Configurations

If a SOLIDWORKS part or assembly document has multiple configurations, you can select which configurations to save to the eDrawings file when you publish it from the SOLIDWORKS application. If you publish multiple configurations, the file size and the time required to save the eDrawings file may increase.

This information is specific to one or more CAD systems. See the eDrawings Functionality Matrix for availability information.

Configuration names appear in the bottom of the window to indicate the active configuration.

Comments are specific to the configuration that was active when you added the comments.

In assemblies, eDrawings displays component configuration names next to part names for components that have multiple configurations.

Configurations in SOLIDWORKS Parts

You can specify configurations of a SOLIDWORKS part to be available when you open the part in eDrawings®.

In the SOLIDWORKS software, set configurations with Add Display Data Mark to view the configurations in eDrawings.

See SOLIDWORKS Online Help: Opening Part Configurations in Quick View Mode.

Configurations in SOLIDWORKS Assemblies

When you open SOLIDWORKS assemblies in eDrawings, you can access all of the assembly configurations that were saved in Large Design Review mode.

Publishing Configurations of eDrawings Files

When you publish an eDrawings file, the file goes in your temp folder. To save the published file, you need to click File > Save As.

To publish configurations of eDrawings files:

  1. In SOLIDWORKS, click Publish to eDrawings (Standard toolbar) or File > Publish to eDrawings.
  2. In the Save Configurations to eDrawings file dialog box, in the column, select configurations to save.
  3. Click OK.
  4. In eDrawings, click Configurations .
    The Configurations pane displays images of the saved configurations.
  5. To display a different configuration in the graphics area, select its image on the Configurations pane.

Display States

If you publish a model with display states from SOLIDWORKS 2008 or later, the display states appear in a Display States section on the eDrawings Configurations pane. To see a display state, select it from the list on the pane.

When publishing models from SOLIDWORKS, you can choose to save all display states, the current state, or a selected state.

You can change the visibility and transparency of components, but the changes are available only during the current eDrawings session. You cannot change the color and texture of components.

The component-level display state functionality is not yet supported in eDrawings.

You can change the display mode by linking display states to configurations or keeping display states independent from particular configurations. When you view a document, the initial display mode matches that of SOLIDWORKS at the time the model was published to eDrawings. For linked display states, eDrawings shows only display states created while the configuration was active. If the display states and configurations are not linked, eDrawings shows all possible display states for the model.

In eDrawings, if your display states and configurations are linked and you change configurations, the last active display state for that configuration is displayed.

To link display states to configurations:

  • In the Configurations pane, select Link display states to configurations.

To make display states independent from configurations:

  • In the Configurations pane, clear Link display states to configurations.
Only files saved in the eDrawings format have a Configurations tool you can use to change display states. Files in SOLIDWORKS format are fixed, displaying the configuration and display state at the time of publishing. Also, only files saved with eDrawings 2010 or later use the Link display states to configurations check box. If you use eDrawings on the Mac, display states are always linked to configurations, so there is no Link display states to configurations check box.