Using part configurations is a great way to reuse basic part geometry, cut down on rebuild times with simplified configurations and easily change the length of fasteners. While part configurations can be useful on their own, they really shine when used in an assembly because it can save a tremendous amount of time, and allow one to easily create assembly configurations. 

 >> Click here to watch how to use Part Configuration

One question that commonly arises during a class or a tech support call is, “Why don’t I always get the popup dialog to select the configuration?” There is actually a very simple explanation for this and it has to do with the multiple ways we can select the configurations of parts as they are inserted into an assembly.

Many users are familiar with the options to change configurations once the part is inserted into an assembly, but there are actually several options to select it before the part is even inserted. One popular way is browsing for the part in “insert part.” Once the part is selected, you can see on the bottom of the window the option to select the configuration. Next, before inserting the part into the assembly (or when selecting a part that’s already open in SOLIDWORKS), you can select the configuration from the fly-out window on the left.

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