SolidWorks 2010 Bible

Chapter 25: Using Layers, Line Fonts, and Colors

3. Window+select everything on the format and use the drop-down list on the Layers
   toolbar to assign the selection to the Border layer. Notice that this changes the color
   and the thickness of the sketch lines.


4. Right-click a blank space and select Edit Sheet.


5. Click the Layer Properties button on either the Layer or Line Format toolbar. Add
   new layers for each of the part groups, bracket, clevis, pins, and blocks, assigning
   different colors to each layer. Figure 25.6 shows the Layers dialog box with these layers
   created.

FIGURE 25.6

The Layers dialog box

Caution
Be aware that creating new layers leaves the last layer that you created active, as indicated by the yellow
arrow in Figure 25.6. There is no way to set the active layer to None from the Layers dialog box; you have to
do this using the drop-down list in the Layer toolbar. n

6. Set the active layer to None in the Layer toolbar drop-down list.


7. Right-click the Bracket part in one of the views and select Component Line Font.
   Deselect the Use Document Defaults option, and select the Bracket layer from the
   drop-down list in the lower-right corner of the dialog box, as shown in Figure 25.7.
   Make sure that the Drawing View option is set to All views.


8. Repeat Step 7 for all the components, assigning each component to its own layer.
   Notice how this makes the parts easier to identify.

Note
Alternatively, you could simply change the line style and thickness for each component. This saves you creating
the layers, but you lose the color settings. The way SolidWorks handles line thickness and thickness values has
changed significantly in SolidWorks 2010. The line thickness assignments in the Print dialog are still the old
format. n