Complete the Setup Guide: your first CAD import

You can finish all four Setup Guide steps in one sitting and end with your first assembly checked into the vault, references intact.

First run of the add-in

Open SOLIDWORKS® 3D CAD. The Sibe panel opens in the right-hand task pane.

1. Sign in with the same email and password you used to create your Sibe account. There is no separate add-in login.
2. Select your workspace.
3. Choose your local cache folder. C:\SibeCache works well — see the folder rules below.

Complete the Setup Guide

1. In the vault, create a new top-level folder.
2. Refresh the add-in so the new folder appears.
3. Cache the folder locally, then open it from the link or the folder icon.
4. Copy your CAD files and folders into the local cache folder.
5. Select all, write a Version Description, and check them in.
6. Open the vault to see the files.
7. Click an assembly to view it in the dashboard.
8. Read the navigation tips.
9. Check out a file to finish the guide.

A version number appears against each file once it lands, so you can see at a glance that it is in the vault.

Rules for the local cache folder

The local cache folder mirrors your vault structure on your machine. You copy CAD files into it, then check them in from SolidWorks.

• Keep the path short and near the root — C:\SibeCache, not a folder six levels deep. Windows caps a full file path at 260 characters, and files past that limit will not open.
• Never put it inside a cloud-synced folder — OneDrive, Google Drive or Dropbox. Two things syncing the same files fight each other.
• Do not open files straight out of the cache folder in Windows Explorer. Open them from the add-in, so Sibe tracks the check-out.

The cache mirrors your folder structure — similar, not identical. What you see locally lines up with the vault, but it is not a file-for-file replica.

Common questions

What sign-in do I use in the add-in?
The same email and password you used to create your Sibe account.

Do I have to check out a file to finish setup?
Yes. The last Setup Guide step is a check-out, so you have done the full round trip once.

Can I add more folders later?
Yes. Upload CAD files covers both ways to get files in.

Can I move the cache folder afterward?
Yes. Change it in the add-in's Settings tab, then re-cache the folders you work in.

Next: Workspace settings

Still stuck? Start a chat from the bottom-right of any Sibe page, or email support@sibe.io.

SOLIDWORKS is a registered trademark of Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation. Sibe is an independent product and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dassault Systèmes.

Updated on: 08/21/2026