Inserting Family Tables in Drawings

You can use the Family Table command to insert configuration data into drawings.

You can specify the table parameters in Tools > Options > Document Properties > Tables > Family . You can specify the family table template location in Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations > Show folders for > Family Table Templates .

To insert a family table in a drawing:

  1. In a SOLIDWORKS drawing, click Insert > Tables > Family Table.
  2. In the PropertyManager:
    1. Select the file from which to create the family table and click Next .
    2. Specify the options to define the family table. Under Configurations, you can select All Configurations or Specify Configurations and select only the required configurations.
    3. Click to create the family table, then click in the drawing file to place it.

    In the dimension column menu or dialog box for family tables, select Dimension Name for the column name. The name is specific to the drawing. Changes to the column name apply to all family tables in the drawing referencing the same driving dimension.

    If you double-click a family table cell to edit it, the software prompts you to keep the link and have the external model inherit the changes, or break the link to override the value. You can restore the broken link by clearing the cell.

  3. Optional: If you click Insert > Model Items and insert items into the drawing, the Family Table Dimension Name notification appears. Click Set Dimension Display to display the inserted items using the dimension names from the family table.

    To switch the display of inserted items in the drawing, you can also select the items to open the Dimension PropertyManager. On the Value tab, under Family Table Dimension Name, select Display as name in Family Table to display the items using the names from the table. Clear the option to display the items using their values.