Convert SLDPRT to STL for 3D printing, every configuration

Converting SLDPRT to STL is how a SOLIDWORKS part reaches a 3D printer, a slicer or a scan-comparison tool. One part is trivial. Every configuration of a sized part, or every body of a printed assembly, is where PDMPublisher earns its keep: every STL in one batch, in SOLIDWORKS or as a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task, named by configuration and body.

What you get

STL (stl) is the tessellated mesh format every slicer and most additive workflows accept. It holds triangles only, no features and no units, so the filename is often the only thing that tells a print operator which variant they’re holding.

You get one .stl per part, per configuration with Convert multiple configurations, and per body with Split bodies (body name appended). Mesh resolution isn’t set in PDMPublisher; SOLIDWORKS’ current STL export options apply.

The manual way, and why it doesn’t scale

Open the part, go to File > Save As, pick STL (*.stl), 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. Ten sizes of a bracket means ten configuration switches and ten Save As dialogs, and the tenth STL usually gets the wrong name.

Convert SLDPRT to STL 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 .stl extension is added for you.
5. Under File formats, tick STL (stl). 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 3MF as well if your printer software prefers it.
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, STL 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 STL 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\STL keeps output in the vault, a UNC path keeps it outside; no trailing backslash.
3. Under File Formats, tick STL (stl).
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 STL

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 STL (stl); invalid formats are dropped.	Several formats per job.
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 STL the same way:

• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(ConfigurationName): Clip-Size-S.stl, Clip-Size-M.stl, Clip-Size-L.stl from one configured part.
• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision) in (TopAssemblyFolder)\Print: revision-stamped meshes next to the model.
• \\server\printfarm\queue\($ProjectNumber) in the task: STL files delivered straight to the print farm share, filed by PDM project variable.

Customize Location (Premium in the add-in, standard in the task) gives each format its own folder: enable the stl row to override the main location for STL only. Point stl at the print queue share and keep STEP or PDF in the vault from the same task.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Activate a Premium key under PDMPublisher > License Key; the PDM task is licensed per vault and includes every format.
• Set STL resolution (coarse, fine or custom deviation) in SOLIDWORKS under Tools > Options > Export > STL where the job runs; PDMPublisher uses whatever SOLIDWORKS is set to.
• Use the Configuration Filter to include only SIZE-* or PROD* and exclude *Flat*, so you don’t print a flat pattern.
• 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.
• Save and Clear Logs packages the session log for a support request.

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 3MF
• Convert SLDPRT to STEP
• Convert SLDASM to STL

Frequently asked questions

How do I export all configurations of a SOLIDWORKS part to STL at once?

Tick STL under File formats, enable Convert multiple configurations and add (ConfigurationName) to the filename. One Publish, one STL per configuration.

Can I export each body of a multi-body part as a separate STL?

Yes. Tick Split bodies; you get one STL per body with the body name appended.

Where do I set STL resolution when using PDMPublisher?

In SOLIDWORKS itself, under Tools > Options > Export > STL. PDMPublisher applies SOLIDWORKS’ current export options.

Can a PDM task create STL files when a part is released?

Yes. A PDMPublisher task with stl ticked can run on a workflow transition or from the right-click menu. Use Get latest revision only to export the revised version.