SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional task add-in

Automated publishing from your PDM vault

PDMPublisher turns SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional into a controlled publishing system for drawings, models, references, and release packages. Configure the task once, then let users, workflows, or scheduled jobs create consistent downstream deliverables from the vault.

It is built for teams that need repeatable exports without asking engineers to open files one by one. PDMPublisher can create PDFs, DXFs, STEP files, 3D PDFs, eDrawings files, images, and CAD interchange formats while applying the task rules your PDM administrator defines.

Read the help docs

PDMPublisher task setup options in SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional — PDMPublisher task settings are configured by administrators inside SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.

Best fit

Use PDMPublisher when publishing should run from SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional: selected vault files, workflow actions, scheduled items, or PDM task execution.

Different from the SOLIDWORKS add-in

This version stores its settings in a PDM task definition. If users need to publish the document currently open in SOLIDWORKS with reusable profiles, use PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS instead.

Feature highlights

Multi-format publishing

Create production-ready outputs including PDF, DXF, STEP, 3D PDF, eDrawings, image formats, and supported CAD interchange formats from one configured task.

Vault-aware automation

Use PDM variables, file cards, workflow context, PDM search, vault paths, permissions, and task logs as part of the publishing process.

Polished PDF packages

Merge PDFs, add a table of contents, include bookmarks, control drawing sheets, and apply annotations, watermarks, QR codes, and BOM quantities.

PDMPublisher annotations setup page

Annotate published outputs

Add data-card values, custom properties, QR codes, watermarks, and formatted text to exported drawings and PDFs.

PDMPublisher scheduled task setup page

Run on your schedule

Use scheduled task items and repeatable task definitions for batch publishing, release archives, and routine vault output jobs.

Capabilities included

PDM task setup

Create and configure a PDMPublisher task inside SOLIDWORKS PDM Administration for repeatable vault publishing.

Selected or scheduled files

Run from selected vault files, scheduled task items, or launch-time file selection when users need to choose files at runtime.

Many export formats

Create PDF, 3D PDF, DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, STL, Parasolid, ACIS, eDrawings, images, and other supported outputs.

Vault and network destinations

Publish to vault folders, relative paths, UNC locations, external folders, or extension-specific export destinations.

Controlled filename rules

Build output names from PDM variables, revisions, configurations, drawing sheets, dates, source names, and other placeholders.

Reference processing

Process assemblies and referenced components individually so release packages can include every required downstream file.

PDM drawing search

Use vault search and where-used context to locate related drawings when models need associated drawing outputs.

Drawing-derived BOMs

Use a named BOM saved on an assembly drawing to calculate references, configurations, and quantities for publishing.

Drawing sheet control

Export all sheets or only matching sheets, then use sheet-name patterns to keep drawing deliverables clean.

Configuration export

Publish multiple part and assembly configurations, include configuration names, and filter which configurations are released.

Flat-pattern DXF

Export sheet-metal flat patterns with manufacturing-friendly DXF settings, bend lines, sketches, and bounding boxes.

Split-body output

Support workflows that need separate deliverables for bodies, configurations, or derived model outputs.

Annotations and watermarks

Add fixed text, PDM variables, SOLIDWORKS properties, watermarks, QR codes, and formatted notes to published PDFs.

Conditional publishing

Use condition groups to decide which vault files and references are processed before the task creates outputs.

PDF packages

Merge exported PDFs, add a table of contents, include bookmarks, and produce review-ready drawing packages.

ZIP archives

Package exported documents into a single ZIP for suppliers, manufacturing, customers, migration jobs, or release bundles.

Vault activity logs

Create detailed task logs in the vault so administrators can review successful exports, warnings, failures, and paths.

Server-synced logs

Send activity logs to the server when support visibility and centralized troubleshooting records are needed.

Task visibility control

Hide task commands from File Explorer when publishing should be launched only by administrators, workflows, or schedules.

SOLIDWORKS version control

Choose which installed SOLIDWORKS version the PDM task host should use when publishing CAD files.

Task details review

Review successful converted files and task details so vault users can understand what the task generated.

Use it for

Publish drawings, parts, assemblies, references, and supported Office documents from the vault.
Create PDFs, DXFs, STEP files, 3D PDFs, eDrawings files, image formats, and CAD interchange outputs.
Write exports to vault folders, network locations, relative folders, or extension-specific destinations.
Merge exported PDFs, add a table of contents, include bookmarks, and control drawing sheet output.
Add annotations, watermarks, QR codes, custom properties, data-card values, and BOM quantities to published PDFs.
Use conditions, variables, PDM search, file naming rules, logging, and scheduled task items to standardize release workflows.

Why teams use it

Manual publishing is easy to start but difficult to keep consistent across a busy engineering group. File names drift, folders get missed, drawings are exported with different settings, and released deliverables may not match the source revision. PDMPublisher gives administrators a repeatable publishing layer that follows the way the vault is already organized.

That makes it useful for manufacturing handoffs, supplier packages, released drawing archives, migration cleanup, customer documentation, and other high-volume publishing workflows where consistency matters more than one-off flexibility.

Need interactive publishing from inside SOLIDWORKS instead? See PDMPublisher for SOLIDWORKS.