When a SolidWorks assembly is opened from a local drive outside the Workspace, it will not get loaded in “Large Assembly Mode” (even though it is set during “Open”). This is to ensure that when an assembly is opened from outside the Windchill File System, all references can be found before Checking In to Windchill, and to do this requires opening the assembly fully. (Lightweight mode does not fully load all components, and therefore SolidWorks cannot verify that all references can be found.) To work with a SolidWorks assembly retrieved from outside the Workspace in “Large assembly mode,” first open the assembly in SolidWorks and then perform File > Save to Workspace. This adds the assembly and all its dependents into the Workspace. Once the assembly has been initially saved to Workspace, subsequent opening of the assembly from the Workspace in SolidWorks adheres to “Large Assembly Mode” rules. An assembly already available in Windchill, if added or checked out to Workspace, can be directly opened in Large Assembly Mode.