SOLIDWORKS Simulation: What’s New in 2026?

 

This blog highlights the latest updates and improvements introduced in SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2026.

Applied Forces on Beams

Now you have greater flexibility when applying forces to beam bodies.

Previously, forces could only be applied using the Per Item option, assigning the full load to each selected beam.

The new Total option in the Force/Torque Property Managerrefer (figure1) allows you to apply a single force shared across multiple beams. The load is automatically distributed proportionally to each beam’s length, ensuring a more realistic and efficient setup.

Key Benefits:

·        More accurate load distribution across connected beams.

·        Reduced manual effort in defining multiple load cases.

·        Improved modelling efficiency for frame and truss structures

 

Buckling Studies

The buckling analysis workflow has been refined to provide clearer, more meaningful results.

·        Now you can choose to extract only positive buckling factors and modesrefer (figure 3) for their model, eliminating unnecessary or non-physical data from the results.

·        Within the Buckling Study Properties dialog box, a new option — “Extract positive buckling factors only”.

·        Once enabled, the solver automatically switches to the Automatic mode and reports only positive buckling factors and their corresponding modes.

·        This means that any negative buckling factors and their associated modes are filtered out, simplifying interpretation and improving result clarity.

Benefits:

• Simplifies post-processing by removing irrelevant modes.
• Enhances solver accuracy and efficiency during buckling studies.

 

Cable Connectors

Cable Connectors are more versatile and accurate way to model cables under tension, allowing to simulate real-world load-bearing structures with greater precision.

You can now define a cable connector between different geometry types including:

• Faces of solids,
• Circular edges of shells,
• Vertices of solids or shells, or
• Any combination such as vertex-to-face, vertex-to-edge, or edge-to-face connections.

During post-processing, you can right-click Results → List Connector Force to display the axial force acting on each cable, helping you determine whether the component can safely withstand the applied loads.

Benefits:

• Enables realistic simulation of cables in tension between multiple connection types.
• Allowsto verify safe load-carrying capacity using defined axial strength.
• Simplifies analysis setup for tension-based structures.

 

Display of Angular Deformations

1)    You can now plot angular deformation results with respect to a defined axis, using degrees or radians as the unit of measurement.

2)    In the Displacement Plot Property Manager, select AR: Angular Rotation under Display, and define the rotation axis under Advanced Options.

3)    This enhancement is available for both Static and Nonlinear Static studies.

Benefits:

Choose the angle measurement unit to align with your engineering standards and project requirements.

Distributed Remote Load on Shell Edges

SOLIDWORKS Simulation 2026, the distributed coupling formulation for remote loads and remote masses has been expanded to offer greater modelling flexibility.

In the latest release, you can now apply distributed remote loads or masses directly to shell edges.

When a shell edge is selected as a support, the applied load or mass is automatically distributed across the edge’s coupling nodes, ensuring a realistic representation of how forces are transmitted through the structure.

Benefits:

• Enables accurate simulation of loads acting along shell edges.
• Improves representation of real-world structural constraints in thin-walled models.

Performance Improvement for Studies with Connectors

The solution time for simulation studies with connectors that support distributed coupling has been improved.

Key Updates:

• Intel Direct Sparse Solver:
• The previous 800 coupling facet limit is removed.
• Models that failed earlier now solve successfully.
• Faster performance for large assemblies with many coupling nodes.
• FFEPlus Solver:
• Improved speed for connector-heavy models.
• Optimized for large simulations with distributed coupling.

Pin Connector Force Results in Random Vibration

1)    You can now extract pin connector forces such as shear force, axial force, bending moment, and torque directly in linear dynamic random vibration studies.

2)    A new option in the Result Force Property Manager lets you display connector forces in X, Y, and Z components, either in the global or a local coordinate system.

3)    Results are represented through Power Spectral Density (PSD) values, showing how forces vary across the frequency spectrum.

4)    The new Response Graph feature helps visualize how pin forces behave under different vibration frequencies.

Benefits:

·        Enables accurate load distribution analysis for bolted or pinned joints.

·        Helps identify critical vibration frequencies affecting connector durability.

·        Enhances confidence in design validation for aerospace, automotive, and machinery components.

Applying Remote Mass Support for Response Spectrum

You can now account for the mass of components not included in the meshed geometry by defining them as remote masses connected to the main structure.

 To apply a remote mass, right-click External Loads → Remote Mass in the study tree, then specify the mass location (typically at the component’s centre of gravity). The defined mass is rigidly linked to the rest of the structure through selected faces, edges, or vertices.

Benefits:

• Accurately captures the influence of unmeshed components.
• Reduces model complexity while maintaining realistic mass effects.
• Simplifies setup for vibration and dynamic response simulations.

Shell Definitions

You can now define whether shells are Thick or Thin globally, saving time during setup and ensuring consistency across multiple projects.

To modify the default shell type, navigate to:

Simulation → Options → Default Options → Mesh

The selected shell type automatically applies to new shell definitions created from:

• Surface bodies
• Sheet metal bodies
• Solid bodies (using Define Shell by Selected Face)
• 
  

User Interface

Quick Access to Stress Hot Spot Tool:

• The Stress Hot Spot tool is now available directly from the Command Managerrefer (figure 10) under Diagnostic Tools, allowing faster identification of localized stress concentrations.
• Simplified Report Generation:
  In the Report Options dialog box, you can now select or clear all report sections with a single click, saving time when generating detailed simulation reports.
• Clearer Error Messages:
  Error notifications have been rewritten for clarity, making it easier to understand and resolve the root cause of simulation setup or solver issues.

Benefits:

• Speeds up diagnostics and post-processing.
• Reduces repetitive reporting tasks.
• Improves usability and error interpretation for both new and advanced users.

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