CAD Administrators Rejoice! With SOLIDWORKS 2017 you now have ultimate power in your SOLIDWORKS Universe!

The new SOLIDWORKS Setting Administration tool will give SOLIDWORKS 2017 CAD Administrators the ability to prevent users from changing their system options.

FAIR WARNING: this is going to be the most inflammatory article that I will write this year…

UPON READING THIS ARTICLE:

Password Protecting the changes to User Options

The SOLIDWORKS Setting Administration FINE PRINT:

Before your CAD administrator starts rubbing their hands together and laughing maniacally, let’s go through some of the finer points…

1. The “Locking” of user options can only be employed via an administrative image that has been modified by the Launch Settings Administrator.
2. To use the Launch Settings Administrator one has to use the Admin Options Editor and access the administrative image from a system that has a standalone seat of SOLIDWORKS 2017 already installed.
3. You will need to store the locked options within  a *.sldsettings file to push out along with the Administrative Image.

Launching the Settings Administrator

This is where I will once again mention the importance of a frank discussion with your users about what settings would be most beneficial to have “Locked”. (Users reading this article… Insert Starbucks here…)

In the realm of best practices to apply here, would likely be file paths to custom SOLIDWORKS files that may be stored on your network – Items such as a Network Toolbox location or the location of your company’s standard templates.

Read my “How To Guide” on applying this new “Locking” ability to your SOLIDWORKS options!

SOLIDWORKS Setting Administration

SOLIDWORKS 2017 Resources

Access our resources page to get everything you need to learn what’s new in SOLIDWORKS 2017, including tech tips, demonstrations, and upcoming product webinars.

WHAT’S NEW RESOURCES