File Libraries Tab

In the File Libraries tab of the Palette, you can import and manage files in your local libraries.



Navigation Tools

At the top of the File Libraries tab, use the libraries list to select the library to view.

If you are logged on, to the right of the libraries list, you can choose one of the following:

  • Click to view the local library in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content folder on your hard disk.
  • Click to view Cloud libraries on SOLIDWORKS Visualize servers.

Local and Cloud libraries use the same names by default, but they are totally separate. By copying items from the Cloud libraries to your local library, you can add them to your local collection. To prevent copying the same item more than once, items in the Cloud library that you already have a copy of are tagged with a green check.

Below the libraries list, the following controls help you navigate:

Parent Directory
Change View
Search

In either the local library or a Cloud library, you can narrow the list of displayed files by entering all or part of a file name in the search box.

A list of the items in a library occupies the lower space of the File Libraries tab, or appears to the right if you expand the size of the Palette.

To change the default folders for the local libraries, do one of the following:

  • Edit the paths in the General tab of the Options dialog box.
  • Drag a new folder from File Explorer into a library in the File Libraries tab of the Palette (one library at a time).

The Cloud Library lets you quickly select individual or multiple assets to download without interrupting your workflow.

  • Hover over an asset's thumbnail of content that has not been downloaded for quick and easy downloading.
  • Cancel a download at any time.
  • Press CTRL and select multiple assets to download them all at once.
  • This download is now a separate process, so you can continue using SOLIDWORKS Visualize while downloading assets.

SOLIDWORKS Assets

Assets including appearances, scenes, and textures that you use in SOLIDWORKS projects are available to use in SOLIDWORKS Visualize projects.

If an asset is not directly available in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Local Library, look in the Visualize Cloud Library.

Cameras Library

The Camera library contains cameras in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Cameras folder. Each camera has a preview thumbnail.

To load a library camera into a project, drag it from the Camera library into the 3D Viewport. Once loaded, the camera is saved with the project (in the list of cameras in the Cameras tab of the Palette) and becomes independent of the Camera library.

Environments Library

The Environments library contains high dynamic range (HDR) images in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Environments folder.

To apply an image to the environment of the scene, drag an HDR image file from the Environments library into the 3D Viewport. Once applied, the HDR image is saved with the project (in the list of HDR images in the Scenes tab of the Palette) and becomes independent of the Environments library.

If you double-click an environment, it replaces the project's applied environment with the new selected environment, while keeping the same HDRI settings. For example, suppose you have Chrome Studio assigned with a Brightness of 3 and Rotation of 180. If you locate Warehouse.hdr in File Libraries > Environments and double-click the environment, Warehouse replaces Chrome Studio in the project and retains the applied settings: Brightness 3 and Rotation 180.

Images Library

The Images library contains images in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Images folder. The Images library is where SOLIDWORKS Visualize saves screenshots and renderings.

Double-click an image in the Image library to display a larger view of the image in the image Viewport.

Appearances Library

The Appearances library contains appearance files in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Appearances folder.

To apply an appearance to a part on a model, drag an appearance from the Appearances library to the part into the 3D Viewport. Once applied, the appearance is saved with the project (in the list of appearances in the Appearances tab of the Palette) and becomes independent of the Appearances library.

Models Library

The Models library contains the model files in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Models folder.

To import a model to the scene, drag a model file from the Models library into the 3D Viewport. Once added, the model is saved with the project (in the list of models in the Models tab of the Palette) and becomes independent of the Models library.

Plates Library

The Plates library contains the backplate images in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Plates folder.

To apply an image to the backplate of a project, drag an image from the Plates library into the 3D Viewport. Once applied, the image is saved with the project (in the list of images on the Scenes tab of the Palette) and becomes independent of the Plates library.

Projects Library

The Project library contains the project files in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Projects folder.

To load a project in SOLIDWORKS Visualize, drag a project file from the Project library into the 3D Viewport.

Textures Library

The Textures library contains the images in the SOLIDWORKS Visualize Content\Textures folder.

These images are intended for use as textures in appearances.