The FeatureWorks add-in has been re-architected. When importing neutral formats (STEP, IGES, Parasolid), SolidWorks 2022 now recognizes common features like fillets, holes, and chamfers with nearly double the accuracy of 2021. This is a game-changer for reverse engineering.
The bounding box (a virtual rectangular envelope around a part) can now be applied to multibody parts and configurations, and its dimensions are directly usable in BOM tables. This is a quiet win for packaging, shipping, and cost estimation.
While the connectivity improvements are foundational, the bread and butter of any release lies in the day-to-day modeling improvements. SolidWorks 2022 delivers several quality-of-life updates that drastically reduce design time.
Honestly, not much. Dassault tends to avoid breaking legacy workflows. However, the 32-bit version of SolidWorks was officially discontinued. If you were running SolidWorks 2021 on a 32-bit Windows OS (rare after 2020), will not install. The minimum requirement is now 64-bit Windows 10 (version 1809 or later).
: The "Large Design Review" mode was significantly expanded, allowing you to open sub-assemblies in this high-performance mode and even access reference planes and walk-throughs without fully resolving the model. Faster Graphics
: Structural member features now support more flexible treatments like end miters and profile rotations, allowing users to quickly design complex frames like rectangular pipe structures. Specialized Tooling Simulation & PDM