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


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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


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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.

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
  • ConfigurationManager
  • 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.