Cover Page

Installation Guide

SOLIDWORKS CAM
201 8
Copyright
© 1995-2017, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systèmes SE company, 175
Wyman Street, Waltham, Mass. 02451 USA. All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimers
The information and the software application discussed in this document are subject to change without
prior notice and are not commitments by Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation (DS SolidWorks).
No material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or manually, for
any purpose without the express written permission of DS SolidWorks.
The software discussed in this document is furnished under a license and may be used or copied only in
accordance with the terms of the license. All warranties given by DS SolidWorks as to the software and
documentation are set forth in the license agreement, and nothing stated in, or implied by, this document
or its contents shall be considered or deemed a modification or amendment of any terms, including
warranties, in the license agreement.

Trademarks
 SOLIDWORKS, 3D ContentCentral, 3D PartStream.NET, eDrawings, and the eDrawings logo are
registered trademarks and FeatureManager is a jointly owned registered trademark of DS SolidWorks.
 CircuitWorks, FloXpress, PhotoView 360, and TolAnalyst are trademarks of DS SolidWorks.
 FeatureWorks is a registered trademark of Geometric Americas, Inc.
 Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, the Adobe PDF logo, Distiller and Reader are registered trademarks
or trademarks of Adobe Systems Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
 Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Product Name: SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018

SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation Guide

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. SOLIDWORKS CAM: Introduction........................................................ 4
What is SOLIDWORKS CAM? ...........................................................................4
Technology Database (TechDB) of SOLIDWORKS CAM .................................4
Activating the License for SOLIDWORKS CAM .................................................4
2. System Requirements........................................................................... 5
Supported Microsoft Windows® Operating Systems .............................................. 5
Supported CAD applications ................................................................................... 5
Hardware Requirements ......................................................................................... 5
Software Pre-requisites ......................................................................................5
Microsoft Access® ................................................................................................... 5
Installing MS Access 2010 SP2 Runtime ...................................................................... 6
Adobe Reader ........................................................................................................ 6

3. SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation Info ................................................... 7

SOLIDWORKS CAM Setup Program .................................................................7
4. Installing SOLIDWORKS CAM .............................................................. 8
Running the SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation Wizard .......................................8
5. Important Settings after SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation ................ 15
Launching SOLIDWORKS CAM within SOLIDWORKS .................................. 15
TechDB Settings (For First-time users) ........................................................... 16
Customization after SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation ..................................... 17
Customized Post Processors ................................................................................ 17
Customizing Technology Database (TechDB) ...................................................... 17
Getting Help/Troubleshooting: SOLIDWORKS CAM Support .............................. 17

LEGAL NOTICES ........................................................................................ 18

Table of Contents 3
 SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation Guide

1. SOLIDWORKS CAM: INTRODUCTION

What is SOLIDWORKS CAM?
SOLIDWORKS CAM is a CAM application that supports for Mill, Turn and Mill
Assembly machining modes. It works as an Add-in in the CAD application of
SOLIDWORKS and works seamlessly within this environment.

This Installation Guide Manual gives detailed information on the various aspects
involved in installing the “SOLIDWORKS CAM” application.

Technology Database (TechDB) of SOLIDWORKS CAM

The TechDBTM, a Microsoft Access database, is the intelligence behind the
machining automation in SOLIDWORKS CAM. Settings for TechDB are given in
the SOLIDWORKS_CAM_TechDB_Settings_Guide.pdf document. This document is
present in the SOLIDWORKS_CAM-2018X64-Beta1 installer package folder after
unzipping.
After installing SOLIDWORKS CAM, you can also access this document from the
Windows Start menu by selecting:
 All Programs>> SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018>>Manuals>>TechDB Settings Guide
[On Windows 7 SP1 Machines]
 All Programs>> SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018>>TechDB Settings Guide
[On Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Machines]

Activating the License for SOLIDWORKS CAM

The SOLIDWORKS CAM application requires a valid license for running.
Depending on your requirements, you can purchase either a standalone (for
single-user) or floating network (for multiple users) license from your Reseller.

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2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Before installing SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018, ensure that the following system
requirements are fulfilled:

Supported Microsoft Windows® Operating Systems

 64-bit version of Windows 10
 64-bit version of Windows 8.1
 64-bit version of Windows 7 (SP1 or higher)
**Note: Home editions of the above Operating Systems are not supported.

Supported CAD applications

SOLIDWORKS CAM runs as an Add-in within SOLIDWORKS®.
The following versions of CAD applications support SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018:
 64-bit version of SOLIDWORKS 2017

Hardware Requirements
RAM 8 GB or more recommended
Video Card Certified cards and drivers
Intel or AMD processors with SSE2 support. 64-bit operating system
Processor
required.
Microsoft's Windows Networking and Active Directory network
Network
environments.

Software Pre-requisites
Microsoft Access®
SOLIDWORKS CAM requires any one of the following versions of Microsoft
Access (Full or Runtime) for the functioning of its Technology DatabaseTM:
 MS Access 2010 SP2 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
 MS Access 2013 SP1 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
 MS Access 2016 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
 MS Office 365 with Office 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)
 MS Office 365 with Office 2016 (32-bit and 64-bit versions)

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Note: Microsoft Access 2010 x64 SP2 is found to be the most stable version
(Runtime or Full) to be used for Technology Database.
If the Technology Database is to be shared on a network drive instead of
the local drive, then the minimum compatible version of MS Access
required is MS Access 2010 SP2 (Runtime or Full).

Installing MS Access 2010 SP2 Runtime

While installing SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018, if a supported version of MS Access is
not detected by the Installation Wizard, then the Installation Wizard will install a
Runtime version of MS Access 2010 SP2 first and then install SOLIDWORKS CAM
2018.

Adobe Reader
Manuals associated with SOLIDWORKS CAM are in PDF format. The Adobe
Reader or equivalent application is necessary to view, read, navigate, search
and print the SOLIDWORKS CAM manuals.
To access these manuals after SOLIDWORKS CAM is installed, select Start on
the Windows taskbar and select the desired manual under the following:
 All Programs>> SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018>>Manuals
[On Windows 7 SP1 Machines]
 All Programs>> SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018
[On Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Machines]

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3. SOLIDWORKS CAM INSTALLATION INFO

SOLIDWORKS CAM Setup Program
The SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 installer installs the following:
 MS ACCESS 2010 Runtime SP2
This application will be installed only if the Installation Wizard does not detect
a supported version of MS Access on your system.
 Application and System files for SOLIDWORKS CAM
These files are typically installed at:
Drive:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKSCAM

 Data files:
o Technology Database files (TechDBForms.mde, TechDB.mdb and
ReportDatabase.mdb)
o API Files
o Sample part models and assemblies.
o Example Parts and assemblies
o Tutorial post processors. (To obtain customized post processors for
your machine tools, contact your Reseller.)
These files are typically copied at:
Drive:\Program Data\SOLIDWORKSCAMData\...

 Feed and Speed Library

This Feed and Speed Library has a modifiable database containing over 1.7
million combinations representing over 1100 materials. SOLIDWORKS CAM
accesses this library to automatically calculate feeds and speeds.)

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4. INSTALLING SOLIDWORKS CAM

Running the SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation Wizard
Given below are the steps to be followed in the Installation Wizard when installing
SOLIDWORKS CAM. Follow the simple instructions given in the Installation Wizard
to complete the installation process.
1. Ensure that your system meets the System Requirements on the machines on
which you intend to run SOLIDWORKS CAM.
2. Close the SOLIDWORKS application in case it is running.
3. Unzip the downloaded SOLIDWORKS_CAM-2018x64-Beta1.zip Installer
Package and copy it to a drive on the system.
4. Open the unzipped SOLIDWORKS_CAM-2018x64-Beta1 folder.
5. Run the Setup.exe within this folder with Admin rights.

Note:
 For the hassle free installation, it is recommended that you copy the whole
unzipped Installer Package folder to the drive on the local machine.
 Do not use mapped drives to launch Setup.exe from the SOLIDWORKS_CAM-
2018x64 installer package folder.
6. The Setup will check the system for a supported version of the CAD
application.
a) If a supported version of the CAD application is not found installed, then
a message indicating that the Setup couldn’t find a supported version
installed will be displayed. SOLIDWORKS CAM would be installed but can
be run only after a supported CAD application is installed.
On clicking the OK button in this message, the Welcome screen of the
Installation Wizard will be displayed.

Setup could not find a supported SOLIDWORKS version on your system.

SOLIDWORKS CAM application will be installed. However, in order to
use it, you need to install a supported SOLIDWORKS version.

Message displayed when supported version of CAD application is no found installed

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b) If a supported version of the CAD application is not found installed, the

Welcome screen of the Installation Wizard will be displayed.

7. Click the Next button in the Welcome screen of the Installation Wizard.

Welcome Screen of the Installation Wizard

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8. The Installation Wizard will then display the End User License Agreement for
SOLIDWORKS CAM. Click Yes button to proceed.

End User License Agreement displayed within Installation Wizard

9. The Installation Wizard will scan your system to detect the presence of a supported
version of Microsoft Access.
a. If a supported version of MS Access is not detected by the Installation
Wizard, then the Installation Wizard will display a message indicating that
a supported version of MS Access could not be detected on your system
and that a Runtime version of MS Access 2010 SP2 will be installed.
Click on the Next button to continue.

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Message within Installation Wizard indicating installation of MS Access 2010 Runtime SP2

b. If a compatible/supported version of MS Access is detected on your

system, then the Installation Wizard will proceed to set the locations to
save the files.

10. The Installation Wizard will prompt you set the location for the SOLIDWORKS
CAM installation files and data files. Default locations will be displayed
within the Program and Data Folders page of the SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation
Wizard.
You can either retain these default locations or change the folder locations
for these files and then click Next.

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Set folder locations for SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation Files and Data files

11. The Program(s) to be installed page of the Installation Wizard will indicate that
the SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 and Feed and Speed Library software
applications will be installed by the wizard. If a supported MS Access version
is not found installed on your system, then Runtime version of MS Access
2010 SP2 will also be installed.
All the software programs will be listed in the Program(s) to be installed page
of the Installation Wizard.
Click on the Install button to initiate the installation process.

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Click ‘Install’ button to initiate installation

12. The installation process will commence. The progress bar will indicate the
progress of the installation. MS Access 2010 Runtime SP2 will be installed first
followed by SOLIDWORKS CAM and Feed and Speed Library.
Once the installation is complete, the Installation Wizard will indicate the
success/failure in installing these software programs. Click the Finish
button to exit the Wizard.

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Click ‘Finish’ button once installation is complete to exit the Installation Wizard

13. If you purchased a floating (multi-user) license or multiple standalone

(single-user) licenses, then repeat above steps on all the systems on which
you intend to run the SOLIDWORKS CAM application.

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5. IMPORTANT SETTINGS AFTER SOLIDWORKS

CAM INSTALLATION

Launching SOLIDWORKS CAM within SOLIDWORKS

SOLIDWORKS CAM is fully integrated into SOLIDWORKS and gets loaded
automatically as an Add-In within the SOLIDWORKS environment.
1. Launch SOLIDWORKS. The SOLIDWORKS CAM logo will be displayed to
indicate that SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 has also been launched as an Add-In
within the SOLIDWORKS environment.

Logo displayed when SOLIDWORKS CAM is launched within SOLIDWORKS

2. If the SOLIDWORKS CAM logo does not display, it usually indicates that the
SOLIDWORKS CAM application has not been launched as an Add-In within
SOLIDWORKS. In such a case:

i. Click on the Options button of SOLIDWORKS User Interface and

select Add-Ins from the dropdown menu.
ii. The Add-Ins dialog box will be displayed. If SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 is
listed in Active Add-Ins, then it indicates that it was successfully
installed.

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SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 application listed in Add-Ins of SOLIDWORKS

iii. Place a check in the checkbox to the left of SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018
listed in Active Add-Ins.
iv. Click OK to close the dialog box. SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 will now be
launched within the SOLIDWORKS environment.

3. Open a part file or start a new part document in SOLIDWORKS.

4. The SOLIDWORKS CAM 2018 Command Manager will display in the Command
Manager area. Tabs for accessing the SOLIDWORKS CAM Machining trees are
available in the vertical toolbar on the left.

TechDB Settings (For First-time users)

TechDB settings will need to be customized in the following cases:
 For sharing TechDB on a network drive
 For creating a common Technology Database repository for all the client
machines after activating the licensing mechanism of the floating
network (multi-user).
 For using a SQL-based TechDB instead of MS Access based TechDB

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Refer Chapter 2 of the SOLIDWORKS_CAM_TechDB_Settings_Guide.pdf document

for details.

Customization after SOLIDWORKS CAM Installation

Customized Post Processors
When you install SOLIDWORKS CAM, post processor files that are intended for
use with the SOLIDWORKS CAM Tutorials are also installed. These files are
installed in the Posts folder inside your SOLIDWORKS CAM Data folder.
Example: Drive:\Program Data\SOLIDWORKSCAMData\Posts
These example post processors are meant for sample machines and may
sometimes not suit your actual machining requirements. In such a case, you
need to procure customized post processors to suit your requirements.

Note: Contact your authorized Reseller for more information on obtaining

and/or customizing post processors for your machine tools. Additional
mill and turn post processor files (.lng and .ctl files) can be installed in
any folder with write permissions.

Customizing Technology Database (TechDB)

The TechDBTM, a Microsoft Access database, is the intelligence behind the
machining automation in SOLIDWORKS CAM.
The Technology Database supplied with SOLIDWORKS CAM contains data that
is considered generally applicable to most machining environments. In order to
gain full advantage of SOLIDWORKS CAM, you need to customize the TechDB
data and input additional knowledge that represents your expertise and your
facility's capabilities.
To understand how to customize the data within the Technology Database,
refer to the Technology Database Tutorial. This PDF document can be accessed
from Windows Start menu by selecting Start>>All Programs>>SOLIDWORKS CAM
2018>>Technology Database Tutorial.

Getting Help/Troubleshooting: SOLIDWORKS CAM Support

In case you face any issues related to installation or using SOLIDWORKS
CAM, you can contact your Reseller. Your reseller is your single-point
contact for all issues concerning the SOLIDWORKS CAM application.

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LEGAL NOTICES
Patent Notices
 SOLIDWORKS® 3D mechanical CAD and/or Simulation software is protected by U.S. Patents
6,219,049; 6,219,055; 6,611,725; 6,844,877; 6,898,560; 6,906,712; 7,079,990; 7,477,262; 7,558,705;
7,571,079; 7,590,497; 7,643,027; 7,672,822; 7,688,318; 7,694,238; 7,853,940; 8,305,376; 8,581,902;
8,817,028; 8,910,078; 9,129,083; 9,153,072; 9,262,863; 9,465,894; and foreign patents, (e.g., EP
1,116,190 B1 and JP 3,517,643).
 eDrawings® software is protected by U.S. Patent 7,184,044; U.S. Patent 7,502,027; and Canadian
Patent 2,318,706.
 U.S. and foreign patents pending.

Product Names for SOLIDWORKS Products and Services

SOLIDWORKS 2017, SOLIDWORKS Standard, SOLIDWORKS Professional, SOLIDWORKS Premium,
SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional, SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard, SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM,
SOLIDWORKS Simulation Standard, SOLIDWORKS Simulation Professional, SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Premium SOLIDWORKS Flow Simulation, eDrawings Viewer, eDrawings Professional, SOLIDWORKS
Sustainability, SOLIDWORKS Plastics, SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic Standard, SOLIDWORKS
Electrical Schematic Professional, SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D, SOLIDWORKS Electrical Professional,
CircuitWorks, SOLIDWORKS Composer, SOLIDWORKS Inspection, SOLIDWORKS MBD, SOLIDWORKS
PCB powered by Altium, SOLIDWORKS PCB Connector powered by Altium, and SOLIDWORKS
Visualization are product names of DS SolidWorks.

COMMERCIAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE - PROPRIETARY

The Software is a “commercial item” as that term is defined at 48 C.F.R. 2.101 (OCT 1995), consisting of
“commercial computer software” and “commercial software documentation” as such terms are used in 48
C.F.R. 12.212 (SEPT 1995) and is provided to the U.S. Government (a) for acquisition by or on behalf of
civilian agencies, consistent with the policy set forth in 48 C.F.R. 12.212; or (b) for acquisition by or on
behalf of units of the Department of Defense, consistent with the policies set forth in 48 C.F.R. 227.7202-1
(JUN 1995) and 227.7202-4 (JUN 1995)
In the event that you receive a request from any agency of the U.S. Government to provide Software with
rights beyond those set forth above, you will notify DS SolidWorks of the scope of the request and DS
SolidWorks will have five (5) business days to, in its sole discretion, accept or reject such request.
Contractor/Manufacturer: Dassault Systemes SolidWorks Corporation, 175 Wyman Street, Waltham,
Massachusetts 02451 USA.

Copyright Notices for SOLIDWORKS Standard, Premium, Professional, and

Education Products
 Portions of this software © 1986-2016 Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software Inc. All rights
reserved.
 This work contains the following software owned by Siemens Industry Software Limited:
D-Cubed® 2D DCM © 2016. Siemens Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved.
D-Cubed® 3D DCM © 2016. Siemens Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved.
D-Cubed® PGM © 2016. Siemens Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved.
D-Cubed® CDM © 2016. Siemens Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved.
D-Cubed® AEM © 2016. Siemens Industry Software Limited. All Rights Reserved.
 Portions of this software © 1998-2016 HCL Technologies Ltd.
 Portions of this software incorporate PhysX™ by NVIDIA 2006-2010.
 Portions of this software © 2001-2016 Luxology, LLC. All rights reserved, patents pending.
 Portions of this software © 2007-2016 DriveWorks Ltd.

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 © 2011, Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

 Includes Adobe® PDF Library technology
Copyright 1984-2016 Adobe Systems Inc. and its licensors. All rights reserved. Protected by U.S.
Patents 5,929,866; 5,943,063; 6,289,364; 6,563,502; 6,639,593; 6,754,382;
 Patents Pending.

Copyright Notices for SOLIDWORKS Simulation Products

 Portions of this software © 2008 Solversoft Corporation.
 PCGLSS © 1992-2016 Computational Applications and System Integration, Inc. All rights reserved.

Copyright Notices for SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional Product

®
 Outside In Viewer Technology, © 1992-2012 Oracle
 © 2011, Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Copyright Notices for eDrawings Products

 Portions of this software © 2000-2014 Tech Soft 3D.
 Portions of this software © 1995-1998 Jean-Loup Gailly and Mark Adler.
 Portions of this software © 1998-2001 3Dconnexion.
 Portions of this software © 1998-2014 Open Design Alliance. All rights reserved.
 Portions of this software © 1995-2012 Spatial Corporation.
® ®
 Portions of eDrawings for iPad copyright © 1996-1999 Silicon Graphics Systems, Inc.
® ®
 Portions of eDrawings for iPad copyright © 2003 – 2005 Apple Computer Inc.
® ®
The eDrawings for Windows software is based in part on the work of the Independent JPEG Group.

Copyright Notices for SOLIDWORKS PCB Products

 Portions of this software © 2016 Altium Limited.

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