External References Dialog Box

The External References dialog box lists all components or features in the part, subassembly, or assembly that contain external references. You can break, unlock, or lock individual references for features and sketches, sort references by status, and isolate selected components.

While the dialog box is open, you can interact with the FeatureManager design tree and the model in the graphics area. You can enable Dynamic Reference Visualization to view feature dependencies. You cannot drag files into the SOLIDWORKS software.

When you select a referenced entity, the entity along with the other entities that reference it are highlighted in the FeatureManager design tree and in the graphics area. The selected entity is highlighted using the Selected Item 1 color. The corresponding reference entities are highlighted using the Selected Item 3 color.

External References is not available for lightweight components. The External References dialog box for a top-level assembly does not list lightweight components.

To open this dialog box:

In the FeatureManager design tree, right-click the top-level assembly, subassembly, feature, component, body, or part, and click External References.

  Assembly Displays the path and name of the selected assembly.
  Configuration Lists the configurations of the referenced component that you can use for a derived part.
  Nested View Lists all components and features with external references hierarchically based on the assembly structure. Components and features are indented. You can expand and collapse nodes.
  Flat View Lists all components with external references in a nonhierarchical list.
  Filter by status Filters the components and features with the following statuses:
  • Broken
  • Dangling
  • In context
  • Locked
  • Out of context
Undo Reverses a change made in the dialog box.

When you select Include original features (derived parts only), you cannot undo a break operation.

Redo Reverses Undo in the dialog box.

Reference List

Name Lists all components within the hierarchy of the selected assembly that contain external references.
Status

Broken

The reference is permanently broken and does not update. You can add references to the feature.

Dangling

The referenced entity has changed in a way that invalidates the reference. For example, if a feature on the dependent component is extruded up to a surface on the referenced component, and that surface is removed from the referenced component, then the reference is dangling.

In context

The feature is solved and up-to-date.

Locked

The reference is locked and does not update. You cannot add references to the feature. You can unlock the reference by clicking Unlock Selected or Unlock All.

Out of context

The feature is not solved or not up-to-date because the update path is not available. To solve and update the feature, open the assembly that contains the update path.

Referenced Entity Describes the referenced item and the component that contains the item.
Type Describes the type of data used to create the item like a converted edge or face, converted or offset sketch entity, or body.

Options

Isolate Isolates components from the selected external reference. Available when the active document is an assembly and you select one or more components.
Lock All / Lock Selected Locks the external references for all items or selected items. The references do not update and you cannot add references to the items.

If you lock external references for a feature or sketch, you can add external references to the component. If you lock external references for a component, all external references in the component are locked and you cannot add external references to that component.

Equations that have an external reference are not affected by a lock.
Unlock All / Unlock Selected Unlocks the references for all items or selected items. You can add references or edit existing references.
Break All / Break Selected Breaks the external references for all items or selected items. If you break external references for a component, all external references in the component are broken.

When you select Include original features (derived parts only), you cannot undo a break operation.

Equations that have an external reference are not affected by a break.
Include original features (derived parts only) When you click Break Selected or Break All for references in a derived part:
  • If this option is selected, features from the original part are added to the derived part. You can edit the features in the derived part independently from the features in the original part.
  • If this option is cleared, then the derived part is created as a single solid body with no editable features.
Replace broken sketch relations with fixed relations Replaces broken sketch relations with sketch relations that do not reference the assembly.