Convert SLDPRT to 3MF from SOLIDWORKS

Converting SLDPRT to 3MF is the modern route to a 3D printer. The 3MF container carries units, color and multi-object data that STL can’t, and most current slicers prefer it. PDMPublisher writes 3MF for every part, configuration and body in one batch, in SOLIDWORKS or as a SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task. The naming rules match the rest of your release package.

What you get

3MF (3mf) is the 3D Manufacturing Format, an XML-based zipped container built to replace STL for additive manufacturing. It stores the mesh with units, so a part printed from 3MF doesn’t arrive at 25.4 times the size because a slicer guessed inches.

You get one .3mf per part, per configuration with Convert multiple configurations, and per body with Split bodies (body name appended). Tick STL too and ship whichever the printer prefers. SOLIDWORKS’ current 3MF export options apply.

The manual way, and why it doesn’t scale

Open the part, go to File > Save As, pick 3MF (*.3mf), 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. For a family of printed fixtures the export session takes longer than the print setup.

Convert SLDPRT to 3MF 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 .3mf extension is added for you.
5. Under File formats, tick 3MF (3mf). 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 STL too if some printers still need 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, 3MF 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 3MF 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\3MF keeps output in the vault, a UNC path keeps it outside; no trailing backslash.
3. Under File Formats, tick 3MF (3mf).
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 3MF

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 3MF (3mf); 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 3MF the same way:

• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(ConfigurationName): Jig-Rev-A-Left.3mf and Jig-Rev-A-Right.3mf from one configured part.
• (FileNameWithoutExtension)-(Revision) in (TopAssemblyFolder)\Print\3MF: revision-stamped print files beside the model.
• \\server\printfarm\(FileNameNumberRangeFirst4Digits) in the task: 3MF files routed to the print farm and grouped by the first four digits of the part number.

Customize Location (Premium in the add-in, standard in the task) gives each format its own folder: enable the 3mf row to override the main location for 3MF only. Send 3mf to the print share and STEP or PDF to the vault from the same job.

Tips and troubleshooting

• Activate a Premium key under PDMPublisher > License Key; the PDM task is licensed per vault and includes every format.
• Mesh quality comes from SOLIDWORKS’ export options where the job runs, not from PDMPublisher.
• Use the Configuration Filter to include only print configurations (PRINT*) and exclude *Flat*.
• 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 STL
• Convert SLDPRT to STEP
• Convert SLDASM to 3MF

Frequently asked questions

Can SOLIDWORKS export 3MF in batch?

Not natively, but PDMPublisher can. Tick 3MF under File formats, set a location and filename pattern and Publish; every part, configuration and body becomes a 3MF.

Should I export 3MF or STL from SOLIDWORKS for 3D printing?

3MF carries units and multi-object data; STL is the older mesh-only format. PDMPublisher lists both, so tick both and let the print operator choose.

How do I get one 3MF per body of a multi-body part?

Tick Split bodies. Each body goes to its own file with the body name appended.

Can a PDM Professional task produce 3MF files automatically?

Yes. A PDMPublisher task with 3mf ticked can run on a workflow transition, from the right-click menu or as a scheduled item.