Orientation Dialog Box

In parts and assemblies, you can use the Orientation dialog box to select a standard view, create and save custom views, activate the View Selector, and use viewports. You can also access camera views and snapshots.

Large tooltips with view previews appear when you pause the pointer over the view options in the Orientation dialog box and the Heads-up View toolbar. Click Tools > Customize and select Large tooltips with images or Large tooltips without images to enable the view previews. To disable the view previews, click Small tooltips.

In the Orientation dialog box, click to select axonometric (isometric, dimetric, or trimetric) views and to set which type of axonometric view displays when you select a View Selector corner.

Displaying the Orientation Dialog Box

To display the Orientation dialog box, do one of the following:

  • Click View Orientation (View toolbar).
  • Click View > Modify > Orientation.
  • Press the Space Bar.
  • Right-click in a drawing sheet and select Zoom/Pan/Rotate > View Orientation.
To keep the Orientation dialog box open, click .

Creating a Custom View

To add a custom named view to the Orientation dialog box:

  1. Use the Rotate, Zoom, and Pan commands to create the desired view.
    In drawings, you can use the 3D Drawing View tool to create the desired view for another model view.
  2. Press the spacebar to open the Orientation dialog box.
  3. In the dialog box, click New View button_new_view_orientation.png.
  4. Type a name in the dialog box and click OK.
    The name appears in the Orientation dialog box. To display the view, click the name.
To delete a custom view, hover over the view name in the Orientation dialog box and click Delete .

Saving a Custom View to SOLIDWORKS

To make a custom view available in all SOLIDWORKS documents:

  1. In a SOLIDWORKS document that contains a custom view, press the spacebar or click Orientation tool_View_Orientation_View.png (View toolbar).
    The Orientation dialog box appears.
  2. Hover over the custom view you want to make available in all SOLIDWORKS documents.
    Options to save or delete the view appear.
  3. Click Save View to SOLIDWORKS .
    saved_view_globe.gif appears next to the view, indicating that it is available in all SOLIDWORKS documents.
  • To access the saved view from another document, in the Orientation dialog box mouse over Saved Views and select the view you want to add to the document.
  • To remove a saved view from a document, hover over the view name and click Remove View from Document .
  • To delete a saved view, in any SOLIDWORKS document, in the Orientation dialog box, hover over Saved Views and click Delete View from SOLIDWORKS .

Changing the Orientation of the Standard Model Views

You can update standard views from the Orientation dialog box or by using the menu options.

To update standard views from the Orientation dialog box:

  1. Do one of the following:
    • Use the Rotate, Zoom, and Pan tools to orient the model.
    • Click View Selector and select a view.
    • Select a view from the Orientation dialog box.
  2. Click Update Standard Views .
  3. When prompted, select the standard view you want to assign the current view to.
  4. Click Yes to confirm the update.
You can also update standard views without using the Orientation dialog box by clicking View > Set Current View As and selecting the desired view.

Specifying the Up Axis for View Orientation

You can specify the y-axis or the z-axis as the default up orientation for views. This option changes the view orientation for standard orthogonal, named, and child views.

To use this functionality, save the files in SOLIDWORKS 2020 or later.

To specify the up axis for view orientation:

  1. Open a model.
  2. Click View Orientation (View toolbar).
  3. In the Orientation dialog box, click the Up Axis flyout and select an option:
    Apply Y-up views Uses the Y-axis as the up orientation for views.
    Apply Z-up views Uses the Z-axis as the up orientation for views.

Returning All Standard Model Views to Their Default Settings in the Orientation Dialog Box

To return all standard model views to their default settings in the Orientation dialog box:

  1. In the Orientation dialog box, click Reset Standard Views .
  2. Click Yes to confirm the update.