How to use the Open dialog box more effectively

One aspect of SolidWorks® interface you work with each day is the Open dialog box. This tech tip explains options within the Open diaolog box that will improve your productivity.

Here are some of the capabilities available within the Open dialog box:

•  SolidWorks remembers the location and size of the Open dialog

•  When you hover over a document, a quick tip showing the type of document, last saved by, and file size appears.


Figure 1

•  The preview picture is always calculated in the isometric view and centered in the view correctly no matter where the model is located in space. If you use the ToolsOptionGeneral setting show below, the preview will be of the last saved state.



Figure 2

•  Multiple files can be selected by using the Ctrl and Shift keyboard keys. You can also box select the files by holding down the left mouse button and drag a window around the files to select as shown below.

Figure 3

•  By right clicking a SolidWorks associated file in the Open dialog box you can start the Pack and Go, Rename, or Replace commands.


Figure 4

•  If you have PDMWorks® Workgroup installed there will be two more additional icons that appear on the left side of the Open dialog box.

The first icon allows you to view the content in your local workspace. This is also the same icon that is displayed in the Save dialog box.


The second icon allows you to get to the PDMWorks vault on your PDMWorks vault machine.


The Check Out advanced button pops up a screen that lets you specify more PDMWorks parameters.


#p#分頁標題#e#Figure 4

•  You can filter (limit) the types of files shown by selecting a document type from the Files of type pull-down menu shown below.

To get to the *.* option to see every file in the folder use the combination “CTRL key and arrow down” in the Files of type text box or simply browse through the list. You can optionally type *.* in the File name text box.


Figure 5

•  To quickly open a document to only view its contents, the View Only option can be used. The document cannot be edited and some information (FeatureManager design tree) will not be available.

•  By selecting the Advanced button, the following dialog box will appear before the document is opened. This allows you to create a new configuration or open an existing one.


Figure 6

•  The Configurations section of the Open dialog box can be used to select which configuration to open. If you want a specific configuration, select and open it directly.


Figure 7

•  The display of the documents can be changed just like in Windows® Explorer by selecting the pull-down menu shown below and select the display type.

Figure 8

•  The Save All command is useful as it will save all open documents that need to be saved, not just the current document.