest revision only; it exports the version tied to the newest revision and its saved references.
7. Attach the task to a workflow transition, leave it in the right-click menu, or run it from Scheduled Items.

Settings that matter for DWG

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.	(Revision) for released files; keep names unique.
File formats	Tick DWG (dwg); invalid formats are dropped.	Several formats per job.
Sheets to export	All sheets, or Sheets matching name.	A one-sheet drawing always exports its only sheet.
Sheet name pattern	* any text, ? one character; (ConfigurationName) evaluated first.	No match on a multi-sheet drawing exports every sheet and logs the fallback (2026.08.09+).
Customize Location	Per-format export folders that override the main location.	Premium in the add-in.

Naming and folders

Placeholders resolve when the job starts, so every DWG is named and filed the same way:

• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision): Frame-C.dwg in (TopAssemblyFolder)\Exports\DWG.
• (VaultRootFolder)\Exports\(TargetExtension)\($ProjectNumber) in the task: a dwg folder and a pdf folder per project from one task.
• \\server\customer-exchange\($Customer): DWGs routed to the exchange share by a PDM variable.

Customize Location (Premium in the add-in, standard in the task) gives the dwg row its own folder, overriding the main Export location for that format only. Send dwg to the customer exchange share while pdf from the same job stays in the vault.

Tips and troubleshooting

• DWG is outside the Community Edition set (PDF, DXF, STEP). Activate a Premium key under PDMPublisher > License Key. The PDM task is licensed per vault with a 7-day trial and includes every format.
• Invalid formats are dropped for the source type (STEP on a drawing, say), and some depend on the SOLIDWORKS version where the job runs.
• All sheets exported despite a pattern? A pattern that matches nothing falls back to every sheet and logs it. Check spelling and the evaluated (ConfigurationName) in the task log or add-in Logs tab.
• 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 like (VaultRootFolder)\Exports.
• PDMPublisher has no sub-options for DWG. SOLIDWORKS’ current export options apply, set under Tools > Options > Export where the job runs.

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 (PDMPublisher options)
• SOLIDWORKS drawing documents
• Extension-specific export locations
• Publishing profiles and company settings
• Run as a SOLIDWORKS PDM task
• Convert SLDDRW to DXF
• Convert SLDDRW to PDF
• Batch convert SOLIDWORKS files in PDM

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert a SOLIDWORKS drawing to DWG in batch?

Tick DWG (dwg) under File formats, set the export location and filename, and Publish. For a batch, run a PDM Professional task on the selected drawings, on a workflow transition, or from Scheduled Items.

Can I get DWG and PDF of the same drawing at once?

Yes. Tick both under File formats; every ticked format is written in the same pass, each to its own folder with Customize Location.

Where do I set the DWG version and mapping options?

In SOLIDWORKS export options on the computer running the job. PDMPublisher has no DWG sub-options.

Is DWG included in the free Community Edition?

No. Community Edition of the add-in does PDF, DXF and STEP only. DWG needs Premium; the PDM task includes all formats.