How to make the SOLIDWORKS 2016 Interface “look” like prior versions

No one said that change was easy…sometimes change is hard…and sometimes change is simply unexpected. It is in listening to customer feedback that SOLIDWORKS has implemented some additional changes to the User Interface in SOLIDWORKS 2016. Making your need to change that little bit easier. If you are one of those folks who long for the return of the coloured icons and interface of the previous SOLIDWORKS version, you’re in luck with the release of SOLIDWORKS 2016 SP3!

SOLIDWORKS has been hard at work “re-tuning” some of the UI (User Interface) adjustments that were made to the 2016 release in the earlier service packs.

In order to set the user interface colours so that they appear as prior releases you will need to jump into the options dialog and adjust a few settings.  Tools > Options > System Options > Colors

• Set the “Icon Color” option to “Classic”
• Set the “Background” (Formerly Interface Brightness) to the “Medium Light” setting.

System Options

With those few options set, things should return to the SOLIDWORKS interface that you have grown to love since the “New” interface was introduced in 2008…(there are still fistfights going on about that interface change).

SOLIDWORKS Classic Mode

Let us know which UI you prefer in the comments area below.