SOLIDWORKS Electrical User Interface

SOLIDWORKS Electrical provides you with all the tools you need to create electrical schematics in a modern and intuitive user interface.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical Schematic

Items Description
Ribbons (A in the image) The menu zone, or Ribbons, groups commands that let you realize your design. Click a tab header to open a ribbon and displays its commands.

Available ribbon tabs vary depending on the drawing type that you have currently in the graphics area. For example, if you are working on a schematic drawing, a Schematic tab is available. If you are working on a Single Line Diagram, a Line Diagram tab is available.

Some commands have drop-down menus. Click the icon to display the drop-down commands.

To collapse or expand the Ribbon menu, click one of the following icons:

There is also a Quick access toolbar that you can customize.
Dockable panels (B in the image)

SOLIDWORKS Electrical uses specific panels to help you in your schematic design. These dockable panels can be placed on the right or on the left of the screen.

The dockable panels contain different tabs, associated with a specific icon. You can move these tabs from one dockable panel to the other by dragging them.

You manage the display of most tabs manually using commands in the Dockable panels section of the View menu. Some tabs, such as the Command tab or Cabinet Layout tab, open automatically.

You can save the dockable panel layout (tabs and dockable panel position), restore the layout you saved, or reset to load the default panel layout.

The Status Bar contains information relating to the status of the drawing in the graphics area. This includes the cursor coordinates and makes it possible to manage the drawing parameters (For more information, see Specifying Drawing Parameters. Clicking a parameter (such as Ortho, Grid, or Snap) in the status bar or using the keyboard shortcuts allows you to turn it on or off.
Command Description
Electrical Content Portal Displays the website to download content.
Pages Displays the electrical project page list.
Components Displays the component list.
Connection label Lets you insert a connection label (Manufacturer part).
Cabinet layout Lets you insert 2D footprints in the 2D cabinet layout drawings.
Command Displays options for the current command.
Macros Displays the macro palette.
Symbols Displays the symbol palette.
Properties Displays the properties of the selected element.
Graphics area (C in the image) The graphics area displays the schematic drawings that comprise the electrical project. You can open multiple drawings simultaneously. The drawing that is displayed is known as the Current Drawing.

All drawings are automatically saved when you close them or when you open another one. You can switch between active drawings by selecting the tab that displays the drawing name you want to make current. The tooltip on the drawing tab indicates the complete path of the drawing.
Status Bar (D in the image) The status bar contains information relating to the status of the drawing in the graphics area. This includes the cursor coordinates and makes it possible to manage the drawing parameters. Click a parameter (such as Ortho, Grid, or Snap) in the status bar (or use the keyboard shortcuts) to turn it on or off.
Parameter Description
GRID Shows or hides the grid in the drawing.
ORTHO Turns the ortho trap on or off. This fixes cursor movement on either an X or Y axis.
SNAP Turns the snaps on or off. Snaps make your cursor snap to the preferred location. Do not confuse the snaps with the grid settings.
LWT Turns the line weight on or off. This shows or hides the various line thicknesses.
OSNAP Turns the OSNAP on or off. Right-click on the snap to access and change the various OSNAP settings.

SOLIDWORKS Electrical 3D

This interface is displayed when you are working on designs in the SOLIDWORKS software. SOLIDWORKS Electrical allows you to create your assembly layout; the wiring module will automatically carry out the assembly cabling.

Items Description
Menu Zone (A in the image) The menu zone groups together the SOLIDWORKS Electrical commands. The SOLIDWORKS Electrical commands are available in the Ribbon menu in the toolbar and in the drop-down menu.
Component Explorer (B in the image) This is displayed when the SOLIDWORKS Electrical tab is active. It lists the components by the location in which they are placed. Checkboxes next to the components allow you to see which ones have been inserted into the graphics area.
Graphics area (C in the image) The SOLIDWORKS graphics area lets you insert your components while allowing access to the SOLIDWORKS commands in the graphics area.
Page Navigator (D in the image) The Page navigator is displayed when the SOLIDWORKS Electrical tab is active. It lists the electrical projects as well as the drawings and documents contained within them. Double-clicking an item (or right-clicking and selecting Open from the context menu) opens it. Only SOLIDWORKS documents can be opened in the graphics area.

Keyboard Shortcuts

  • Ctrl + W: Closes the current file.
  • Ctrl + P: Prints the current file.
  • Ctrl + N: Creates a new DWG file.
  • Ctrl + O: Opens an existing DWG (or DXF) file.
  • Ctrl + Shift + S: Saves the current file as.
  • Ctrl + S: Saves the current file.
  • Ctrl + E: Zoom in on the whole graphic.
  • Ctrl + F: Search in the electrical project.
  • Ctrl + KB: Hyperlink.
  • Ctrl + Q: Exits the software.
  • Ctrl + X: Cut.
  • Ctrl + C: Copy.
  • Ctrl + Shift + C: Copy with insertion point.
  • Ctrl + V: Paste.
  • Ctrl + Shift + V: Paste special.
  • Del: Deletes the selected object.