When engineering teams move product data and collaboration workflows to the cloud, one question inevitably comes up:

How secure is our data?

For organizations managing intellectual property, engineering designs and other sensitive information, cloud security is about much more than preventing unauthorized access. It also involves privacy, regulatory requirements, service availability, software quality and the responsible use of artificial intelligence.

Dassault Systèmes addresses these concerns through six areas highlighted in its Trust Center: Security, Regulatory Compliance, Quality, Privacy, Availability and Trusted AI.

These six pillars work together to create a broader framework for customer trust. At the same time, security in the cloud follows a shared responsibility model: Dassault Systèmes protects the platform and its underlying infrastructure, while customers remain responsible for how they configure and use the environment.

This article summarizes the key concepts discussed during our webinar on artificial intelligence, cloud computing and security on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

At a Glance: How Does 3DEXPERIENCE Approach Security?

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform’s cloud security approach combines security-by-design practices, vulnerability testing, incident response, privacy controls, quality management, resilient infrastructure and Trusted AI principles.

However, moving to the cloud doesn’t mean an organization can stop thinking about security.

Customers still need to manage their users, permissions, devices and data appropriately. Understanding where the provider’s responsibilities end, and where the customer’s responsibilities begin, is one of the most important parts of evaluating any cloud platform.

The Shared Responsibility Model

Before looking at the six pillars, it’s important to understand one fundamental concept: cloud security is a shared responsibility.

Dassault Systèmes’ Shared Responsibility Model defines the respective responsibilities of Dassault Systèmes and its customers for operational security and compliance.

Customer responsibilities include:

• Customer data

• Devices and endpoints

• Identity and access management

Dassault Systèmes responsibilities include:

• Applications

• Operating systems

• Virtualization

• Physical resources such as compute, network and storage

• Physical datacenters

In practical terms, Dassault Systèmes is responsible for protecting the cloud service and the infrastructure that supports it. The customer remains responsible for deciding who should have access to its data, assigning appropriate permissions and securing the devices used to connect to the platform.

This distinction is critical.

A highly secure cloud platform cannot prevent an organization from giving a user more access than they need or failing to remove a former employee’s access.

The 6 Pillars of 3DEXPERIENCE Trust

1. Security

Security is the first layer that most organizations think about when evaluating a cloud platform—and for good reason.

Dassault Systèmes describes its approach as security by design, meaning security requirements are integrated into the software development and operational lifecycle rather than being added after the fact.

The security program includes measures such as:

• Secure software development practices

• Continuous threat monitoring

• Vulnerability management

• Static and dynamic application security testing (SAST and DAST)

• Software composition analysis

• Penetration testing

• A private bug bounty program

• Incident response through the Dassault Systèmes Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT)

The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud also has security certifications and assessments, including ISO/IEC 27001:2022 and ISO/IEC 27017:2015 certifications.

The goal isn’t to rely on a single security mechanism, but to use multiple layers of protection throughout the platform lifecycle.

2. Regulatory Compliance

Security and compliance are closely related, but they aren’t the same thing.

Organizations operating in industries such as aerospace, automotive, life sciences, medical devices or other regulated environments may have specific requirements for how information is stored, processed and managed.

The Dassault Systèmes Trust Center provides information about applicable certifications, regulatory requirements and compliance programs. Current resources include information related to regulations such as the EU Data Act, NIS2, the Cyber Resilience Act and DORA.

However, there’s an important distinction:

A vendor’s certification does not automatically make a customer compliant.

Organizations still need to determine which requirements apply to their own industry, jurisdiction and processes, and then configure and use the platform accordingly.

The Trust Center is therefore an important resource for IT, security, legal, quality and compliance teams evaluating 3DEXPERIENCE.

3. Quality

Security isn’t the only factor that determines whether a cloud platform can be trusted.

Software quality, development practices and continuous improvement also play an important role.

Dassault Systèmes maintains a Quality Management System (QMS) designed to embed quality throughout the software development lifecycle. The QMS governing the 3DEXPERIENCE platform is certified to ISO 9001:2015 for activities including design, development, deployment, cloud operations and support.

For organizations operating in regulated environments, quality management can also support requirements around validation, traceability and controlled processes.

In other words, trust isn’t simply about keeping unauthorized users out. It’s also about having structured processes designed to deliver reliable software and continuously improve it.

4. Privacy

Security protects information from unauthorized access, while privacy focuses on how personal information is collected, processed and managed.

Dassault Systèmes maintains a Data Privacy Program that includes dedicated governance, employee training and technical and organizational measures. The 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud is also certified to ISO/IEC 27701:2019 for privacy information management and ISO/IEC 27018:2019 for controls related to personally identifiable information in public cloud services.

Privacy requirements can vary depending on the type of information involved and the jurisdictions in which an organization operates.

For that reason, companies should consider questions such as:

• What personal information is being processed?

• Why is it being collected?

• Who has access to it?

• Where is it processed?

• Which privacy regulations apply?

Understanding these questions is particularly important when engineering organizations collaborate with customers, suppliers or other external stakeholders.

5. Availability

Security is only useful if your team can access the platform when it needs to.

3DEXPERIENCE cloud availability relies on cloud operations, monitoring, resilient infrastructure and redundancy mechanisms designed to support service continuity. Dassault Systèmes also provides customers with access to cloud status and maintenance information through the Health Console.

The platform’s infrastructure is distributed across multiple geographic regions, with 3DEXPERIENCE data centers listed across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Availability is also another example of shared responsibility.

A cloud provider can maintain resilient infrastructure, but customers still need to consider their own internet connectivity, endpoint devices, authentication processes and internal business continuity procedures.

6. Trusted AI

Artificial intelligence introduces another dimension to the question of trust.

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into engineering and collaboration workflows, organizations need to understand not only what AI can do, but also how it is governed.

Dassault Systèmes’ Trusted AI approach is based on six principles:

• Human supervision and control

• Robustness, security and privacy

• Intellectual property and data protection

• Transparency and explainability

• Inclusivity and equity

• Sustainability

The emphasis on human supervision is particularly relevant for engineering.

AI can assist with tasks such as finding information, summarizing content, automating selected activities and supporting decision-making. However, users remain responsible for reviewing and validating the results appropriate to their use case.

Dassault Systèmes also publishes documentation describing the intended purpose of individual AI-based functionalities, providing greater transparency about how AI is incorporated into its solutions.

What about customer data and AI?

This is one of the most important questions organizations should ask when evaluating AI features.

Rather than making a blanket assumption about how customer information is handled, organizations should review the specific AI functionality, applicable contractual terms, data governance documentation and hosting environment involved.

Dassault Systèmes states that its AI capabilities are governed through privacy-by-design and security-by-design principles, with controls intended to protect confidentiality, integrity and intellectual property.

Because AI functionality and terms can evolve, reviewing the current documentation for the specific capability being deployed is the best way to evaluate how your organization’s data will be handled.

Why Does This Matter to Small and Mid-Sized Businesses?

Security can be particularly challenging for small and mid-sized organizations.

Maintaining an on-premises infrastructure requires resources for servers, operating system updates, security patches, backups, monitoring, access management and incident response.

Moving to a cloud platform doesn’t eliminate those responsibilities entirely, but it changes where they sit.

A cloud provider can take responsibility for a significant portion of the underlying infrastructure and operational security. The customer can then focus its resources on the areas it directly controls, such as:

• User identities and permissions

• Data governance

• Endpoint security

• Employee awareness

• Internal procedures

• Business continuity

This division of responsibility can be an important consideration when comparing cloud and on-premises environments.

10 Questions to Ask Before Adopting 3DEXPERIENCE Cloud

Before moving engineering data to the cloud, organizations should consider:

• What types of data will be stored on the platform?

• Who should be able to view, modify or share that data?

• How will user roles and permissions be managed?

• How will access be reviewed and removed when employees leave?

• Are appropriate security measures enabled on user devices?

• Which regulatory or certification requirements apply to our organization?

• Where will our data be hosted and processed?

• Which AI capabilities do we plan to use?

• What contractual and data governance terms apply to those AI capabilities?

• Have our IT, security, legal and quality teams reviewed the relevant Trust Center documentation?

These questions can help turn a general discussion about “cloud security” into a practical evaluation of your organization’s actual requirements.

Building Trust in Cloud-Based Engineering

3DEXPERIENCE security isn’t based on a single feature or certification.

It is the result of multiple technical, organizational and governance practices working together, from secure software development and vulnerability testing to privacy, quality management, resilient infrastructure and responsible AI.

Just as importantly, security is a shared responsibility.

The better question isn’t simply:

“Is the cloud secure?”

Instead, organizations should ask:

“What protections does the provider implement, what responsibilities remain with us, and how will we manage our data and users every day?”

Understanding those responsibilities is the first step toward making an informed decision about cloud-based engineering.

Want to evaluate how 3DEXPERIENCE could fit into your organization’s security, collaboration and data management requirements? Contact the Solidxperts team to discuss your environment and requirements.

Both 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS (SOLIDWORKS Connected) and the Design with SOLIDWORKS connector can be removed directly from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. If platform access is no longer available, they can also be uninstalled through Windows.

Below are the recommended methods, starting with the simplest approach.

Option 1: Uninstall from the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform

This is the preferred method when you still have access to your 3DEXPERIENCE tenant.

1. Log in to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

2. Click the Compass (image) icon in the upper-left corner.

3. Under My Roles, select:

• • 3DEXPERIENCE SOLIDWORKS (for SOLIDWORKS Connected), or

  • Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS (for the Design with SOLIDWORKS connector)

4. Locate the SOLIDWORKS app under the selected role.

5. Click the down arrow next to the app and select Uninstall.

You’ll be prompted to confirm the uninstall twice. Confirm both messages to proceed.

Once complete, a confirmation message will appear at the bottom of the apps window indicating the uninstall was successful.

Option 2: Uninstall from the Windows Control Panel

If access to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform has been discontinued, you can uninstall using Windows.

1. Open the Windows Control Panel

• • The quickest way is to click Start and search for Control Panel

2. Select Uninstall a program

• • If using icon view, go to Programs and Features

3. Locate one of the following:

• • Dassault Systèmes R20XXx SOLIDWORKS (for SOLIDWORKS Connected)

  • Dassault Systèmes xCAD Connectors (for the SOLIDWORKS Connector)

4. Select the application and click Uninstall/Change

5. Confirm the uninstall when prompted

A progress dialog will appear. Once it closes, the uninstall is complete.

Performing a Clean Uninstall (Advanced)

In rare cases typically when reinstalling or resolving persistent issues a clean uninstall may be required.

Important: This process involves removing system components and editing the Windows registry. We strongly recommend working with your IT team or Solidxperts Technical Support before proceeding.

Step 1: Remove Prerequisites

After uninstalling SOLIDWORKS Connected or the SOLIDWORKS Connector, return to Control Panel → Uninstall a program and remove only the following items.

⚠️ Do not uninstall other Microsoft Visual C++ versions, as they may be required by other applications.

• 3DEXPERIENCE Launcher

• CEF for SOLIDWORKS Applications

• Dassault Systèmes Software VC10 Prerequisites x86-x64

• Dassault Systèmes Software VC11 Prerequisites x86-x64

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2012 Redistributable (x86 & x64)

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Redistributable (x86 & x64)

• Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2019 Redistributable (x86 & x64)

• Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications 2019

• WPTx64

• Visual Basic (VBA) 7.1

Step 2: Delete Remaining Folders

Some folders may be hidden. In File Explorer, enable View → Show → Hidden items.

Delete the following folders if they exist:

Step 3: Clean the Registry (Advanced)

⚠️ Caution: Incorrect registry changes can cause serious system issues. Always consult an IT professional before proceeding.

Remove the following registry keys if present:

Step 4 and Final Step: Restart

Once all steps are complete, restart the computer to finalize the cleanup.

Final Thoughts

In most cases, uninstalling directly from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform or Windows Control Panel is all that’s required. A clean uninstall should only be used when troubleshooting or preparing for a fresh installation.

If you have questions or run into issues, your Solidxperts Technical Support team is here to help just reach out.

Looking to go further?

• Check out more tips and tutorials on our YouTube channel.

• Explore best practices with our experts.

• Or reach out to our team, we’re here to help you get the most out of your platform.

Your platform should work the way your team works and we’re here to help make that happen.

More and more organizations are moving to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to streamline collaboration, improve data management, and connect their teams. One of the most important pieces of a successful rollout is understanding how Roles work, how they’re assigned, and how licensing is managed.

In this article, we’ll walk through the full lifecycle of Role management, from inviting members to your tenant to assigning Roles individually or by group.

Platform Administrator Access

The steps outlined below require you to be a 3DEXPERIENCE Platform Administrator for your company tenant.

If you don’t see the Platform Management or Members Management dashboards:

• Reach out to your internal 3DEXPERIENCE administrator, or

• If you are the admin and still can’t access them, contact your technical support team to help resolve the issue.

Members Control Center

Once you have the appropriate permissions, open the Members Control Center from:

• The Members Management Dashboard, or

• The Members tab within the Platform Management Dashboard

This is your main workspace for:

• Reviewing existing members

• Viewing available Roles and license counts

• Managing additional apps assigned to the tenant

Licensing Options (Before You Assign Roles)

Before assigning any Roles, it’s a good idea to review the licensing behavior for your tenant.

From the Members Control Center, select Configure Members Options.

There are two key settings to review:

1. License Expiration

We strongly recommend enabling Automatically ungrant expired roles from members or groups.
This ensures that:

• Roles are automatically removed when licenses expire

• Users don’t encounter access errors due to expired licensing

2. Invitations from Administrators

The option Allow administrators to grant roles without assigning automatically the associated license controls how external users access Roles:

• Enabled: external users can use their own licenses

• Disabled: licenses must come from your tenant

Taking a moment to configure these options upfront can prevent licensing issues down the road.

Understanding Member Role Assignments

To see how these settings affect a specific user:

1. Go back to Invite & Grant Roles

2. Select Details for a member

Each Role represents a purchased license and unlocks access to specific apps and capabilities.

Key options include:

Assign License:

• Enabled → license is consumed from your tenant
• Disabled → external user uses a license from another tenant

Restrict Usage to the Platform:

• Enabled → license can only be used on this tenant
• Disabled → license can be used across tenants

Assigning Roles to Members

To assign Roles:

1. Click View All to see every available Role

2. Use search if needed, by Role name or trigram (for example, UES for Collaborative Designer for SOLIDWORKS)

3. Set the licensing options for the Role

4. Select the checkbox to grant it

If a Role requires prerequisites, you’ll be prompted to add them automatically. Simply confirm to proceed.

Inviting New Members

Roles can also be assigned during the invitation process. You can invite users from:

• My Platform Control Center

• Members Control Center

Steps to Invite a Member:

1. Click Invite Member

2. Enter one or more email addresses

3. Choose user rights:

• Member
• Tenant Administrator (always a good idea to have a backup admin)
• External User

4. Optionally include a personal message

5. Click Next to select Roles

Choose the Roles to assign, review any prerequisite requirements, and configure licensing options if needed.

In the final step, select any available apps and click Invite to complete the process.

Requesting Roles (User-Initiated)

Users can also request Roles directly from the platform:

1. Open the Compass

2. Go to Company

3. Select a Role and click Request

The administrator will receive both a platform notification and an email.

Approving Role Requests:

1. Open the Members Control Center

2. Select Manage Requests

3. Open the request tile

4. Click Accept to grant the Role

Assigning Roles Using Groups

Groups are a powerful way to manage Roles at scale.

Creating a User Group:

1. Open the User Groups app (via the Compass)

2. Click Create Group

3. Enter a name and description

• Tip: name the group after the Role it will receive

4. Click Create

5. Add members to the group and save

Assigning Roles to a Group:

1. Go to Members Control Center → Invite & Grant Roles

2. Open Details for the desired Role

3. Switch to the Groups tab

4. Select the appropriate group and confirm any prerequisite Roles

Any user added to the group will automatically receive the assigned Role.

Removing Members from the Tenant

When a user no longer needs access:

1. Open the Members Control Center

2. Select Details for the member

3. Go to Settings

4. Remove the user from the tenant

Make sure to remove any roles that have been assigned to that user before removing them from the platform to avoid any issues with future re-assignment.

The best practice is to use User Groups to assign roles, that way you can simply remove a user from the User Group to remove their roles.

Final Thoughts

Managing Roles effectively is key to getting the most value from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. With the right setup, you can ensure users have exactly the tools they need no more, no less while keeping licensing clean and manageable.

Looking to go further?

• Check out more tips and tutorials on our YouTube channel.

• Explore best practices with our experts.

• Or reach out to our team, we’re here to help you get the most out of your platform.

Your platform should work the way your team works and we’re here to help make that happen.

On the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, Derived Outputs such as PDFs, DXFs, STEP files, and other neutral formats are created from your CAD data for downstream use. These files are often shared with customers, suppliers, or partners who don’t have access to your platform tenant.

In this article, we’ll walk through a few practical ways to package and export Derived Outputs so they’re ready to send outside your organization.

Note: Dassault Systèmes provides general documentation on Derived Outputs. If you need help with setup, automation, or best practices, our technical support and implementation teams are always happy to help.

Choosing the Right Method

There are a couple of different apps and workflows you can use, each with its own advantages depending on:

• The number of files involved

• Whether you’re working with a single assembly or many

• How much cleanup you want to do afterward

Let’s take a look at the most common approaches.

Using the Product Explorer App

Method 1: Download Derived Outputs from a Single Assembly

1. Open the assembly in Product Explorer that already has Derived Outputs.

2. Select the top-level assembly node (it will highlight in blue).

3. Click the Information (i) icon in the lower toolbar.

This opens the information side panel.

4. Navigate to Derived Formats.

5. Click Download All Derived Outputs.

6. Choose which 2D and 3D formats you want to include.

7. Name the ZIP file and click Download.

If you’ve added multiple assemblies to Product Explorer, you’ll need to repeat this process for each one.

Trade-off:

• ✔ Clean output (Derived Outputs only)

• ✖ One assembly at a time

Method 2: Export Multiple Assemblies at Once

If you need to collect outputs from several assemblies or even unrelated parts, this method is much faster.

1. Add assemblies or parts to Product Explorer.

2. Select multiple items using checkboxes or Shift + Select.

3. Click Export As from the bottom toolbar.

4. Name the export, enable Expand All, and set the Derived Format Options.

5. Click Export.

A background job will start.

Once complete:

• A notification appears in the upper-right corner.

• Click the notification to open the CAD Data Processor Monitoring app.

• Use the Download button to retrieve the ZIP file.

This ZIP will include both CAD files and Derived Outputs. To keep only the outputs, simply open the ZIP in Windows Explorer, sort by file type, and remove any files you don’t need.

Trade-off:

• ✔ Multiple assemblies or mixed files at once

• ✖ Manual cleanup required

Using the Bookmark Editor App

Method 1: Download Outputs from a Single Assembly

1. Locate the assembly in a bookmark (or add it to one).

2. Right-click the assembly and choose Information, or open the side panel

3. In the window or side panel, navigate to Derived Outputs.

4. Click Download All Derived Outputs.

This workflow mirrors the single-assembly method in Product Explorer.

Trade-off:

• ✔ Simple and clean

• ✖ One assembly at a time

Method 2: Export Multiple Items from a Bookmark

This method works the same way as the multi-selection approach in Product Explorer.

1. Add all required assemblies or parts to a bookmark.

2. Select the files you want.

3. Click Export As from the upper toolbar.

4. Configure the Derived Format options and start the export.

As before, the resulting ZIP will include CAD data along with the Derived Outputs, so some cleanup may be required.

Trade-off:

• ✔ Ideal for large batches or mixed content

• ✖ Requires removing CAD files afterward

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re sending a single PDF or packaging dozens of STEP and DXF files, the 3DEXPERIENCE platform gives you flexible ways to get the right data out securely and efficiently.

The key is choosing the method that best fits your situation:

• Single assembly, clean output → Download All Derived Outputs

• Multiple files, faster packaging → Export As

Looking to go further?

• Check out more tips and tutorials on our YouTube channel.

• Explore best practices with our experts.

• Or reach out to your Solidxperts team we’re here to help you get the most out of your platform.