CATI: SOLIDWORKS 2021 What’s New – User Interface Enhancements
This article was originally published for CATI, now GoEngineer, under my old last name. In case the link goes down and I am unable to find the replacement, below is my original document:
By clicking the tabs, we can bring it back to full view as we have seen in the last several releases. Additionally, to keep it in place, all one must do is click the thumbtack to pin the command manager to “always open”. After clicking the button, it will change to an option for the auto-hide feature once more.
This functionality is quite useful for the experienced who know to use their “S” key shortcuts and laptop users who are often at odds with the portability of their machines for screen real estate. That “S” key shortcuts bar, also brings us to another enhancement: we can now search for commands to add to our shortcut menus!
The “Customize” menu allows us to search for commands to add to different toolbars, whether that’s the command manager, heads up display toolbar, or “S” key shortcut menu. Now we’re fully able to get the most out of our shortcuts without having to already know where everything is. If we all had every option memorized, there wouldn’t be that much use in shortcuts in the first place.
Furthering our customization elements, dark themes have been big for the last several years. If you go to Options > System Options > Colors and select “Dark” for the background color, SOLIDWORKS immediately becomes easier on the eyes:
This one is hard to show with still pictures, however there is a new function called “Accelerated Zoom” in which you simply use your Shift + Mouse Wheel to zoom faster. For those working with larger assemblies or factory layouts, this can get your viewport where you want to be in a much speedier manner.
Finally, the Sketch Ink toolbar has a few updates. The “Pen” tool has been renamed to “Draw” and there is now a tool under “Colors” to change line thickness.
I hope this part of the What’s New series gives you a better understanding of the new features and functions of SOLIDWORKS 2021. Please check back to the CATI Blog as the CATI Application Engineers will continue to break down many of the new items in SOLIDWORKS 2021. All these articles will be stored in the category of "SOLIDWORKS What's New."
Mike Thompson
SOLIDWORKS Application Engineer
www.cati.com