Use SOLIDWORKS with AI via MCP
In many mechanical engineering companies SOLIDWORKS is the central design environment – with a PDM vault holding design knowledge grown over years. Dassault Systèmes does not offer an official MCP server; what exists are active community servers, which we operate self-hosted and connect to your installation.
What is SOLIDWORKS?
SOLIDWORKS by Dassault Systèmes is one of the most widely used parametric 3D CAD systems in mechanical, plant and special machinery engineering. Its ecosystem includes SOLIDWORKS PDM for data management and simulation modules; the 3DEXPERIENCE platform can be connected optionally. Traditionally SOLIDWORKS runs as a Windows desktop installation with a vault server inside the company network – adoption in the German-speaking mid-market is correspondingly high.
From an AI perspective the value lies less in the model itself than in the metadata around it: naming, part numbers, revisions, release status, where-used lists. Making that information searchable speeds up reuse, quotation work and change management – tasks that today usually require asking an experienced designer.
Connection at a Glance
- MCP server
- Community, self-hosted (no official server from Dassault Systèmes)
- Transport
- stdio – local, next to the SOLIDWORKS installation
- Authentication
- Windows/vault accounts in the company network; 3DEXPERIENCE via platform login
- Interfaces
- SOLIDWORKS API (COM/.NET), PDM API, 3DEXPERIENCE REST web services
- Operating model
- On-premises: desktop installation and PDM vault in the company network
- Note
- The connection is bound to a specific installation
How to Connect SOLIDWORKS to CompanyGPT
Dassault Systèmes does not provide an official MCP server for SOLIDWORKS. Several actively maintained community servers do exist, however – for example mcp-server-solidworks and SolidworksMCP-TS – which talk to a running SOLIDWORKS installation through its COM automation interface. They run as local stdio servers in the context of the respective Windows system.
That leads to an important qualification: this connection is bound to a specific installation. For a company-wide assistant we therefore do not set it up on individual workstations but on a dedicated Windows server with a SOLIDWORKS installation inside the company network – or we take the route through the PDM API or the REST web services of the 3DEXPERIENCE platform when the focus is on metadata and release status.
The MCP part runs inside your CompanyGPT environment, with authentication through Windows or vault accounts holding defined rights. Which tools the assistant receives is agreed with your design management; roles and groups in CompanyGPT then control access.
Note for on-premises operation: CompanyGPT runs in your own Azure tenant – so your on-premises network can be connected directly: via a site-to-site VPN (Azure VPN Gateway) or ExpressRoute between your corporate network and the virtual network of your CompanyGPT environment. The system does not need to be publicly reachable; we set up the connection together with your IT team.
Typical Use Cases
How AI agents in CompanyGPT work with SOLIDWORKS
Research in the vault
Design asks for parts matching a feature or part number and receives hits with revision and release status, without searching the PDM explorer.
Check for reuse
Before starting a new design, the agent clarifies whether comparable parts already exist and names the assemblies they are used in.
Document changes
For the change notice, the assistant condenses revision states and related notes into a draft that the design team reviews and approves.
Frequently Asked Questions
SOLIDWORKS and AI – the most important answers
Is there an official MCP server for SOLIDWORKS?
No. Dassault Systèmes does not offer one. What is available are community projects that work through the COM API with a running SOLIDWORKS installation and have to be operated yourself.
Why is the connection bound to one installation?
Because the SOLIDWORKS automation interface works locally: the MCP server drives an actually running instance on a Windows system. For enterprise use we set up a dedicated server for this instead of wiring in individual workstations.
Can we reach the data without CAD automation?
Yes. Where metadata, revisions and release status are the goal, the PDM API is the more direct route; if the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is connected, REST web services are available as well.
How does CompanyGPT reach the company network?
Through a secured network link between your CompanyGPT environment and the server in the design network. Access is limited to the required systems and set up together with your IT team.
Can the AI modify models?
Write tools are technically possible but are only enabled if you explicitly want them. By default we configure the integration read-only – research and summarization rather than intervention in design revisions.
SOLIDWORKS and Your AI – GDPR-Compliant with CompanyGPT
CompanyGPT is the enterprise AI assistant in your own cloud tenant: all relevant AI models, your company data and integrations like SOLIDWORKS – centrally managed, with roles and permissions. We set up the connection together with you.
SOLIDWORKS is a trademark of its respective owner (Dassault Systèmes). Its mention describes compatibility and does not imply any partnership or endorsement. Availability and scope of the connection depend on the respective vendor.