Here is a short summary on some techniques you can use to help you work remotely or from home using SOLIDWORKS. Please be aware that every user licence is different and you may need to work with your IT department or administrators to enable changes and remote network access.
Standalone Licensing
Let’s start with a scenario that applies to the majority of SOLIDWORKS users. If you are using a standalone SOLIDWORKS product with “Product Activation” then you should be able to “Transfer” the licence by “Deactivating” on your office workstation and “Activating” on another supported PC.
This is a simple process but you will need to prepare before proceeding. Here is a link to the simple install guide for Standalone SOLIDWORKS products. It outlines the steps to find your serial numbers, check your PC meets the requirements and how to download the installation media.
Once you have prepared your secondary PC you can then transfer the licence from your main workstation. This requires physical access to the PC in question, so if you are already at home, you might need to ask a colleague or IT admin to do this on your behalf.
- Boot SOLIDWORKS
- Go to Help > Licences > Deactivate
- Choose the products that you need to transfer (the list is dependent on purchased licences) and press the “Next” button and follow the prompts.
- The licence(s) will be sent from the local PC and be available to activate on another PC
- On the secondary PC, when SOLIDWORKS is installed and then loaded for the first time it will ask you to activate the licence. Follow the dialog box prompts to complete the process
For further information, or a more concise description of the transfer process, please refer to the full SOLIDWORKS Installation and Administration manual found here. Page 107-108 details the standalone process mentioned above.
Online Licensing
Another scenario for Standalone SOLIDWORKS products is to switch to an online licensing mechanism.
SOLIDWORKS online licensing gives you the flexibility to use one licence across all your devices, in any location, without having to manually activate and deactivate the licences on each machine.
For example, you can work on a machine in the office during the day, then go home and log into the same licence from your home computer. You do not need a second licence to do this and you do not need to manually deactivate a licence on the office machine and then activate it on your home computer (as detailed above).
You must have internet access to sign in and use online licences. After you sign in, you can select “Offline Mode” and work while the machine is not connected to a network.
We have previously created a blog post about this which can be found here as well as info in the Installation guide on page 104 here.
Before switching to online licensing please make sure you are eligible and contact your CAD administrator if required.
Network Licensing
The last scenario that might happen to you is if you run your SOLIDWORKS products in the SolidNetWork Licence Manager (SNL) environment. The SNL software hosts a “pool” of licences on your company network and allows client PCs to connect to and use licences locally, if available.
The SNL environment also allows client PCs to effectively “Borrow” a licence of SOLIDWORKS, and other purchased products if available, for up to 30 days to be used when disconnected from the company network.
This may be a useful method of taking a licence “offsite” if you need to work remotely or from home.
It’s worth bearing in mind that for a PC to borrow a licence it must be connected to the same network as the SNL server. Once borrowed, it can be moved offsite temporarily or disconnected from the network for the borrowed period.
The steps to borrow a licence is outlined in the help guide here and on page 122 of the Installation guide here.
Working from home with your SOLIDWORKS PDM Licence
If you are a SOLIDWORKS PDM user planning to take your PC or laptop home to work remotely, there are a few things you will want to consider. Please click here to find out more.
Conclusion
So, hopefully one of the above three methods will help you to continue using your SOLIDWORKS products from home or remote locations.
One thing to also consider is how you might access your files and data. This is hard to give concise advice as every user and company operates on different networks infrastructures and data management policies.
If you still need remote access to your company networks and data, a common method is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to allow your PC to “see” your office network as if you are still sat at your desk.
Since VPN software and IT infrastructures are often controlled by IT departments and company policy, please seek advice from your system administrators.
As always, if you have any questions relating to the points above or would like further advice and information on SOLIDWORKS Product Licensing, please get in touch with our Technical Support team or call us on 01926 333 777.