SOLIDWORKS Part Documents

How to Export STEP Files from the Active SOLIDWORKS Document Using PDMPublisher

This article provides a step-by-step walkthrough for exporting a STEP file from SOLIDWORKS part documents using PDMPublisher, starting with the currently active part. This workflow allows you to standardize file naming, choose export formats, and control export locations without manually using “Save As” operations inside SOLIDWORKS.

1. Enable the PDMPublisher Add-In

SOLIDWORKS Part Documents and Screenshot of the SOLIDWORKS “Add-Ins” dialog box. The window shows three sections: “SOLIDWORKS Professional Add-ins” (empty), “SOLIDWORKS Add-ins” (empty), and “Other Add-ins”. Under “Other Add-ins”, the only listed item is “PDMPublisher (SOLIDWORKS)”, which is checked in both the “Start Up” and active-session columns (shown with a blue checkmark) and is highlighted with a red border. Buttons at the bottom are “OK” (highlighted in blue) and “Cancel”. This confirms that the third-party PDMPublisher add-in is currently enabled and set to load automatically every time SOLIDWORKS starts.

Before using PDMPublisher, ensure the add-in is enabled inside SOLIDWORKS.

Go to Tools → Add-Ins.
1. Scroll down to the Other Add-Ins section.
2. Locate PDMPublisher (SOLIDWORKS) and check both boxes:
3. The left box enables it for the current session.
4. The right box ensures it loads automatically at startup.
This guarantees that PDMPublisher will always be available when you launch SOLIDWORKS.av

2. Set the Export Location

Screenshot of the PDMPublisher (SOLIDWORKS) add-in pane on the Output tab. A blue banner at the top reads “A new version is out. Click here to download it”.
Key settings:

Export Location: C:\PDMPublisher
Filename template: “File name without extension” + “Revision” (both parts are marked with red X icons, indicating the template is invalid)
An open dropdown menu (on the right) lists available variables for building the filename, including File name without extension, File name, Configuration name, Date, Target Extension, Extension, File Folder, Top Assembly Folder, Top Assembly Name, BOM Quantity, SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional, and SOLIDWORKS File Properties
File Formats: pdf
Checked options: Open Export Location On Completion, Export references to file formats individually, PDF, Merge exported PDFs into one master PDF, Add table of content to merged PDF
Table columns: Name & Quantity

The image shows the user in the process of fixing an invalid filename template by selecting a different variable from the dropdown before publishing PDFs with merged output and table of contents.

With the add-in loaded, switch to the PDMPublisher tab in the SOLIDWORKS Task Pane. The first step is to specify where the exported files will be stored.

In the Output section, define the Export Location. This can be a fixed directory such as C:\PDMpublisher, or any custom folder on your local or network drive. Use the Browse button to navigate to a location, or type the path directly.

3. Customize the Output Filename (Optional)

Screenshot of the PDMPublisher (SOLIDWORKS) add-in pane on the Output tab. A blue banner at the top announces “A new version is out. Click here to download it”.
Current settings:

Export Location: C:\PDMPublisher (evaluated correctly)
Filename template: “File name without extension” + “Revision” (both segments are highlighted in blue and marked with red X icons, indicating the combination is invalid)
An open dropdown menu next to the filename field lists available variables such as File name without extension, File name, Configuration name, Date, Target Extension, Extension, File Folder, Top Assembly Folder, Top Assembly Name, BOM Quantity, SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional, and SOLIDWORKS File Properties
File Formats: pdf
Checked options: Open Export Location On Completion, Export references to file formats individually, PDF, Merge exported PDFs into one master PDF, Add table of content to merged PDF
Table columns: Name & Quantity

The image captures the moment when the user is correcting an invalid filename template by choosing a different variable from the dropdown before publishing merged PDFs with a table of contents.

PDMPublisher allows dynamic file naming using built-in variables. This feature is especially useful when you want to include metadata such as revision numbers, configuration names, or PDM variables in the file name automatically.

Click inside the Filename field and use the dropdown button >... to insert elements such as:

File name without extension
Revision
Configuration name
Target extension
SOLIDWORKS File Properties
BOM quantity

For example, a template combining “File name without extension” and “Revision” will produce a result like membraneA-01.step.

Remark on Missing Variables

If a variable cannot be resolved in either the configuration-specific tab or the Custom tab, the pill turns red. This visual cue indicates that PDMPublisher will not be able to substitute a value for that variable at publish time. This behavior applies both in the Filename field and the Export Location field. It’s a simple but effective way to catch misnamed or undefined variables before publishing.

Remark on the `>...` Button

To the right of the Filename (or Export Location) field, there is a >... button. Clicking this opens a menu of special filename variables that can be inserted at any point in the naming pattern. These include:

File name without extension
Revision
BOM Quantity
Configuration name
Extension
Various SOLIDWORKS and PDM-specific properties

This feature allows users to build rich, metadata-driven file naming conventions that are automatically evaluated at publish time. It ensures consistent, traceable filenames across exported deliverables without requiring any manual editing.

Variable Pills and Evaluation Order

When you insert variables, they appear as “pills” inside the filename editor. Each pill represents a specific property or variable that will be evaluated when the file is published. PDMPublisher evaluates these pills from left to right, building the filename string dynamically in the exact order you define.

For example, if your filename template is:

[File name without extension] - [Revision] - [BOM Quantity]

The final exported file might be:

GrillAssembly-A01-5.step

depending on the document’s metadata.

Configuration-Specific Resolution

When PDMPublisher evaluates a variable pill, it first looks for a configuration-specific value. This is especially relevant for SOLIDWORKS file properties such as Description, Part Number, or Revision, which can differ between configurations. If the property exists at the configuration level, that value is used.

If the property is not found at the configuration level, PDMPublisher automatically falls back to the Custom tab value for that property. This behavior ensures consistent results even if some properties are defined globally rather than per configuration.

4. Select the STEP Format

Next, choose the output format. In the File Formats field, open the dropdown list and select step. You may also select other formats simultaneously (such as PDF or DXF), but for this example, only STEP is required.

This tells PDMPublisher to generate a .step file during the publishing operation.

5. Open the Active Document

PDMPublisher operates on the currently active SOLIDWORKS document. This means that before publishing, the part or assembly that you intend to export must be open and active in the SOLIDWORKS window.

If you attempt to publish without an active document, SOLIDWORKS will display an error message indicating that no document is currently open:

$Screenshot of SOLIDWORKS 2025 Professional (2023 SP0.1) with the PDMPublisher add-in pane open on the Output tab. The graphics area is empty, showing only the large “DS SOLIDWORKS 2025” splash logo. A centered error dialog with a red X icon reads “No active document found.” and offers only an OK button. In the PDMPublisher pane, a blue banner announces “A new version is out. Click here to download it”. Export settings show Export Location “C:\PDMPublisher”, an invalid Filename template “File name without extension” + “Revision” (both parts marked with red X icons), File Formats set to “pdf”, and several PDF options checked including merging into one master PDF with a table of contents. The large PUBLISH button at the bottom is greyed out. The image demonstrates that the publish action cannot be started because no part, assembly, or drawing is currently open in SOLIDWORKS.$

6. Run the Publish Operation

Once the export location, filename pattern, and file format are set, click the PUBLISH button at the bottom of the PDMPublisher panel.

PDMPublisher will process the active document and generate the required export files according to the selected configuration. This includes handling references, multiple formats, and naming conventions automatically.

7. Verify the Exported STEP File

Navigate to the folder you specified as the export location earlier. You should now find a STEP file generated from your active SOLIDWORKS model, named according to your chosen template.

Screenshot of a Windows File Explorer window (dark mode) opened to the folder "C:\speaker project". The folder contains only one file, displayed as a large icon: "membraneA-01.step". The right-hand preview pane shows the folder summary "speaker project (1 item)" with the default prompt "Select a single file to get more information and share your cloud content." The navigation bar at the top confirms the path "This PC > Windows (C:) > speaker project". The image shows the result of a PDMPublisher export task that saved a single STEP file into the designated output folder.

For example, if your filename pattern included the base filename and revision, you might see a file such as:

C:\speaker project\membraneA-01.step

This file is ready for downstream use in CAM, manufacturing, or supplier collaboration.