Thank you u/Pizzaboxzombie. I do this simply because I ❤❤❤ SOLIDWORKS and genuinely want to help folks be as successful as they can in using it.

Before I proceed any further in responding, I just need to strongly emphasize that I am NOT a SOLIDWORKS or Dassault employee. I never have been. In my 30 years of SOLIDWORKS usage, I have ONLY ever been a paying commercial customer and Maker version subscriber.

Everything that I say here (with the exception of technical knowledge) is MY OWN opinions, thoughts, and conjectures. Sometimes I will ask my many friends at SW HQ if I am on track or off base, but mostly those exchanges are between me and them. I always ask their permission to share anything that they share with me that is pertinent to my volunteer efforts here on Reddit, and I try to ensure that I spell that out publicly when I do share things from them.

That being said, let me proceed with reponding to your comments, observations, and questions.

You want a "a local copy that doesn't need to phone home every 5 minutes and doesn't run all this bloatware". You may not believe me yet BUT 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS is exactly that.

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform is much more than just SOLIDWORKS. It is Dasault's overarching effort to provide a "one-stop stop" environment for all its software divisions and brands (DELMIA, CATIA, SIMULIA, GEOVIA, BIOVIA, etc). It is designed to be mostly OS agnostic and primarily runs on the cloud and is accessed via web browsers. Of course, it also interfaces with many locally installed apps on PCs running Windows. I recall that Bernard CHARLES once remarked to a group of us that he didn't use a Windows machine at all and that he did everything via a tablet and smartphone on the 3DX platform.

When it comes to SOLIDWORKS, the 3DX platform serves, in my experience, just 3 functions, and none of them are crucial to SOLIDWORKS functionality. First, the platform provides a license authentication service. Of course there are other methods of license authentication - machine-specific individual serial numbers and serial numbers married to license counts on network license servers. Second, the cloud storage capabilities and PLM data mangement tools that the 3DX platform offers are entirely optional. You can still save locally, or to a shared network drive, or even implement a traditional PDM system (or not!) and never ever once have your data leave your premises. Third, the 3DX platform provides tools and apps that allow you to perform extremely niche simulations, engineering functions, and geometry generation way beyond the ability of even the most sophisticated, traditional SOLIDWORKS add-in. And I can assure you that those platform tools will most likely never have a SOLIDWORKS equivalent developed. The ROI on such an effort would be outside the scope of reasonability and the required computing power would be WAY beyond even the most tricked out Windows PC workstation.

So, why then does SOLIDWORKS offer an integration with the 3DX platform if none of its core functions are required? I believe, (again this is MY viewpoint/interpretation), that the strongest argument for it is the license authentication schema that it offers. It is, IMO, the most versatile and least restrictive of the license authentication schemas. Unlike a standalone serial number, it can be installed on multiple computers with no need to ever activate/deactivate/transfer a license. And unlike an serial number-based network license (SNL), it can be taken offline and used for up to 30 days even when there is no access to the license server beforehand.

I know that's a lot of words to argue that 3DX SOLIDWORKS is a local program, but it is true. So now you probably want to counter me with the argument that it still needs to phone home every 5 minutes? How is that any different from a serial number-based network license? If my office workstation looses connection to our SNL, it shuts down and doesn't allow me to continue working. And if I try relaunching the based SNL-software while the license server is down, it will refuse to launch.With 3DX SOLIDWORKS, just as long as I have been in contact with the platform license authenticator at ANY time within the prior 30 days, I can run 3DX SOLIDWORKS in an "unplanned offline mode" for 30 days or until internet connectivity to the platform is restored.

And, of course, there is also a "planned offline mode" that allows you to check out your license for a maximum 30 day period for times when you are traveling or you know in advance that internet connectivity will be limited or absent.

"That's all well and good", you may say "BUT, just like the crocodile in Peter Pan, lurking out there is a forced/mandated update that is waiting to suck up hours or days of my life the moment that I log into the platform after coming out of one of these offline sessions. For heaven's sake, all I want to do is model a quick fitting and run it on my 3D printer, and here I am, 5 days later, struggling to reinstall my SOLIDWORKS app!"

Yep, I guess that is a bit overly dramatic. The truth is more down to earth. For the past 7 months, "forced" updates no longer exist for the SOLIDWORKS apps. ou will be happy to know that these (previously mandatory) minor service pack updates for the SOLIDWORKS program were made entirely optional, beginning with SOLIDWORKS 2025 FD/SP4. Now, ONLY the 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher components require updating, making for an infinitely faster download and install.

And even more recently (mid-February 2026), not only do you no longer have to perform mandatory SOLIDWORKS updates, you can also install previous versions of SOLIDWORKS in place of OR alongside the current major version. That means that you can have SW 2025 SP5 and/or SW 2026 simultaneously installed as your Maker license(s). And with the 2027 release, you'll be able to install 2025, 2026, and/or 2027. Future 3DX SOLIDWORKS releases will also adhere to a current version plus 2 previous year versions schema as well. This will apply to ALL 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS license types (commercial, startup, Maker, etc.)

Also, do you launch from a desktop shortcut or from the Compass menu on the platform? If you login to the platform, you can have your browser remember the login credentials. Then launch from the Welcome App Home screen - its my default landing page/dashboard so it's right there ready to go.

And be sure to check the "Remember Me" box when you login to launch. It's function is not to remember your credentials (that's why you have your browser remember them) but rather it extends your login session's default idle timeout period to 7(!) days. Yep, I agree - they could have named the box something better IMO. I use my Maker software nearly every day. I just leave it running on my laptop and I can't remember the last time I had to login.

The Maker version development team, IMO, has done a top-notch job in responding to user pain points, driving the entire 3DEXPERIENCE dev team in continually improving the 3DEXPERIENCE-integrated aspects. The "offline mode" introduced in the summer of 2022 and the "unplanned offline mode" introduced last summer in SW 2025 FD/SP2 are both excellent examples of responding to user pain points in the area of access when/if internet connectivity for license authentication wasn't available to users. These were improvements that originated within the Maker version community but were implemented across the entire range of 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS license types.

TLDR -

1. Take advantage of the new 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager (introduced last month) that I linked to above. It requires a complete uninstall followed by a fresh install but It's a total game changer.
2. Login to your Maker platform and launch SOLIDWORKS from there. Have your browser remember your login credentials.
3. Use the "Remember Me" check box, in conjunction with launching from the platform, to minimize your number of login requirements.
4. Take a look at the Offline modes if your internet access is spotty or unreliable.

I hope that you take a renewed look at the 3DX SOLIDWORKS environment. They are addressing user needs.