Migrate from SOLIDWORKS® PCB to Altium Designer®

Build on the Same Foundation: Altium Designer Is the Place to Go from SOLIDWORKS PCB

Transfer your design projects seamlessly with no downtime

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Trusted by top global brands for over 35 years

Follow the Intuitive Shift from SOLIDWORKS PCB to Altium Designer

Explore enhanced design features in your comfort zone.

Move without disruption

SOLIDWORKS PCB was built on the Altium Designer engine, so you can have full confidence knowing your files are compatible and that you can continue your work in a familiar environment.

Access more features

Altium Designer updates monthly, so you can benefit from having the latest multi-board and harness design features integrated natively with your SOLIDWORKS PCB projects.

SOLIDWORKS PCB integration

Maintain a seamless integration with SOLIDWORKS PCB or extend it to any major MCAD tool.

Trust in dependability

With over 35 years of dedicated industry experience, presence in over 30,000 businesses with over 60,000 subscribers, and 100,000+ professional engineers, our lasting presence ensures a superior level of stability and reliability you can count on.

Talk to a Migration Specialist
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See How Simple It Is to Switch to Altium Designer

The industry’s fastest conversion and cleanup process

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Switching from SOLIDWORKS PCB to
Altium Designer in 3 Simple Steps:

STEP 1
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No Complex Migration Process


SOLIDWORKS PCB files are already compatible with Altium Designer

STEP 2
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Open Your Files


Open your SOLIDWORKS PCB files and save projects in Altium’s file extensions.

STEP 3
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Start Working in Altium Designer

Instantly start working in a familiar interface with the most advanced productivity tools

 

Thousands of Customers Are Happy
They Made the Switch

“The reason we changed was the direction I see Altium going in, these quantum leaps. I see a lot of investment in R&D, a lot of technology coming out within Altium Designer, and that they are focused on PCB design. It’s all about PCBs, all day, every day -- how do we make this easier for the users across the whole spectrum.”

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Joe Borland
Joe Borland

“To this day, I still don’t count on getting a design right on the first try, but with design rule changes that update automatically inside Altium Designer, I’m 99% there every time, and can pretty much go straight into production. I couldn’t do that with any other tool I’ve used.”

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Bil Herd

“Use Altium. And this is coming from someone who has used other competitor tools. You will save time and money upfront just by using this tool. What you are trying to do is get to market. Time to market is the biggest thing. You have to look at it and ask, is the tool complex? What is the cost? Do we need training? All these things combined add up. The more you can make something seamless, the easier it is to use and transition from — so use Altium. It’s a no-brainer.”

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Steven Wood

Explore Information to Help You Successfully
Complete the Migration Process

Step-By-Step Guide to Migrate from SOLIDWORKS PCB

With the import wizard in Altium Designer, migrating your SOLIDWORKS PCB files is a simple and straightforward process.

Access Migration Guide >

View Technical Documentation >

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Training Programs for Users of All Levels

Altium offers on-demand and instructor-led training programs so that you’re able to quickly and efficiently master PCB design with Altium Designer.

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Discover the Altium Designer Difference

Reward yourself today by choosing a better design experience

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Experience an Unmatched PCB Design System

Everything you need in a single unified design platform

Multi-Board

 

Access cutting-edge multi-board design features. Stay organized at the logical level and design assemblies in 3D.

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Altium Designer leads the industry with high-speed PCB design features that enable advanced electronics.

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Part Search


Find all the parts, CAD models, and sourcing information you need with the Manufacturer Part Search panel in Altium Designer.

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We’re Here To Help With Your Migration Process

You are not alone, Altium offers multiple support services to ensure your success

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Published documentation pages across the Altium family of products and services

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Posts in the last 12 months in the AltiumLive community

All subscription levels include easy access to real-time support, the AltiumLive Community, comprehensive product documentation, training videos, and a knowledge base of targeted solutions for common user experiences.

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Chat Support & Support Tickets

Available to all subscribers 24/5 in all time zones

Engage with support team members via a live chat session. Through chat support, you can get answers to many common issues, including installation, licensing, error messages, or unexpected software behavior. Need more support? You can escalate your chat to a ticket.

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Documentation Center and Knowledge Base

Available 24/7 to anyone

Altium's online technical documentation is an expansive set of resources that helps you find the information you need. Whether you’re looking for a high-level overview or need precise information regarding the functionality of a specific UI element, the documentation center and knowledge base has you covered.

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Altium Academy

24/7 access to helpful videos

Altium Academy is an online learning platform for PCB designers and engineers of every skill level. Learn directly from professionals and industry experts who provide instruction on many topics, including basic PCB design principles, advanced engineering topics, and everything in between.

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Discover Why So Many Engineers Choose Altium Designer

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Switch to Altium Designer
  • No file conversion necessary, just open your files in Altium Designer
  • Immediately start working with the latest design tools
  • Use your SOLIDWORKS PCB components in Altium Designer
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  • All design features are available in the trial version
  • Includes access to an Altium 365® Workspace
  • Unified design workflow within a single application
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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I migrate my existing SOLIDWORKS PCB design data into Altium Designer?

The migration process is almost non-existent. Because your existing SOLIDWORKS PCB design files are 100% natively compatible with Altium Designer.

What’s more, you can choose to store your designs on the Altium 365 Workspace with version-controlled resilience and extended collaboration capability.

How much rework is needed after importing?

No rework is needed when opening SOLIDWORKS PCB files in Altium Designer. This is because the file formats are compatible. Once SOLIDWORKS PCB files are opened in Altium Designer, they can be saved in Altium’s file format.

How difficult will it be for me to get up to speed with Altium Designer?

SOLIDWORKS PCB and Altium Designer are based on the same PCB design engine. All of your SOLIDWORKS PCB design skills can be carried forward to Altium Designer. The user interface in Altium Designer is slightly different, but the concepts, panels, and data structure are identical. Altium also offers a variety of blogs, videos, and free documentation to help you quickly fill in any gaps.

Can we import existing parts libraries?

Yes. All parts that were used in a SOLIDWORKS PCB project can also be used in Altium Designer. Once converted to Altium’s file format, parts can be migrated to your Altium 365 Workspace or maintained on your local machine.

Where can I find support?

Altium Designer includes easy access to real-time support, user communities, comprehensive product documentation, training videos, and a knowledge base of targeted solutions for everyday user experiences.

What training options are available?

The Altium Designer Getting Started Guide is an outstanding resource where new users can rapidly become successful in designing projects with Altium Designer. In addition, on-demand or live online and onsite, instructor-led Altium Designer training courses are also available.

SOLIDWORKS® PCB is a registered trademark of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its
subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries.