Essential SOLIDWORKS keyboard shortcuts

This is going to be a debatable list, as many different people have many different workflows and habits they are accustomed to. I will however try and walk the centerline, and tell you about some of the time saving SOLIDWORKS keyboard shortcuts that everyone should be able to appreciate.

The S Key

Let’s start off with my favorite: the “S”-key, learn more about the SOLIDWORKS Shortcut bar for shortcut bars, :

Customize window

This shortcut toolbar has 4 modes: part editing, assembly, drawing, and sketch. All of which can be customized with pretty much any command you can think of.

The D Key

Next is the “D”-key: It brings the Confirmation Corner AND Breadcrumbs right to your mouse.

The rest of the shortcuts I’ve grouped into categories for easy reference.

Standard Windows shortcuts:

• Ctrl + O for File, Open
• Ctrl + S for File, Save
• Ctrl + Z for Edit, Undo
• Ctrl + C for Copy
• Ctrl + V for Paste
• Alt + specified values Inserts standard Windows symbols:
  • Alt + 0176. Inserts a degree º symbol
  • Alt + 0216. Inserts a diameter Ø symbol
  • Alt + 0181. Inserts a µ symbol

User interface shortcuts:

• Ctrl + Q Complete Rebuild
• Ctrl + Tab Moves among open documents
• Enter Repeats the last command

Display shortcuts:

• Alt + arrow keys Rotates the model parallel to the viewing plane
• Alt + drag the middle mouse button Rotates the model parallel to the viewing plane
• Shift + arrow keys Rotates the model 90º
• Shift + Z Zooms the model in.
• Z Zooms the model out.
• F Zooms to fit.
• Alt + click Shows a hidden body or component when you hover over the body or component
• G Magnifying Glass
• Alt + middle mouse wheel Shows a section view when using the magnifying glass
• Spacebar Opens the View Selector and Orientation dialog box

Selection shortcuts:

• Ctrl + click Lets you select multiple entities
• Shift Lets you select a transparent face on a part
• Shift + click Selects everything within the two selected items in the FeatureManager design tree

Move shortcuts:

• Ctrl + drag the middle mouse button Pans a model
• Shift + drag
  • Sketches. Moves a set of sketch entities.
  • Parts. Moves a feature.
  • Drawings. Moves the selected drawing view and any related views together as if they are one entity. You can also move a dimension to a different view.

Dimension shortcuts:

• Alt + click Turns off automatic alignment when you place dimensions and annotations
• Alt + drag Moves an annotation independently from the group in which it is contained
• Ctrl + drag Creates additional leaders on a note when you Ctrl + drag a leader’s arrowhead
• Shift + click Snaps a dimension to the max or min location when dimensioning arcs and circles with the Smart Dimension tool

Sketching shortcuts:

• Ctrl + drag Suppresses inference lines when dragging an endpoint
• Pressing Ctrl while sketching turns off automatic sketch relations
• Shift + click Turns on snapping
• Shift + drag When sketching a line, the line snaps to specific lengths
• Tab Changes the XYZ plane when sketching in a 3D sketch

Assembly shortcuts:

• Alt + drag
  • Mates. Creates a SmartMate when you Alt + drag a component
  • Reordering components. When moving a component in the FeatureManager design tree, ensures that the component remains at the same level in the tree and prevents it from being moved into a subassembly
• Alt + Ctrl drag Copies the component and creates a SmartMate
• Ctrl + drag
  • Copies a component when you Ctrl + drag it
  • Selection. In an assembly with preselected components, inverts the selection when you Ctrl + drag a selection box
  • Toolbox. Creates a part instead of a configuration when you drag a Toolbox component into an assembly
• Tab
  • Hide/Show. Hides all components below the pointer
  • While Inserting a Component. Rotates the component 90º
• Shift + Tab
  • Hide/Show. Shows all components below the pointer
  • While Inserting a Component. Rotates the component -90º
• Ctrl + Shift + Tab Temporarily displays all hidden components as transparent and lets you select which ones to show