If you you’ve been asking yourself, “What gives? Why can’t I open SOLIDWORKS files in GrabCAD Print anymore?” You are not alone. I know the struggle. I may have even said a few expletives over it. This is not due to GrabCAD Print dropping SOLIDWORKS compatibility. It is the result of GrabCAD Print’s development team needing to take some time to verify that the latest version of SOLIDWORKS files is compatible with all the features that GrabCAD Print has to offer. Let’s take a look at some details.

With the latest GrabCAD Print release, we can now open SOLIDWORKS 2021 files and reap the benefits of working with a native CAD file over the traditional STL file. If you have not worked with importing native CAD files into GrabCAD Print then you are missing out. 

Not only do you not have to worry about all those dreaded STL settings, you can simply save your solid part, or even whole assembly, and import all the pieces at one time. But wait, there’s more! The excitement doesn’t stop here. If you’re running a full color Stratasys PolyJet printer like the J55, or J8 Series, all the color and appearance data from SOLIDWORKS carries over as well. Don’t just take my word for it. If you want to stay updated, check out this video and see what steps need to be taken so that you can continue creating cool stuff and working without any interruption.