Tips & Tricks Archives
 You can look at two or more views of the same model simultaneously by using the view splitter bars located at the bottom of the window.
When opening a drawing or an assembly, you can change the part being referenced by using the references button in the File Open dialog box.
If the display in Hidden Line view mode is too coarse, you can adjust it using Tools, options,Document Properties, Image Quality, Wireframe.
You can make the selection of entities easier by using the filters on the Selection Filter toolbar (shortcut ‘F5’),
You can create copies of fillets, chamfers, and holes. Hold CTRL while dragging the icon from the FeatureManager design tree onto another edge or face.
SolidWorks Sustainability express evaluates the environmental impact of a design throughout the life cycle of a product. You can compare results from different designs to ensure a sustainable solution for the product and the environment.(SW 2010)
You can insert a picture and sketch to trace on it( Tools-sketch tools-sketch picture).
The Rollback tool is useful when editing large parts to limit rebuilding. Rollback to the position just after the feature that you are editing. When editing is completed, the part is rebuilt only upto the rollback bar.
You can measure the shortest distance between edges, faces, sketch entities and components. Click measure (Tools toolbar) or tools, Measure, and select the pair of entities.
Sensors monitor selected properties of parts and assemblies and alert you when values deviate from the limits you specify. Find it in Tools>sensors (SolidWorks 2009).
Shift-select dimension text in a drawing to move a dimension from one view to another. Ctrl-select Dimension text in a drawing to copy a dimension from one view to another.
You can change a Break Line look by right clicking on the Break line and choose the type from the menu. Choose from Straight, Curved, Zig Zag and Small Zig Zag.
You can override dimensions when dragging sketch entities by clicking tools, sketch settings, override dims on drag. You can make this the default behavior by setting the option under Tools , Options, system Options, Sketch.
In PhotoView 360, you can now see PhotoWorks decals that were applied in SolidWorks and that were visible when the part or assembly was saved.( SolidWorks 2010)
Bills of Materials (BOMs) for parts and assemblies have enhanced support in eDrawings. Select individual rows to highlight, hide, or show the corresponding components or to make them transparent. In earlier releases, you could view BOMs created in SolidWorks assemblies. Now, you can hide, show, and reposition them.(SolidWorks 2010)
Sketch Modify - When a sketch plane is redefined or when a sketch is copied and pasted onto a new face/plane, the sketch may get rotated or mirrored. To quickly reorient sketches that do not have external relations, Click Tools/Sketch Tools/Modify. Right-clicking the black ends of the cursor will flip a sketch along that axis. Right-click-drag anywhere on the screen will rotate the sketch, or you can enter a rotation value in the dialog box
You can use a mouse gesture as a shortcut to execute a command, similar to a keyboard shortcut. Once you learn command mappings, you can use mouse gestures to invoke mapped commands quickly. To activate a mouse gesture, from the graphics area, right-drag in one of four directions: up, down, left or right. (sw 2010)
The dimension palette appears when you insert or select a dimension so you can easily change the dimension's properties and formatting. You can change the tolerance, precision, style, text, and other formatting options in the palette without going to the PropertyManager.(sw 2010)
Link a hyperlink to you part/Assembly/Drawing:- While in part or assembly mode (can be used in drawing mode). Choose the note tool from Tools>Annotations>Note. Place the note (attached to a face, edge, or just in space). Type what you would like the user to click on (example: click here or click for material information). From the property manager choose the hyperlink button. Browse to a local, network, or type/paste a web address in the dialog that appears. Click OK. Test out your link to make sure it goes to the correct webpage or file. File and Places to link to examples: Test videos, Reliability Test Reports, Stress Calculations, Material Information etc. .
Less Addins save memory:- Lot of memory being used on your computer just starting SolidWorks because one or more o Add-ins is left on, this may cause solidworks to open slowly. Only turn on certain Add-ins when you are using them. For example is you only use PhotoWorks a couple times a month or like many user a couple times a year, turn it off unless you are using it. . Solidworks takes up lot of memory for the Addins like simulation when it is not all used. To check on your current Add-in that may be on at this time, start SolidWorks and go to Tools --> Add-ins.
“Zoom to fit” and the assembly disappears?:- This is typically caused by components a long way (1000s of KM) from the origin. A new function quietly appeared in SW2008 which automatically corrects the problem: Tools -> AssemblyXpert will detect components a long way from the origin, and can bring them back to the correct place automatically.
You can drag a specific configuration of a part into an assembly by selecting the
configuration from the FeatureManager design tree.
You can display view arrow and labels on drawing views. Select a drawing view, and in the
property manager, select ‘display view arrow’, and optionally, specify a label (one or two
characters).
To change the crosshatch pattern in a drawing section view, select the crosshatch region and
specify the pattern in the Area Hatchfill PropertyManager.
You can Ctrl-drag a reference plane to make a quick offset copy. Double-click the new plane
to specify the offset dimension exactly.
You can create patterns of features, and patterns of patterns in parts. In assemblies, you
can create patterns of components and patterns of components and patterns of assembly
level features.
You can change a Break Line look by right clicking on the Break line and choose the type from the menu. Choose from Straight, Curved, Zig Zag and Small Zig Zag.
 Beginning with Solidworks 2008, there is a search-filter field (shown above) at the very top of the Feature Manager in assembly files, part files, and drawing files. Simply type your character string within this field, and as you type it will dynamically filter away all features except those that match the field.
In drawings, the type of projection can be changed from 1st angle to 3rd angle projection. RMB on the sheet go to properties toggle radio button 1st angle or third angle projection.
Creating notes with multiple leader lines. First, click on the note to select it. When it highlights, you will see a square, green drag-handle at the end of the leader arrow. Place your cursor directly over this drag handle, hold down the Ctrl key, and drag-and-drop a copy of the leader to a new location. Repeat if you want more than two leaders.
Extrude to direction vector. To correctly build features built on drafted faces, you can specify a direction vector for the extrusion
 
The first component in an assembly is fixed by default. To move it right click on the component and select float.
You can crtl drag the an assembly component from the feature manager design tree into the graphics window to create another instance of the same component in the assembly.
You can use tools, interference detection to make sure components in the assembly don’t intersect one another.
You can use the view menu to toggle the display of various types of items planes, axis, origins etc.
You can specify the line font for many drawing items, including detail view borders. Click tools, options, document properties, line font.
You can change the orientation of all standard views for a part or assembly. In the view orientation dialog box, click the name of the standard view that you want assigned to the current orientation, then click update. The standard views are updated to reflect the new orientation.
You can create a sketch point at the virtual intersection of two entities. Ctrl-select the entities and click point(sketch toolbar). To change the appearance of the point, click tools, options, document properties, virtual sharps.
You can check a sketch to determine whether or not it can be used to create a specific type of feature. Click tools, sketch tools, check sketch for feature while editing the sketch.
You can sort items in a bill of materials. Right click the BOM and select properties. On the columns that are displayed on the tab to sort. Click again to reverse the order.
SolidWorks has collision detection in assemblies to determine when components interfere. You can also use this functionality to display the minimum distance between two components or have the motion stop when the components come within a specified distance of another.
If your sheet metal part contains auto relief, you can select tear or obround rather rectangular relief.
Sensors monitor selected properties of parts and assemblies and alert you when values deviate from the limits you specify. Find it in Tools>sensors (SolidWorks 2009).
SolidWorks toolbox contains Korean (KS) and Indian (IS) standards for hardware (SolidWorks 2009).
The sketch options Linear Sketch Pattern and Circular Sketch Pattern can be used within a sketch to create copies of sketch geometry.
The Rollback tool is useful when editing large parts to limit rebuilding. Rollback to the position just after the feature that you are editing. When editing is completed, the part is rebuilt only upto the rollback bar.
Double clicking the Command Manager or dragging it allows to dock at the top or bottom or to either side of the SolidWorks window. ( New in SolidWorks 2009)
You can dimension the true length of an arc by selecting the arc and its two points. The dimension value is displayed with an arc above it.
You can crtl-select multiple annotations and move them as a group.
Lightweight assemblies
If you work on large assemblies and don’t need to make changes to all of the parts,
Lightweight Assemblies may improve your performance
Large Assembly Mode
LAM functions are set up in Tools, Options, Large Assembly Mode Causes View
functions to be un selectable Can be turned on/off manually or automatically using a
part count threshold
Edge display and wireframe
For fastest display, use shaded mode without edges
Simplified Configurations
Make simplified configurations for parts and assemblies with detail information turned off such as cosmetic features, fillets, fasteners, etc.
Software OpenGL
Tools, Options, Performance Turn this on to debug video problems, or if you use a
non-OpenGL graphics card Turn it off if you have a good graphics card for better video performance It can only be changed when no documents are open
System Maintenance
-Don’t put junk software on the machine
-Minimize the use of desktop to save files
-Keep video drivers up to date
-Defrag and clear temp directories
-Be careful of antivirus settings
-Reformat once a year
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