Convert SLDDRW to SLDDRT

What the SLDDRW format is

.slddrw is the native SOLIDWORKS drawing format used by SOLIDWORKS Desktop and 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS. It can contain one or more sheets, model and projected views, dimensions, annotations, balloons, tables, references to part or assembly files, and each sheet’s format settings. Engineering, manufacturing, inspection, and documentation teams use it for production drawings and drawing archives.

What the SLDDRT format is

.slddrt is a SOLIDWORKS sheet-format file, not a complete drawing template. It stores reusable sheet-level content such as the paper layout, border, title block, zones, revision areas, logos, company notes, and other entities created or edited in sheet-format mode.

It does not store model views, dimensions, balloons, view-dependent annotations, or the complete model-file references from the source drawing. Store the file in a folder listed under Tools → Options → System Options → File Locations → Sheet Formats to make it available in SOLIDWORKS’s sheet-format dialogs.

How to create the SLDDRT file

1. Open the source drawing, for example inspection_drawing.slddrw, in a compatible SOLIDWORKS version.
2. Select the sheet whose layout you want to reuse. Repeat the process for every sheet that has a different layout.
3. Right-click the sheet tab and choose Edit Sheet Format. In versions that expose the command on the menu bar, use Sheet → Edit Sheet Format.
4. In sheet-format mode, keep or create the reusable border, title block, zones, static notes, logos, and other layout entities. Drawing views and ordinary drawing annotations are not sheet-format content and are normally unavailable in this editing mode.
5. Choose File → Save Sheet Format, enter a filename such as company_a3_landscape.slddrt, and save it in the configured Sheet Formats folder or another controlled folder.
6. Exit sheet-format mode and test the file by creating a new drawing with File → New → Drawing, then selecting the saved format. To apply it to an existing sheet, open the sheet properties, choose Browse for the sheet format, and select the new .slddrt file.

Do not use ordinary File → Save As for this task. That operation saves the drawing in another drawing-compatible format; it does not extract the sheet format. SOLIDWORKS is the appropriate tool because the operation depends on native sheet-format data. No reputable online converter generally performs this extraction; online services typically convert SOLIDWORKS drawings to PDF, DXF, DWG, or image files and cannot preserve a native .slddrt.

Quality and compatibility limits

Only content saved as sheet-format data is included. Dimensions, model-linked notes, balloons, view annotations, and other drawing-specific objects remain in the .slddrw and are not transformed into reusable sheet-format objects.

Title-block links to custom properties can continue to work when the property-link syntax, referenced properties, and target SOLIDWORKS version support them. Verify linked fields with a test part or assembly rather than assuming that visible text has retained its connection.

Check the saved format on every required sheet size and orientation. Verify paper size, border and zone alignment, fonts, line styles, logos, title-block fields, revision areas, and notes after applying it. Save one .slddrt for each distinct sheet layout, retain the original .slddrw, and version the format files. Opening or saving a sheet format in a different major SOLIDWORKS release can alter unsupported entities or require manual correction; use a release compatible with the intended users.