Changes are afoot in Siemens’ Designcenter ecosystem and Solid Edge has a new name – Designcenter Solid Edge 2026. We spoke to Dan Staples, VP of R&D for mainstream engineering, about the first release under the new title
Q: Siemens Digital Industries has been making some updates within Designcenter – can you tell us a bit more?
Dan Staples: Absolutely; Solid Edge has a new name – Designcenter Solid Edge 2026 – and that change signals something bigger. It’s now part of the Designcenter suite, which brings together NX and Solid Edge under one unified ecosystem.
This suite is built on our Parasolid kernel and is designed to deliver performance, flexibility and intelligent automation across the entire design process.
This year’s release is all about adapting to how engineers work today, whether on the desktop, in the cloud, or somewhere in between Dan Staples
Q: What improvements has this new name brought with it?
Dan Staples: This year’s release is all about adapting to how engineers work today. Whether they’re on the desktop, in the cloud, or somewhere in between, Designcenter Solid Edge 2026 supports hybrid workflows that are fast, secure and collaborative.
AI is deeply embedded and it’s all about helping engineers work smarter, not harder. For example, Magnetic Snap Assembly uses AI to automatically detect and apply the correct constraints when placing components, making assembly up to nine times more efficient.
We’ve also introduced AI features like powered automatic drawing generation, automated revision tracking and a new Copilot that’s always available to answer questions and guide users in real time. The goal is to help maintain momentum without interruptions.
Q: Which AI feature stands out to you the most?
Dan Staples: AI drawing automation is a game changer. It streamlines what has traditionally been a very manual process and is one of the most impactful AI features in Designcenter Solid Edge 2026.
This tool uses artificial intelligence to create 2D drawings that are already 70% to 80% complete as soon as the process begins. It intelligently places views, applies dimensions and selects templates based on design context and standards, significantly reducing set-up time. Engineers can still make adjustments, but the heavy lifting is already done, making documentation faster, more consistent and less tedious.
Even with the revision tracking – AI supports intelligent symbol placement and hole table generation – it’s not just automation. It’s guidance, precision and speed built into every step of the design process.
Q: What non-AI improvements have been added?
Dan Staples: For managing large assemblies, features like smarter display configurations, reusable exploded views and enhanced Part Copy streamline the process. Associative mirroring reduces rework and keeps everything aligned, while new configuration tools make it easier to toggle visual elements without altering geometry.
In manufacturing, we’ve added etching on bends and curves, automatic flange trimming and thin wall creation tools. These reduce manual steps and improve accuracy, making it easier for engineers to move from design to production. The Tab and Slot command also simplifies the creation of interlocking components, improving alignment and manufacturability.
Q: There’s also the new immersive Walkthrough command, how do you see that helping in a design workflow?
Dan Staples: Walkthrough lets the user move around a part or assembly like in a video game with a keyboard and mouse or Xbox controller. It’s perfect for design reviews and presentations, and the flythrough paths can be recorded for animations or exported to KeyShot for high-quality visuals.
This means you can quickly create dynamic walkthroughs of your assemblies, helping colleagues or customers see your work in action.
Q: Customisation and control were mentioned at launch a few times; which elements do you think users will appreciate most?
Dan Staples: From the new Dark Theme (which was a hit during beta testing) to cloud-synced preferences and flexible licensing, users now have more control over their workspace and tools than ever before.
These preferences now follow users across devices via the cloud and the AI Copilot helps adjust settings on the fly.
Q: You mentioned flexible licensing, how is this evolving?
Dan Staples: With Value-Based Licensing, teams can unlock advanced capabilities using tokens, giving them flexibility without long-term commitments. It’s a scalable toolkit that grows with users’ needs, so instead of committing to every add-on up front, they can use tokens to unlock advanced capabilities on demand.
Think of it as a flexible toolkit with the freedom to explore powerful options without a long-term commitment, all while keeping budgets predictable.
This article first appeared in DEVELOP3D Magazine
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