Customize Toolbars

Customizes, displays, or hides toolbars.

You can position toolbars and set their visibility based on the document type (part, assembly, or drawing). You can also set which toolbars are visible when no documents are open.

To return all toolbar options to the system defaults, click Reset To Defaults.

To specify which toolbars appear for part, assembly, or drawing documents:

  1. Open a part, assembly, or drawing document.
  2. Click Tools > Customize, or right-click in the window border and select Customize.
  3. On the Toolbars tab, select the toolbars to display, and clear the toolbars to hide. Your selections apply to the type of SOLIDWORKS document that is currently active.
  4. To enable the CommandManager, select Enable CommandManager.
    To include large buttons with text for the CommandManager tools, select Use large buttons with text .
  5. Click OK.

Specifying Which Toolbars Appear When No Document Is Open

To specify which toolbars appear when no document is open:

  1. Close all documents.
  2. Right-click in the window border and select or clear a toolbar.
    Tools > Customize is not available when no documents are open.

Specifying Whether the Context Toolbar for a Shortcut Menu Is Displayed

In addition to setting options for default context toolbar visibility, you can specify the visibility of context toolbars for relevant standard mates and configurations.

To specify whether the context toolbar for a shortcut menu is displayed:

  1. Open a part, assembly, or drawing document.
  2. Click Tools > Customize, or right-click in the window border and select Customize.
  3. On the Toolbars tab, under Context toolbar settings, select or clear:
    Option Description
    Show on selection Displays the context toolbars when you select a feature in the graphics area or FeatureManager design tree.
    Show quick configurations Provides a context toolbar access to configurations for selected components or subassemblies.
    Show quick mates Provides a context toolbar for quick specification of appropriate standard mates for your component selections.
    Show in shortcut menu Displays the context toolbar when you right-click a feature to display a shortcut menu.

Setting Tooltips and Button Size Options

You can toggle tooltips, display detailed tooltips. and set display size options from the Customize dialog box.

To set tooltip or size options:

  1. Open a part, assembly, or drawing document.
  2. Click Tools > Customize, or right-click in the window border and select Customize.
  3. On the Toolbars tab, select options:
    Option Description
    Show tooltips Displays information when you hover over fields, options, or buttons in the user interface.
    Use large tooltips When you select Show tooltips, displays a brief description with the tooltip.
    Icon size Specifies button sizes as small, medium, or large. You can select the larger size when running the SOLIDWORKS software on machines with high resolution displays or to facilitate tool selection when using a touch interface.
    For low resolution displays, the software automatically adds scrollbars and resizes dialog boxes.
    To facilitate element selection on touch interfaces such as tablets, you can also set up the larger size buttons by selecting the Button Size from the Options flyout menu (Standard toolbar).
  4. Click OK.

Freezing the Current Layout of Docked Toolbars

An option in the Customize dialog box lets you freeze the current status (docked or undocked) of toolbars and the CommandManager so you do not accidentally move them.

To freeze the current layout of docked toolbars:

  1. Click Tools > Customize or right-click in the window border and click Customize.
  2. On the Toolbars tab, select Lock CommandManager and toolbars.
    If the CommandManager and toolbars are docked when you select the option, you cannot undock them.

    If they are undocked when you select the option, you cannot dock them.

  3. Click OK.