Show All Hidden Bodies and Components

Working with SOLIDWORKS Weldments or other Multi-body parts, we often need to show all or some hidden bodies.  It is easy to right-click on a hidden body and make it visible if it can be found it in a weldment cutlist, in a Solid Bodies folder or in a Surface Bodies folder.  However, if a file has a large number of solid or surface bodies, if their names are difficult to distinguish, then identifying hidden bodies that need to be shown can be frustrating and time-consuming.  The option to use in that case is ‘Show Hidden Bodies.’

Show hidden bodies – all at a time or selected

Show Hidden Bodies is accessed by right-clicking on the empty space of the graphics area.  Activating the command toggles the display:  visible geometry is temporarily removed from view and hidden bodies become visible.  This allows us to visually identify and select bodies that we want to show.  As we select them, they disappear from the temporary preview of hidden geometry and then reappear with the rest of the model after we click the ‘Exit Show-Hidden’ button.

Also with components in Assemblies

SOLIDWORKS assemblies have a similar option, ‘Show hidden components,’ found in the Assembly toolbar.  Selecting this option temporarily brings to view all hidden components.  The components that we select remain visible after the command is exited.

Show hidden assembly components

Window-select method works with both commands.  The option ‘Show Hidden Bodies’ and ‘Show Hidden Components’ are very convenient when we need to show all hidden bodies or all hidden assembly components at a time.