capwitf/mechanical-cad-skills/cad-solidworks-native-preflight

CAD SolidWorks Native Preflight

Overview

Native SolidWorks quality cannot be proven from a STEP, PDF, screenshot, or script alone. Use this gate before claiming .sldprt, .sldasm, or .slddrw files are ready.

Core Rule

Do not claim native SolidWorks files are correct, openable, rebuilt, editable, or ready unless SolidWorks itself was used to open or create the final native files and the evidence was recorded.

If SolidWorks cannot launch, license is unavailable, COM/API access fails, or native files cannot be reopened and rebuilt, mark native SolidWorks quality as Unverified or fail. Neutral exports may still be delivered, but they do not prove native file quality.

Native Preflight Checklist

Record these items before native delivery:

Native Evidence Labels

• Pass: final native file opened in SolidWorks, rebuilt, saved or exported, and evidence was recorded.
• Partial: SolidWorks opened or exported something, but native reopen/rebuild, drawing, assembly, or export evidence is incomplete.
• Fail: SolidWorks could not launch, open, rebuild, save, export, or produced blank/stale/broken output.
• Unverified: SolidWorks was not available or the check was not run.

Do not convert Partial or Unverified to Pass because a STEP/PDF exists.

Automation Boundary

Before running SolidWorks automation:

1. Use cad-external-skill-intake for external SolidWorks automation skills, MCP servers, or repos.
2. Use cad-toolchain-preflight for the general tool path.
3. Run this native preflight for SolidWorks-specific evidence.
4. Record results with cad-evidence-ledger.

Do not run unknown macros, downloaded installers, or external automation scripts without explicit user approval. Prefer small local smoke tests before touching the real deliverable.

Drawing-Specific Checks

For .slddrw or SolidWorks-generated PDF/DXF:

• drawing opens in SolidWorks,
• referenced model resolves,
• views are not empty,
• sheet format/title block is present,
• dimensions and annotations are visible,
• rebuild/update views before export,
• exported PDF/DXF is fresh and nonblank,
• cad-visual-layout checks plotted readability.

Assembly-Specific Checks

For .sldasm:

• components resolve from final paths,
• mates are not suppressed or broken without being reported,
• assembly rebuilds,
• approximate interference or clearance checks are run when the task requires fit,
• BOM/exploded/drawing references are updated when delivered.

Handoff

Use with:

• cad-sw-delivery whenever native SolidWorks deliverables are requested.
• cad-toolchain-preflight before relying on SolidWorks automation.
• cad-evidence-ledger for paths, hashes, timestamps, logs, screenshots, and claim categories.
• cad-final-verification before final reporting.

Common Mistakes

• Claiming .sldprt quality because STEP export succeeded.
• Reporting native files ready without reopening them in SolidWorks.
• Ignoring rebuild warnings or suppressed features.
• Delivering a drawing whose referenced model path is broken.
• Treating COM launch as proof that the final file opens.
• Forgetting that PDF/DXF exports do not prove .slddrw health.