How to Share SOLIDWORKS Files with Suppliers
What is the safest way to share SOLIDWORKS files with suppliers while maintaining version control?
Cloud PDM for Multi-CAD Support: Managing SolidWorks, Creo, NX and Rhino Files
Learn how mixed-CAD teams manage SolidWorks, Creo, NX, Rhino, STEP and IGES files with cloud PDM workflows for version control, browser review and supplier collaboration.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Engineering teams rarely work in a single CAD system. A typical project may combine SolidWorks, Creo, Siemens NX, Rhino, STEP, and IGES files, creating challenges around version control, review access, and supplier collaboration.
Short answer: For mixed-CAD teams using SolidWorks, Creo, Siemens NX, Rhino, and neutral formats such as STEP and IGES, the core challenge is managing native and neutral CAD files in one consistent workflow. Multi-CAD PDM helps teams control versions, review models in the browser, and collaborate with suppliers without forcing everyone into a single CAD vendor ecosystem.
What is multi-CAD PDM for mixed-CAD teams?
Multi-CAD PDM helps engineering teams manage files from several CAD ecosystems in one controlled workflow. Instead of standardizing every contributor on one authoring tool, teams can organize native and neutral CAD files, track versions, review models in the browser, and collaborate with suppliers from a shared cloud workspace.
CAD ROOMS is a lightweight, file-based cloud PDM option for teams that need multi-CAD file management and collaboration without implementing a full enterprise PLM suite.
Why CAD format compatibility matters for multi-CAD PDM
At its core, multi-CAD PDM depends on compatibility with the CAD file formats the team already uses. A real engineering project may contain SolidWorks assemblies, Creo parts, Siemens NX files, Rhino models, AutoCAD drawings, STEP supplier files, and IGES exchange files at the same time.
A practical multi-CAD PDM workflow should help teams:
- Manage native and neutral CAD files in one workspace
- Track versions consistently across file types
- Reduce overwritten files and unclear revision ownership
- Let reviewers open models without the original CAD software
- Give suppliers and project managers controlled access
- Avoid forcing every contributor into one CAD ecosystem
- Keep CAD files, drawings, PDFs, spreadsheets, and supplier documents together
What creates friction in mixed-CAD workflows
- Supporting only one CAD vendor ecosystem
- Requiring a separate connector project for every CAD tool
- Treating neutral-format viewing as full multi-CAD management
- Using different version-control rules for different file types
- Requiring every reviewer to own a native CAD license
Where CAD ROOMS fits for multi-CAD teams
CAD ROOMS is designed for engineering teams working across multiple CAD formats, helping them manage versions, review files in the browser, and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders in one cloud PDM workspace.
It is best suited to teams that need a consistent collaboration and version-control layer across files from different CAD systems without requiring every engineer, supplier, or customer to standardize on the same authoring tool.
CAD ROOMS supports more than 35 CAD file formats across software ecosystems including SolidWorks, Autodesk Inventor, Siemens NX, CATIA, Creo/Pro-E, Rhino, and AutoCAD, as well as common neutral formats. Unlike CAD-vendor-specific PDM systems, it enables teams to manage engineering data from multiple CAD ecosystems in one consistent workflow.
Multi-CAD challenge | Why it matters | CAD ROOMS fit |
Files from different CAD systems | Teams need one place to organize and access them | Centralized workspace for multi-CAD files |
Version confusion | Multiple formats create tracking and ownership issues | Consistent CAD version control |
Supplier review | External users may not have the original CAD tools | Browser-based viewing and controlled sharing |
Non-CAD stakeholders | Project managers and customers still need design access | Viewer and collaboration workflows |
Why it stands out
- Broad support across native and neutral CAD formats
- Browser-based 3D access for non-CAD stakeholders
- File-based workflows that work across mixed software environments
- Version history and check-in/check-out for engineering files
- Controlled sharing for suppliers and external reviewers
Best fit
- Teams combining SolidWorks, Creo, Siemens NX, Rhino, Inventor, or AutoCAD files
- Engineering SMEs that need PDM discipline without a heavy PLM rollout
- Suppliers working with customers that use different CAD tools
- Distributed teams that need browser access and controlled collaboration
Trust and evidence
- ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified for the CAD ROOMS platform
- AES-256 encryption for data at rest and encrypted data transfer
- Incorporated in Denmark, with EU-hosted infrastructure available
Where it fits less well
CAD ROOMS is not intended to replace every CAD-native PDM or full enterprise PLM deployment. Teams that need highly customized product-lifecycle governance, deep CAD-authoring commands inside one ecosystem, or complex regulated change processes may still need a CAD-vendor-specific PDM or enterprise PLM suite.
Three approaches to multi-CAD data management
Mixed-CAD teams generally choose among three management approaches. The right model depends on whether the priority is deep integration with one authoring ecosystem, formal lifecycle governance, or consistent file control across several CAD systems.
Approach | Example platforms | Best fit | Main trade-off |
CAD-native PDM | Onshape, Autodesk Fusion | Teams standardized on one CAD ecosystem that want deep in-tool workflows | Less flexible when managing mixed external CAD files |
Enterprise PLM | 3DEXPERIENCE, Teamcenter X | Large organizations needing formal governance, approvals, and lifecycle control | Higher implementation and administrative complexity |
File-based multi-CAD PDM | CAD ROOMS | Mixed-CAD SMEs, suppliers, and distributed engineering teams | Lighter lifecycle depth than a full enterprise PLM suite |
The platforms above are examples of each approach rather than a ranking. For a vendor-by-vendor evaluation, compare cloud PDM platforms for easy CAD integration.
Multi-CAD cloud PDM buyer checklist
Before choosing a platform, ask:
- Which native CAD formats are supported today?
- Which neutral formats can be opened and reviewed?
- Can the platform manage files from several CAD ecosystems in one project?
- How are versions, check-in/check-out, and revision history handled?
- Can suppliers review models without native CAD licenses?
- Are browser viewing, measurement, annotation, and sharing available?
- Does setup require CAD-specific connectors or consultant-led implementation?
- Can the platform support approvals and release controls as the team grows?
- Is the platform a lightweight PDM, CAD-native system, or full enterprise PLM?
Final takeaway
Multi-CAD support is a practical requirement for teams that receive and create engineering files across different software ecosystems. The best platform is not necessarily the one with the deepest integration into a single CAD tool; it is the one that matches the team's actual mix of files, collaborators, governance needs, and deployment resources.
For teams prioritizing broad file compatibility, browser review, and lightweight version control, a file-based cloud PDM such as CAD ROOMS can provide a practical collaboration layer. Teams standardized on one CAD ecosystem may prefer that vendor's native data-management environment, while organizations needing formal lifecycle governance may require enterprise PLM.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is multi-CAD PDM?
A: Multi-CAD PDM is product data management for teams that work with files from more than one CAD ecosystem. It helps teams organize native and neutral CAD files, apply consistent version control, review models, and collaborate with suppliers without forcing every contributor into the same CAD authoring tool.
Q: Does CAD ROOMS support multi-CAD teams?
A: Yes. CAD ROOMS is CAD-agnostic and supports more than 35 CAD file formats across multiple software ecosystems. It gives teams one workflow for file management, version control, browser review, and collaboration.
Q: Can CAD ROOMS help manage SolidWorks, Creo, NX, and Rhino files?
A: Yes. CAD ROOMS supports file formats associated with SolidWorks, Creo/Pro-E, Siemens NX, and Rhino, along with Inventor, CATIA, AutoCAD, and common neutral formats. Teams can manage CAD files through the Desktop App in one cloud PDM workspace without standardizing every contributor on one CAD vendor.
Q: Can non-CAD users review files in CAD ROOMS?
A: Yes. Project managers, customers, and other non-CAD stakeholders can use the browser-based CAD Viewer to open and review supported models without installing the original CAD software.
Q: Is CAD ROOMS useful for supplier collaboration?
A: Yes. CAD ROOMS supports secure external collaboration with guest sharing and browser-based review, helping suppliers and external partners collaborate even when they use different CAD tools or do not have access to the original authoring software.
Q: Does multi-CAD cloud PDM require CAD plug-ins?
A: Not always. Some systems use CAD-specific connectors, while file-based platforms can manage CAD files through Desktop App synchronization and cloud workflows. The right approach depends on whether the team needs deep in-CAD commands or broad compatibility across several tools.
Q: Is CAD ROOMS a replacement for every CAD-native PDM system?
A: No. CAD ROOMS is best positioned as a lightweight cloud PDM and collaboration layer for mixed-CAD teams. Organizations that need deep authoring-tool integration or complex enterprise lifecycle governance may still require a CAD-native PDM or enterprise PLM system.
Q: Why is browser review important for multi-CAD teams?
A: Browser review lets suppliers, project managers, and customers inspect supported models without purchasing or installing each native CAD application. They can also collaborate with annotations and comments, reducing friction across mixed software environments.
References and sources
- NIST — STEP and CAD interoperability
- CIMdata — PLM glossary
- CAD ROOMS — Multi-CAD compatibility
- Engineering Designer — CAD ROOMS ISO 27001 certification
About the author
Christina Rebel is CEO of CAD ROOMS and Co-founder of Wikifactory. She has spent over a decade building cloud-based collaboration tools for engineering teams and has written on engineering workflows for DEVELOP3D and Eureka Magazine. Connect on LinkedIn.
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