What’s New in SOLIDWORKS 2026 – SOLIDWORKS Fundamentals

 

SOLIDWORKS 2026 introduces a few notable improvements in System Options that focus on performance, visual rendering, and user experience. These updates may appear small at first glance, but they help designers save time, improve visual quality, and gain better control over their workspace.

Performance Update

A new option has been added under System Options → Performance called “Mark assembly as modified when cosmetic changes are made to referenced documents.” This setting allows users to decide whether assemblies should be marked as modified when cosmetic changes are made to their referenced parts or subassemblies.
Such cosmetic edits—like appearance or display changes—do not affect geometry or fit. By controlling when assemblies are flagged for rebuild, users can avoid unnecessary rebuilds and save time when working with large assemblies.

Display Enhancements

With SOLIDWORKS 2026, rendering and visualization see a major step forward through the introduction of DSPBR (Dassault Systèmes Physically Based Rendering). DSPBR is a new rendering technology that provides more realistic lighting, reflections, and materials. It ensures that the visual quality you see in SOLIDWORKS matches what you produce in SOLIDWORKS Visualize, Dassault Systèmes’ dedicated photo-realistic rendering tool.

A new option named “DSPBR (Dassault Systèmes Physically Based Rendering)” has been added under System Options → Display. When enabled, SOLIDWORKS uses DSPBR appearances, and a new DSPBR tab becomes available in the Appearances PropertyManager. This ensures that all material parameters in SOLIDWORKS map directly to Visualize, allowing a seamless transition for high-quality, realistic rendering within the same environment.

Along with this, another related option called “Legacy Appearances” has been added under the same section. This setting allows older SOLIDWORKS files that use non-DSPBR materials to be approximated correctly when opened in SOLIDWORKS Visualize. It helps maintain compatibility between older projects and the new rendering system, ensuring consistent visual output without needing manual adjustments.

User Experience Improvement

Under System Options → Messages / Errors / Warnings → Dismissed Messages, a new option called “Show messages icon in status bar” has been introduced. When this option is selected, SOLIDWORKS displays a small messages icon in the status bar, allowing users to quickly view and manage dismissed system messages.
This improvement makes it easier to access prompts or warnings that were previously hidden, offering better visibility and control directly from the interface.

The updates to System Options in SOLIDWORKS 2026 may be subtle, but they bring noticeable improvements in performance, visualization, and ease of use. Together, these refinements help users work faster, render more accurately, and stay more aware of important system feedback—all within a smoother design experience.

 

Rendering with SOLIDWORKS Visualize 
Now Inside SOLIDWORKS

The latest version of SOLIDWORKS brings an exciting improvement for designers and engineers who love creating realistic visuals. SOLIDWORKS Visualize is now available directly within the SOLIDWORKS interface, letting you generate stunning, photorealistic renders without switching between applications.

If you already have a Visualize installation and license, you’ll find a new Render Tools tab in the CommandManager. This tab adds a set of tools designed to make rendering smoother and more connected to your design process.

Render Tools in SOLIDWORKS

·         Render:Generates high-quality, photorealistic images directly from SOLIDWORKS using the Visualize Render PropertyManager. You can fine-tune settings such as resolution, lighting, and quality before generating your final output.

·         Open in Visualize:Opens your SOLIDWORKS model directly in SOLIDWORKS Visualize, where you can refine lighting, materials, and camera effects using Visualize’s full rendering environment.

When opening your model in Visualize, you can choose how it’s grouped for better material and part control:

·         Group by Appearance: Combines parts that share the same SOLIDWORKS appearance, making it easy to apply global material edits.

·         Group by Part: Keeps each component separate for detailed customization.

·         Import with Options: Lets you define import settings manually for more flexibility.

Updated SOLIDWORKS Appearances – DSPBR

Another key enhancement that comes along with this integration is the update to SOLIDWORKS appearances through the Dassault Systèmes Physically Based Rendering (DSPBR) model.

These new DSPBR materials are shared across:

·         SOLIDWORKS

·         SOLIDWORKS Visualize

·         3DEXPERIENCE Platform

This ensures that the same appearance looks identical in all three environments, improving visual consistency from design to presentation.

With Enhanced Graphics Performance enabled, DSPBR also supports advanced lighting behavior, including:

·         High Dynamic Range (HDR) lighting for realistic brightness and contrast.

·         Image-Based Lighting (IBL) for accurate reflections and environmental effects.

This results in materials that react to light and reflections much more naturally, bringing you closer to a true real-world look, even before rendering.

By integrating SOLIDWORKS Visualize into the SOLIDWORKS interface and introducing DSPBR appearances, Dassault Systèmes has made realistic rendering faster and more accessible. You can now stay within your familiar design environment, maintain consistent visuals across platforms, and produce professional-quality renders with less effort.

Delete Equations Directly from the Confirm Delete Dialog Box

Managing equations in complex parts has become much easier in SOLIDWORKS 2026. A new improvement now allows you to delete equations directly when removing sketches or features, eliminating the need to go through the Equations Manager manually.

In previous versions, when you deleted a sketch or feature that had an equation-driven dimension, the equation itself would remain in the Equations, Global Variables, and Dimensions dialog box. This meant you had to locate and remove it manually to avoid broken references or unnecessary clutter.

Now, in SOLIDWORKS 2026, the Confirm Delete dialog box includes a new option- Delete equations. When you delete a sketch or feature, you can simply check this option to remove any associated equations automatically.

This improvement applies to parts only, ensuring your part models remain clean and organized.

Benefits

·         Simplified Cleanup: Delete dependent equations automatically while removing sketches or features.

·         Better Control: Decide whether to retain or remove equations directly from the delete confirmation step.

·         Improved Model Management: Avoid leftover or broken equations that could cause rebuild issues later.

How It Works

1.    Right-click and delete a sketch or feature that contains equations.

2.    In the Confirm Delete dialog box, select the new option Delete equations.

3.    The equations linked to that entity are deleted along with it, keeping your model equations list tidy.

 

This small yet practical update in SOLIDWORKS 2026 makes working with equations much more efficient. By integrating equation deletion directly into the Confirm Delete dialog box, you can now clean up your models faster and keep them error-free, saving both time and effort in part design.

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