CircuitSweepQuick Start Guide
Faster PCB imports. Lighter models for assemblies and drawings.
Why PCB models get slow
Thousands of small bodies add faces and edges for SolidWorks to import, store and display. Reducing that detail means less geometry to process in your assemblies and drawings.
Import heavy PCB STEP files faster
For the biggest import speed gains, use Optimized to exclude small bodies before SolidWorks loads them.
- Open Tools → CircuitSweep - Fast PCB Import... and choose your STEP file.
- Choose Optimized and set the size threshold; 3 mm is the default.
- Click Import, check the result and save the part.
Need all geometry in the part? Choose Complete, then create a simplified configuration after import.
Create a simplified PCB configuration
Speed up assemblies and drawings while keeping the full imported geometry in the source configuration.
- Open the PCB part. On the CircuitSweep tab, choose Simplify PCB → Create Simplified Configuration.
- Review the blue bodies selected for exclusion. If you change filters, press Select. Use Ctrl+click to deselect bodies you want to keep or select additional bodies to exclude.
- Click OK to create the simplified configuration.
To change the result, choose Update Simplified Configuration.
If prompted, choose Break Link to continue. This ends the live STEP connection; future PCB revisions need a new import.
Further performance improvement
Create a lighter part file containing only the geometry you need:
- Delete Bodies Permanently to delete selected bodies from the existing file.
- New Part from Configuration to save the simplified geometry in a new file while keeping the full imported geometry in the original.