Help

If you have questions while you use SOLIDWORKS, you can find answers in many different ways.

On the help menu:

Welcome to SOLIDWORKS Links to the What's New book, user groups and communities, instructional resources, and technical support.
Help A compilation of help topics. You can browse the Table of Contents or use Search to find topics of interest.
SOLIDWORKS CAM Links to help, API help, and tutorials for SOLIDWORKS CAM.
Tutorials Step-by-step lessons with sample files covering SOLIDWORKS and many add-ins. Also available in the Welcome dialog box, on the Learn tab.
API Help Assistance for the Application Programming Interface.
Use Web Help Switches between help on the Web and local help.
User Forum Links to the SOLIDWORKS Forum.
Search Searches for information, tools, files, and models. Searches within SOLIDWORKS and MySolidWorks.
   
Release Notes Displays the latest information about SOLIDWORKS.
What's New A help file or PDF file with information on new functionality at the current SOLIDWORKS software release. Also available in the Welcome dialog box, on the Home tab.
What's New > Interactive Highlights new features in the SOLIDWORKS product and add-ins.

To view the interactive What's New topics, click next to new menu items and the titles of new and changed PropertyManagers.

Introducing SOLIDWORKS (pdf) Provides an overview of the SOLIDWORKS product. Also available in the Welcome dialog box, on the Learn tab.
Moving from 2D to 3D Helps you transition from 2D CAD software to 3D SOLIDWORKS software. It compares terms and concepts, explains the SOLIDWORKS software approach to design, and provides links to SOLIDWORKS help, tutorials, and other resources.
Check for Updates Check immediately or schedule regular checks for later service packs.
Get Support Opens the SOLIDWORKS support site. If specified by your company, provides company-specific support information.
Licenses License options.

Activate

Starts the license activation procedure.

Deactivate

Deactivates a license. You can activate the license on a different or rebuilt computer.

Show

Shows the activated products.
My Products Shows available SOLIDWORKS products and indicates which ones that you or your organization own based on your activation and network licenses.
About SOLIDWORKS Displays version and legal information about the SOLIDWORKS product.

In the SOLIDWORKS user interface:

PropertyManagers and dialog boxes In an active PropertyManager or dialog box, click Help, click , or press F1 to open context-sensitive help.
Tooltips Hover the pointer to see information about tools on toolbars and items in PropertyManagers and dialog boxes.
Status Bar A brief description of the current status and activity appears in the Status Bar at the bottom of the SOLIDWORKS window.

Access to Help

When you access help, the documentation opens in a browser. You can view a local help (.chm) file, for example, if your internet connection is slow or unavailable.

To access the help:

Do one of the following:
  • Click (Standard toolbar) or click > Help to open the welcome page.
  • Click Help, click , or press F1 in a dialog box or PropertyManager to access context-sensitive help.
To switch between Web help and local help, select or clear > Use Web Help
The SOLIDWORKS user assistance team makes every effort to provide the same complete and accurate documentation in both the Web help and local help formats. However, our development and translation schedules mean that we sometimes cannot include all of the details or supporting images for the latest release in local help that we are able to include in Web help.

We recommend that you use Web help whenever possible. You can also check the Release Notes for updates to documentation that we add after local help is finalized.