SOLIDWORKS is a powerful tool but if you aren’t careful with your system settings it can get bogged down and your performance can pay the price. Lagging cuts down on productivity and efficiency.  When in doubt check your system options. Below we will go over eleven different areas in your system options to optimize your SOLIDWORKS performance.

1. General

Under General, the thumbnail graphics, feature freeze bar, rebuild error messages, and technical alert settings can be manipulated to enhance performance.

• Uncheck show thumbnail graphics.
• Enable feature freeze bar.
• Choose the prompt option in the drop down for rebuild errors.
• Uncheck show latest technical alerts and news in welcome dialog.

2. Performance

Under Performance, there are two drawing related options that can be changed to optimize performance.

• Uncheck show contents while dragging drawing views.
• Uncheck allow auto update when opening drawings.

3. Drawings: Display Style

Under Display Styles under Drawings, the draft quality settings can be manipulated to enhance performance.

• Under edge quality for wire frame and hidden views, choose the draft quality option
• Under edge quality for shaded edge views, choose the draft quality option

4. Color

In the Colors section, under Background appearance, there is one option to improve performance and optimize SOLIDWORKS.

• Under background appearance choose the plain setting.

5. Assemblies: Display

In the Display tab, there are two settings that can be adjusted to enhance optimize SOLIDWORKS.

• Under assembly transparency for in context edit choose maintain assembly transparency from the drop down menu.
• Under anti-aliasing choose none from the drop down.

6. Performance

In the performance tab, there are eight different settings that can be adjusted.

• Uncheck verification on rebuild(enable advanced body checking).
• Uncheck high quality for normal view mode under transparency.
• Uncheck high quality for dynamic view mode under transparency.
• Turn level of detail off.
• Under assemblies, check automatically load components lightweight.
• Choose indicate from the drop down menu under check out of date lightweight components.
• Choose prompt from the drop down menu under resolve lightweight components.
• Choose prompt from the drop down menu under rebuild assembly on load.

7. Assemblies

Under the Assemblies tab, there are four different settings to evaluate and adjust.

• Check prompt before changing mate alignments on edit.
• Check save new components to external files.
• Under opening a large assembly check use lightweight mode and large assembly settings when the number of components exceeds 300.
• Under large assembly settings check everything but suspend automatic rebuild.
• Under envelope components check automatically load lightweight.

8. External References

Under the External References, load referenced documents and external reference search settings should be changed.

• Under external references choose prompt for load referenced documents in the drop down menu.
• Under search external references uncheck reference documents specified in file locations.

9. Feature Manager

Under the Feature Manager tab there is one setting to adjust for enhanced performance.

• Uncheck use transparent flyout Feature Manager tree in parts/assemblies.

10. View

Under the view tab there are two tabs to toggle and adjust.

• Uncheck zoom to fit when changing to standard view.
• Slide view transitions, hide/show components, isolate, and view selector to off under transitions.

11. Search

In the Search tab, the index performance option should be looked at to enhance performance.

• Check index only when computer is idle under indexing performance.