**Best settings for solidworks you need to know**

Key Takeaways:

Best SOLIDWORKS Settings

1. Units

Set the correct units for your projects, such as MMGS (mm, g, s) for most mechanical engineering work.

2. Performance Settings

Adjust Large Assembly Settings, lightweight components, and rebuild options to improve performance when working with complex models.

3. Graphics Settings

Use a SOLIDWORKS-certified graphics card and enable appropriate graphics performance options for smoother 3D modeling and assembly viewing.

4. Backup & Recovery

Enable Auto-recover and backup features to protect your work from crashes or accidental data loss.

5. File Locations

Set organized locations for Part, Assembly, Drawing, Sheet Format, and Template files so SOLIDWORKS can find them quickly.

6. Sketch Settings

Enable Automatic Relations, snapping, and inference to make sketching faster and more accurate.

7. Display Settings

Choose Shaded with Edges for everyday modeling and adjust Image Quality to balance visual quality with performance.

8. Mouse & Keyboard Shortcuts

Customize Mouse Gestures, Shortcut Bars, and Keyboard Shortcuts for frequently used commands such as Extrude, Cut, Fillet, Chamfer, Sketch, and Measure.

9. Save Settings

Use regular Ctrl + S saves and configure automatic backup/recovery intervals appropriate for your workflow.

10. Templates

Create standard Part, Assembly, and Drawing templates with your preferred units, materials, drafting standards, and company information.

Recommended Setup

MMGS → Shaded with Edges → Automatic Relations → Auto-Recover ON → SSD Storage → Certified GPU → Customized Shortcuts

Key Takeaway

Units → Performance → Graphics → Sketch → Backup → File Locations → Display → Shortcuts → Templates

Best SOLIDWORKS Settings
1. Units
2. Performance Settings
3. Graphics Settings
4. Backup & Recovery
5. File Locations
6. Sketch Settings
7. Display Settings
8. Mouse & Keyboard Shortcuts
9. Save Settings
10. Templates
Best SOLIDWORKS Setup for Beginners
Recommended Setup for Large Assemblies
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Conclusion

Best SOLIDWORKS Settings

Choosing the right SOLIDWORKS settings can improve modeling speed, graphics performance, file reliability, and overall productivity. A well-configured SOLIDWORKS environment is especially important for mechanical engineers, CAD designers, students, and professionals working with large assemblies or complex models.

The following settings provide a practical starting point for everyday mechanical design work.

1. Units

Correct units are essential because they control how dimensions and measurements are displayed and entered.

Go to:

Tools → Options → Document Properties → Units

Recommended Setting

For most metric mechanical engineering projects:

Unit System: MMGS

Length → millimeters (mm)
Mass → kilograms (kg)
Time → seconds (s)

Common Unit Systems

Unit System	Common Application
MMGS	Metric mechanical engineering ⭐
IPS	Imperial/US engineering
CGS	Scientific applications
MKS	Engineering and scientific work

Recommendation

For most mechanical CAD users:

MMGS → mm → kg → s

2. Performance Settings

Performance settings determine how efficiently SOLIDWORKS handles complex models and assemblies.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → Performance

Recommended Settings

For normal parts and small assemblies:

Keep performance settings balanced.
Avoid unnecessary visual effects.
Use supported hardware and drivers.

For large assemblies:

Use Large Assembly Settings when appropriate.
Use lightweight components.
Use simplified configurations.
Suppress unnecessary components or features.
Avoid excessive transparency.

Large Assembly Tip

If your assembly becomes slow, consider:

Lightweight Components → Simplified Configuration → Large Design Review

depending on your workflow and SOLIDWORKS version.

Recommendation

Prioritize:

Responsiveness + Stability + Model Accuracy

rather than maximum visual effects.

3. Graphics Settings

Graphics settings affect model display, rotation, zooming, and overall viewport performance.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → Performance

and the relevant display/graphics settings.

Recommended Settings

Use a supported dedicated graphics card where available.
Keep your graphics driver updated.
Test Enhanced Graphics Performance on your system.
Reduce unnecessary graphics effects for very large assemblies.
Use appropriate visual quality for your hardware.

Graphics Priority

For professional CAD:

Stable GPU performance > Maximum visual effects

If your model rotates smoothly and displays correctly, your graphics configuration is generally doing its job.

4. Backup & Recovery

Backup and recovery settings are essential because CAD files can represent many hours of design work.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → Backup/Recover

Recommended Settings

Enable:

Auto-Recover
Backup
Appropriate recovery notifications

Use a recovery location that is separate from your primary project folder when practical.

Example

Project Files

D:\CAD_Projects\

Backup/Recovery

D:\CAD_Backups\

For important projects, maintain additional backups using:

Company servers
Approved cloud storage
Network backups
PDM systems

Important

Auto-Recover is not a replacement for a proper backup system.

5. File Locations

File locations tell SOLIDWORKS where to find templates, libraries, profiles, and other resources.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → File Locations

Common locations include:

Document Templates
Design Library
Weldment Profiles
Sheet Metal Profiles
Custom Properties
Material databases
Hole Wizard/Toolbox data

Recommended Folder Structure

SOLIDWORKS Library
├── Templates
├── Design Library
├── Materials
├── Weldment Profiles
├── Sheet Metal
├── Custom Properties
└── Standards

Best Practice

For a company environment, keep shared libraries in a controlled central location so designers use consistent standards.

6. Sketch Settings

Sketch settings have a major impact on modeling efficiency.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → Sketch

Recommended Settings

Use:

Automatic relations
Sketch inferencing
Appropriate snapping
Geometric relations

Common relations include:

Horizontal
Vertical
Coincident
Tangent
Concentric
Symmetric
Equal

Fully Defined Sketches

Whenever practical, make important sketches fully defined.

A good sketch generally combines:

Geometric Relations + Dimensions

rather than relying only on dimensions.

Example

Instead of simply dimensioning a hole’s location, use:

Concentric Relation + Diameter + Position Dimensions

This better communicates the design intent.

7. Display Settings

Display settings control how clearly your models appear.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → Display/Selection

Recommended Display Mode

For everyday mechanical design:

Shaded With Edges

It provides a good balance between:

Model clarity
Feature visibility
Graphics performance

Common Display Modes

Display Mode	Best Use
Shaded With Edges	General mechanical modeling
Shaded	Fast viewing
Wireframe	Internal/complex geometry
Hidden Lines Visible	Engineering visualization
Hidden Lines Removed	Clean presentation

For very large assemblies, reducing display complexity can improve responsiveness.

8. Mouse & Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts can significantly increase productivity.

Essential SOLIDWORKS Shortcuts

Shortcut	Function
S	Shortcut Bar
Ctrl + S	Save
Ctrl + Z	Undo
Ctrl + Y	Redo
Ctrl + B	Rebuild
Ctrl + Q	Force Rebuild
F	Zoom to Fit
Spacebar	View Orientation
Ctrl + 1	Front View
Ctrl + 2	Rear View
Ctrl + 3	Left View
Ctrl + 4	Right View
Ctrl + 5	Top View
Ctrl + 6	Bottom View
Ctrl + 7	Isometric View

Customize Shortcuts

Go to:

Tools → Customize → Keyboard

You can assign shortcuts to frequently used commands such as:

Measure
Section View
Fillet
Chamfer
Hole Wizard
Normal To
Hide/Show
View Orientation

Best Shortcut

Learn the S key first. It provides quick access to frequently used commands without moving your mouse across the interface.

9. Save Settings

Saving regularly protects your work from unexpected crashes, power failures, or system problems.

Go to:

Tools → Options → System Options → Backup/Recover

Recommended Practice

Enable:

Auto-Recover
Backup
Recovery notifications where appropriate

And manually save using:

Ctrl + S

frequently.

File Naming Recommendation

Use consistent names such as:

BRACKET_001.SLDPRT
BRACKET_ASSEMBLY_001.SLDASM
BRACKET_DRAWING_001.SLDDRW

Avoid confusing names such as:

final.SLDPRT
final2.SLDPRT
final_new.SLDPRT
final_latest.SLDPRT

A structured naming system makes CAD projects easier to manage.

10. Templates

Templates allow you to automatically apply standard settings whenever you create a new document.

Create templates for:

Part
Assembly
Drawing

Part Template

Configure:

Units
Material
Document properties
Custom properties
Standard modeling settings

Assembly Template

Configure:

Units
Document properties
Custom properties
Standard assembly settings

Drawing Template

Configure:

Sheet size
Drawing standard
Units
Dimension styles
Text styles
Title block
Company information

Best Practice

Create standardized templates once and use them for every new project.

Best SOLIDWORKS Setup for Beginners

If you’re new to SOLIDWORKS, don’t change every available option immediately.

Start with these settings:

1. Units

MMGS

2. Display

Shaded With Edges

3. Backup

Auto-Recover + Backup

4. Sketch

Automatic Relations + Inferencing

5. Shortcuts

Learn:

S → Shortcut Bar

6. Templates

Create:

Part + Assembly + Drawing Templates

7. File Locations

Organize:

Templates + Design Library + Materials

8. Saving

Use:

Ctrl + S

frequently.

Once you are comfortable with these settings, adjust performance and graphics based on your hardware and project size.

Recommended Setup for Large Assemblies

If you regularly work with hundreds or thousands of components, performance becomes more important.

Avoid

Excessive transparency
Unnecessary detailed components
Extremely complex cosmetic features
Unnecessary rebuilds
Excessive graphics effects

Goal

Fast rotation + fast rebuilds + stable assemblies

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the best units for SOLIDWORKS?

For most metric mechanical engineering work, MMGS is a good choice.

2. What display mode should I use?

Shaded With Edges is a strong general-purpose option for mechanical modeling.

3. Should Auto-Recover be enabled?

Yes. Auto-Recover provides an additional layer of protection against unexpected interruptions, but it should not replace regular backups.

4. How can I make SOLIDWORKS faster?

Start by simplifying complex models, using appropriate assembly-performance tools, reducing unnecessary graphics effects, and ensuring your system uses supported hardware and drivers.

5. What is the most useful SOLIDWORKS shortcut?

The S key is one of the most useful because it opens the Shortcut Bar and provides quick access to frequently used commands.

6. Should I create custom templates?

Yes. Standard Part, Assembly, and Drawing templates can save considerable time and help maintain consistent engineering standards.

Conclusion

The best SOLIDWORKS settings should create a balance between performance, reliability, modeling efficiency, and visual clarity.

GoEngineer: SOLIDWORKS Large Assembly Management Tutorial: Video webinar and best practices for SpeedPak, Lightweight mode, and resolving graphics bottlenecks.

A strong general setup is:

MMGS + Balanced Performance + Supported Graphics Hardware + Auto-Recover + Organized File Locations + Efficient Sketch Settings + Shaded With Edges + Customized Shortcuts + Regular Saving + Standard Templates

These settings provide a solid foundation for students, CAD designers, mechanical engineers, and professional SOLIDWORKS users. As your projects become more complex, you can further optimize SOLIDWORKS for large assemblies, sheet-metal design, simulation, drawings, or advanced mechanical modeling.