Customizing SolidWorks

Dennis L. Miller, CSWP

Machine Designer & System Administrator
Graybills Tool and Die, Inc.

Before starting
-Turn off Command Manager
-Remove check in cmd mgr for weldments, mold tools, sheet metal.

Customizing SolidWorks

Basic Information for:

Newer Users

Anyone who wants to learn how to customize their SolidWorks User

Interface

Customizing SolidWorks

A little about me:

Employer: Graybills Tool and Die, Inc., Manheim, PA

Machine

Designer 30+ years

Last 19 years at GTD

Design & build custom machines, fixtures, etc.
System

Administrator at GTD

SolidWorks User since 2001

CSWP since January 2005

I am NOT a SolidWorks expert still learning everyday

Customizing SolidWorks
We will be talking about SolidWorks 2008 & 2009, but the items discussed
may apply to other versions as well.

Topics we will cover:

Menus Standard and In-context

Toolbars Standard, Heads-up, Command Manager, In-context, S-key

Task Pane & Workflow

Keyboard Shortcuts

System Customization - Custom Templates

Drawing Sheet Formats

Copy Settings Wizard

Time may not permit us to cover all these items.

The following topics will be covered:

-Standard menus and in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus
Showing/Hiding standard menu items
Short & Long in/context/shortcut/pop-up menus
-Standard toolbars and the Command Manager
Whats the difference? Enabling/Disabling the Command Manager
Choosing/Locating toolbars
Adding/Removing buttons and drop-downs
Customizing the Command Manager
The S-Key (shortcut)
-The task pane and built-in work flow customizations
Expanding/Collapsing and pinning the task pane
Work flow for consumer product designers, machine designers, and mold designers
-Keyboard shortcuts
Supplied keyboard shortcuts
Creating your own keyboard shortcuts
-System Customization
Custom Templates
Drawing Sheet Formats
Automating sheet format information
-Copy settings wizard
Save your settings
Re-use your settings

Customizing SolidWorks Session Goals

After attending this session a SolidWorks user should:

Be able to customize SolidWorks Menus

Be able to customize SolidWorks Toolbars

Understand the SolidWorks Task Pane & Workflow settings

Understand, establish, and edit Keyboard Shortcuts

Setup Custom Templates

Setup Drawing Sheet Formats

Utilize the Copy Settings Wizard

Read slide highlights.

First a little background on menus

Customizing SolidWorks

Menus

Standard Menus

In-context menus

Showing and hiding menu items

Standard menus and in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus will be demonstrated

Showing and hiding standard menu items with the Customize Menu command
Shortening and Lengthening in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus with the Customize Menu command

Customizing SolidWorks - Menus

Standard Menus

Before opening a part, assembly or drawing:

In Part, Assembly, or Drawing:

Standard menus are:

File
Edit
View
Insert
Tools
Toolbox
Window
Help
Different menus displayed based on if an item is opened or not

Customizing SolidWorks Standard Menus

File

Edit

View

Standard menus:
-File: Create, Open, Save, Print files and access their properties
-Edit: Undo, Redo, Repeat Last Command, Cut/Copy/Paste, Suppress/Unsuppress,
Bend Table, Appearance
-View: Display, Modify, Hide/Show non-solid items, Task Pane, Appearance
callouts, Toolbars

Customizing SolidWorks Standard Menus (contd)

Tools

Insert

Toolbox

Help

Window

The rest of the standard menus:

-Insert: Features, Parts, DWG/DXF, Annotations, Design Table, Object, Hyperlink
-Tools: Sketch Entities, Sketch Tools, Spline Tools, Dims, Relations, Measure,
Mass/Section Properties, Check, Feature/Assembly Statistics, Equations, Import
Diagnostics, Draft Analysis, Undercut Detection, Deviation Analysis, DrawCompare,
SolidWorks Explorer, CosmosXpress, MoldflowXpress, Macro, Add-ins, Customize,
Options
-Toolbox: Standard components, Structural Steel Shapes, Grooves, Cams, Beams
& Bearing Caculators
-Window: Viewport, New Window, Cascade/Tile, Arrange Icons, Close All, Select a
document
-Help: SolidWorks Help Topics, Add-in help, Quick tips, API Help, Moving from
AutoCAD, Tutorial, Whats New, Interactive Whats New, Service Packs, Release
Notes, About SolidWorks

Customizing SolidWorks In-context Menu/Toolbar Examples

In-context menus are also called shortcut, or pop-up menus. They are activated with
a right-mouse-button click. Located above the in-context menu is the in-context
toolbar. This toolbar provides access to frequently performed actions for that
context. The tools in the context toolbar are a subset of items previously found on
the shortcut menus
They are called in-context because the items displayed differ depending on your
context. Your context changes when your cursor is over different types of objects,
and when different tools are active.
Show examples (use part1.sldprt show solid / show sketch)
Depending on what tool may be active or inactive, and where the cursor is pointing
when the right-mouse-button is pressed, the user sees a different menu. The idea is
to give the user the most common commands for what they are doing, or where
their mouse is. Most of the time, a user should be able to right-click and quickly find
the next function they want to use.
It is also important to realize that in-context menus can contain commands that look
similar, but are really quite different. For example, a face is created by a feature,
and it contributes to a body. When we right-click on a face, there are commands to
affect either that face, or the feature that created it, or the body that it belongs to. To
help avoid confusion, SolidWorks groups commands together, giving each grouping
a BOLD title. When starting to use the in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus, make sure
the command youre selecting is from the correct group of the menu.

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Customizing SolidWorks - Customize Menu

Tools

Every standard menu has Customize Menu as the last choice.

Selecting Customize Menu on a standard menu brings up a control list for that
menu.
Any list item with a check in its box is displayed on that menu.
Any list item without a check in its box is not displayed on that menu.
The graphic on the slide demonstrates removing the checks from each command
between and including Measure and Equations.
Clicking away from the control list (in an empty space of the graphic area, for
example) implements the change.
The next time the tools menu is selected, those items are not displayed.
Of course, those items can be redisplayed by selecting Customize Menu and
putting a check back in their boxes.
Demonstrate use Part1.sldprt from previous example

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Customizing SolidWorks - Show All

What if I really get things messed up?
Go to:

Tools

Customize

Options Tab

We now have an option to either show all of the menu items, or to restore all of the
menu items to their default display state (not all menu items may be set to be
displayed by default).
Go to Tools, Customize (or right-click in the toolbar area and select Customize,
or go to View, Toolbars, Customize) to bring up the Customize dialogue box.
Go to the last tab, which is Options.
Under Menu customization, the Show All button will display all items on all
standard menus, and the Reset to Defaults button will reset all standard menu
items back to their original display setting.

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Customizing SolidWorks - Customize In-context Menus

Many of the in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus have a lot of items, sometimes too

many.
Sometimes not all of the menu items are displayed by default. When this happens,
a double arrow is displayed at the end of the pop-up menu. Selecting this double
arrow expands the menu to display all of its items.
At the bottom of every full-length in-context/shortcut/pop-up menu is a Customize
Menu choice. IMPORTANT-This works differently than the Customize Menu
choice at the bottom of every standard toolbar.
When Customize Menu is selected from the bottom of an in-context/shortcut/popup menu, it displays a control list for that menu. This may LOOK very similar to the
customization explained earlier for standard menus, but it is important to keep in
mind that this is different.
For in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus, a check in the box means that the item is
displayed immediately when the menu pops-up. No check in the box means that the
item will only be displayed if the user selects the double-arrow at the bottom of the
initial pop-up menu.
The images on the slide show the menus when a face is right-clicked.
Delete Face Example Use Part1.sldprt file
If the user selects Customize Menu, they can put a check in the control box next to
the Delete Face command. The next time the user right-clicks on a face, they will
see the Delete command under the Face area of the pop-up without having to
select the double-arrow.

13

Customizing SolidWorks - Show All

What if I really get things messed
up?
Go to:

Tools

Customize

Options

We have an option to either show all of the in-context menu items, or to restore all
of the shortcut menu items to their default display state.
Go to Tools, Customize (or right-click in the toolbar area and select Customize,
or go to View, Toolbars, Customize) to bring up the Customize dialogue box.
Go to the last tab, which is Options.
Under Shortcut customization, the Show All button will display all items on all incontext/shortcut/pop-up menus, and the Reset to Defaults button will reset all incontext/shortcut/pop-up menu items back to their original display setting.
Demonstrate using Part1.sldprt file

14

Customizing SolidWorks - Toolbars

Toolbars

Heads-Up Tool Bar

Standard vs Command Manager

Icon Size and Tooltips

Working with Standard toolbars

Working with Command Manager

We will discuss:
The head-up toolbar.
The difference between standard toolbar configuration and the command manager,
as well as how to enable and disable the command manager.
Changing toolbar icon size and the display of tooltips will be demonstrated.
Turning standard toolbars on and off, as well as how to move and locate standard
toolbars.
Adding and removing buttons from the toolbars.
Changing the size of the Command Manager buttons (by showing/hiding the
description).
Adding and removing toolbars to and from the Command Manager.

15

Customizing SolidWorks - Heads Up Toolbar

Cannot add/remove icons

Can turn items on or off

Right click on the toolbar to modify

The heads-up toolbar is a transparent toolbar in each viewport providing all the
common tools necessary for view manipulation.
Demonstrate use Part1.sldprt file
There is no reset button to get back to defaults.
Can be customized for each view displayed.
Demonstrate with Part1.sldprt using 2 view / 4 view.
Be careful if you want to change back - order of change is important.

16

Customizing SolidWorks - Standard setup

Standard Toolbars vs. Command Manager.

Standard toolbar display uses multiple toolbars, of the users choice, located around
the screen at the users discretion.
The standard toolbar configuration for part editing is to have the Feature toolbar
docked on the left side of the screen, and the Sketch toolbar docked on the right
side of the screen.
Reduces work area.
Can be docked & undocked.
Demonstrate opening tool bars, moving & docking Use Std Toolbars.sldprt
file.

17

Customizing SolidWorks - Command Manager

One toolbar

Always docked at top of screen (2008)

Dockable on Left, Top or Right (2009)

Contains multiple toolbars

Tabbed interface

Icon size can be changed

The Command Manager uses only one toolbar.

Always docked across the top of the screen (2008).
Dockable in 2009. L/R/Top
Although the Command Manager only takes up the screen space of one toolbar, it
contains multiple toolbars. The available toolbars are shown in tabs across the
bottom of the Command Manager. The tabs that are displayed by default, depend
on the type of document open and the work flow customization (more on that in a
moment) you have selected. These tabs control which toolbar is currently displayed.
The size of the Command Manager buttons can be changed several ways.
By turning on/off the display of text descriptions.
By selecting large icons in the Tools, Customize, Toolbars menu.
Demonstrate OPEN MENUS FOR MOLD TOOLS, WELDMENTS,
SHEETMETAL BEFORE GOING TO CMD MGR.

18

Customizing SolidWorks - Enable/Disable Command Manager

Right click on menu

Select CommandManager

OR
Tools
Customize
Toolbars

When customizing toolbars, the first question to ask is whether or not to use the
Command Manager.
To enable or disable the Command Manager select Tools, Customize (or rightclick in the toolbar area (not on the Command Manager) selecting Customize, or
select View, Toolbars, Customize). On the first Toolbars tab, the first checkbox
is for the Command Manager. If there is a check in that box, the Command
Manager is in use, if there is no check in that box, the Command Manager is not in
use.
Note: Both the Command Manager and standard toolbars can be used at the same
time. This presentation will assume that only one or the other is being used at any
given time. Please feel free to enable/disable standard toolbars while using the
Command Manager.
When customizing Cmd Mgr tabs are grayed out if available but not selected.

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Customizing SolidWorks - Customize Command Manager

Changes can be seen

immediately

Many other settings can be

changed

Icon size

Tooltips

Many settings can be customized through the Customize dialog.

On the first Toolbars tab there is a list of the SolidWorks toolbars. Putting a check
in the box next to an item turns on that toolbar. Clearing a check from a box turns
off that toolbar. Using this method allows you to turn on and off and locate many
toolbars at a time.
Using the Customize dialog box has advantages.
Changes can be seen immediately
Other settings can be changed
Icon Size
Context toolbar settings
Tooltip size
Demonstrate any file (use sketch).
Show on Selection check box uncheck and disappears upon selection.
Show in shortcut check box uncheck and disappears in shortcut toolbar.

20

Customizing SolidWorks - Working with toolbars

Working with Toolbars

Tools; Customize

Right click on a toolbar

Or View; Toolbars

May be floating or docked

Drag

and drop

Toolbars may be customized

Add

or remove icons

There are different ways to work with toolbars. Explain 3 ways to get into editing
toolbars.
Explain difference between View, Toolbars and View, Toolbars on View menu.
Moving toolbars around is as simple as drag and drop. If a toolbar is floating in the
graphics area, it can be moved by placing the cursor over the title bar on the
toolbar, pressing and holding down the left mouse button, and dragging the toolbar.
While dragging a toolbar around the screen, it can be docked on any side of the
graphics area. If the user drags it into the left or right portion of the toolbar area, it
will, at some point, snap into a vertical position. It can then be dropped, and it will be
docked there. It can then be easily dragged up and down the toolbar area. It can
also be dragged away from the toolbar area to either become free-floating or
docked somewhere else. Any toolbar can be docked on the top, bottom, left side, or
right side of the screen.
If docked, each toolbar will have a dotted line either at the beginning or the top
(depending on the orientation of the menu). When the cursor is over that line, it
changes to the pan symbol. At that point, the user can press and hold down the left
mouse button, dragging the toolbar. The toolbar can be dragged anywhere on the
screen. If the user drops the toolbar in the middle of the graphic area, it will float
there until the user drags it somewhere else or turns it off. When a toolbar is turned
off, then turned back on, it should reappear in its most recent position.

21

Customizing SolidWorks - Customizing Toolbars

Change shape/size

Commands tab

Select category

Drag and drop icons to/from

toolbar

Floating toolbars can have their size and shape modified by placing the mouse
cursor over an edge of the toolbar and then pressing and holding the left mouse
button while dragging the edge of the toolbar box. Release the mouse when the
shape and size are what you desire.
To remove toolbar buttons from the toolbars, access the Customize dialogue box by
choosing Tools, Customize (or right-click in the toolbar area (not on the Command
Manager) and select Customize, or select View, Toolbars, Customize).
Simply drag any button off of any toolbar into either dead space in the graphic area
or anywhere in the Customize dialogue box. Thats it.
Demonstrate remember drop down boxes you can duplicate commands.
To add toolbar buttons to the toolbars, access the Customize dialogue box by
choosing Tools, Customize (or right-click in the toolbar area (not on the Command
Manager) and select Customize, or select View, Toolbars, Customize).
Go to the second tab labeled Commands. Select a category from the list on the left
side of the box. Each category contains many buttons. To find out exactly what a
specific button does, select it. Its description will show up in the lower portion of the
dialogue box.
Drag any button to the toolbar you want the button added to. A black line will
preview the location of the button once added. Drop the button, and it will be added
to that toolbar, in that spot. While the Customize dialogue box is active, users can
also drag and drop buttons already on toolbars to reposition them.
You can create your own Super Toolbar using this method.
Flyout/dropdown buttons are individual toolbar buttons that actual contain entire

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Shortcut Bar

Press the s key

Can be customized

Is context sensitive

Can save time

Working in a solid

Adding a sketch

Press the s key to activate the shortcut bar. It appears near your cursor
position.
Can be customized.
Is context sensitive.
Can save time but takes a little getting used to.

23

Shortcut Bar - Customize

Press s

Right click on toolbar

Click Customize

To access the customization area same as other toolbars.

24

Shortcut Bar - Customize

Drag n Drop as
other toolbars

25

Customizing SolidWorks - Task Pane

May be:

Visible/hidden

Expanded/collapsed

Pinned/unpinned

Docked/floating

Cannot be user modified

The task pane is the expandable vertical area on the right side of the SolidWorks
window. It can be expanded by clicking any icon. It can then be collapsed by
clicking anywhere outside of the task pane. The task pane can be pinned by
pressing the push-pin button in its top right corner.
Cannot be user modified but may be modified by vendor (Solid Professor).
Demonstrate any file.

26

Customizing SolidWorks - Industry Customization

Adds/removes shortcuts

Adds/removes toolbars

Based on industry standards

SolidWorks has included some industry specific workflow customizations for

consumer product designers, machine designers, and mold designers. To access
these built-in customizations select Tools, Customize (or right-click in the toolbar
area (not on the Command Manager) selecting Customize, or select View,
Toolbars, Customize). Go to the last tab labeled Options.
There is a section titled Work flow customization with three checkboxes.

27

Customizing SolidWorks - Workflow Customization

Activating the a specific work flow customization will alter the tabs displayed on the
Command Manager, resources available in the task pane, and menu items available
on some menus.

28

Customizing SolidWorks - Keyboard Shortcuts

Print List

Copy List

Can assign your own

Can edit existing

Some keyboard shortcuts are provided by default. The user can create their own or modify existing
ones. You can print a list of existing ones.
The copy command will copy the list to the clipboard where you can import it into Microsoft Word or
Excel, or other programs. Note: if you print or copy the list it can be lengthy. You may want to check
the Only show commands with shortcuts assigned check box first.
To create your own keyboard shortcuts, access the Customize dialogue box by choosing Tools,
Customize (or right-click in the toolbar area (not on the Command Manager) and select Customize,
or select View, Toolbars, Customize). Go to the fourth tab, labeled Keyboard.
On the Keyboard tab, first select a Category. The Categories are the standard menus. All
Commands does just that it displays all the commands.
Scroll through the Commands list to find the specific Command you want to create a keyboard
shortcut for, and select it. The cursor will be placed in the Shortcuts column ready for editing. Any
keyboard shortcut assigned to the selected command will be displayed in the column labeled
Shortcut(s). You can assign more than one keyboard shortcut to the same command. Type in the
keyboard shortcut that you want to assign. (Any keyboard combination involving standard characters,
<CTRL>, <SHIFT>, or <ALT> can be used.)
The keyboard shortcut is created immediately. If the keyboard shortcut was created successfully, it
will be displayed in the Shortcut(s) box. If the keyboard shortcut you typed in is already assigned to
another Command, a pop-up box will tell you which Command it is assigned to and ask if you want
to reassign that shortcut to the new command. If you answer Yes, the shortcut will be deleted from
the old command and assigned to the new command.
Press the Reset to Defaults button to return all the shortcuts to their default settings.

29

Customizing SolidWorks - Supplied Shortcuts

This is a spreadsheet created using the copy button and then formatted in Excel.

30

Customizing SolidWorks - Accelerator Keys

Press Alt to display

Press Alt+letter to activate

Need to hold down Alt key for multiple

selections

Accelerator keys are another keyboard shortcut available. Accelerator keys are
available for most menu items and dialog boxes and are indicated by underlined
letters. They cannot be customized!
To display the underlined letter for menus or dialog boxes, press Alt.
To access the menu or command, press Alt plus the underlined letter.
Note: Hold down the Alt key to make multiple selections. If you release the Alt key
the menu will close when pressed a second time.

31

Customizing SolidWorks - System Customization

System Options
Tools
Options

Reset All resets all system

options, not only those on
active page

System wide

Access the System customization options by selecting Tools, Options or by

clicking on the Options icon.
I wont attempt to cover all the options available but will touch on some important,
newer and useful options.
To implement an option just click the box beside it. If a checkmark appears in the
box it is turned on. Deselect to turn the option off. Click OK to implement your
choices. These settings will apply to the current and future SolidWorks sessions.
To find out what a particular option involves select the category in the left column
and click on Help.
Demonstrate any file.

32

Customizing SolidWorks - Default Templates

The default template options specify the folder and template file for automatically
created parts, assemblies, and drawings. You should set the path to the default
templates. I set mine outside of the current SolidWorks version path so they dont
get overwritten on upgrades.

33

Customizing SolidWorks - File Locations

File locations options are used to specify folders to be searched for the specific type
of document. Folders are searched in the order in which they are listed.

34

Customizing SolidWorks - Feature Manager

Redesigned Interface

Hide/show

Options

Options for the Feature Manager design tree.

Reset All returns all system options, not only those on the active page, to the
system defaults.
Arrow key navigation.
You can control what is displayed in the feature manager design tree by selections.

35

Customizing SolidWorks - Feature Manager Transparent/Opaque

In the Feature Manager Options this is the difference in transparent/opaque setting.

36

Customizing SolidWorks - Backup/Recover

Set path

Set frequency

Number of backups

Use this option to change the frequency and the path of the auto-recover info.

37

Customizing SolidWorks - Hole Wizard/Toolbox Configure

2008
Interface

2008 Interface Shown

Using this option you can configure the Hole Wizard and Toolbox parameters.
Set the path (may be on a shared network drive).
Click the Configure button.
Uncheck items you dont use or dont want to see.

38

Customizing SolidWorks - Hole Wizard/Toolbox Configure

User Access Control. If The Administrator has set a password, the user must log on
to be allowed to make changes. Notice left side of the screen is grayed-out no
password has been set.
You can control how toolbox parts are handled from this area.
Notice read-only status buttons.

39

Customizing SolidWorks - Hole Wizard/Toolbox Configure

You can setup Custom Properties for items in the toolbox.

Ideally. this should be done when the toolbox is new.
Be careful, I had trouble removing the properties after they were added.
Again, you may need to login to make changes.

40

Customizing SolidWorks - Hole Wizard/Toolbox Configure

2009
Interface

New interface for 2009.

Demonstrate new interface any file.

41

Customizing SolidWorks - Search

This is too in depth to cover in detail.

Be aware that it is here and what can be customized.

42

Customizing SolidWorks - Collaboration

This is where you go to turn on collaboration.

I have not used it.

43

Customizing SolidWorks - Advanced

Dismissed messages may be turned back on at this location.

44

Customizing SolidWorks - Document Properties

How you want your

documents to appear

There are tons of settings that the user can customize. Use the help function.
Changes to this page are reflected in the active document. You can also save the
detailing options in a document template.
Show some examples

45

Customizing SolidWorks - Document Properties: Units

Interface has been

redesigned

Redesigned interface 2008 & 2009.

Demonstrate

46

Customizing SolidWorks - Templates

Part, drawing, and assembly documents that include user-defined

parameters and are the basis for new documents

You can create many different templates

mm/inches
ANSI/ISO
Grid

standard

spacing

Material
Etc.

Part, drawing, and assembly documents that include user-defined parameters and
are the basis for new documents.
Once you get your system and document options setup the way you like them,
make a template file.
You can save multiple templates with different settings, such as:
MM/inches
Dimension standards: Extension line and break line gap
Grid spacing
Text scale
Material density
Etc.

47

Customizing SolidWorks - Create a Template

Create new file part, drawing or assembly

Set options (Tools, Options)

Save As

Change Save as type to template

*.prtdot

part template

*.asmdot
*.drwdot

assembly template

drawing template

Enter Name & click Save

Review the steps to create a template.

Remember File Location!!! In System Options.
You can arrange your different templates by placing them in different folders. Again,
remember File Location!!! These will show up as tabs in the New SolidWorks
Document dialog box.
Demonstrate

48

Customizing SolidWorks - Customizing Sheet Formats

Sheet format is selected when you open a new drawing

May contain links to system properties and custom properties

Formats can be modified

Saved as .slddrt file type

Sheet size is selected when you start a new drawing. It can also be configured to be
selected when a sheet is added to a drawing (in Document Properties).
Demonstrate

49

Customizing SolidWorks - Customizing Sheet Formats

Editing Sheet formats

Open a drawing with the sheet format

Click Edit, Sheet Format or right-click any blank area on the drawing
sheet and select Edit Sheet Format

Edit format as required

Click Edit, Sheet or right-click any blank area on the drawing sheet and
select Edit Sheet

Remember to Save

Edit Sheet Format may be turned off in the Edit Menu.

Use sketch and annotation tools to modify the sheet format.
Remember to Save your modified sheet format. File Locations!!
Unfortunately, they all show up in one long list. There is no way to tab this like upon
creation. User enhancement?

50

Customizing SolidWorks - System Properties in Formats

You can link note text in the drawing sheet format to the value of a
document property, a custom property, or a configuration-specific
property

All SolidWorks documents have system-defined properties

51

Customizing SolidWorks - System Properties

52

Customizing SolidWorks - Summary Information

Demonstrate how to get here!

Show tie in with previous slide.

53

Customizing SolidWorks - System Properties

Prefixes for Custom Properties

This can get a little confusing.

It may be best to show a demonstration.
Prefix MUST BE ALL CAPS!!!
Demonstrate with Part1 model & drawing.
$PRP: properties from sheet.
$PRPSHEET: properties from model view.

54

Customizing SolidWorks - Copy Settings Wizard

Save your customizations

Share or reuse your customizations

Once you have tweaked your menus, toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, and possibly
macros, you wont want to lose that work. Youll want to save all of those changes.
That way, you can share your time saving tools with other users. In addition, when
you perform a full upgrade to the next full version of SolidWorks, you wont want to
spend the same amount of time customizing again.
To preserve your customization you need to save your settings.
You can also restore those settings on your own computer, or another computer.

55

Customizing SolidWorks - Copy Settings Wizard

Saving your customizations

Press the Start button and find SolidWorks under All Programs. Go to the
SolidWorks Tools flyout. Select Copy Settings Wizard.
This launches the Copy Settings Wizard which is used to both save and restore
customizations.
Make sure that the Save Settings button is pressed. Hit Next.

56

Customizing SolidWorks - Copy Settings Wizard

Saving your customizations

On this page, the user can browse to select a location and name for the file which
will hold the customizations.
Also on this page, the user can select which customizations to save. The keyboard
shortcuts, menu customizations, system options, and toolbars can be saved
separately or together.
Pressing Finish creates a file with the extension .sldreg. The customizations are
now saved. Double-clicking this file in the future will start the Copy Settings Wizard
to restore those settings.

57

Customizing SolidWorks - Copy Settings Wizard

Restoring your customizations

To restore customizations, make sure that you have the correct .sldreg file. Either
double-click that file, or use the Start button. find SolidWorks under All Programs.
Go to the SolidWorks Tools flyout. Select Copy Settings Wizard. This launches
the Copy Settings Wizard. Make sure the Restore Settings button is pressed. Hit
Next.

58

Customizing SolidWorks - Copy Settings Wizard

Restoring your customizations

If you did not double-click the .sldreg file to start this process, press the Browse
button and select the appropriate .sldreg file.
Select which customization(s) to restore on your computer. The keyboard shortcuts,
menu customizations, system options, and toolbars can be restored separately or
together. Hit Next.
Note version selection if saved under precious version!
Now select who to restore these settings to. Typically an individual user will select
Current User. Administrators might restore settings to roaming profiles, or to
roaming profiles. Hit Next.
Finally, select whether or not to create a backup file. Hit Finish. The settings have
now been set on the current computer.

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Customizing SolidWorks

Topics we covered:

Menus Standard and In-context

Toolbars Standard, Heads-up, Command Manager and In-context

Task Pane & Workflow

Keyboard Shortcuts

System Customization - Custom Templates

Drawing Sheet Formats

Copy Settings Wizard

Presented by Dennis L. Miller, CSWP

Email: dennis@graybills.com

This is the end of my presentation. This is what we covered:

-Standard menus and in-context/shortcut/pop-up menus
-Showing/Hiding standard menu items
-Short & Long in/context/shortcut/pop-up menus
-Standard toolbars and the Command Manager
-Whats the difference? Enabling/Disabling the Command Manager
-Choosing/Locating toolbars
-Adding/Removing buttons and drop-downs
-Customizing the Command Manager
-The task pane and built-in work flow customizations
-Expanding/Collapsing and pinning the task pane
-Work flow for consumer product designers, machine designers, and mold designers
-Keyboard shortcuts
-Supplied keyboard shortcuts
-Creating your own keyboard shortcuts
-System Customization
-Custom Templates
-Drawing Sheet Formats
-Automating sheet format information
-Copy settings wizard
-Save your settings
-Re-use your settings

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