SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 2: Navigating the SolidWorks Interface

Getting familiar with the Status bar

The status bar is a non-intrusive way in which SolidWorks communicates information back to the

user. It is located at the bottom of the screen, and you can enable it from the View menu. Figure

2.26 shows the status bar in action.

FIGURE 2.26

The status bar showing a tool tip for the Sketch Circle tool

The status bar can display the following information, indicators, and icons:

l (^) Progress as parts, assemblies, or drawings load
l Tool tips for commands
l (^) Measurements
l The sketch status for an active sketch
l (^) In-context editing
l Suspend automatic rebuilds
l (^) Icons that enable you to turn Quick Tips off or on
l The sheet scale for drawings
l (^) The cursor position for drawings and sketches
l Whether you are editing the sheet, sheet format, or view of a drawing

Assigning tags ..................................................................................................

Tags work like document properties, except that they do not need a property name; they just use a

value. A tag could be considered simply a keyword that you can associate with a part in an assembly

or even a feature in a part. Tags can be searched by SolidWorks Explorer or by the FeatureManager

Filter. You can assign tags by clicking the yellow tag icon on the status bar in the lower-right corner

of the SolidWorks window. Figure 2.27 shows a tag being added to a feature.

Making use of Quick Tips................................................................................

Quick Tips appear in the pop-up window in the lower-right corner of the graphics window. They

can change as you work so that they are sensitive to the context in which you are working. They

are a great way for new users or infrequent users to learn or be reminded of the next steps available

to them. You can activate and deactivate Quick Tips by clicking the question mark icon in the

lower-right corner of the SolidWorks window on the status bar. Figure 2.28 shows the Quick Tips

window in action.