Collaboration between electrical and mechanical design teams has always been a challenge. Engineers need a seamless way to exchange models, track changes, and provide feedback without creating bottlenecks. With the latest updates in SOLIDWORKS, ECAD-MCAD collaboration is becoming faster, smarter, and more reliable.
One of the biggest highlights is the expanded availability of CircuitWorks, now included in SOLIDWORKS Standard, Professional, and Premium. This means more design teams can take advantage of two-way collaboration between electrical and mechanical environments without needing additional tools.
In this article, we’ll walk through the new enhancements that make ECAD-MCAD collaboration more efficient than ever.
CircuitWorks Integration for Seamless Collaboration
CircuitWorks brings PCB (Printed Circuit Board) design data into the SOLIDWORKS environment, bridging the gap between ECAD and MCAD teams. Designers can import PCB layouts directly into SOLIDWORKS, create parametric assemblies, and send updated data back to their ECAD tool of choice.
This tighter integration helps both sides:
ECAD designers can validate board outlines and component placement.
MCAD engineers can check enclosures, cooling requirements, and assembly fit.
The result is fewer design conflicts, less rework, and faster product development.
Key New Features in ECAD-MCAD Collaboration
Parent-Child Relationship Support in IDX 3.0
Managing relationships between PCB elements has always been tricky. With support for parent-child associations, changes are now easier to sync.
Accept or reject changes to parent components and automatically update related child items such as keep-outs, plated holes, or non-plated holes.
Save time by syncing both levels in one action instead of handling each separately.
Ensure consistency between ECAD and MCAD data during collaboration.
To use this feature, do the following:
- Click Tools > CircuitWorks > CircuitWorks Options.
- Select ProStep EDMD and select Use parent-child association in IDX communication.
Source: SOLIDWORKS Blog
Undo & Revert MCAD Changes in IDX 3.0
Mistakes happen. That’s why the new revert functionality is a big win for teams.
You can now undo the most recent MCAD changes in CircuitWorks.
Revert to a previous synchronized version, as long as ECAD has not already acted on the changes.
This helps teams recover quickly from unnecessary or incorrect modifications.
To revert MCAD changes:
- In CircuitWorks, select the EDMD collaboration section.
- Click Revert MCAD Changes.
Source: SOLIDWORKS Blog
Automatic Collaboration Recovery
Unexpected interruptions like power outages or system crashes no longer mean lost progress.
CircuitWorks now includes an automatic recovery feature.
Reopen the IDX collaboration file from a backup and continue working where you left off.
This ensures minimal disruption to ECAD-MCAD workflows, even in critical design stages.
Source: SOLIDWORKS Blog
Why These Updates Matter?
In fast-moving industries such as electronics, automotive, and consumer products, delays due to poor collaboration can be costly. These new ECAD-MCAD features:
Reduce rework and manual updates.
Improve communication between design teams.
Shorten time-to-market by ensuring design intent is preserved across disciplines.
By strengthening collaboration, SOLIDWORKS empowers engineers to focus on innovation and quality, rather than chasing down errors or mismatched data.
Final Thoughts
The latest ECAD-MCAD collaboration enhancements in SOLIDWORKS, especially with CircuitWorks, give engineers the tools they need to design smarter and faster. With features like parent-child relationship support, undo capability, and automatic recovery, collaboration is now more reliable and less error-prone. Whether you’re working on electronics, enclosures, or integrated systems, these updates ensure that mechanical and electrical teams stay aligned every step of the way.
Ready to explore how SOLIDWORKS can improve ECAD-MCAD collaboration for your team? Contact us today for a demo or consultation.
