In manufacturing, mechanical design, and product development teams, SolidWorks is a foundational tool throughout the entire design cycle. It is used not only for 3D modeling, but also for working scenarios such as engineering drawings, assembly verification, motion simulation, sheet metal unfolding, and structural analysis. However, as enterprise design teams expand and cross-project collaboration increases, the difficulty of managing SolidWorks floating licenses also increases.

For a long time, the SolidWorks authorization pool was a “black box” for administrators:

• When will it be occupied?
• Which department is using it heavily?
• When does peak usage occur?
• Are there any empty occupations or legacy processes?
• Do additional licenses really need to be added?

Most businesses don’t have a precise answer. The addition of Nodexel gives these issues a data-based perspective for the first time.

1. SolidWorks usage pattern within the enterprise: frequent, fragmented, with obvious peaks

Unlike CAE software that focuses on simulation, SolidWorks is a “high-frequency tool” that is called by engineers almost all day long.

These characteristics appear in actual use:

1. The call frequency is extremely high, almost throughout working hours

Engineers may open and close models or drawings repeatedly in a short period of time, and authorizations are frequently occupied and released.

2. There are many departments and projects, and usage behavior is extremely scattered.

Mechanical, tooling, electrical, mechanism development, supply chain technical support and other teams all use SolidWorks.

3. Peak periods are concentrated in fixed time periods

9:00am–11:00am / 2:00–4:00pm are the times most likely to be under-licensed.

4. There is a large amount of space occupied

Engineers leaving their desks, interrupting meetings, switching to Excel or a browser can cause licenses to remain occupied.

These behaviors often result in SolidWorks licenses being “full,” but it’s difficult for companies to determine the true cause.

2. Nodexel: Build a real-time and transparent authorization monitoring system for SolidWorks

After Nodexel is authorized by SolidWorks’ SNL (SolidNetWork License), it can:

1. Display the usage status of all licenses in real time

Includes:

• Current online users
• Occupied modules (CAD, Premium, Simulation, Routing, PDM plug-in, etc.)
• Authorized quantity and remaining quantity
• Use start time and duration
• Which licenses are nearly full

This information is presented in visual charts so that engineering leaders and IT departments can understand the status of SolidWorks usage in real time.

3. The actual value of Nodexel in engineering scenarios

Scenario 1: Why is SolidWorks occupied every morning?

Nodexel’s trend chart will clearly show:

• Which department centrally launched SolidWorks?
• Which modules are called in batches during a certain period of time
• Has the true peak of the authorization pool peaked in the long term?

This information often explains the root cause of the team’s persistent complaint of “not enough permissions.”

Scenario 2: Some high-value modules (such as Simulation) are in long-term tension

Nodexel will mark the usage of Simulation, Routing, Premium and other modules so that the management team can clearly understand:

• Who exactly is using it?
• Is the usage cycle related to the project phase?
• Whether there is long-term space occupation

This is critical for enterprises planning CAE/design resources.

Scenario 3: Multiple business units share the same SolidWorks license pool

Nodexel can follow:

• Department
• project team
• area
• server group

Conduct usage statistics to help enterprises determine:

• Which department is the real “big user”?
• Is there any unbalanced use among departments?
• Do you need to split the authorization pool or expand the capacity?

Avoid design process delays caused by competition for resources.

Scenario 4: There is long-term “waste of license usage” that no one notices

Nodexel recognizes:

• Inactive session
• Process ended but license not released
• No modeling or drawing editing behavior has been triggered for many hours

This information helps companies reduce hidden waste.

4. Recycling of idle licenses (an understatement)

During enterprise-defined peak hours, Nodexel can Empty SolidWorks sessions that have been inactive for a long time are lightly recycled., to prevent resources from being meaninglessly occupied, but does not affect the model or simulation task being edited by the engineer.

5. From invisible to manageable: data-driven SolidWorks application system

After introducing Nodexel, enterprises can systematically obtain:

• Long-term usage trends
• Load peak occurrence time
• The proportion of resources occupied by each business department
• Pressure conditions of special modules (Simulation, Routing)
• Space occupancy analysis
• Annual resource planning basis

This data allows companies to no longer rely on engineer feedback or guesswork, but to provide clear answers to:

• Are SolidWorks licenses “enough”?
• Does it need to be expanded? Which module should be expanded?
• What behaviors create resource constraints?
• Is there a pattern of inappropriate use by the design team?
• Do usage specifications or resource policies need to be adjusted?

From then on, SolidWorks is no longer an “invisible resource”, but a quantifiable and manageable production tool.

Conclusion

SolidWorks is a tool at the heart of the enterprise’s 3D design process, but its licensing status has long been invisible. Nodexel provides a complete set of monitoring and data analysis capabilities, allowing enterprises to understand authorization loads from the engineering process level, improve collaboration efficiency, reduce resource waste, and formulate resource planning based on data.

This makes the SolidWorks licensing environment “visible, auditable, and manageable” for the first time.