Solid Edge 2025 Offers Cloud Flexibility and Workflow

Siemens Digital Industries Software released Solid Edge 2025, the latest update to its mainstream mechanical design suite, with new tools aimed at increasing modeling efficiency, improving collaboration, and modernizing user workflows. Among the most significant updates is the debut of Solid Edge X, a SaaS-based version that delivers the core functionality of Solid Edge in a cloud-native environment, still built on Siemens’ Parasolid kernel.

The new version also refines key areas such as sheet metal design, model-based definition (MBD), and large assembly management part of Siemens’ ongoing move toward more integrated and flexible engineering platforms that reflect the realities of hybrid work and globally distributed teams.

In this brief article, we highlight a variety of updates that users will find interesting. For a full rundown of all new updates, go to Siemen’s blog Introducing Solid Edge 2025.

Solid Edge X brings mechanical design onto the Web, making it easier for users to design, review, or edit online. Image source Siemens. Click image to enlarge.

Solid Edge X: SaaS Meets Mechanical CAD

The headline feature in Solid Edge 2025 is Solid Edge X, a web-delivered version of the software designed to reduce IT overhead and enable location-independent access to projects. Built on Siemens’ Teamcenter X for secure cloud-based data management, Solid Edge X supports login-based licensing, automated updates, and collaboration tools — all in a zero-install footprint.

Solid Edge X comes in three tiers — Standard, Advanced, and Premium — allowing organizations to scale features according to need. This flexibility extends to the value-based licensing model, where users can access additional tools such as simulation, generative design, and electrical routing on demand via token bundles.

“Solid Edge X will help our teams access the software from any location, enabling seamless collaboration across disciplines and geographies,” said Christian Wünsch of Tremonia Mobility.

Productivity Enhancements: Design Faster, Smarter

Solid Edge 2025 includes several updates aimed at reducing manual input and streamlining routine tasks:

Quick Pattern Command simplifies the creation of feature patterns in assemblies, eliminating the need to predefine sketches.
Face Style Enhancements allow users to apply visual overrides directly in the assembly, with drag-and-drop styling and reuse via a new Style Picker.
Expanded Pathfinder Management groups duplicate components automatically, improves bill-of-materials visibility, and enhances filtering options.

Search functionality across Solid Edge has also been upgraded. Dialogs now support wildcards and contextual filtering, making it easier for users to find components, materials, and properties even in large assemblies.

“Search is improved throughout Solid Edge 2025,” noted Carsten Oestmann of Focke GmbH. “Finding the right parts, materials, properties and more faster increases productivity and efficiency.”

Sheet metal tools in Solid Edge 2025 support more precise bend and etch operations across complex geometries. Image source Siemens. Click image to enlarge.

Sheet Metal and MBD: More Precision, Less Rework

Sheet metal design continues to be a strength in the Solid Edge platform, including in this year’s release:

Etch Support Across Bends allows designers to wrap sketches and apply etching to curved surfaces.
Bend Deduction and Allowance Calculations now provide more control over flat patterns, which is key for accurate manufacturing.
Enhancements to the Inquire Element Tool now deliver richer data on bend geometry, mesh bodies, and surface properties.

On the documentation front, improvements to Model-Based Definition (MBD) allow for hybrid annotations combining dimensions and feature control frames in one workflow and expanded standards support, including ISO 21920 compliance for surface textures.

"Drawing enhancements and extended support for hybrid annotations make a big difference, improving how we work every day,” said Schulz.

Cloud Collaboration with Teamcenter Share

Solid Edge 2025 continues to deepen its integration with Teamcenter Share, Siemens' cloud-based platform for design collaboration. Users can now:

Upload files up to 500GB, with speeds 2.5x faster than before, according to Siemens.
Track tasks, edit projects, and manage collaboration directly within Solid Edge.
Share single files with external collaborators without exposing entire projects.

Interface improvements also allow project tasks to be automatically sorted by status and priority, improving visibility for distributed teams.

CAM, Simulation, and Electrical Design

Siemens has also bolstered the auxiliary tools that round out the Solid Edge ecosystem:

Solid Edge CAM Pro introduces AI-assisted operation recommendations, enhanced drilling, and support for Zig-Zag face milling.
Simcenter FLOEFD Integration now supports faster mesh generation for STL and faceted geometries, reducing setup time for flow and heat simulation.
Capital X Panel Designer, a browser-based electrical schematic tool, integrates with Solid Edge to enable real-time collaboration and secure, cloud-based editing.

These modules are increasingly accessible via Solid Edge’s token-based licensing system, which lets users try specialized tools without full upfront investment.

User Experience: Small Changes, Big Gains

While much of the focus is on backend improvements and cloud delivery, Solid Edge 2025 also includes several UI refinements that streamline day-to-day design work:

Redesigned Command Bars now follow a vertical layout with larger buttons, optimized for 4K monitors.
Contextual Toolbars can be personalized to fade when inactive or appear on right-click, reducing cursor travel.
Discovery Center, a new embedded hub, centralizes tutorials, product news, and trial resources in one place.

“The improved dialogue boxes and modern user interface make Solid Edge 2025 more efficient and easier to use,” said John Matthews of Hatch.

The new Discovery Center is a centralized hub for program tutorials, trials, documentation, and resources. Image source Siemens. Click image to enlarge.

Siemens’ Steady Push Toward the Digital Enterprise

Solid Edge 2025 is part of Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio, an integrated suite of software, hardware, and services intended to support end-to-end product lifecycle management. The continued evolution of Solid Edge reflects Siemens’ larger strategic aim: to connect mechanical, electrical, and software design in a unified, cloud-accessible environment.

Manufacturers increasingly prioritize flexibility, scalability, and sustainability in their product development environments. Solid Edge 2025 meets these evolving demands by offering a thoughtful balance between continuity and innovation.

For long-time users, the familiar workflows and core modeling tools remain intact, preserving productivity and avoiding disruptive retraining. At the same time, the introduction of cloud-native capabilities — such as Solid Edge X, AI-assisted design, and Teamcenter Share — positions teams to operate more efficiently across hybrid or distributed work settings.

The result is a CAD environment that supports modern collaboration and licensing models without abandoning proven practices. Whether leveraging value-based licensing to scale access to advanced tools or improving MBD compliance with hybrid annotations, Solid Edge 2025 supports incremental modernization at a pace set by the user.

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