Solid

User Interface Overview
The following illustrations identify the main elements of the SOLIDWORKS user interface:
1 Menu Bar 6 Selection Breadcrumbs
2 Toolbars 7 FeatureManager Design Tree Filter
3 CommandManager 8 FeatureManager Design Tree
4 ConfigurationManager 9 Status Bar
5 PropertyManager
1 Heads-up View Toolbar 4 Task Pane
2 SOLIDWORKS Search 5 Graphics Area
3 Help flyout menu
Changing Background
You can control the brightness of the background of the SOLIDWORKS user interface.
The background setting affects the user interface surrounding the graphics area but does not change the graphics area.
To change the background:
1. Click Options .
2. Select System Options > Colors.
3. For Background, select one of the following:
 Light (default)
 Medium Light
 Medium
 Dark
The screen text color adjusts automatically for visibility on the new background.
Optionally, you can choose a specific color for the text in the FeatureManager design tree or the Flyout FeatureManager
design tree by selecting and editing FeatureManager Design Tree Text or Flyout FeatureManager Design Tree Text under
Color scheme settings.
4. Click OK.
Accessibility
The colors and fonts in the SOLIDWORKS user interface make SOLIDWORKS more accessible to people with color blindness.
Icons in the active PropertyManager use blue to indicate what you must select on the screen; faces, edges, and so on. Adding blue to
the icons provides a sharp contrast in colors so that many SOLIDWORKS users with color blindness can distinguish one icon from
another.
The font used in the SOLIDWORKS user interface is chosen for maximum readability. Turn on ClearType ®, software technology
developed by Microsoft®, to make the text on your screen easier to read.
PARENT TOPICUser Interface
Turning on ClearType
To turn on ClearType:
1. From the Windows Start menu, click Control Panel.

2. Click Appearance and Personalization.
3. Click Display, and on the left, click Adjust ClearType text.
4. Select Turn on ClearType, click Next, and complete the wizard.
The text on your screen uses the new, easier to read SOLIDWORKS font.
Logging into SOLIDWORKS
SOLIDWORKS provides a login feature. You use the same SOLIDWORKS ID to access the Customer Portal, MySolidWorks, and the
SOLIDWORKS Forums.
You can use the Login dialog box, but you can continue to start SOLIDWORKS as you currently do.
Benefits to logging in with the SOLIDWORKS ID are:

Hyperlinks to web content within the SOLIDWORKS software will automatically log you into SOLIDWORKS websites, such
as:
MySolidWorks
SOLIDWORKS Forum
Customer Portal
Get Support
You can synchronize your system settings automatically across multiple computers while logged in. To synchronize
settings, click Tools > Options > Synchronize Settings.
When you log in, customization and system options (excluding file locations) are synchronized by default.
You can synchronize the following settings:
 File locations listed in Tools > Options and Toolbox/Hole Wizard.

 Customizations including toolbar layouts, menu customizations, mouse gestures, and keyboard shortcuts.
To log into the SOLIDWORKS software:
1. In the SOLIDWORKS title bar, click the Login icon .

2. In Email, enter your SOLIDWORKS ID.
The SOLIDWORKS ID can be your email address.
3. In Password, enter your password.

4. Click Log in.
The Login icon changes color to indicate that you are logged in.
You remain logged in until you click the Login icon and click Log Out. Closing SOLIDWORKS does not log you out.
Windows and Displays
Each document in the SOLIDWORKS application displays in a separate window. You can arrange document windows to suit your
workflow needs. If you have multiple displays, you can set the SOLIDWORKS application window to span two displays.
CONTENTS
Document Windows
In the SOLIDWORKS application, each part, assembly, and drawing is referred to as a document, and each document is displayed in a
separate window. (Each drawing document can contain multiple drawing sheets, though.)
New Window
Creates a new window, with another view of the original document, for viewing the active part, assembly, or drawing.
Cascade
Arranges all SOLIDWORKS document windows so they overlap with title bars visible.
Tile Horizontally - Tile Vertically
Arranges the open SOLIDWORKS document windows so they are all visible.
Full Screen Mode
Full Screen Mode hides menus, the status bar, and the FeatureManager design tree to show more of the graphics area.
Spanning and Fitting to Displays
You can automatically position and size the main SOLIDWORKS window to span two displays. You can also position and size two
document windows conveniently across one or two displays.
Document Windows
In the SOLIDWORKS application, each part, assembly, and drawing is referred to as a document, and each document is displayed in a
separate window. (Each drawing document can contain multiple drawing sheets, though.)
The main section of the window, where the model or drawing is displayed, is the graphics area.
The left panel displays managers such as the FeatureManager design tree, the PropertyManager, and the
ConfigurationManager.
You can have multiple part, assembly, and drawing document windows open at the same time. Also, you can have multiple
views of the same document visible at the same time by opening a new window or by using viewports.
To gain as much space as possible in the graphics area, use Full Screen Mode, which hides the menus, status bar, Task
Pane, and FeatureManager design tree. You can toggle visibility of all open toolbars and the FeatureManager design tree
separately.
An asterisk (*) beside the document name in the menu bar indicates that the document has changed since it was last
saved.
New Window
Creates a new window, with another view of the original document, for viewing the active part, assembly, or drawing.
You can zoom or rotate the view, change view mode, adjust the FeatureManager design tree, and so on for each window
independently. Any changes you make to the model are reflected in all windows.
To open another view of the active document in a new window:
Click New Window (Standard toolbar) or Window > New Window.
Cascade
Arranges all SOLIDWORKS document windows so they overlap with title bars visible.
To cascade document windows:
Click Window > Cascade.
Tile Horizontally - Tile Vertically
Arranges the open SOLIDWORKS document windows so they are all visible.
If you have many SOLIDWORKS documents open, the display is vertical and horizontal. Minimized documents are not tiled.
To tile the document windows:
Click Tile Horizontally (Standard toolbar) or Window > Tile Horizontally to display the windows horizontally.
Click Tile Vertically (Standard toolbar) or Window > Tile Vertically to display the windows vertically.
Full Screen Mode
Full Screen Mode hides menus, the status bar, and the FeatureManager design tree to show more of the graphics area.
It keeps track of the visibility of these areas separately from normal mode.
To access full screen mode:
Click Full Screen View (Standard toolbar) or View > Full Screen.
The following keys toggle visibility:
Option Description
F9 FeatureManager design tree
F10 All toolbars
F11 Full screen mode
To access menus when in full screen mode, hover the pointer at the top of the screen.
Spanning and Fitting to Displays
You can automatically position and size the main SOLIDWORKS window to span two displays. You can also position and size two
document windows conveniently across one or two displays.
CONTENTS
Understanding Span Displays
If you have multiple displays, you can use Span Displays to span two displays without manually resizing the SOLIDWORKS window.
Spanning Displays
Restoring Spanned Displays
Tiling Windows in Displays
You can tile a document window so it occupies half of one display, or all available space on one of two displays. You can also resize
the SOLIDWORKS window to fill a single display or to span two displays at the same time as you tile a document window.
Understanding Span Displays
If you have multiple displays, you can use Span Displays to span two displays without manually resizing the SOLIDWORKS window.
If you have two displays configured side-by-side, Span Displays spans the two displays using the height of the display with the smallest
vertical resolution, as shown.
If you have two displays configured one above the other, Span Displays spans the two displays using the width of the display with the
smallest horizontal resolution, as shown.
If you have more than two displays, Span Displays spans only two of them, and uses the following priority order to determine which
additional display to span: right, left, bottom, top. For example, if a display is available to the right of the current display, Span Displays
spans that display. If displays are available above and below the current display, Span Displays spans the display below.
When the SOLIDWORKS window partially or fully spans two monitors:

A document that you drag from Windows Explorer opens on the monitor where you drop it.
Open documents stay on their current monitor when you use Windows > Tile or Windows > Cascade to organize them.
You can also Alt + click one of the Tile buttons in a document window to span two displays and tile the document window at the same time.
Spanning Displays
To span two displays:

Click Span Displays or Window > Span Displays.
The Span Displays button is on the right side of the SOLIDWORKS window's title bar.
The icon changes to if the only available displays are configured one above the other.
Restoring Spanned Displays
To restore the SOLIDWORKS window to its previous size and position when it spans two displays:
Click Restore or Window > Restore.
The Restore button is on the right side of the SOLIDWORKS window's title bar.
Tiling Windows in Displays
You can tile a document window so it occupies half of one display, or all available space on one of two displays. You can also resize
the SOLIDWORKS window to fill a single display or to span two displays at the same time as you tile a document window.
This functionality is useful for arranging two document windows to take advantage of the available display area. For example, you can
tile a document window containing an assembly on one display and a document window containing a part from that assembly on the
other. This is also a good way to arrange two document windows when you have more than two document windows open. ( Windows >
Tile , in contrast, arranges all the open documents.)
To tile a document window in the display:
Click or Alt + click Tile Left , Tile Right , Tile Top , or Tile Bottom in the document window's title bar.
If two displays are configured side-by-side, or if only one display is connected, the available buttons are Tile Left and Tile Right. If two displays are
configured one above the other, the available buttons are Tile Top and Tile Bottom.
When you click a Tile button, the document window is resized and repositioned but the SOLIDWORKS window is not changed.
When you Alt + click a Tile button, the document window and the SOLIDWORKS window are resized and repositioned. If multiple
displays are connected, the SOLIDWORKS window spans two displays. If only one display is connected, the SOLIDWORKS window is
maximized.
The following table describes the results for different display configurations and illustrates the results when you click or Alt+click Tile
Left and Tile Right to tile two documents.
Display Configuration Result When Clicking Result When Alt+clicking
Two or more displays available. The SOLIDWORKS The document windows tile to the The document windows tile to the appropriate
window fully spans two displays. appropriate display. display.
Display Configuration Result When Clicking Result When Alt+clicking
Two or more displays available. The SOLIDWORKS The document windows tile to the The SOLIDWORKS window resizes to span two
window spans one display plus a substantial part of a appropriate display. displays and the document windows tile to the
second display. appropriate display.
Two or more displays available. The The document windows tile to occupy 50% of the The SOLIDWORKS window resizes to span
SOLIDWORKS window spans one display available display area. (The window on the right does two displays and the document windows
plus a small part of a second display. not attempt to tile to the small area occupied by the tile to the appropriate display.
SOLIDWORKS window on the second display.)
Two or more displays available. The The document windows tile to the appropriate half of The SOLIDWORKS window resizes to span
SOLIDWORKS window occupies all or part of the display. two displays and the document windows
one display only. tile to the appropriate display.
One display available. The SOLIDWORKS The document windows tile to the The document windows tile to the appropriate half of the
window is maximized on the display. appropriate half of the display. display.
One display available. The SOLIDWORKS The document windows tile to the The SOLIDWORKS window maximizes to fill the display
window is not maximized on the display. appropriate half of the display. and the document windows tile to the appropriate half
of the display.
Graphics Area
The graphics area displays and lets you manipulate parts, assemblies, and drawings.
CONTENTS
Reference Triad
A triad appears in part and assembly documents to help orient you when viewing models. You can also use it to change the view
orientation. You can hide the triad but you cannot use it as an inference point.
Selection Breadcrumbs
Selection breadcrumbs are a context-based view of the current selection. They show related elements up and down the hierarchical
tree, from the selected entity through the top level assembly or part.
Triad
The triad facilitates manipulating various objects such as 3D sketch entities, parts, certain features, and components in assemblies.
Origin
The model origin appears in blue and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the model. When a sketch is active, a sketch origin appears
in red and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the sketch.
Heads-up View Toolbar
A transparent toolbar in each viewport provides all the common tools required for manipulating the view.
Accepting Features
You have several streamlined ways to accept features you create, including right-click actions, using the Confirmation Corner, and
using standard PropertyManager commands.
Right-click Advance Selection
Right-click a graphics area Advance pointer to advance through PropertyManager selections when multiple selections are
required.
Callouts and Handles
Callouts are text-filled boxes that appear in the graphics area when you use certain tools. Handles allow you to dynamically click, move,
and set certain parameters without leaving the graphics area.
Shaded and Dynamic Previews
Shaded and dynamic previews help you visualize how your models will look and how they might change if you change dimensions.
System Colors Options
Set the colors in the user interface: backgrounds, icons, drawing paper, sketch status, dimensions, annotations, etc.
Viewports
You can view models through one, two, or four viewports.

Image Capture
Captures the graphics area of the active window or viewport onto the clipboard.
Recording Video
You can capture a video of actions in the graphics area.
Reference Triad
A triad appears in part and assembly documents to help orient you when viewing models. You can also use it to change the view
orientation. You can hide the triad but you cannot use it as an inference point.
You use a different triad to manipulate sketch entities, models, assembly components, etc. See Triad.
To display or hide the reference triad, click Tools > Options > System Options > Display. Select or clear Display reference triad, then click OK.
To change the view orientation with the reference triad:
Do one of the following:
Option Description
Select an axis See the view normal to the screen.
Select an axis that is normal to the Change the view direction 180 degrees.
screen
Shift + select Rotate 90 degrees about the axis.
Ctrl + Shift + select Rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction.
Alt + select Rotate about the axis by the Arrow keys increment specified in Tools > Options > System Options >
View.
Ctrl + Alt + select Rotate in the opposite direction.
Selection Breadcrumbs
Selection breadcrumbs are a context-based view of the current selection. They show related elements up and down the hierarchical
tree, from the selected entity through the top level assembly or part.
Breadcrumbs let you select something in the graphics area and refine that selection through the context-based representation of the
item. For example, in an assembly, when you select a face, you can see all of the mates of the component that face belongs to. Prior to
SOLIDWORKS 2016, to view the mates you either had to right-click the component or find the component in the FeatureManager
design tree and open the mates folder.
Breadcrumbs provide access to the entire hierarchical chain of entities from the item you selected up through the top level document. In
addition, breadcrumbs provide access to common selections that are adjacent to the entities in the breadcrumb, such as the underlying
sketch of a feature, or the mates of a component.
Breadcrumbs are helpful with assembly mates because they show:
Breadcrumbs in a part Breadcrumbs in an assembly
These capabilities let you hide the FeatureManager design tree yet still make selections for which you would typically use the
FeatureManager design tree.
Breadcrumbs are available for parts and assemblies. Breadcrumbs are enabled by default and appear in the upper left corner of the
graphics area when you select:
An entity in the graphics area.

A node in the FeatureManager design tree.
Breadcrumbs do not appear when a PropertyManager is displayed, when you select an annotation or dimension in the graphics area, or
if you multi-select entities.
Breadcrumbs provide the same access to tools that you have from the FeatureManager design tree.
Breadcrumbs have better feedback. When you hover over the items, breadcrumbs display information only for the mates that are
applicable for the selected face, edge, vertex, feature, or body.
Breadcrumbs are helpful with assembly mates because they show:
Which mates apply to the selected parts or subassemblies.

Any mate errors or failures.
Breadcrumbs also show the suppression state of entities.

To remove the breadcrumbs: Click an open area of the graphics area or press Esc.
To turn off breadcrumbs: Click Tools > Options > System Options > Display and clear Show breadcrumbs on selection.
To display a toolbar that Click an item in the breadcrumbs.

contains tools that relate to
a selection:
To display the context Right-click the item.

toolbar and a shortcut
menu:
To display a context toolbar Right-click the mate breadcrumb.

and shortcut menu for a
component's mate in an Access to mate details makes it easier to interrogate and understand the mates related to specific elements of a
assembly: design. When you select a mate, its name appears in a tooltip and the mate is highlighted in the graphics area.
This provides the same information that is available when you right-click a component in the FeatureManager design
tree and click View Mates to open the View Mates window.
To see a tooltip and highlight Hover over a breadcrumb.

the corresponding feature in
the graphics area:
When you click a breadcrumb, only the mates that are associated with the entity appear.
In addition, breadcrumbs provide easy access to a part’s reference planes to let you:
Control the reference plane visibility.
Pre-select reference planes for use as sketch planes, use in a feature, or creating an assembly mate.
Moving Selection Breadcrumbs to Pointer
To move breadcrumbs to the pointer location, press D.
When you edit a sketch or are in a PropertyManager, after changing a value, click in the graphics area and then press D to move the Confirmation
Corner options to the pointer.
D is assigned as the keyboard shortcut to move the Confirmation Corner buttons or selection breadcrumbs to the pointer unless you
have assigned D as a shortcut for another SOLIDWORKS action.
To assign a different key to move the controls:
1. Click Tools > Customize.

2. In the Customize dialog box, on the Keyboard tab, in the Search for field, type Move Selection Breadcrumbs,
Confirmation Corner.
3. In the Shortcut(s) column for the tool, type an unused key or key combination.
4. Click OK.
Triad
The triad facilitates manipulating various objects such as 3D sketch entities, parts, certain features, and components in assemblies.
The rings and wings are displayed when rotation and dragging along the wings' planes are possible.
Use commands to display information about the triad or to change the position and orientation of the triad. Available commands depend
on the triad's context.
PARENT TOPICGraphics Area

Related concepts
Flex Overview
Accessing the Triad

To access the triad:

In assemblies, right-click a movable component and click Move with Triad.
In assembly exploded views, select a component.
In parts, click Move/Copy Bodies (Features toolbar) or Insert > Features > Move/Copy, and click Translate or Rotate.
In parts, click Flex or Deform to use the triad to shape features.
In 3D sketches, right-click an entity and click Show Sketcher Triad.
Dragging or Rotating Objects with the Triad

To drag or rotate an object with the triad:

To drag the object freely, drag the center ball.
To drag the object freely and align it with the model geometry, Alt + drag the center ball.
To drag the object in the X, Y, or Z direction, drag an arm.
To drag the object along a wing's plane, drag the wing.
To rotate an object about a ring's axis, drag the wing.
To snap, right-click the selected ring and click Snap while Dragging. Close to the ring, the snap increment is 90°. The
increment decreases as the pointer moves further away from the ring.
To rotate in specified increments, right-click the selected ring and click Rotate 90° or Rotate 180°.
Displaying Information with the Triad

To display information as the triad or one of its components moves:
Right-click anywhere on the triad and click Show Translate XYZ Box, Show Translate Delta XYZ Box, or Show Rotate Delta XYZ Box.
Moving the Triad to a Selection

To move the triad to a selection:
1. Right-click on the triad (anywhere except on the rotation rings) and click Move to Selection.
2. Select an entity.
Aligning the Triad with a Selection

To align the triad with a selection:
1. Do one of the following:

 To align the center ball with a selection, right-click the center ball and click Align to.
 To align an arm or wing with a selection, right-click an arm or wing and click Align with Selection.
2. Select an entity.
Origin
The model origin appears in blue and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the model. When a sketch is active, a sketch origin appears
in red and represents the (0,0,0) coordinate of the sketch.
Dimensions and relations can be added to the model origin, but not to a sketch origin.
To toggle the origin display:
Click View > Hide/Show > Origins. When the icon next to the menu item is highlighted, origins are visible (except for origins you have hidden
individually).
Heads-up View Toolbar
A transparent toolbar in each viewport provides all the common tools required for manipulating the view.
Custom and camera views that you define appear on the View Orientation flyout.
This toolbar replaces the view pop-up menu associated with the reference triad.
To customize the Heads-Up View toolbar, click Tools > Customize and select the Toolbars tab:
Select or clear View (Heads-Up) to show or hide the toolbar.
To add toolbar buttons, select the Commands tab. Drag a button from a category to the toolbar. We recommend that you
search for buttons in the Flyout Toolbars and View categories.
To reorder buttons, drag them to a new location on the toolbar.
To remove a button, drag it off the toolbar.
You can also show or hide the Heads-Up View toolbar by selecting or clearing View > Toolbars > View (Heads-Up).
Accepting Features
You have several streamlined ways to accept features you create, including right-click actions, using the Confirmation Corner, and
using standard PropertyManager commands.
After creating a preview of a feature, you can:
Right-click and select OK or Cancel from the shortcut menu.
Right-click when the pointer changes to to accept the preview, or click to return to the preview without accepting the values.
Confirmation Corner
Another way to accept features is to use the Confirmation Corner. You can:
Click the OK or Cancel icons that appear in the Confirmation Corner of the SOLIDWORKS graphics area.
Click the Exit Sketch icon in the Confirmation Corner to finish the sketch or click the Cancel Sketch icon to discard changes to the sketch.
To turn off the Confirmation Corner, click Options . On the General tab of the System Options, clear Enable Confirmation Corner.
PropertyManager
In an active PropertyManager, you can:
Click OK or press Enter.
Click Cancel or press Esc.
Moving the Confirmation Corner Options to the Pointer

You can confirm changes in the sketches and tools by using the D keyboard shortcut to move OK and Cancel to the pointer location in the graphics
area.
To move the Confirmation Corner options to the pointer:
1. Open a tool.
2. Use a manipulator to modify a feature.
3. Click in the graphics area and then press D.
The buttons from the Confirmation Corner move to the pointer position, making it easier to complete the action.
To move the buttons back to the Confirmation Corner, press D again.
Right-click Advance Selection
Right-click a graphics area Advance pointer to advance through PropertyManager selections when multiple selections are
required.
Callouts and Handles
Callouts are text-filled boxes that appear in the graphics area when you use certain tools. Handles allow you to dynamically click, move,
and set certain parameters without leaving the graphics area.
Callouts
Callouts help you easily distinguish between different entities. For example, these callouts show the sweep profile and the sweep path. You can drag
these callouts to reposition them, but you cannot use them to change any properties of the entity to which they refer.
Some callouts, such as those for chamfers, display figures that you can edit to manipulate the size of the entity.
In this example, you can edit the callout in the graphics area.
When there are more than five visible callouts in the graphics area, a pushpin control appears with each callout to let you fix the position of the
callout.
Pushpin When you zoom, rotate, or move the model, the callout is repositioned.
disabled
Pushpin When you zoom, rotate, or move the model, the callout remains in the same location in the graphics area.
enabled Other callouts move with the model.
When a callout for a feature such as an asymmetric fillet contains multiple values, a control below the callout lets you expand it to see
all values or collapse it to see the primary value:
Callout collapsed Callout expanded
Handles
The handle color is set in Tools > Options > System Options > Colors in the System colors box. Active handles are the Highlight color.
Inactive handles are the Inactive Entities color.
Handles span the length of extrusions. Drag the handle to the desired extrude depth, and the handle spans that length.
You can also drag the pointer (instead of the handle) to the desired extrude depth. Click the handle, then drag the pointer in either direction. In the
example below, the pink handle is active and the gray handle is inactive.
One handle has one arrow head, and the other handle has two arrow heads, to help you see which direction the handle applies to.
Shaded and Dynamic Previews
Shaded and dynamic previews help you visualize how your models will look and how they might change if you change dimensions.
Shaded Previews
Shaded previews help you visualize features that you create.
For example, when you create an extrude feature, as soon as the Extrude PropertyManager appears, the feature is shown as a shaded
preview.
You can rotate, pan, zoom, and set standard views while maintaining the shaded preview.
To improve performance, you can turn shaded previews off in Tools > Options > System Options > Performance.
Dynamic Previews
When you create or edit a feature that supports dynamic previews, you see a dynamic preview in the graphics area of how the model
changes when you move the pointer. At first, a shaded preview appears. Click a handle of the shaded preview, then drag the pointer to
see the dynamic preview. After you save the extruded feature, you can use handles to preview and change dimensions that have not
been constrained. A scale shows the changes in dimension.
Click the handle, as shown
Drag the pointer to see the dynamic preview. Use the scale to preview dimension changes.
System Colors Options
Set the colors in the user interface: backgrounds, icons, drawing paper, sketch status, dimensions, annotations, etc.
Depending on the capabilities of your graphics card, you can apply lighting, shadows, reflections, etc. to models in the graphics area. The system
colors you select interact with these tools.
To set system colors:
Click Options (Standard toolbar) or Tools > Options, select Colors, and select from the options described below.
Click Reset to restore factory defaults for all system options or only for options on this page.
Icon Colors
Choose an icon color scheme: Default or Classic.
Background
Choose one of four levels of background brightness: Light (default), Medium Light, Medium, or Dark.
The background setting affects the user interface surrounding the graphics area but does not change the graphics area.
The screen text color adjusts automatically for visibility on the new background.
Optionally, you can choose a specific color for the text in the FeatureManager design tree or the Flyout FeatureManager design tree by
selecting and editing FeatureManager Design Tree Text or Flyout FeatureManager Design Tree Text under Color scheme settings.
Current color scheme

Choose one of three highlight schemes (Blue, Green, and Orange) or any custom color schemes you have created and saved.
To identify a seed feature in a pattern more easily, pattern instances are highlighted in Selected Item 1 color, and seeds in Selected Item 2 color.
Color scheme settings
Select an item in the list to display its color. Click Edit to change the color.
Default Name of current default appearance. Links to help about the default appearance.
appearance
Default scene Name of current default scene. Links to help about the default scene.
Background Select one:

appearance
Use document The scene background that is saved with the document is used when it is opened in SOLIDWORKS.
scene
background We recommend that you set a scene for your model and then select this option. SOLIDWORKS provides
scenes with backgrounds ranging from plain white to factory interiors. With RealView enabled, the
SOLIDWORKS scenes provide lighting and background reflections. You can set a default scene that appears
with every new model by right-clicking a scene in the Task Pane and selecting Set as default scene.
Plain The color scheme selected for the Viewport Background is used as the background color.
Gradient The color scheme selected for the Top Gradient Color and Bottom Gradient Color is used as the background
color.
Image file Various background files are provided with the application. Those that are saved as schemes correspond to
the color schemes listed in Current color scheme. Browse to select a system file or any other image file.
Specifying an Image file takes precedence over schemes in the Current color scheme list.
To display a TIFF image as a background, set the Background appearance to one of the following:
Plain
Gradient
Image file
Save As Scheme Saves the set of colors you defined. After you save a color scheme, you can select it from Current color
scheme.
Additional Options
Use specified color for Applies the colors selected for Drawings, Paper Color, Drawings, Visible Model Edges, and Drawings, Hidden Model
drawings paper color Edges, to drawing sheets.
Use specified color for

Applies the specified color to model edges when the model is in Shaded With Edges mode. Specify a color for Edges
Shaded With Edges mode
in Shaded With Edges Mode under Color scheme settings. When cleared, the edges are the same color as the model, but
slightly darker.
Use specified colors when Applies the specified colors to the faces, features, and bodies of parts in assemblies. When cleared, the specified colors
editing parts in assemblies apply to the part names in the FeatureManager design tree. Specify colors for Assembly, Edit Part, Assembly, Non-Edit
Parts, and Assembly, Hidden Lines of Edit Part under Color scheme settings.
Use specified color for Applies the specified color to dimensions that have changed since the last time the drawing was saved. After the drawing
changed drawing with the changed dimensions is saved and closed, the changed dimensions highlighting is reset.
dimensions on open
To see changed dimensions, the part or assembly and the drawing must first be saved in SOLIDWORKS 2012 or later.
Envelopes Sets the transparency of envelope components. Select one of the following:
Semi Transparent Makes all envelopes transparent.
Opaque Makes all envelopes opaque.
Do Not Change Retains the individual component transparency settings of each envelope.
Go To Document Colors If a part or assembly is open when you set system color options, you can go to the Model Display options on the
Document Properties tab to set the feature colors for models.
Viewports
You can view models through one, two, or four viewports.
To open four viewports:
Click Four View (Standard Views toolbar) or Window > Viewport > Four View.
You can choose the following viewport arrangements from the Window menu or the Standard Views toolbar:
Tooltip Views Displayed
Single View User-specified
Two View - Front and Top

Horizontal
Two View - Front and Right

Vertical
Tooltip Views Displayed
Four View Front, Right, Top, and Trimetric (Third Angle), or Front, Left, Top, and Trimetric (First Angle). Specify First Angle or
Third Angle in Tools > Options > System Options > Display .
The lower left corner of each viewport displays the current orientation.
To choose a different orientation, click the View Orientation (Heads-up View toolbar).
When you switch from multiple viewports back to a single viewport, the model displays the orientation of the active viewport. If you then
switch back to multiple viewports, the orientations are the defaults again.
You can change the orientation or rotation of a model in any viewport independently as long as the viewports are not linked.

Related reference
Standard Views Toolbar
Linking Orthogonal Views

You can link orthogonal views. Non-orthogonal views (such as Isometric, Trimetric, etc. or custom orientations) are not linked.
To link orthogonal views:
Click Link Views (Standard Views toolbar) or Window > Viewport > Link Views.
The icon on the flyout View pop-up menu indicates linked viewports.
Functionality with linked views:
Zooming and panning are linked for all orthogonal views.

View rotation using the pointer is not available.
If you rotate a view out of its orthogonal orientation, the view is no longer linked.
If linked views is on and you rotate a view into orthogonal orientation, the view becomes linked.
Image Capture
Captures the graphics area of the active window or viewport onto the clipboard.
To capture the screen:
1. Click Image Capture (Screen Capture toolbar) or View > Screen Capture > Image Capture.
2. Paste the image into another application such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint, etc.
Recording Video
You can capture a video of actions in the graphics area.

The MotionManager lets you save animations.
To record a video of the graphics pane:
1. Click Record Video (Screen Capture toolbar) or View > Screen Capture > Record Video.
2. In the Record Screen Capture to File dialog box:
1. Specify the location to save the video.
2. Type a name for File Name.
3. Select a format for Save as type (Microsoft .avi format or as a series of still images in .bmp or .tga formats).
If you select .bmp or .tga, you must change the extension for the file name, which defaults to .avi.
4. Select a value for Renderer.
SOLIDWORKS Saves the on-screen display as a video or series of images.

screen
PhotoView (Only available with PhotoView 360 added in.) Saves and enhances the graphics quality of the recording to
include features such as shadowing, true reflections, and anti-aliasing.
5. Adjust size and shape of the display.
These settings originally correspond to the size of the SOLIDWORKS screen.

Width and Height
Fixed aspect ratio Retains the original proportions of the image when you change Width or Height.
6. Select one:
Use camera aspect ratio If the view is through a camera, uses the aspect ratio used by the camera.
Custom aspect ratio (width : Sets the aspect ratio to one of a set of preset values, to match the active window, or to match the
height) background image.
7. Under Frame Information, set the number of Frames per second.

3. Click Save.
 If you are recording to an .avi file, the Video Compression dialog box lets you set compression.
 If you are recording to still images, click OK to close the message that tells you the file names that will be saved.
5. Manipulate your model in the graphics area.
6. Click Stop Video Record or View > Screen Capture > Stop Video Record to end the video.
Compressing Video Recordings
Compression ratios impact image quality. Lower compression ratios produce smaller file sizes, but also lower image quality. The
compression ratios vary depending on the compression program you use.
The key frame rate impacts image quality if you make changes in the graphics area quickly. The rate is how often an exact copy of the
screen display is saved. Each frame includes only what has changed since the last key frame. If you have excess variation between
frames, lower the key rate.
To set video compression:
1. Select a Compressor (Microsoft Video 1, Cinepak, Codec by Radius, and so on).
To create the video without compression, select Full Frames (Uncompressed). Clicking Cancel aborts the recording.
2. Adjust the Compression Quality slider.

3. Type a value for the Key Frame rate.
4. For additional compression options, click Configure. The options available depend on the compressor you select.
5. Click OK.
Welcome Dialog Box
When you open the SOLIDWORKS software, the Welcome dialog box provides a convenient means to open documents, view folders,
access SOLIDWORKS resources, and stay updated on SOLIDWORKS news.
You can also click Welcome to SOLIDWORKS (Standard toolbar), Help > Welcome to SOLIDWORKS, or Welcome to
SOLIDWORKS on the SOLIDWORKS Resources tab in the Task Pane to open the Welcome dialog box.
The Welcome dialog box has tabs for: Home, Recent, Learn, and Alerts.
If you click Do not show on startup, you can reverse the setting in Tools > Options > System Options > Messages/Errors/Warnings.
Under Dismissed messages, select Welcome dialog.
CONTENTS
Home Tab
The Home tab lets you open new and existing documents, view recent documents and folders, and access SOLIDWORKS resources.
Recent Tab
The Recent tab lets you view a longer list of recent documents and folders.
Learn Tab
The Learn tab lets you access instructional resources to help you learn more about the SOLIDWORKS software.
Alerts Tab
The Alerts tab keeps you updated with SOLIDWORKS news.
Home Tab
The Home tab lets you open new and existing documents, view recent documents and folders, and access SOLIDWORKS resources.
Sections in the Home tab include New, Recent Documents, Recent Folders, and Resources.
New
The New section includes:
Part Opens a new document. The document is based on a template from the Default Templates page of the System Options dialog box.
Assembly
Drawing
Advanced Opens the New SOLIDWORKS Document dialog box, where you can open a new document based on an alternate template.
Open Opens the Open dialog box, where you can select an existing document to open.
Recent Documents
The Recent Documents section includes thumbnails of documents that you have opened recently. Click View all to open the Recent tab
to see a longer list of recent documents.
Recent Folders
The Recent Folders section includes a list of folders from which you have opened documents recently. Click View all to open the
Recent tab to see a longer list of recent folders.
When you hover over a folder, you can click to keep the folder at the top of the Recent Folders list until you unpin it.
To access the Recent Folders list after you close the Welcome dialog box, click File > Open Recent > Browse Recent Folders.
Resources
The Resources section includes links to:
What's New
MySolidWorks
SOLIDWORKS Forum
Customer Portal
User Groups
Get Support
Tip of the Day
Shows a new tip each time that you open the Welcome dialog box. Click or to see other tips.
Recent Tab
The Recent tab lets you view a longer list of recent documents and folders.
Sections in the Recent tab include Documents and Folders.
Documents
The Documents section includes thumbnails of documents that you have opened recently.
You can do the following:
Click a thumbnail to open the document.

Drag a thumbnail and drop it in the empty graphics area, an open part, assembly, or drawing, or Windows Explorer.
Hover over a thumbnail to see document information such as full path and last saved date, and click to see more options and information.
Right-click a thumbnail and click Remove, Pin, or Clear unpinned items.
Click Browse to open the Open dialog box for the current folder.
The Drag and drop tiles thumbnail is a reminder about the drag and drop functionality. You can click to remove the thumbnail
without affecting the functionality. To restore the Drag and drop tiles thumbnail, click Tools > Options > System Options >
Messages/Errors/Warnings. Under Dismissed messages, select "Hide 'Drag & drop tiles' message in Recent Documents?"
If the Welcome dialog box is closed, you can open the Recent tab by clicking one of the following:
Open > Browse Recent Documents

File > Open Recent > Browse Recent Documents
Folders
The Recent Folders section includes a list of folders from which you have opened documents recently.
You can do the following:
Click a folder to open the folder in the Open dialog box.
Hover over a folder and click to keep the folder at the top of the list.
Right-click a folder and click Remove, Pin, or Clear unpinned items.
Click Browse to open the Open dialog box for the current folder.
If the Welcome dialog box is closed, you can open the Recent tab by clicking File > Open Recent > Browse Recent Folders.
Learn Tab
The Learn tab lets you access instructional resources to help you learn more about the SOLIDWORKS software.
Sections in the Learn tab include:
Introducing SOLIDWORKS Opens the Introducing SOLIDWORKS book.
Tutorials Opens the step-by-step tutorials in the software.
MySolidWorks Training Opens the Training section at MySolidWorks.com.
Samples Opens local folders containing sample models.
3DContentCentral Opens 3DContentCentral.com.
Online Tutorials Opens the SOLIDWORKS Tutorials (videos) section at solidworks.com.
My Training Opens the My Training section at MySolidWorks.com.
Certification Opens the SOLIDWORKS Certification Program section at solidworks.com.
Curriculum Opens the Curriculum section at solidworks.com.
When you install the software, if you do not install the Help Files or Example Files, the Tutorials and Samples links are unavailable.
Alerts Tab
The Alerts tab keeps you updated with SOLIDWORKS news.
Sections in the Alerts tab include Critical, Troubleshooting, and Technical Alerts.
Critical
The Critical section appears if there are critical alerts to display. If a critical alert exists, the Welcome dialog box opens to the Critical
section automatically on startup, even if you selected Do not show on startup in the dialog box. Alerts are displayed until you select Do
not show this message again.
Troubleshooting
The Troubleshooting section appears if there are crash diagnostic messages or recovered documents to display. If the software has a
technical problem and an associated troubleshooting message exists, the Welcome dialog box opens to the Troubleshooting section
automatically on startup, even if you selected Do not show on startup in the dialog box.
Technical Alerts
The Technical Alerts section opens the contents of the SOLIDWORKS Support Bulletins RSS feed at solidworks.com.
Manager Pane
The left panel of the SOLIDWORKS window manages part and assembly designs, drawing sheets, properties, configurations, and third
party applications. The CommandManager provides access to the SOLIDWORKS tools.
FeatureManager® Design Tree
Names of features are displayed from top to bottom in the order created in the FeatureManager design tree, unless you reorder them. (Features can be
considered as components of parts.)
The FeatureManager design tree in assemblies displays components (parts or subassemblies and their features), a Mates folder, and
assembly features.
The FeatureManager design tree in drawings contains an icon for each sheet. Under each sheet are icons for the sheet format and
each view. Under each view are the parts and assemblies that belong to the view.
PropertyManager
Most sketch, feature, and drawing tools in SOLIDWORKS open a PropertyManager in the left panel. The PropertyManager displays the properties of
the entity or feature so you specify the properties without a dialog box covering the graphics area.
ConfigurationManager
The ConfigurationManager is a means to create, select, and view multiple configurations of parts and assemblies.
DimXpertManager
The DimXpertManager lists the tolerance features defined by DimXpert for parts. It also displays DimXpert tools that you use to insert dimensions
and tolerances into parts. You can import these dimensions and tolerances into drawings.
DisplayManager
The DisplayManager lists and provides editing access to appearances, decals, scene, lights, and
cameras that are applied to the current model. When PhotoView 360 is added in, the DisplayManager provides access to PhotoView Options.
Manager Display
You can switch between the FeatureManager design tree, PropertyManager, ConfigurationManager, DimXpertManager, and DisplayManager by
clicking the tabs at the top of the left panel in the SOLIDWORKS window.
You can split the panel and display more than one manager or multiple copies of one manager.
When you are in a PropertyManager, you can expand the part in the graphics window to view a flyout FeatureManager design tree simultaneously.
Related concepts
FeatureManager Design Tree
Flyout FeatureManager Design Tree
DisplayManager
Related tasks
Using DimXpert
Related reference
PropertyManager Overview
Splitting the Manager Pane

You can split the Manager Pane to the left of the graphics area.
In the split Manager Pane, you can display any combination of:
FeatureManager design tree

PropertyManager
Third party applications
To split the Manager Pane:

1. Move the pointer to the top of the Manager Pane until it changes to .
2. Drag the bar down below the last item in the Manager Pane.
Each instance of the Manager Pane displays a set of tabs.
3. Select a tab for each Manager Pane.
To unsplit the Manager Pane:
Place the pointer at the top of the duplicate panel until it changes to . Drag the bar up to its original position.
You can also split or unsplit the Manager Pane by double-clicking the splitter bar.
The FeatureManager design tree on the left side of the SOLIDWORKS window provides an outline view of the active part, assembly, or
drawing. This makes it easy to see how the model or assembly was constructed or to examine the various sheets and views in a
drawing.
CONTENTS
FeatureManager Design Tree Overview
The FeatureManager design tree makes many selection and filtering operations simple, and provides access to many folders and tools
useful when working with models.
FeatureManager Design Tree Conventions
drawing.
FeatureManager Design Tree Views
In part documents, you can set the FeatureManager design tree to show features in the order they were created, instead of
hierarchically.
FeatureManager Design Tree Display Options
You can enable display characteristics of the FeatureManager design tree by selecting options on the Tree Display submenu of the
FeatureManager shortcut menu.
Suppressing Configuration and Display State Names in the FeatureManager Design Tree
In models that contain only one configuration, you can suppress the configuration and display state information that is appended to
assembly and part names in the FeatureManager design tree.
Viewing Feature Relationships
To quickly view feature dependencies, you can display graphical relationships between items in the FeatureManager design tree.
FeatureManager Design Tree Response to Selections

When you select an item in the graphics area, the FeatureManager ® design tree expands and scrolls to the selected item. Clicking in
the graphics area without selecting an item restores the scroll state of the FeatureManager design tree.
Rollback Bar
You can use the FeatureManager rollback bar or shortcut menu to temporarily roll back to an earlier state, to absorbed features, roll
forward, roll to previous, or roll to the end of the FeatureManager design tree.
FeatureManager Options
FeatureManager Design Tree Arrow Navigation
With the pointer in the FeatureManager design tree, you can navigate the tree with the arrow keys.
Selecting from the FeatureManager Design Tree
You can select single, multiple, or nonconsecutive items in the FeatureManager design tree.
Accessing Recent Features Through History
From the History folder at the top of the FeatureManager design tree, you can access the features that you have most recently created
or edited. You can also control the number of features to list in the History folder.
Find in FeatureManager Design Tree
Lets you search text of the FeatureManager design tree for a text string.
Filtering the FeatureManager Design Tree
The FeatureManager design tree filter lets you search for specific features of parts and components of assemblies.
Adding Folders and Subfolders
In part or assembly documents, you can add folders to the FeatureManager design tree. You can rename new folders and drag
additional items into the new folders. This reduces the length of the FeatureManager design tree and helps you organize features and
components.
Folder Icons in the FeatureManager Design Tree
The folder icons in the FeatureManager design tree indicate the state of items in the folders.
FeatureManager Design Tree Favorites
You can add commonly used features, sketches, and reference geometry to the Favorites folder in the FeatureManager® design
tree.
Grouping Features in Favorites Folders
To provide easy access to features such as cuts, holes, and chamfers, you can group them in a subfolder in the Favorites folder.
Displaying the Design Binder

Design Journal
Add Attachment
Add a document to the Design Binder folder. You can embed or link the document.
Comments
Add text comments to items in the FeatureManager design tree (assemblies, components, features, sketches, and so on) in the manner
of Post-It® notes. You can include a date and time stamp in text comments.
Tags
Tags are keywords you add to SOLIDWORKS documents and features to make them easier to filter and search.
Showing Feature Descriptions
You can display feature descriptions in the FeatureManager design tree.
Changing a Feature Description

What's Wrong?
View rebuild errors and warnings in part and assembly documents. Model geometry is created when warnings occur, but not if errors
are present.
FeatureManager Design Tree Overview
The FeatureManager design tree makes many selection and filtering operations simple, and provides access to many folders and tools
useful when working with models.
The FeatureManager design tree and the graphics area are dynamically linked. You can select features, sketches, drawing views, and
construction geometry in either pane.
You can split the FeatureManager design tree and either display two FeatureManager instances, or combine the FeatureManager
design tree with the ConfigurationManager or PropertyManager.
To toggle visibility of the FeatureManager design tree area, press F9 or click View > User Interface > FeatureManager Tree Area, which
is especially useful when in full screen mode.
The FeatureManager design tree makes it easy to:

Select items in the model by name.
Filter the FeatureManager design tree.
Identify and change the order in which features are created. You can drag items in the FeatureManager design tree list to
reorder them. This changes the order in which features are regenerated when the model is rebuilt.
Display the dimensions of a feature by double-clicking the feature’s name.
Rename items by slowly clicking two times on a name to select it and then entering a new name.
Suppress and Unsuppress part features and assembly components.
View parent/child relations by right-clicking a feature and selecting Parent/Child.
Display the following items:
 Feature descriptions
 Component descriptions
 Component configuration names
 Component configuration descriptions
 Locate errors and warnings associated with the model or a feature and described in tooltips and in What's Wrong?
Locate errors and warnings associated with the model or a feature and described in tooltips and in What's Wrong?
The FeatureManager design tree provides the following folders and tools:
Use the rollback bar to temporarily roll the model back to an earlier state.
Add features, sketches, mates, and reference geometry to the Favorites folder .
Add sensors to the Sensors folder to monitor selected properties.

Add a new equation, edit, or delete an equation by right-clicking the Equations folder , and selecting the action you
want. (The Equations folder appears when you add the first equation to a part or assembly.)
Control the display of dimensions and annotations by right-clicking the Annotations folder .
Keep a Design Journal and add attachments to the Design Binder folder .
Add or modify a material applied to a part by right-clicking the Material icon .
View all solid bodies that the document contains in the Solid Bodies folder .
View all surface bodies that the document contains in the Surface Bodies folder .
View Planes , Axes , and Sketches of inserted parts.

Add your own custom folders, and drag features into the folders to reduce the length of the FeatureManager design tree.
View and work in the tree in a flyout FeatureManager design tree in the graphics area while a PropertyManager appears in
the left pane.
Move between the FeatureManager design tree, PropertyManager, ConfigurationManager, DimXpertManager, and Add-In
tabs by selecting the tabs at the top of the left pane .
FeatureManager Design Tree Conventions
drawing.
The FeatureManager design tree uses the following conventions:
A symbol to the left of an item’s icon indicates that it contains associated items, such as sketches. Click to expand
the item.
To collapse all expanded items at the same time, click Shift+C, or right-click the document name at the top of the tree and
click Collapse Items.
The Rebuild icon precedes features, parts, and assemblies if a change requires a rebuild of the model.
The Lock icon displays after the part name if the parts are frozen by the freeze bar.
While a drawing view updates, the drawing icon changes to: .

In an assembly, each instance of the component is followed by a number in angle brackets <n> that increments with each
occurrence.
Sketches are preceded by:
(+) Over defined
(–) Under defined
(?) Sketch cannot be solved
No prefix Fully defined
Errors and warnings display next to the part, feature, and sketch icons. The What's Wrong? dialog box and tooltips describe
the errors and warnings:
Error in the model
Error with the feature
Warning underneath the node
Warning with the feature
Positions of assembly components are indicated by:
(+) Over defined
(–) Under defined
(?) Not solved
(f) Fixed (locked in place)
Assembly mates are preceded by:
(+) Involved in over defining the position of components in the assembly
(?) Not solved
For the state of external references, the following symbols display after the name of the part or feature:
–> External reference
-> ? Out-of-context external reference
-> * Locked external reference
-> x Broken external reference
To hide the x symbol, click Tools > Options > System Options > External References and clear Show "x" in feature
tree for broken external references.
In part documents, you can set the FeatureManager design tree to show features in the order they were created, instead of
hierarchically.
Right-click in the FeatureManager design tree and click Tree Display > Show Flat Tree View. In Flat Tree View, curves, 2D sketches,
and 3D sketches are not absorbed into the features that reference them. Instead, they are shown in the order of creation.
Flat Tree View is only available for parts.

All regular FeatureManager design tree functionality is available in Flat Tree View, with the exception of user-created folders. You can
reorder features in Flat Tree View, changing design intent.
Not all items are unabsorbed in Flat Tree View. The following features continue to absorb items in Flat Tree View:
Simple hole
Hole Wizard hole
Mounting boss
Lip/Groove
Snap hook groove
Vent
Snap hook
Sheet metal feature
Library feature
Weldment structural member
Sketch block
In the following example, the same part is shown in Normal View and Flat Tree View.
Normal View: Items are displayed hierarchically, with sketches Flat Tree View: Items are shown in the order of creation, with the exception of
absorbed into features. the Hole Wizard holes, which still absorb the sketches.
FeatureManager Design Tree Display Options
You can enable display characteristics of the FeatureManager design tree by selecting options on the Tree Display submenu of the
FeatureManager shortcut menu.
To access these options, right-click the assembly name in the FeatureManager design tree and click Tree Display.
Show Flat Tree View Parts only.
Curves, 2D sketches, and 3D sketches are not absorbed into the features that reference them. Instead, they
are shown in the order of creation instead of hierarchically.
Show Feature Names Features in the design tree are identified by name.
If you want to disable Show Feature Names, you must enable Show Feature Descriptions.
Show Feature Descriptions By default, feature descriptions are the same as feature names and are not shown.
You must specify a different description in the features' properties for it to appear in the FeatureManager
design tree.
Show Component Names Component names are shown by default.

If you want to disable Show Component Names, you must enable Show Component Descriptions.
Show Component By default, component descriptions are the same as component names and are not displayed.
Descriptions
To have the software display a component description:
You must specify a new component description on the Custom tab of the Summary Information dialog
box.
Description must be selected for Custom property used as custom description on the General page of
the System options.
Show Component Component configuration names are shown by default.

Configuration Names
Show Component By default, component configuration descriptions are the same as component configuration names and are not shown.
Configuration Descriptions
To display component configuration descriptions in the FeatureManager design tree, you must specify new
component configuration descriptions by opening the Configuration Properties PropertyManager from the
Configuration tab.
Show Display State Names Shows the display state for the currently selected configuration.
View Features Assemblies only.
The FeatureManager design tree lists the features for each component.
View Mates and Assemblies only.

Dependencies
The FeatureManager design tree lists dependent items (instead of features) under each component.
Dependent items include mates and component patterns.
Show Comment Indicator

Enable comment indicator to locate the comments more easily.
Suppressing Configuration and Display State Names in the
In models that contain only one configuration, you can suppress the configuration and display state information that is appended to
assembly and part names in the FeatureManager design tree.
To suppress configuration and display state names in the FeatureManager design tree:
In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the top node and click Tree Display > Do not show Configuration/Display State Names if only one
exists.
If there is only one configuration, the configuration and display state names are suppressed. You can still access the information in the
FeatureManager design tree by hovering over the component.
If there is more than one configuration, the configuration and display state names appear after the component name.
Viewing Feature Relationships
To quickly view feature dependencies, you can display graphical relationships between items in the FeatureManager design tree.
Dynamic Reference Visualization lets you view the parent and child relationships between items in the FeatureManager design tree.
When you hover over a feature with references in the FeatureManager design tree, arrows display showing the relationships. Parent
and child relationships is enhanced to avoid overlapping text and lines. Blue arrows show parent relationships. Purple arrows show
child relationships.
If a reference cannot be shown because a feature is not expanded, the arrow points to the feature that contains the reference and the
actual reference appears in a text box to the right of the arrow.
Arrows begin from the circle to indicate the feature whose parent and child relationships you are viewing.
All references visible One reference hidden
Dynamic reference visualization is disabled by default.
To turn dynamic reference visualization on:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the first item (part or assembly).
2. Click one or both of the following:
 Dynamic Reference Visualization (Parent)

 Dynamic Reference Visualization (Child)
In assemblies, if you turn dynamic reference visualization on or off at any level, the change affects the entire assembly.
FeatureManager Design Tree Response to Selections
When you select an item in the graphics area, the FeatureManager® design tree expands and scrolls to the selected item. Clicking in
the graphics area without selecting an item restores the scroll state of the FeatureManager design tree.
Before Selection After Selection

This behavior is on by default. To turn this behavior off, click Tools > Options, select FeatureManager, and clear Scroll selected item
into view.
Rollback Bar
You can use the FeatureManager rollback bar or shortcut menu to temporarily roll back to an earlier state, to absorbed features, roll
forward, roll to previous, or roll to the end of the FeatureManager design tree.
You can add new features or edit existing features while the model is in the rolled-back state. You can save models with the rollback
bar placed anywhere. When you open the document again, you can use rollback commands and drag the bar from the saved position.
Drag the bar up or down the FeatureManager design tree to step forward or backward through the regeneration sequence.
You can also click the rollback bar and use the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard to move the rollback bar up or down.
To enable this use of the arrow keys, click Tools > Options > System Options > FeatureManager, and select Arrow key navigation.
Icons in the FeatureManager design tree are gray and unavailable when they are rolled back.
CONTENTS
Using the Rollback Bar
Using the Rollback Bar
To revert a part to an earlier state:
1. Place the pointer over the rollback bar in the FeatureManager design tree.
The pointer changes to .
2. Drag the rollback bar up the FeatureManager design tree until it is above the features you want rolled back.
PARENT TOPICRollback Bar

Rolling Back to Absorbed Features
To roll back to absorbed features:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, click the to expand the absorbed features within the parent feature.
2. Right-click an absorbed feature, and select Rollback.
A message appears that tells you the absorbed feature will be temporarily unabsorbed for editing purposes.
3. Click OK.
4. Drag the rollback bar below the feature you selected in step 2.
The feature is unabsorbed and ready for editing.
You can also unabsorb some features by using Flat Tree Mode. Right-click the part in the FeatureManager design tree and click Tree Display > Show
Flat Tree View.
Related concepts
Rolling a Model Forward
To roll a model forward:
Right-click a rolled back feature in the FeatureManager design tree, and select Roll Forward.
Rolling a Model to its Previous Rollback State
To roll a model to its previous rollback state:
Right-click in the FeatureManager design tree, and select Roll to Previous.
Rolling to the End of a Model
To roll to the end of a model:
Right-click in the FeatureManager design tree, and select Roll to End.
FeatureManager Options
To set the FeatureManager design tree options:
Click Options (Standard toolbar) or Tools > Options and select FeatureManager.
Click Reset to restore factory defaults for all system options or only for options on this page.
Scroll selected item into view The FeatureManager design tree scrolls automatically to display features corresponding to items selected in
the graphics area.
For complex parts and assemblies, clearing this option is recommended. Then, to scroll to a feature, right-
click the feature in the graphics area and select Go To Feature (in Tree).
Name feature on creation When you create a feature, the feature name in the FeatureManager design tree is automatically selected and
ready for you to enter a name.
Arrow key navigation With the pointer in the FeatureManager design tree, navigate with arrow keys.
Dynamic highlight The geometry in the graphics area (edges, faces, planes, axes, and so on) is highlighted when the pointer
passes over the item in the FeatureManager design tree.
Use transparent flyout The flyout design tree is transparent. When cleared, the flyout design tree is not transparent.
FeatureManager in parts/assemblies
Transparent flyout FeatureManager design tree:
Opaque flyout FeatureManager design tree:
Enable FeatureManager tree filter Displays a box at the top of the FeatureManager design tree so you can type text to filter.
Allow component files to be renamed Lets you change the file names of components directly from the FeatureManager design tree.
from FeatureManager tree
If this option is selected and you are blocked from deselecting it, you have renamed one or more components
but have not yet saved the files. You need to do one of the following:
Save the assembly, which saves the renamed files with their new names.
Close the assembly without saving, which discards all changes made since the last save.
Enable preview of hidden Shows previews when you select hidden components in the FeatureManager design tree.
components
The previews can cause performance issues in large assemblies, especially when previewing
complex components.
Hide/Show tree items Controls the display of the FeatureManager design tree folders and tools. Choose from:
Automatic Displays the item if present. Otherwise, it is hidden.
Hide Always hides the item.
Show Always shows the item.
To change these settings, you can display the FeatureManager Options by right-clicking in the
FeatureManager design tree and selecting Hide/Show Tree Items.
FeatureManager Design Tree Arrow Navigation
With the pointer in the FeatureManager design tree, you can navigate the tree with the arrow keys.
To . . . Press:
scroll up up arrow
scroll down down arrow
collapse the design tree left arrow with pointer at top of design tree
expand the design tree right arrow with pointer at top of design tree
collapse an item left arrow with pointer at item
expand an item right arrow with pointer at item
drag the rollback bar up up arrow with rollback bar selected
drag the rollback bar down down arrow with rollback bar selected
Selecting from the FeatureManager Design Tree
You can select single, multiple, or nonconsecutive items in the FeatureManager design tree.
To select items in the FeatureManager design tree:

Select features, sketches, planes, and axes in the model by selecting their names.
Select multiple consecutive items by holding the Shift key while you select.
Select non-consecutive items by holding the Ctrl key while you select.
Box select or cross select by holding the pointer down in an empty region of the panel and dragging.
Search the text of the FeatureManager design tree by right-clicking (except Material) and selecting Go To.
Use the FeatureManager filter to make selection easier by narrowing the list of features displayed.
When you select items in the FeatureManager design tree, the items highlight in the graphics area.
Accessing Recent Features Through History
From the History folder at the top of the FeatureManager design tree, you can access the features that you have most recently created
or edited. You can also control the number of features to list in the History folder.
To access recent history:
In the FeatureManager design tree, expand the History folder.
PARENT TOPICFeatureManager Design Tree
Setting History Length

You can set the number of edited features listed in the History folder.
To set the history length:
1. From an open document, in the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the History folder and click History Options.
2. In the PropertyManager, under History Length, for Maximum, type an integer between 1 and 99.
Find in Feature Manager Design Tree
Lets you search text of the FeatureManager design tree for a text string.
To search the FeatureManager design tree:
1. Right-click anywhere in the FeatureManager design tree (except Materials ), and select Go To.
2. In the dialog box, enter a text string for Find what.
3. Click Find Next as many times as needed.
The tree is searched from top to bottom. To reverse direction, clear Start from the top.
Filtering the Feature Manager Design Tree
The FeatureManager design tree filter lets you search for specific features of parts and components of assemblies.
To filter the FeatureManager design tree:
1. At the top of the FeatureManager design tree, in the filter field , type a keyword to display the items you want to view.
You can filter by:
 Types of features
 Feature names
 Sketches
 Folders
 Mates
 User-defined tags
When you filter an assembly, you can also choose to:
 Filter the graphics view

 Filter hidden or suppressed components
2. To redisplay all features, click in the filter field.
Examples
Filter text Finds
extr All items containing the string extr, such as extrude features
sens All items containing the string sens, including Sensors folders
ske All items containing the string ske, including sketches
Adding Folders and Subfolders
In part or assembly documents, you can add folders to the FeatureManager design tree. You can rename new folders and drag
additional items into the new folders. This reduces the length of the FeatureManager design tree and helps you organize features and
components.
In part documents, you can create folders for features. You can place any set of sequential features into an individual folder. You
cannot use Ctrl to select non-sequential features. This maintains parent-child relationships. When you select a folder that you added in
the FeatureManager design tree, the features in the folder are highlighted in the graphics area. Similarly, when you select a feature in
the graphics area that is in a folder you created, the folder is highlighted.
In assembly documents, you can create folders for components and folders for mates. When adding a folder to the FeatureManager
design tree, you can preselect non-sequential components or mates to place in the folder. When you select a component in the
graphics area that is in a folder you created, the folder expands to show the highlighted component in the FeatureManager design tree.
You can also create subfolders. Any command that can be applied to folders can be applied to subfolders. When you apply a command
to a folder, it is applied to that folder's subfolders as well. For example, when you suppress a folder, all items in the folder are
suppressed, including its subfolders and the items they contain.
To expand or collapse a folder and all its subfolders, right-click and click Expand All or Collapse All. To retain a subfolder's expanded or
collapsed state when you expand or collapse its parent folder, right-click the parent folder and click Expand Item or Collapse Item.
You can insert items into folders automatically or manually.
To create a new folder and In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click an item and select Add to New Folder.
insert items automatically:
A new folder appears in the FeatureManager design tree. The feature you right-clicked is now in the
new folder. You can rename the folder and drag additional items into the folder.
In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click an item and select Create New Folder. A new folder appears in
To create a new folder and
the FeatureManager design tree. You can rename the folder and drag additional items into the folder.
insert items manually: When you manually drag an item onto a folder name, the pointer changes to .
To remove items from a folder:

1. In the FeatureManager design tree, drag the item from the folder onto the folder icon . The
pointer changes to .
2. Release the mouse button. The item is removed from the folder, and appears just below the
folder.
Folder Icons in the FeatureManager Design Tree
The folder icons in the FeatureManager design tree indicate the state of items in the folders.
Assemblies
In assemblies, the icons indicate if the folder contains shown, hidden, or suppressed items, or various combinations.
Icon Shown Hidden Suppressed
X X
X X
X X
X X X
Parts
In parts, the icons indicate if the folder contains unsuppressed or suppressed items, or both.
Icon Unsuppressed Suppressed
X X
FeatureManager Design Tree Favorites

You can add commonly used features, sketches, and reference geometry to the Favorites folder in the FeatureManager® design
tree.
With the Favorites folder, you can easily access items in a part or assembly with a very long feature tree. You can also use the
Favorites folder to highlight features for other team members to look at during collaboration.
To add an item to the Favorites folder, right-click the item and click Add to Favorites.
You can choose whether to hide or show the Favorites folder in Tools > Options > FeatureManager.
To remove a feature from the Favorites folder, right-click the feature and click Remove from Favorites.
If you right-click an item in the Favorites folder and click Delete, the item is permanently deleted from the part or assembly.
Any changes you make to an item in the Favorites folder are also made wherever the item appears in the tree. For example, if you
rename an item in Favorites, all other instances of that item in the FeatureManager design tree appear with the new name.
Grouping Features in Favorites Folders
To provide easy access to features such as cuts, holes, and chamfers, you can group them in a subfolder in the Favorites folder.
You move process-specific features to the Favorites folder and then group them by adding them to a new Favorites subfolder and giving the
subfolder a custom name.
For example, to allow for proper weld dimensions and the strongest possible weld penetration, you can specify a weld gap in the
Trim/Extend features that you add to a weldment part. You can group these features in a Trim/Extend subfolder for quick visual access,
to create configurations, and to check your design.
You can also group components by putting them in a subfolder of the Favorites folder in the assembly.
To group features in Favorites folders:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the part and click Hide/Show Tree Items.
2. In the dialog box, under Hide/show tree items, set Favorites to Show and click OK.
3. Select features to group, right-click and click Add to Favorites.
4. Expand Favorites .
5. Select the features again, right-click and click Add to New Favorite Folder.
6. Rename the new folder to identify the features it contains.
To remove a feature from the subfolder or to remove the entire subfolder, right-click and click Remove from Favorites.
To reorder subfolders in the Favorites folder, select the subfolder and drag it towards its new location. The pointer changes to ,
indicating the new location of the subfolder.
To remove a feature from the subfolder or to remove the entire subfolder, right-click and click Remove from Favorites.
The Design Binder folder in the FeatureManager design tree contains:
Design Journal Keep notes and insert images in an embedded Word document.
Attachments Embed or link PDF, Word, Excel, or other types of documents containing proposals, quotes, calculations,
catalogs of purchased parts, design failure analyses, problem logs, reports, etc.
Reports from Reports added automatically by SOLIDWORKS Utilities.

SOLIDWORKS Utilities
By default, the Design Binder folder is hidden if the Design Journal is empty or there are no attachments.
To display the Design Binder:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the document name, and select Hide/Show Tree items.
2. In the System Options - FeatureManager dialog box, under Hide/Show Tree Items, for Design Binder, select Show.
3. Click OK.
Design Journal
A document called Design Journal.docx is embedded in SOLIDWORKS documents. The document has the following properties:
Appears in the Design Binder folder in the FeatureManager design tree.

Is a Microsoft Word® document.
Resembles an engineering journal, with headings for File Name, Description, and Material. These fields are linked to document properties
and updated whenever the journal is opened. File Name is the actual file name and Description and Material are SOLIDWORKS document
custom properties.
Appears initially as <Empty>, a designation that disappears when you activate the journal.
Is added to the SOLIDWORKS file when you activate it, so the SOLIDWORKS file size is not affected unless you activate the journal.
Accepts both text and embedded images.
Can be deleted, in which case it is again listed as <Empty>.
Can be printed.
You must have Microsoft Word on your computer to use the design journal.
Related tasks

Editing the Design Journal
To edit the design journal:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, double-click Design Journal.docx in the Design Binder folder .
To view the Design Journal when the Design Binder folder is not visible, right-click the part, assembly, or drawing and click Hidden Tree Items
> Design Binder > Design Journal.docx > Open.
2. Type text, paste in images, format text, and so on.
In Microsoft Office® 2002, you can drag images from the clipboard. In other versions of Microsoft Office, use the Paste command to paste
in the image from the active window in SOLIDWORKS. You can also paste in images from screen capture software, image editing
software, and so on.
3. Close the journal.
Changes are saved automatically.
You can attach other documents to SOLIDWORKS documents by adding them to the Design Binder folder .
Design Journal Template
You can specify the file location for the design template in Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations . In Show folders for,
select Design Journal Template to add or delete a location. The default journal template folder is install_dir\lang\language\.
To edit the design journal template:
1. On the File Explorer tab of the Task Pane, under install_dir\lang\language\, open journal.docx.
2. Edit the document in Microsoft Word.
3. Save and close the document.
Your changes appear when you open a new embedded Design Journal.docx in a SOLIDWORKS document.
Add Attachment
Add a document to the Design Binder folder. You can embed or link the document.
To add an attachment:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the Design Binder folder and select Add Attachment.
If the Design Binder folder is not visible, right-click the part, assembly, or drawing and click Hidden Tree Items > Design
Binder > Add Attachment.
Adding an attachment causes the Design Binder folder to display.
2. In the dialog box, type a path and file name or browse to a file.
3. To link the file, select Link.
If you do not select Link, the file is embedded.
4. Click OK.
Comments
Add text comments to items in the FeatureManager design tree (assemblies, components, features, sketches, and so on) in the manner
of Post-It® notes. You can include a date and time stamp in text comments.
When you add the first comment to a document, a Comments folder is created in the FeatureManager design tree. Comments are
displayed in tooltips, both in the Comments folder and for the item in the FeatureManager design tree.
You can only add one comment per item.
Comments in FeatureManager Design Tree

You can add comments to all of the following nodes in the FeatureManager design tree:
 Mates (all types)
 Mate folder or Mate group
 Folders
 Sensors
 Material
 Annotation views
 Blocks
 Solid bodies folder
 Surface bodies folder
 Sheet metal nodes
 Mate references
You can turn on the comment indicators to locate comments more easily.
You can add standalone comments that are not attached to a feature or node in the FeatureManager design tree.
You can attach an image or a screen capture of the model when you create or edit a comment.
You can view feature comments in the PropertyManager.
When you add a comment to a feature, a timestamp is added automatically to the comment.
You can view all comments in one dialog box and export the comments to a Microsoft Word document.
The ConfigurationManager also shows similar behavior for comments.
Adding a Comment
To add a comment:
1. Right-click an item in the FeatureManager design tree and select Comment > Add Comment .
2. In the message box, type text. Click Date/Time Stamp to add the current date and time.
3. Click Save and Close.
Adding Standalone Comments

You can add standalone comments that are not attached to a feature or node in the FeatureManager design tree.
To add standalone comments:
1. Click Add Comment (Standard toolbar).

2. In the Comment box, type the comment and click Save and Close.
The standalone comment is added in the Comments folder in FeatureManager design tree.
You can also right-click the Comments folder and click Add Comment to add a standalone comment.
Turning on Comment Indicators

You can turn on comment indicators in the FeatureManager design tree display to locate the comments more easily.
To turn on comment indicators:
1. In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the top node.

2. Click Tree Display > Show Comment Indicator.
Visual indicators appear in the FeatureManager design tree to indicate if a comment exists.
Editing a Comment
To edit a comment:
1. Right-click an item in the FeatureManager design tree that has a comment and select Comment > Edit Comment .
2. Edit the comment, then click Save and Close.
Deleting Comments
To delete a comment:
Right-click an item in the FeatureManager design tree that has a comment and select Comment > Delete Comment, then click Yes to confirm.
Adding Images and Screenshots to Comments

You can add images and screenshots to comments. When you add a comment to a feature, a timestamp is added automatically to the
comment.
To add images and screenshots to comments:
1. Click Add Comment (Standard toolbar).

2. In the Comment box, click one or both of the following:
 Insert image . Lets you browse for an image and adds it in the comment with a preview.
 Insert screenshot . Adds an image of the graphics area in the comment with a preview.
3. Click Save and Close.
Viewing and Editing Comments in PropertyManagers

You can view and edit the comments of a feature in PropertyManagers.
To view and edit comments in PropertyManagers:
1. Click Tools > Options > System Options > Collaboration.

2. In the dialog box, select Show Comments in PropertyManager.
3. In the graphics area, select a feature that has a comment attached to it and click Edit Feature .
4. In the PropertyManager, under Comment, click Edit.
5. Modify the comment and click Save and Close.
6. Click
Tags
Tags are keywords you add to SOLIDWORKS documents and features to make them easier to filter and search.
To aid in filtering the FeatureManager tree, add tags to selected features in the graphics area.
To facilitate searching, add tags to selected documents:
 On the File Explorer tab of the task pane
 In the File Explorer pane in SOLIDWORKS Explorer

Related tasks
Filtering the FeatureManager Design Tree
Related reference
Status Bar
Adding a Tag
To add a tag:

 In the graphics area, select a feature.
 Click the File Explorer tab of the Task pane and select a SOLIDWORKS document.
2. In the status bar, click Tags .

3. In the Tags box, click to display a list of tags that are already in use.
4. Select a tag from the list or type a new tag.
5. Click Tags again to close the box.
Using a Tag as a Filter in the FeatureManager Design Tree
To use a tag as a filter in the FeatureManager design tree:
1. In the filter field, type the tag.

2. To redisplay all features, click X in the filter field.
Showing Feature Descriptions
You can display feature descriptions in the FeatureManager design tree.
To show feature descriptions:
At the top of the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the part, assembly, or drawing name, and select Tree Display > Show Feature Descriptions.
By default, feature descriptions are the same as the feature names and are not displayed. To specify a different feature description for display in the
FeatureManager design tree, right-click the feature and click Feature Properties. In the dialog box, type the Description and click OK.
Changing a Feature Description
To change a feature description in a part or assembly document:
1. Right-click the feature in the Feature Manager design tree and select Feature Properties.
2. In the dialog box, edit the text in Description, then click OK.
You cannot change feature descriptions in drawing documents. Descriptions specified in part and assembly documents are displayed in drawing
documents when you select Tree Display > Show Feature Descriptions in the drawing document.
What's Wrong?
View rebuild errors and warnings in part and assembly documents. Model geometry is created when warnings occur, but not if errors
are present.
Some common rebuild errors include:
Dangling Dimensions or Relations. Dimensions or relations to an entity that no longer exists

Features that cannot be rebuilt, such as a fillet that is too large
You can identify rebuild errors or warnings by icons in the FeatureManager design tree, breadcrumbs, or graphics area:
Icon Description
Indicates an error with the model. This icon appears on the document name at the top of the FeatureManager design tree, and on the feature that
contains the error. The text of the part or feature is in red.
Indicates an error with a feature. This icon appears on the feature name in the FeatureManager design tree. The text of the feature is in red.
Indicates a warning underneath the node indicated. This icon appears on the document name at the top of the FeatureManager design tree, and
on the parent feature in the FeatureManager design tree whose child feature issued the error. The text of the feature is in green.
Indicates a warning with a feature or sketch. This icon appears on the specific feature in the FeatureManager design tree that issued the
warning. The text of the feature or sketch is in green.
If a document or feature has both an error and a warning, the icon is displayed.
To display a contextual What's Wrong box, select an error or warning in the FeatureManager design tree, breadcrumbs, or graphics area. The box
describes the issue and offers suggestions to correct it. Links appear to either Edit Feature or Edit Sketch . Depending on the situation, there
may also be links to Preview and Help .
To display a list of all errors and warnings, left-click the top node in the FeatureManager design tree. Click an item in the list to select the item in the
FeatureManager design tree.
Contextual What's Wrong boxes in the FeatureManager design tree, breadcrumbs, and graphics area are available for part and assembly models only.
All other types of documents display the What's Wrong dialog box only.
To review errors or warnings using the What's Wrong dialog box:
Right-click the sketch, feature, part, or assembly name and click What’s Wrong?.
The dialog box includes columns that display:
Type
Error or Warning .
Feature The name of the feature and its icon in the FeatureManager design tree.
Preview
If the Preview icon appears in the column, click the icon to see the corresponding feature highlighted in the graphics area.
Help
If the Help icon appears in the column, click the icon to access a help topic with more information about the error or the feature.
Description An explanation of the error or warning.
Click column headers to reorder the messages.
The dialog box includes the following check boxes:
Show errors Displays error messages.
Show warnings Displays warning messages.
Display What's Wrong during Automatically displays errors each time you rebuild the model. This option affects only the current
rebuild SOLIDWORKS session.
The flyout FeatureManager design tree allows you to view both the FeatureManager design tree and the PropertyManager at the same
time.
Sometimes it is easier to select items in the flyout FeatureManager design tree than in the graphic. In addition, you can hide, change
the transparency of, go to, or zoom to selected items. You cannot suppress items or roll back the build.
The flyout FeatureManager design tree automatically appears when a PropertyManager is active. To expand it, do one of the following:
Click next to the document name in the flyout FeatureManager design tree
Click the name of the top-level item in the flyout FeatureManager design tree
Press C
If Use transparent flyout FeatureManager in parts/assemblies is selected in Tools > Options > System Options > FeatureManager, the
flyout FeatureManager design tree is transparent so you can see the model underneath it.
PropertyManager Overview
The PropertyManager is a means to set properties and other options for many SOLIDWORKS commands.
The PropertyManager appears on the PropertyManager tab in the panel to the left of the graphics area. It opens when you select
entities or commands defined in the PropertyManager. You can choose whether it opens in other cases in Tools > Options > System
Options > General .
Titlebar
The feature icon and feature name (Boss_Extrude1, for example) (read-only)
Buttons OK Accept the selections, execute the command, and close the PropertyManager.
Cancel Ignore any selections and close the PropertyManager.
Detailed Preview Display a preview of the feature.
Help Open the corresponding help topic.
Keep Visible Pin the PropertyManager open.
PropertyManagers with wizards

Back Return to the previous step.
Next Proceed to the next step.
Undo Undo the previous execution.
Message A text box directing you to the next step, often listing various ways to implement the next step.
Group
Collection of related buttons, list boxes, and selection boxes, with a group title (Direction 1, for example), which can be expanded or
Boxes
collapsed .
Selection Accept selections in the graphics area or in the FeatureManager design tree. When active, the boxes are pink. When you select an item in
Boxes the selection box, it is highlighted in the graphics area. To delete selections from a box, right-click and choose Delete (for one item) or
Clear Selections (for all items).
As you make selections, the box expands. Drag the handle or the bottom edge of the box to lengthen or shorten it. To return the box to
its full size, right-click and click Autosize or double-click the handle or the bottom edge of the box.
When you add selections using a PropertyManager that provides two list boxes, you can resize a box without losing focus on the active
box. For example, if you add selections to one box and it is growing large, you can shrink an inactive box to provide more room and still
continue to add selections to the first box without having to refocus on it.
Keyboard Input in PropertyManagers

To navigate in PropertyManagers, you can:
Access every control in a PropertyManager by pressing Tab to move from control to control.
Use keyboard shortcuts to expand and collapse group boxes, turn check boxes on and off, and select radio buttons.
For example, you can use the spacebar to toggle check boxes and invoke command buttons.
You can use arrow keys to move between sets of radio buttons and choose a radio button.
Click in the PropertyManager title bar to display the flyout FeatureManager design tree in the graphics area.
Vertical and Horizontal Control
When you create new documents, the PropertyManager opens at the optimum width. You can drag the divider that separates the
PropertyManager from the graphics area back and forth to resize its width. It snaps into position at the optimum width for displaying the
PropertyManager.
A split bar lets you split the left panel to display any combination of PropertyManager, FeatureManager design tree,
ConfigurationManager, and third party tabs. When the pointer changes to , drag the horizontal split bar down. To return to a single
panel, double-click the split bar or drag it up to the top of the panel.
Related concepts
Accepting Features
Floating and Docking the PropertyManager

To float the PropertyManager, drag its title bar from the docked position. Once it is floating, you can drag the PropertyManager anywhere on or
outside the SOLIDWORKS window.
To dock a floating PropertyManager window:
While dragging the PropertyManager on the SOLIDWORKS window, move the pointer over a docking icon:
Dock upper left as a tab
Dock upper left in the graphics area
Dock lower left
Dock lower right
Double-click the title bar in the floating PropertyManager window to revert to the last docking position.
Sticky Settings
Settings in certain options persist across SOLIDWORKS sessions and versions until you change them.
Settings in certain options persist after you click OK or when you accept PropertyManager options.
The following options persist across SOLIDWORKS sessions and versions:
Knit Surface PropertyManager When you click Gap Control and type custom values for the Gap Control dialog box, the Gap Control
check box and the values you enter persist.
Edge Flange PropertyManager The new settings under Flange Length and under Flange Position and the values that you enter persist.
Hole Specification PropertyManager The settings under End Condition and the Depth values that you enter persist.
(Hole Wizard)
The ConfigurationManager is a means to create, select, and view multiple configurations of parts and assemblies in a document.
You can split the ConfigurationManager and either display two ConfigurationManager instances, or combine the ConfigurationManager
with the FeatureManager design tree, PropertyManager, or third party applications that use the panel.
The ConfigurationManager has a section for controlling display states.
To activate the ConfigurationManager:
Click the ConfigurationManager tab at the top of the Manager Pane.
Each configuration is listed separately.
The icons in the ConfigurationManager denote how the configuration was created:
Manually.
With a design table.
Manually, and has an explode state or a derived configuration.
With a design table, and has an explode state or a derived configuration.
Additional icons indicate the state of each configurations's data. For example:
The data set for the configuration is full and up-to-date.
The full data set for the configuration will be generated the next time you save the document.
Other icons that sometimes appear in the ConfigurationManager include:
Design Table Appears when the model contains a design table. Right-click to edit, save, or delete the design table.
PropertyManager Appears when you define a custom PropertyManager in the Configuration Publisher dialog box. These PropertyManagers
enable you to select the configuration of a part when you place it in an assembly. Right-click to modify the PropertyManager.
Displaying Configuration Previews

You can display configuration previews of a part or an assembly in the PropertyManager. You do not have to open a configuration to
see it, which saves time in complex parts and assemblies.
To display a configuration preview in the PropertyManager:
1. In the ConfigurationManager, right-click the configuration that you want to preview and select Show Preview.
The configuration preview appears in the PropertyManager.
If the preview does not appear, open each configuration, and save the document in each configuration. The next time you select Show
Preview, the preview appears.
2. Click in the graphics area to hide the preview.
Customizing Configuration Sort Order

You can specify the order in which configurations are listed in the ConfigurationManager.
To customize configuration sort order:
1. In the ConfigurationManager, right-click the top-level configuration and click Tree Order.
2. Select one of the following:
Option Description
Numeric Sorts by ascending alpha or numeric value.

Option Description
Literal Sorts by alphabetical order.
Manual (Drag Lets you drag configurations in the configuration tree. As you drag up or down the tree, each configuration that you drag over
and Drop) is highlighted. The configuration that you are moving drops immediately below the highlighted item when you release the
pointer.
History-Based Sorts by the date the configuration was created, from first created at the top of the list to most recently created at the bottom
of the list.
Commands, Menus, and Toolbars
CONTENTS
Menus
The menus contain nearly all the SOLIDWORKS commands.
Menu Bar
The Menu Bar contains a set of the most frequently used tool buttons from the Standard toolbar, the SOLIDWORKS menus, the
SOLIDWORKS Search, and a flyout menu of Help options.
Mouse Gestures
You can use a mouse gesture as a shortcut to execute a command or macro quickly, similar to a keyboard shortcut.
Toolbars
Toolbars are available for most SOLIDWORKS tools, and also for add-in products.
Repeat Last Command

Recent Commands
The last ten unique commands are available in a command history. The most recent command is at the top of the list. Commands are
not repeated in the list.
User Interface Customization
You can customize menus, keyboard shortcuts, toolbars, and the Task Pane. You can also assign macros and then quickly access
them from the user interface or the keyboard.
Touch and Multi-Touch Support
If you install SOLIDWORKS on a touch-enabled computer, you can use the flick touch and multi-touch gestures in SOLIDWORKS.

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User Interface Overview

1 Menu Bar 6 Selection Breadcrumbs

2 Toolbars 7 FeatureManager Design Tree Filter

3 CommandManager 8 FeatureManager Design Tree

4 ConfigurationManager 9 Status Bar

2 SOLIDWORKS Search 5 Graphics Area

3 Help flyout menu

To change the background:

PARENT TOPICUser Interface

1. From the Windows Start menu, click Control Panel.

Logging into SOLIDWORKS

Benefits to logging in with the SOLIDWORKS ID are:

You can synchronize the following settings:

 File locations listed in Tools > Options and Toolbox/Hole Wizard.

To log into the SOLIDWORKS software:

1. In the SOLIDWORKS title bar, click the Login icon .

The SOLIDWORKS ID can be your email address.

3. In Password, enter your password.

Windows and Displays

Tile Horizontally - Tile Vertically

Full Screen Mode

Spanning and Fitting to Displays

To open another view of the active document in a new window:

Click New Window (Standard toolbar) or Window > New Window.

To cascade document windows:

Click Window > Cascade.

Tile Horizontally - Tile Vertically

To tile the document windows:

Full Screen Mode

To access full screen mode:

The following keys toggle visibility:

F9 FeatureManager design tree

F10 All toolbars

F11 Full screen mode

Spanning and Fitting to Displays

Understanding Span Displays

When the SOLIDWORKS window partially or fully spans two monitors:

To span two displays:

Restoring Spanned Displays

Click Restore or Window > Restore.

Tiling Windows in Displays

To tile a document window in the display:

Display Configuration Result When Clicking Result When Alt+clicking

Heads-up View Toolbar

Right-click Advance Selection

Callouts and Handles

Shaded and Dynamic Previews

System Colors Options

You can view models through one, two, or four viewports.

You can capture a video of actions in the graphics area.

To change the view orientation with the reference triad:

Do one of the following:

Select an axis See the view normal to the screen.

Shift + select Rotate 90 degrees about the axis.

Ctrl + Shift + select Rotate 90 degrees in the opposite direction.

Ctrl + Alt + select Rotate in the opposite direction.

Breadcrumbs are helpful with assembly mates because they show:

Breadcrumbs in a part Breadcrumbs in an assembly

An entity in the graphics area.

Breadcrumbs are helpful with assembly mates because they show:

Which mates apply to the selected parts or subassemblies.

Breadcrumbs also show the suppression state of entities.

To display a toolbar that Click an item in the breadcrumbs.