{"id":75179,"date":"2026-03-20T08:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T12:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/?p=75179"},"modified":"2026-04-15T10:48:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T14:48:57","slug":"how-to-show-dimensions-when-creating-a-sketch-in-solidworks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/how-to-show-dimensions-when-creating-a-sketch-in-solidworks\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Show Dimensions When Creating a Sketch in SOLIDWORKS"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Sketches are the basis of everything inside <a href=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/3d\/technology\/solidworks-software\/\">SOLIDWORKS<\/a>. Adding dimensions to sketches is an essential part of the sketching and design workflow.<\/p>\n<p>Dimensioning sketches can be done in multiple ways, and in this article, we&#8217;ll showcase the two most common methods to show dimensions when creating a sketch.<\/p>\n<p>These methods speed up workflows and increase design accuracy:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Enabling Numeric Input<\/li>\n<li>Preview Sketch Dimensions<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How to Enable These Time-Saving Enhancements<\/h2>\n<p>Both numeric inputs and preview sketch dimensions are SOLIDWORKS System Options that need to be turned on before use.<\/p>\n<p><strong>To turn on either option, use the following steps:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>In the SOLIDWORKS toolbar, select the gear icon.\n<p><div id=\"attachment_75189\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75189\" class=\"wp-image-75189 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-17-600x252.png\" alt=\"Opening the SOLIDWORKS System Options\" width=\"600\" height=\"252\" title=\"\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-75189\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-75189 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-17-600x252.png\" alt=\"Opening the SOLIDWORKS System Options\" width=\"600\" height=\"252\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-17-600x252.png 600w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-17-768x322.png 768w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-17.png 1103w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript> Opening the SOLIDWORKS System Options<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<li>Select the\u00a0<em>Sketch<\/em> tab from the left menu.\n<p><div id=\"attachment_75187\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75187\" class=\"wp-image-75187 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-56-600x487.png\" alt=\"Sketch tab in the System Options\" width=\"600\" height=\"487\" title=\"\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-75187\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-75187 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-56-600x487.png\" alt=\"Sketch tab in the System Options\" width=\"600\" height=\"487\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-56-600x487.png 600w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-56-768x624.png 768w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-03-56.png 1180w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript> Sketch tab in the System Options<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<li>Toggle the required option for inputting dimensions.\n<p><div id=\"attachment_75186\" style=\"width: 341px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75186\" class=\"wp-image-75186 size-full lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-04-12.png\" alt=\"Options to show sketch dimensions when creating sketches\" width=\"331\" height=\"68\" title=\"\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-75186\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-75186 size-full lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-04-12.png\" alt=\"Options to show sketch dimensions when creating sketches\" width=\"331\" height=\"68\" title=\"\"><\/noscript> Options to show dimensions when creating sketches<\/p><\/div><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Alternatively, you can use the search box in the SOLIDWORKS System Options to quickly find the required setting if you know the name. For the methods shown below, you have three main settings to use.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Enable on screen numeric input on entity creation\n<ul>\n<li>Create dimension only when value is entered<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Preview sketch dimension when selected<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>The Numeric Input Method<\/h2>\n<p>After enabling the setting, this will allow us to see and enter dimensions while creating sketch entities.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75185\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75185\" class=\"wp-image-75185 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-04-59-600x260.png\" alt=\"Numeric input of sketch dimensions\" width=\"600\" height=\"260\" title=\"\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-75185\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-75185 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-04-59-600x260.png\" alt=\"Numeric input of sketch dimensions\" width=\"600\" height=\"260\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-04-59-600x260.png 600w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-04-59.png 689w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript> Numeric input of sketch dimensions<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Drawing a line, arc, or slot will now show a dimension value attached to the sketch entity. From here, you can either: complete the sketch as normal with no dimension, hit Enter to accept the value as shown, or input a numeric value to set the dimension.<\/p>\n<p>The secondary option in the SOLIDWORKS settings will disable the option for creating the dimension with the Enter key unless a numeric value is specified.<\/p>\n<h2>The Sketch Dimension Preview Method<\/h2>\n<p>Recently added in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/3d\/solidworks-2024-whats-new\/\">SOLIDWORKS 2024<\/a> is the ability to preview sketch dimensions as you create your sketch.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_75183\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-75183\" class=\"wp-image-75183 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-05-44-600x308.png\" alt=\"Previewing SOLIDWORKS sketch dimensions\" width=\"600\" height=\"308\" title=\"\"><p id=\"caption-attachment-75183\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-75183 size-medium lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-05-44-600x308.png\" alt=\"Previewing SOLIDWORKS sketch dimensions\" width=\"600\" height=\"308\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-05-44-600x308.png 600w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-05-44-768x395.png 768w, https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2026-03-17_11-05-44.png 959w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/noscript> Previewing SOLIDWORKS sketch dimensions<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Unlike numeric inputs, the preview sketch dimensions option allows you to quickly create dimensions <em>after<\/em> the entities are placed.<\/p>\n<p>Selections can be made similarly to using the Smart Dimension command to show a gray preview of the dimension. Once shown, the preview can be selected, a value input, and the dimension will be created.<\/p>\n<h2>Best Method to Show Dimensions When Creating a Sketch<\/h2>\n<p>Sketch dimensioning plays a critical role in building accurate and reliable geometry within SOLIDWORKS, and understanding how to apply dimensions efficiently can significantly improve.\u00a0 The best method to show dimensions ultimately comes down to how you prefer to work.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Users can enable on\u2011screen numeric input to immediately view and define dimensions as lines, arcs, or slots are drawn, choosing whether dimensions are applied automatically or only when values are entered.<\/li>\n<li>The sketch dimension preview feature offers a more interactive workflow by allowing designers to preview, edit, and accept dimensions directly from selected sketch entities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Together, these tools support a more fluid sketching experience, improve design intent visibility, and help users maintain better control over sketch definition from the earliest stages of model creation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/trimech.com\/tech-tip-newsletter\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">To learn more time-saving workflows, sign up for our bi-weekly Tech Tip Newsletter here.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sketches are the basis of everything inside SOLIDWORKS. Adding dimensions to sketches is an essential part of the sketching and design workflow. Dimensioning sketches can be done in multiple ways, and in this article, we&#8217;ll showcase the two most common methods to show dimensions when creating a sketch. These methods speed up workflows and increase&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":371,"featured_media":75182,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"page_video.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50,54],"tags":[1023,25643,672],"class_list":["post-75179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solidworks-3d-design","category-tech-tips","tag-dimensions","tag-sketch-bend","tag-solidworks-whats-new"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/371"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75179"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75207,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75179\/revisions\/75207"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75182"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.javelin-tech.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}