Artificial intelligence is no longer a “plus” in CAD: it’s a new standard for productivity and quality. At Dassault Systèmes, SOLIDWORKS and CATIA are being enhanced with wizards and generative functions that are revolutionizing design, drawing, assembly and collaboration. Here’s a concrete overview – with our conviction as a common thread: for SMEs, ETIs and startups, SOLIDWORKS + 3DEXPERIENCE and CATIA today offer the best balance between speed, precision and product governance.
Why AI is becoming CAD’s new “interface
At the workstation level, AI reduces friction: suggestions for orders at the right moment, automatic generation of sketches and 2D drawings from 3D, assembly assistance that limits errors in constraints and orientation. These are not gadgets: they are minutes saved with each gesture, which become hours on a project, then weeks on a product portfolio. At the last 3DEXPERIENCE World, SOLIDWORKS presented AI capabilities of this kind, and an assistant called SolidWorks AURA (in beta) aimed at predicting user intent and automating repetitive tasks.
SOLIDWORKS: immediate gains in daily productivity
In concrete terms, the new AI features announced and demonstrated around SOLIDWORKS relate to :
- Suggested commands (prediction of the “next move”),
- Automatic generation of drawings from the model, with entity and constraint detection,
- Accelerated assembly (reduced manual selection and matching).
Objective: less searching, more designing. For design offices under pressure, this cumulative effect is decisive. And in the 3DEXPERIENCE Works ecosystem, these aids are aligned with data management, simulation and manufacturing to avoid “configuration debt”.
CATIA & 3DEXPERIENCE: AI for generative design… and governance
On complex products (aeronautics, mobility, special machines), AI with CATIA software is expressed above all through generative design and virtualization of the digital twin:
- Performance-driven generation/topology to explore thousands of alternatives at an early stage, integrating materials, processes and sustainability constraints;
- Visual Scripting (no-code) to “program” complex geometries and patterns, speed up iterations and standardize in-house know-how;
- 3DEXPERIENCE governance: a digital thread where AI serves as a gas pedal (e.g. search, classification, recommendations) while respecting IP and traceability.
In the ” 3D UNIV+RSES “vision put forward by Dassault Systèmes, AI is supported by virtual twins, and aims to create generative experiences “for everyone, on everything”. In other words, not only do we automate CAD gestures, but we also increase product architecture choices, module reuse, and extended collaboration with the supply-chain.
CATIA leverages AI for generative design, optimized topology and PLM governance.
Visit https://hub.ohmycad.com/en/liste-de-prix-officielle-catia to anticipate your investments.
What this means for designers
- Fewer clicks, more intent: anti-friction AI (suggestions, contextual search, synthesized commands) reduces tool navigation time.
- Better “first pass”: drawings, assemblies and variants generated quickly, which the engineer then refines with his expertise.
- Document quality: automated drawings, with better constraints, reduce deviations and speed up production start-up and inspection.
…and for industrial startups
Start-ups need to move fast without compromising quality or IP. The AI assistants in SOLIDWORKS provide a shorter time-to-prototype, while CATIA lets you explore lightweight architectures (topology, multi-materials) compatible with targeted manufacturing channels. With 3DEXPERIENCE, you keep the PLM backbone from day 1 (traceability, versions, requirements), so you don’t have to “pay” the data debt later.
For startups, PLM integration via 3DEXPERIENCE is key. If you’re having connection problems, here are our guides:
- https://hub.ohmycad.com/knowledge/impossible-de-se-connecter-%C3%A0-3dexperience
- https://hub.ohmycad.com/knowledge/failed-to-get-login-ticket…-error-when-starting-solidworks-connected
Yes, the competition is on the move – and that’s good news.
- Autodesk advances a banner ” Autodesk AI ” banner and is multiplying use cases around creativity, automation and predictive analysis (with Fusion sessions dedicated to AI). This is stimulating for the market… but CAD ↔ PDM/PLM ↔ MFG coherence remains the knot to be solved on a large scale.
- PTC/Creo capitalizes on generative design (GTO/GDX) and now communicates a “workflow-embedded” GenAI strategy. Relevant for accelerating certain studies, butend-to-end integration with advanced simulation and multi-trade governance remains the main arena.
- Siemens NX has long been pushingAdaptive UI (ML) and has announced an AI Chat Copilot for NX X Essentials, in addition to joint work with Microsoft around industrial copilots. Here again, the trend is confirmed: AI is becoming the natural interface for CAD.
Our position: for organizations that want immediate productivity (SOLIDWORKS ) + a controlled increase in complexity (CATIA ) + 3DEXPERIENCE governance, the Dassault Systèmes ecosystem is the most coherent today – from the engineer’s workstation to the supply-chain and virtual factory twins.
How to make a successful “step towards AI” in CAD (4-step method)
- Map your high-frequency processes (drawing, assembly, searches, bills of materials) to target the first AI gains.
- PLM framework from the outset: versions, requirements, rights, data security – especially in a startup/partner context.
- Scenario-based training: task-oriented micro-workshops (auto-drawing, assisted assembly, generative variants) with measurable objectives.
- Continuous improvement loop: choose 3 KPIs (e.g. drawing time, assembly errors, part reuse) and iterate in sprints.
8 key AI features in SOLIDWORKS 2025
- Command Predictor: anticipates the tools you’ll use next, with a dynamic suggestion bar (up to 7 commands).
- AI-Driven Generative Drawings: automatic generation of 2D drawings from 3D models, with customizable options.
- Smart Insert Component: recognition of standard components (bolts, screws) and automatic application of constraints(mates).
- AI-Driven Image to Sketch: convert images into sketches with automatic constraints and dimensions (ideal for reverse engineering).
- Generative Assembly: automatic creation of complete assemblies after a few parameters.
- Generative 3D Part: transform a photo into a precise 3D model (virtual twin).
- Generative Stacked Dimensions: automatic addition of dimensions and constraints when sketching.
- Generative NC Machining: optimize machining paths and CNC parameters to reduce time and waste
source: 8 Key Features Demonstrating the Power of AI in SOLIDWORKS 2025 – Engineers Rule
Where Ohmycad can help
- IA-CAO express audit (2 weeks): identification of actions to be automated, prioritization of use cases, SOLIDWORKS/3DEXPERIENCE/CATIA roadmap.
- Guided drivers: AURA & co on the SOLIDWORKS side; generative design and Visual Scripting on the CATIA side; 3DEXPERIENCE PLM integration for traceability.
- Acculturation and change: professional training (designers, product managers, methods) and coaching on real data.
Our approach is simple: speed up without sacrificing quality orIP.(Contact us – Ohmycad – for a free 30-minute diagnosis).
Sources & useful links
- Dassault Systèmes – 3DEXPERIENCE World 2025 (official announcement, “generative AI capabilities”, keynote speeches) : Newsroom DS
- Demonstrations & analysis of new AI features in SOLIDWORKS (suggestions, drawings, assemblies, AURA wizard): Digital Engineering 24/7, EngineersRule
- CATIA – AI-Driven Generative Experiences (generative design, performance, reuse) : 3ds.com – CATIA & AI; Vision Virtual Twin & 3D UNIV+RSES: Design-Engineering, 3DS Blog CATIA
- Panorama competition :
- Autodesk – Autodesk AI (platform, vision Design & Make) + Fusion 2025 sessions: Press Release, AU 2025 sessions
- PTC/Creo – generative (GTO/GDX) & embedded GenAI strategy: PTC (tech/generative), PTC blog (GenAI strategy)
- Siemens NX – Adaptive UI & AI Chat Copilot: Adaptive UI, NX X Essentials – AI Copilot
