Convert SLDASM to PDF

Teams convert SLDASM assemblies to PDF when a supplier, customer, printer, or records system needs a viewable document without SOLIDWORKS. PDF is suitable for fixed drawings and snapshots, while the original assembly remains necessary for editing and design changes.

What the SLDASM format is

.sldasm is SOLIDWORKS' native assembly format. It stores component placement, mates, configurations, display states, assembly features, and links to files such as .sldprt parts and nested .sldasm assemblies. The assembly file normally references component geometry instead of containing every component's geometry internally.

Mechanical designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and product-data-management systems use SLDASM files. A complete assembly requires all referenced parts and subassemblies, plus any required configurations, decals, appearances, and external references. Use File → Pack and Go in SOLIDWORKS to collect the assembly and its dependencies before transferring or converting it.

What the PDF format is

PDF preserves fixed pages containing text, linework, images, dimensions, annotations, and print settings across operating systems. It is practical for approval packages, assembly instructions, quotations, inspection records, email attachments, and document archives.

A standard PDF contains 2D pages or a static rendered view. It does not preserve mates, feature history, suppression logic, editable model dimensions, or the SOLIDWORKS feature tree. A 3D PDF can embed an interactive model, but many browser viewers and some PDF applications do not display embedded 3D content; test the file in a compatible desktop viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, before distribution.

Convert with SOLIDWORKS

Create a standard drawing PDF

1. Open the complete assembly and select the required configuration, display state, orientation, section view, exploded position, and component visibility.
2. Choose File → New → Drawing, select a sheet size, and insert one or more assembly views.
3. Add dimensions, notes, section views, balloons, and a bill of materials if the PDF is for manufacturing, service, inspection, or purchasing.
4. Choose File → Save As, select PDF (*.pdf), and save the drawing. Multi-sheet drawings can be exported as one multi-page PDF.

A drawing is usually the correct output because it defines sheet size, view scale, line weights, annotations, and BOM content. For a quick visual record, use File → Print and select a PDF printer such as Microsoft Print to PDF or macOS Save as PDF after setting the model view. This produces a static page, not an editable or interactive assembly.

Publish an interactive 3D PDF

1. Open the assembly with its required model-based definition data, PMI, annotations, and captured views.
2. Use MBD → Publish to 3D PDF, choose a suitable 3D PDF template, and include the required views, annotations, and component information.
3. Publish the file and verify its rotation, visibility controls, annotations, and appearance in a PDF application that supports embedded 3D.

This workflow requires the SOLIDWORKS MBD capability and an appropriate template. It is different from printing a model view or exporting a conventional flat PDF.

Use eDrawings when SOLIDWORKS is unavailable

eDrawings can open many SOLIDWORKS assemblies when all referenced components are available. Open the assembly, choose the desired orientation or section, and use File → Print with a PDF printer. The result is a static PDF and generally has fewer controls for drawing sheets, annotations, and BOMs than a SOLIDWORKS drawing. Availability of particular viewing, measurement, and printing features depends on the eDrawings edition and version.

Online conversion options

Online conversion is practical only when the service explicitly supports SLDASM input and can process the complete dependency set. CAD Exchanger Cloud is one service to check for SLDASM import and PDF export; its current format support, output type, file-size limits, and assembly-dependency requirements should be confirmed before upload. A generic image or document converter may reject SLDASM or create only a screenshot rather than a documented assembly PDF.

Do not upload proprietary CAD data unless the provider states how referenced files are handled, how long uploads and results are retained, and how deletion works. For confidential or complex assemblies, local SOLIDWORKS, eDrawings, or a licensed conversion application is safer and more predictable.

Quality and compatibility checks

• Resolve missing part and subassembly references before exporting. Missing files can create empty components, incomplete views, wrong appearances, or conversion failures.
• Confirm the selected configuration, display state, exploded position, section cuts, hidden-line mode, and component visibility; the PDF records only the state that was exported or printed.
• Inspect sheet size, scale, line weights, hatching, font substitution, clipped notes, BOM wrapping, and page orientation before delivery.
• Large assemblies can produce slow exports and oversized PDFs. Use a simplified configuration or suppress components that the document does not require.
• Keep the original SLDASM package and its referenced files. A standard PDF is a distribution or record copy, not a replacement for the editable assembly.
• For archival records, retain the assembly revision, SOLIDWORKS version, configuration name, and export date with the PDF; embed fonts where the selected workflow permits it.