Configuration Tools

As you edit a scene, the cumulative cause-and-effect result of your actions is what you see on screen. Your edits are part of the configuration you were in when you made them. When you create a project, the base configuration is automatically selected, so all edits are included in the base configuration.

Configuration tools are available only in SOLIDWORKS Visualize Professional.

When you create a new configuration or select any existing configuration other than the base, you create a new branch to store subsequent edits. For example, if you create a new configuration called “Config1,” and change the dominant color of the model, the change is applied in Config1 only.

While you remain in Config1, the color change is visible. But if you switch back to the base configuration, you see the model in its previous color prior to creating Config1.

Actions you take while in one configuration do not affect the other configurations – with the exception of the base configuration. Edits you make while in the base configuration affect all other configurations.

The primary use of new configurations is to provide different versions of a base scene. For example, while in the base configuration, you can create and finish a scene containing a yellow car model lit by an HDR image taken in a specific dealer showroom. Then you can create a new configuration called “Red Car” and paint the car red. Then create a “Black Car” configuration and paint the car black. You can switch between yellow, red, and black cars by switching configurations.

The configurations are located in a drop-down list on the left side of the main toolbar. When you click the icon, the configuration tools display.

The tools show you which configuration you are currently working in and provide a means to switch configurations:

Configuration list Shows the currently active configuration.

Click to see a list of existing configurations.

Select a configuration from the list to switch to it.
New Configuration Creates a new configuration. All subsequent editing in the 3D Viewport applies to the new configuration only, unless you switch to a different configuration.
Duplicate Configuration Lets you duplicate the active configuration.
Rename Configuration Lets you rename the active configuration. The left (Previous Configuration) and right (Next Configuration) arrows cycle through existing configurations.
Locks Current Configuration Locks the current configuration and prevents any changes to it.

Context-Sensitive Configuration Menu

You can put almost everything in SOLIDWORKS Visualize into configurations. Here is what you can do with configurations in the context-sensitive menu:

  • Appearances tab

    Right-click an appearance in the model, and do one of the following:

    • Click Configuration > Set Appearance In Configuration > Set in New Configuration to create a new configuration and add the selected appearance to it.
    • Click an existing custom configuration from the list.
  • Lock a configuration in the floating palette/toolbar.
    When used for HDR images and backplates, the word “Appearance” does not appear.
  • To duplicate an existing configuration, click Edit in the floating toolbar, and click Duplicate.

    You can experiment with the duplicate configuration while preserving the original.