SolidWorks adds pay‑per‑use AI tokens

Dassault Systèmes has put a meter on some of SolidWorks’ newest AI features. On the company’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform, users can now buy so-called blue tokens that are spent when AI tools generate a result, including tasks tied to drawings, insights and other virtual-companion functions. Engineering.com reported the change on Sept. 2 after speaking with SolidWorks Chief Executive Manish Kumar. The move matters because the AI tools are no longer priced only as part of a broad software entitlement. Dassault’s own product pages say blue tokens measure AI activity across its virtual companions and are consumed only when a skill is executed and produces an outcome, not when a user simply chats with the assistant. ### What exactly are users paying for? (engineering.com) Dassault’s 3DS store says blue tokens are the unit used for “Virtual Companion Units” across the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The company describes the model as value-based: simpler tasks such as insights, annotations and basic sketches use fewer tokens, while more complex jobs such as detailed drawings and assembly structures use more. (solidworks.com) SOLIDWORKS says the same logic applies inside its AI workflow. A company explainer says tokens are used only when the system assists, generates, analyzes, modifies or automates work on the user’s behalf. That means the billable event is the delivered output, not the prompt itself. ### Which AI features sit behind the token meter? (3ds.com) SOLIDWORKS is tying the model to its AI virtual companions, including AURA and LEO. The company says those tools are meant to automate routine operations, reduce repetitive work and surface predictive insights inside the design environment. One visible example is Generative Drawings in beta. (blogs.solidworks.com) SOLIDWORKS says the feature can create manufacturing documentation from models, while letting users define templates, standards, formats and views before refining the output. The company’s 2026 product materials also highlight AI-driven drawings and assemblies as part of recent releases. (solidworks.com) ### Why is this different from a normal CAD license? Engineering.com reported that Dassault’s July 23 launch announcement for its virtual companions did not spell out that a separate payment system had arrived alongside them. Kumar told the publication the rollout meant users would have access to AI features, but token spending would determine how much of that functionality they actually consumed. (solidworks.com) Third-party resellers have framed the change in similar terms. Hawk Ridge Systems said every SOLIDWORKS license on active subscription now includes Cloud Services and access to the AI companions, but actual AI use carries incremental cost through token consumption. ### What does this change for students and engineering teams? (engineering.com) The practical effect is that AI usage becomes a trackable operating expense inside design work. Dassault’s store page says token consumption rises with task complexity, so teams that rely on automated drawings or deeper AI-generated structure can expect variable usage rather than a fixed all-in cost. (hawkridgesys.com) For students, labs and small engineering groups, that can turn experimentation into a budgeting question. SOLIDWORKS and its resellers present the system as paying for outcomes rather than interactions, but the same structure also requires users to decide when an AI-generated drawing or insight is worth spending tokens on. ### Where can users see the system now? (3ds.com) Dassault already lists blue-token purchasing through its online store, and SOLIDWORKS has published separate pages explaining how token use works in AURA and LEO. Users looking for the drawing workflow can also find Generative Drawings described on the company’s product pages as a beta feature for manufacturing documentation. (3ds.com) (solidworks.com)