SOLIDWORKS AI is not just about individual AI-powered features within the CAD software. One of the most interesting areas of development is the introduction of AI-powered virtual companions, bringing AI closer to the everyday work of design engineers.
AURA, LEO and MARIE are SOLIDWORKS AI virtual companions, each with their own role. They are designed to support users with information retrieval, technical design, simulation, validation and scientific reasoning.
The idea is the same as with SOLIDWORKS AI more broadly: AI acts as an assistant, not a replacement for the designer. The user remains in control, makes the decisions and is responsible for the final outcome. The virtual companions can, however, help find information faster, reduce routine work and make the different stages of the design process run more smoothly.
What Are SOLIDWORKS AI Companions?
SOLIDWORKS AI Companions are AI assistants that can be used through natural language. Users can give them prompts and leverage them for tasks related to design, information retrieval, documentation, validation and more.
What matters is not simply that you can have a conversation with AI. More importantly, these virtual companions can be integrated into SOLIDWORKS Design workflows. This means AI does not remain in a separate browser tab but can assist users where the work actually happens.
This is an important distinction when talking about AI in mechanical design. A designer’s work is not simply about asking questions and getting answers. It involves models, assemblies, constraints, documents and decisions. SOLIDWORKS AI Companions are designed to support users throughout these stages.
What Does AURA Do in SOLIDWORKS AI?
AURA focuses on finding and making use of information.
In many organizations, the information is not actually missing—it is simply scattered across different places. It may be stored in old projects, guidelines, documents and models, or exist as knowledge and experience in individual employees’ heads.
AURA’s value comes from helping make this information more accessible and easier to put to use.
In practice, this can mean faster information retrieval, better reuse of existing knowledge and fewer situations where the same problem has to be solved from scratch.
What Does LEO Do in SOLIDWORKS AI?
LEO’s role focuses particularly on mechanical design, assemblies, simulation, validation and manufacturability assessment.
LEO can support users, for example, by evaluating models, identifying errors, preparing models or structuring technical workflows. It brings AI-powered CAD automation closer to the stages where users need quick feedback and technical support.
LEO does not replace the role of an expert, but it can help make the design process more efficient and streamlined.
This type of support can be particularly valuable during early-stage ideation, comparing design alternatives and early validation.
What Does MARIE Do in SOLIDWORKS AI?
MARIE complements the overall picture from the perspective of scientific reasoning.
Its role is particularly relevant in workflows that require a deeper understanding of areas such as physics, chemistry, biology or simulation-related phenomena.
For SOLIDWORKS users, AURA and LEO are likely to be the first companions they encounter more directly in their everyday work.
MARIE is part of the broader Dassault Systèmes AI development, where AI is also being used in research, simulation and the exploration of increasingly complex phenomena.
What Sets SOLIDWORKS AI Apart from a Standard Language Model?
For many people, AI first brings to mind language models such as ChatGPT or Copilot. They are good at processing text, summarizing information and generating responses in natural language. In mechanical design, however, you need more than just good conversation.
Design work is based on geometry, physics, constraints, materials, manufacturability and real-world behavior.
This is why Industry World models are an important part of the SOLIDWORKS AI approach.
In simple terms, a standard language model predicts a likely response based on language. An Industry World model aims to better understand how physical objects behave, how geometry works and which solutions make technical sense.
This distinction is important. The value of SOLIDWORKS AI is not simply that AI can communicate with users, but that it can be connected to real-world design workflows and engineering processes.
Do You Need the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform to Use SOLIDWORKS AI Companions?
This question comes up often, and understandably so. When AI, cloud services and the 3DEXPERIENCE platform are mentioned together, the whole concept can quickly sound like a bigger change than it actually is.
Adopting SOLIDWORKS AI does not automatically mean moving your entire design environment to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Some SOLIDWORKS AI features work directly within SOLIDWORKS Design, and you do not need to store all your data in the cloud to use them.
However, using the virtual companions—AURA, LEO and MARIE—requires Cloud Services to be activated.
This is the first step towards using the SOLIDWORKS AI Companions. In practice, this does not mean changing your entire way of working. Instead, it provides access to AI-powered tools that can support design, information retrieval, validation and workflow automation.
If your company also manages data on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, the virtual companions can provide access to broader capabilities around areas such as data management, PLM processes and change management.
This opens up additional possibilities, but the first step with SOLIDWORKS AI can be much simpler: activate Cloud Services, explore the virtual companions and evaluate where they could bring the most value to your own design work.
How Does SOLIDWORKS AI Handle User Data and Security?
Security is one of the most common questions when it comes to AI.
It is a completely understandable concern, as design data, product ideas, manufacturing-related information and a company’s own expertise often contain highly confidential information.
With SOLIDWORKS AI, user data is not used to train the AI models.
Protecting intellectual property and maintaining control over data are key parts of the overall approach. For more information about security and data protection, visit the DS Trust Center.
Summary
AURA helps you find information.
LEO supports technical design work.
MARIE brings a more scientific approach to reasoning.
The virtual companions do not replace the designer—they act as assistants. They can speed up information retrieval, reduce repetitive tasks and support decision-making, while keeping the user firmly in control.
Want to explore SOLIDWORKS AI further? Contact our expert
Viljami Antola
viljami.antola@plmgroup.fi or +358 046 126 995
Viljami is a CAD and design solutions specialist who helps companies make the most of SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE solutions in their design work.
Frequently Asked Questions About SOLIDWORKS AI Companions
Here you’ll find answers to the questions we’re most frequently asked:
What are the benefits of SOLIDWORKS AI in mechanical design?
The biggest benefits come from reducing repetitive work, making better use of existing information, speeding up documentation, and enabling earlier design validation. AI helps users focus more on the actual design work and less on repetitive manual tasks.
Can SOLIDWORKS AI help with documentation?
Yes. The development of SOLIDWORKS AI is geared toward making documentation faster and more automated. This can include streamlining tasks such as drawing preparation, dimensioning, and other documentation-related work.
Why is SOLIDWORKS AI especially relevant right now?
AI is moving from general discussion to becoming a practical tool in everyday design work. When AI is integrated into CAD workflows, its benefits become visible where time is actually spent: modeling, documentation, information retrieval, checking, and validation.
What are SOLIDWORKS AI partners?
SOLIDWORKS AI companions are AI-powered assistants that can be interacted with using natural language. They support users with tasks such as information retrieval, design, validation, and workflow automation.
What does AURA do?
AURA helps users find and make use of information. It can support users in accessing documentation, company-specific knowledge, and other sources of information.
What does LEO do?
LEO focuses on more technical design tasks. Its role includes areas such as mechanical design, assemblies, simulation, validation, and manufacturability assessment.
What does MARIE do?
MARIE supports scientific reasoning and research-oriented workflows. Its role is particularly relevant in situations that require a deeper understanding of areas such as physics, chemistry, biology, or simulation-related phenomena.
What is the difference between SOLIDWORKS AI and a standard language model?
A traditional language model primarily processes language and generates likely responses based on text. SOLIDWORKS AI, on the other hand, is built around an industrial world model that also takes into account physics, geometry, constraints, and real-world behavior.
Can SOLIDWORKS AI partners be used without the 3DEXPERIENCE platform?
Using the virtual partners requires Cloud Services to be activated, but users do not need to work entirely within the 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS environment. However, storing data on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform enables more advanced functionality.
Is user data used to train the AI?
Dassault Systèmes does not use user data to train AI models. For more information on data security and data management, please visit the DS Trust Center.
Start learning how to use AURA today
Watch Lars’s short video about the tool to see where to find it, how the chat works, and how it can help you with everyday “how do I do this?” questions.
