How to Print STEP Files in SOLIDWORKS and Automate Export with PDMPublisher

Amen Jlili

2 years ago

While it’s easy to export STEP files manually in SOLIDWORKS, it can become cumbersome if you need to handle multiple configurations or large assemblies. In addition, many users also look for ways to print step files in SOLIDWORKS when managing different outputs. Here’s the basic process to manually export STEP files:

Open your part or assembly in SOLIDWORKS.
Click on File > Save As and select STEP as the file type.
Customize your export options by clicking the Options button.
Save the STEP file to your desired location.

For assemblies or parts with many configurations, manually exporting each configuration can be tedious. That’s where PDMPublisher comes in handy.

Automating the Process with PDMPublisher

PDMPublisher is an advanced tool integrated with SOLIDWORKS PDM that helps automate the export and printing of multiple configurations. One of the most useful features is Process All Configurations, which automatically exports all configurations from your part or assembly to STEP files. Additionally, it allows you to batch print the configurations, ensuring no configuration is left out. This makes it an efficient souldtions for heading a SolidWorks PDM batch plot.

How to Use PDMPublisher to Print and Export STEP Files

In your SOLIDWORKS PDM environment, set up the PDMPublisher task.
Open the Options page and set your export location and filename values like follow:

Enable the Process All Configurations feature.

If you’re interested in printing the affected documents by the the task, then pick Export Affected Document.
You can also pick Export References to File Formats Individually to export the references in an assembly.
Run the task in File Explorer, and PDMPublisher will handle the batch printing and exporting for you:

This saves considerable time and ensures accuracy when exporting complex assemblies with multiple configurations. Instead of manually handling each configuration, PDMPublisher automates the entire process, freeing you up to focus on other critical tasks such as when you need to print step files in SOLIDWORKS.