How to Manage Files on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform (Setup, Saving, and Sharing)

If you’re new to the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform and about to take your first project live, this guide will help you set the system up for success from day one — no guesswork, no confusion.

1. Understand the Big Picture

The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform isn’t just cloud storage. It’s a product data management and collaboration system built to keep files controlled, organized, and traceable across teams.

Here’s the key mindset shift:

• You do not use traditional folders like on your PC.
• Files live in a Collaborative Space.
• You organize them with Bookmarks, which act like “project folders” without breaking the system.

It is not:

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• A traditional folder system

There are no classic “folders” in the way most people expect. Instead, the platform uses a combination of Collaborative Spaces, objects, and Bookmarks.

Once you understand those three concepts, everything else gets much easier.

2. Watch a Solid Starting Point

To get familiar with how the platform connects with SOLIDWORKS, watch this official SOLIDWORKS video:

This video walks through the basics of getting started on the platform and shows how you’ll interact with it from day one.

3. Create the Right Containers

Before you launch your first project, decide on a few Collaborative Spaces you’ll use.

These are not folders — they define where data lives and who can access it:

Examples:

• Engineering — Work-in-progress design files
• Library — Standards, common parts, templates

Keep the number small. Too many spaces create confusion.

4. Use Bookmarks as Your “Project Folders”

Once your spaces exist, you use Bookmarks to group files by project.

Think of a Bookmark like a saved filter or lightweight folder:

• It shows the files that belong to a project
• You can put the same file in multiple Bookmarks
• Deleting a Bookmark doesn’t delete the file

This gives you flexibility without breaking file traceability.

5. Saving from SOLIDWORKS

When you save a file from SOLIDWORKS to the platform:

1. Choose the Correct Collaborative Space (e.g., Engineering)
2. Save the file
3. Add it to the Project Bookmark

This ties your CAD work to both the system and the project context.

6. How Managers Review Files on the Road

Non-CAD users (like managers or executives) don’t need SOLIDWORKS to see files.

They can:

• Log into the web platform
• Open the Bookmark for the project
• Use 3DPlay to view, rotate, section, and comment on models in the browser

This makes it easy to review CAD without a CAD license.

Another great option to to send direct share links:

7. A Few Simple Naming Rules

Good naming early prevents chaos:

• Include a project number, e.g., 3DCX2501
• Include a short description, e.g., Mold_Assembly
• Good names make searching — the main way people find files — work faster

8. Avoid These Early Mistakes

• Don’t create a new Collaborative Space per project
• Don’t treat Bookmarks as physical folders
• Don’t let everyone change lifecycle states unilaterally
• Don’t rely on local PC file trees forever

The earlier you start with the right mental model, the smoother everything goes.

9. Wrap-Up: Start Simple, Stay Consistent

Success on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform comes from:

• A small number of governance containers (Collaborative Spaces)
• Consistent project organization (Bookmarks)
• Good naming and search habits
• Leveraging the web viewer for reviews without CAD

If you build the right setup on day one, your team will actually want to use the system, and you’ll avoid a lot of confusion later.