Part II: Building Intelligence into Your Parts
Using the Flyout and Detachable
FeatureManagers
The Flyout FeatureManager resides at the top-left corner of the graphics window. The
PropertyManager goes in the same space as the FeatureManager, and is sometimes too big to allow
this area to accommodate both managers in a split window.The Flyout FeatureManager enables you to select items from the design tree when the regular
FeatureManager is not available because it is covered by the PropertyManager. It usually appears
collapsed, so that you can only see the name of the part and the part symbol. To expand it, click
the plus icon next to the name of the part in the Flyout FeatureManager.You can use the Flyout FeatureManager in parts or assemblies. However, you cannot use the
Flyout FeatureManager to suppress or roll back the tree.Cross-Reference
Other functionality and limitations of the Flyout FeatureManager that relate to its function in assemblies can
be found in Chapters 12 to 15.n
You can access the settings for the Flyout FeatureManager by choosing Tools ➪ Options ➪ Feature
Manager ➪ Use Transparent Flyout FeatureManager in Parts/Assemblies.You may prefer not to work with the flyout FeatureManager because it interrupts your workflow
by covering the regular FeatureManager with a PropertyManager. If this is the case, you can use the
detachable PropertyManager instead. Detaching the PropertyManager removes the need for the fly-
out. I often dock the detachable PropertyManager where the flyout FeatureManager would go, or
even use it undocked on a second monitor. The main advantage of using the detachable
PropertyManager instead of the flyout FeatureManager is that with the detachable PropertyManager
you don’t have to re-locate features in the FeatureManager that were already in view.Figure 11.6 shows the difference between the flyout FeatureManager on the left, and the detach-
able PropertyManager on the right. My preference is clearly the detachable PropertyManager.
When you use this, everything is predictable, and you don’t have to go hunting for features that
were listed right in front of you when you do something that opens a PropertyManager. I usually
decrease the overall size of the SolidWorks application window, and place the PropertyManager to
the left of the SolidWorks application. This works best on a wide aspect monitor or multiple moni-
tors. If you use a small monitor or a normal aspect monitor, using the Auto Collapse option with
the PropertyManager docked to the right of the FeatureManager (where the flyout FeatureManager
would otherwise go) is also a good option.