SolidWorks is a powerful 3D CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software that offers a wide range of tools for designing and modeling. Mastering keyboard shortcuts can greatly boost productivity, allowing you to navigate and execute commands more easily. This guide will provide you with essential shortcuts to accelerate your design workflow.
The S key shortcut
When simply pressing S in SolidWorks a shortcut bar will appear providing a list of features to use without needing to navigate and search for them each time.
You can configure the shortcut bar and add your preferred features to the list.
- Go to Tools then and select Customize.
Or by right-clicking on the shortcut bar:
- Select Shortcut Bars from the top navbar.
- You can see the list of tools and features displayed.
- Choose the tools you want and simply drag them to the shortcut bar.
- Also, you can delete from the shortcut bar by dragging the tool out.
Other General Shortcuts
1. Ctrl + N
- New: Create a new document.
2. Ctrl + O
- Open: Open an existing document.
4. Ctrl + Z
- Undo: Reverse the last action.
5. Ctrl + Y
- Redo: Restore the last undone action.
6. Ctrl + Shift + S
- Save As: Save the current document with a new name.
7. Ctrl + W
- Close: Close the active document.
View Manipulation
8. Spacebar
- Rotate: Press and hold to rotate the model.
9. Ctrl + Spacebar
- Pan: Press and hold to pan the model.
10. Alt + Arrow Keys
- Rotate Components: Rotate components in an assembly.
11. Ctrl + Arrow Keys
- Move Components: Move components in an assembly.
Conclusion
Including these SolidWorks shortcuts in your design workflow can significantly boost your productivity. Regular practice will help you become more proficient, allowing you to focus on the creative aspects of your design rather than navigating menus.
Remember, the key to mastery is consistent use and exploration of these shortcuts in your day-to-day design tasks. Happy designing!
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