Installation
- SOLIDWORKS and SW PDM System Requirements
- Preparing for Installation
- How to Download SOLIDWORKS
- SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager (.EXE)
- How to Request a Manual Download for SOLIDWORKS
- How To Order A SOLIDWORKS Media Kit
- Installing – A Complete Overview to Managing a CAD Environment
- SOLIDWORKS Individual Installation
- How to Modify Your SOLIDWORKS Installation
- How to Repair Your SOLIDWORKS Installation
- SOLIDWORKS Activation Wizard: How to Transfer SOLIDWORKS License
- Performing a Clean Uninstall
- How to Quickly Update SOLIDWORKS to a Newer Service Pack
- Install the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-in for SOLIDWORKS
- SOLIDWORKS Network Licensing
- How to Upgrade SolidNetWork License Manager
- Moving from SOLIDWORKS Standalone to Network Licenses
- Adding License to an Existing SolidNetwork License Manager
- Use Options File to Reserve Licenses for Specific Users
- SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Order Guide
- How to Reactivate SOLIDWORKS Network Licenses
- How to Move the SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager to a New Server
- SOLIDWORKS SolidNetwork License Manager Overview
- How to Install the SolidNetwork License Manager
SOLIDWORKS Portal
SOLIDWORKS
- SOLIDWORKS Hardware Guide – 2021 Update
- SOLIDWORKS Keyboard Shortcuts
- SOLIDWORKS Copy Settings Wizard
- Accessing Xpress Tools
- How To Tell Who Has a SOLIDWORKS File Open
- How to Use SOLIDWORKS Pack and Go
- SOLIDWORKS Administration Overview
- Rebuild Types and How They Work
- How to Store SOLIDWORKS Templates on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
- How to Adjust Annotation Formatting and Spacing
- Understanding SOLIDWORKS Settings and Templates
- How to create SOLIDWORKS Part, Assembly, and Drawing Templates
PDM
- PDM How to Work in Off-line Mode
- Enhancement Requests for PDM Users
- How to Use PDM Move Tree
- How to Use PDM Copy Tree
- PDM - What are Private State Files?
- PDM Search Operators
- How to Set PDM to Details View in Windows File Explorer
- SOLIDWORKS PDM Search Results – Which Configuration’s Variables are Displayed?
- PDM Automatic Login Options
- PDM Administrators: Roles and Responsibilities
- PDM License Type Matrix
- PDM Server Recommendations
- PDM Backup Procedures
- How to Reset Your SOLIDWORKS PDM Admin Password
- How to Control Get Version Commands
- Adding a PDM Vault View with a Windows Azure Active Directory Account
- PDM Major Minor Revisions
- How to Set Revision Manually in PDM
- How to Set Up Revision Tables
- PDM - What are Version Free Variables?
- PDM How to Rollback a File to a Previous Version
- PDM Setting Cache Options Automatically
- How to Change PDM Date Formatting
- How to Delete a PDM User Completely
- How to Reset Web2 Authentication in IIS
- SOLIDWORKS PDM Connectivity Test Tool
- How to Configure the SOLIDWORKS PDM Local HOSTS file to Resolve Server Name
- Show all articles ( 3 ) Collapse Articles
- Create Local Vault View
- How to Delete or Recreate a Local Vault View
- Create Local PDM Vault View Using .cvs File
- How to Change PDM Client License Type after Installation
- PDM File Version Upgrade Tool
- PDM Upgrade Checklist
- How to Upgrade SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-ins
- How to Upgrade SOLIDWORKS Toolbox in PDM
- SOLIDWORKS PDM: Moving Server Components - Checklist
- How to Install SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard
- SOLIDWORKS PDM / Manage Installation Guide (PDF)
- Install Microsoft SQL 2019 for PDM Professional
- How to Install PDM Client Software
Known Solutions
- Windows Firewall Exceptions for SOLIDWORKS Network Based Products
- Why Users Need Local Admin Rights to Install SOLIDWORKS
- How to Run SOLIDWORKS with Administrator Permissions
- Blank SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager - Resolution
- SOLIDWORKS RX - The Ultimate CAD Diagnostic Tool
- SOLIDWORKS Safe Modes
- How to Force SOLIDWORKS to Use Your Graphics Card
- How to Ensure that You are Running a SOLIDWORKS Certified Graphics Card Driver
- Troubleshooting SOLIDWORKS Installation Issues
- Resolution to Common File Location Errors
- Non-Matching Internal ID
- Could not obtain a license for SOLIDWORKS CAM. Invalid (inconsistent) license key
- “The Source Folder Is Not Versioned Properly…” Error when Modifying Serial Number
- “A Newer Version of This Product is Already Installed” Error when Installing SOLIDWORKS
- "Error obtaining License (-85, 147, 0)"
- SOLIDWORKS Search Routine Order
- How to Restore Dismissed SOLIDWORKS Messages
- Viewing SOLIDWORKS Configurations in eDrawings
- How to Modify the Reference/Update Dialog Dismissal Time
- Show all articles ( 4 ) Collapse Articles
Simulation
- Simulation Meshing Guide
- How to Duplicate and Reuse Simulation Study Data
- Setting Up Default Options for SOLIDWORKS Simulation Studies
- Which Type of Elements Should I Use?
- Is SOLIDWORKS Simulation Accurate?
- Getting Started with Simulation
- The Basics of Setting Up a Study in Simulation
- Do I Need Non-linear Simulation?
PDM Search Operators and Wildcards
Which search operators and wildcards can be used in SOLIDWORKS PDM and how do search operators and wildcards work in SOLIDWORKS PDM are common questions. Search operator functionality can save you a lot of time finding files in SOLIDWORKS PDM, especially if you don’t know EXACTLY what you’re looking for in the vault.
Note, SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020 introduced additional support for search operators. When upgrading from later versions to SOLIDWORKSPDM 2020 or later, the previously saved searches are upgraded to follow to new search rules while maintaining the previous behavior.

File name Search
By default, PDM search will always search file names by wildcard in the Name field.
- - Searching ‘backup’ returns all files having ‘backup’ in the name, for example ‘BS108 Backup Ring.sldprt’
- - Searching for ‘115’ returns all files having ‘115’ in the name, for example BS115.sldprt

When you use a space character in the Name search field, the behavior will differ for SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020 and later versions compared to SOLIDWORKS PDM 2019 and older versions as explained below.
PDM 2020 and later, a space character between words in the Name field will search for all files having those words, in any order, within the same file name. For example, ‘backup 115’ or ‘115 backup’ will return only those files with both values in the name.

To perform an exact file name match, enclose the file name within double quotes. For example, “stu115 backup ring.sldprt” would only return the file matching the complete name.

To speed up the search performance, you can use wildcard character * (asterisk). When you include * character as a wildcard, the search will return all files with the search criteria rather than searching the entire file name of every file in the vault.
For example, searching for ‘stu*’ will return only files starting with stu.

PDM 2019 and older, a space character or a comma character in the Name field will act as an ‘OR’ operator and return any file with either of the words in the file name.
For example, if you enter ‘txt pdf’ in the Name field, the search query will return any file names matching txt OR pdf. Note, this only applies to file names. A space in a folder name will be treated as an ‘AND’ operator.
Search Operators AND, OR, and NOT (PDM 2020 and later)
In SOLIDWORKS PDM 2020, support for search operators AND, OR, and NOT were introduced. You can use these search operators in any search card, Web2 search, the SOLIDWORKS PDM Search tool, and Quick Search.
Search Operator Rules:
- Operators are case sensitive and must be capitalized (AND, OR, and NOT)
- You can use AND, OR, and NOT search operators or their equivalent symbols: &, |, !
- In case of multiple operators used in a search, SOLIDWORKS PDM evaluates the search operators in this order: NOT, AND, and OR
- You can use the AND and OR operators with the : (colon character). For example, you can use ‘part1 AND part2’, or you can enter ‘AND: part1 part2’
- Escape symbol rules to search for special characters, use \ as a workaround.
- Example 1: to search for text which contains double quotation marks, such as “speaker“, enter the string as \”speaker\”
- Example 2: to search for 3″ pipe, enter “3\” pipe”
The examples below will use the OR search operator to demonstrate some of the basic functionality of the AND, OR, and NOT operators
If you want to perform an OR type search to find files matching either word, you can separate the words with a capital ‘OR’. For example backup OR 115

Alternatively, if you have a list of space-separated words or files names to search for, you can instead use the ‘OR:’ prefix. Any words that are separated with space after the ‘OR:’ will be treated as ‘OR’ statements as shown below using OR: backup 115

If you want a space character to be of the same string and not be treated as an ‘OR’ separator, enclose the string with double quote characters, i.e., to search for any files matching ‘socket’ or ‘head screw’, use:
socket OR “head screw”
or
OR: socket “head screw”
