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How to Set Up a Shared Toolbox in SOLIDWORKS

Learn how to configure a shared SOLIDWORKS Toolbox so multiple users access the same hardware library, ensuring consistency, standardization, and easier maintenance.

By default, SOLIDWORKS Toolbox is installed locally on each workstation. This can lead to inconsistencies when different users configure or modify their Toolbox libraries separately. To avoid mismatched hardware or missing customizations, it is best practice to configure a shared Toolbox stored in a centralized network location.

This article explains how to set up and manage a shared Toolbox for your team.

TIP: Before sharing, you can configure component availability or customize properties so that you restrict what components your team can use and have properties pre-defined to streamline BOM creation.

Copy or Move the Toolbox Folder

  1. Locate the default Toolbox folder.

    1. Default location for SOLIDWORKS Standalone/Network licenses: 
      1. C:\SOLIDWORKS Data\
    2. Default Location for SOLIDWORKS Connected (3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS:
      1. C:\Users\Public\Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS Data\

  2. Copy the entire SOLIDWORKS Data folder to a shared location on your network drive.

    • This preserves all existing standards, customizations, and property settings.

 

NOTE: If you do not have a Network Drive, you can share a copy of the SOLIDWORKS Data folder with each team member to store on their local drive, individually. This process will need to be repeated if there are any changes to the Toolbox library in the future.

TIP: Keep a backup of the original SOLIDWORKS Data folder in case any restoration is needed.

Redirect the Toolbox Location in SOLIDWORKS System Options

  1. Open SOLIDWORKS.

  2. Go to Tools > Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox.

  3. In the Hole Wizard and Toolbox folder field, browse to the shared network location you copied/moved the SOLIDWORKS Data folder to.

  4. Click OK to apply changes.

  5. Repeat this process for all workstations that will access the shared Toolbox.

 

Sharing a SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Library on 3DEXPERIENCE

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides the ability to share toolbox libraries across your team with cloud storage, whether you have a Network Drive or not.

  1. In SOLIDWORKS, go to Tools > Options > Hole Wizard/Toolbox and select Configure.
  2. Access the 3DEXPERIENCE configuration section and browse to a path you would like to export a Toolbox package and select Save.

  3. Have a 3DEXPERIENCE platform administrator log in to the platform and navigate to the Collaborative Spaces Configuration Center > CAD Collaboration > SOLIDWORKS > Settings.
  4. Under Resources, select the browse button for Toolbox, select the Toolbox export completed in the previous steps and select Open.
  5. Select Apply.

 

Once this upload has been completed, when any other user connects to that platform, it will automatically download a copy of that Toolbox to their local machine. You can repeat these steps if there are any changes in the future.