File Locations Options

You can specify folders to search for different types of document. Folders are searched in the order in which they are listed.

To display this dialog box:

Click Options or Tools > Options and select File Locations.

Reset Restores factory defaults for all system options or only for options on this page.
Show folders for Lists file types for which you can define a search path.
Folders Displays search paths for a given file type.
Add Adds a folder for the selected type of document.
To create a folder to add, click Make New folder.
Delete Deletes the selected folder. To undo deleting a folder, click Cancel.
Move Up or Move Down Changes the folder search order.

Notes for Specific File Types

  • When you select a file location for Macros, and then you run a macro, the software looks for a macro in the specified location. For example, when you click Tools > Macro > Run, the Run Macro dialog box opens to the file location you specified.
  • The paths for Referenced Documents are searched only if Search file locations for external references is selected in Tools > Options > System Options > External References.
  • Design Checker Files, which sets the location for *.swstd Build Checks files, is available only when the SOLIDWORKS Design Checker is added in.
  • To view annotations, a Symbol Library Folder that contains the file GTOL.SYM must be specified.

Default File Locations

The SOLIDWORKS software uses default file locations for the following file types:
File types that have an undefined default location do not appear in the list.
File Type Default Location
Document Templates 1 C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS version\templates
Document Templates 2 C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\Tutorial
Bend Table Template C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
BOM Templates C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Color Swatches C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\colorswatches
Costing Report Template Folder C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Costing templates C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS version\lang\english\Costing templates
Custom Property Files C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS version\lang\english
Design Library C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS version\Design Library
Dimension/Annotation Favorites C:\Users\user\Documents
DimXpert Callout Format File C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
DimXpert General Tolerance File C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Drawing Scale Standards C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
General Tables Template C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Hatch Pattern File C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Hole Callout Format File C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Hole Table Templates C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Punch Table Templates C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Revision Table Templates C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Search Paths C:\SOLIDWORKS Data
Sheet Formats C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS version\lang\english\sheetformat
Sheet Metal Bend Line Note File C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Sheet Metal Bend Tables C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\Sheetmetal Bend Tables
Sheet Metal Gauge Table C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\sheet metal gauge tables
Sustainability Report Template Folder C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Symbol Library Folder C:\ProgramData\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS version\lang\english
Title Block Table Template C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Weld Table Template C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Weldment Cut List Templates C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english
Weldment Profiles C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\weldment profiles
Weldment Property File C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\Weldments
3D PDF Themes C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\data\themes