SolidWorks Shortcuts, UI, and Interface Customization

Overview

SolidWorks can be driven entirely by mouse clicks, but real-world productivity comes down to how well you have internalized keyboard shortcuts, the S-Key shortcut bar, and mouse gestures.

This guide walks through the UI elements of Windows-only SolidWorks (CommandManager, FeatureManager, PropertyManager, etc.) and lays out the keyboard and mouse setup that experienced engineers actually keep under their hands.

Running SolidWorks with the default UI out of the box is the slowest possible choice — 30 minutes of upfront customization translates into a noticeable daily time savings.

1. Main SolidWorks UI Regions

When you open SolidWorks, the screen is divided into five main regions. Clearly distinguishing each one makes it much faster to follow tutorials or read the official Help.

The green check and red X icons in the upper-right of the graphics area form the Confirmation Corner, which is handy for quickly closing or canceling a sketch.

2. The 50+ Essential Shortcuts

The realistic approach to shortcuts is "10 you use daily, every day" and then expand by 3–5 per week. Trying to memorize them all at once means none of them will stick.

The table below is in priority order for memorization.

2.1 View Manipulation

2.2 File and Edit

2.3 Sketch and Assembly

2.4 Rebuild and Display

3. The S-Key Shortcut Bar

Pressing the S key brings up a small toolbar floating near the cursor. Because this toolbar serves a different command set depending on the current mode (Part/Assembly/Drawing/Sketch), you effectively get four independent ribbons.

• Customize: Tools → Customize → Commands tab, drag the icons you want onto the S-bar.
• 10–15 commands per mode is about right for the four modes.
• Working primarily from the S-bar frees up an extra 20–30% of vertical screen space.

4. Mouse Gestures

A feature that executes directional commands via right-click drag. You can pick 4-way / 8-way / 12-way, and each of the four modes is configured independently.

• Path: Tools → Customize → Mouse Gestures
• Pick 2, 3, 4, 8, or 12 → drag commands onto each direction
• Configure Part / Assembly / Drawing / Sketch separately

Recommended Part-mode 12-Gesture layout:

• Up: Zoom to Fit
• Down: View Orientation
• Left: Front View / Right: Right View
• Diagonals: Isometric, Top, Extrude, Sketch
• Mid-directions: Mirror, Pattern, Fillet, Measure

5. 3D Mice and Additional Peripherals

• On gaming mice like the Logitech MX series, it is worth mapping buttons 4 and 5 to Rotate, Pan, or View Orientation.
• System Options → View → Reverse mouse wheel zoom direction flips the zoom direction.
• The 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse is a 6-axis 3D mouse that pays off especially for engineers routinely working with assemblies of 20+ parts. Left-hand SpaceMouse plus right-hand standard mouse is the standard setup.

6. Customizing the CommandManager and FeatureManager

6.1 Editing CommandManager tabs

• Right-click an empty area of the tab row → Customize CommandManager → check/uncheck the tabs you want.
• The most convenient approach is to cherry-pick your most-used commands into a Custom tab.
• Adjust the icon size for displayed commands under Tools → Customize → Options.

6.2 Filtering and sorting the FeatureManager

• Type a feature name into the filter box at the top of the tree to highlight only that feature.
• Sort the tree by name, type, or creation order via the drop-down icon at the top.
• Grouping related features into a Folder makes even complex parts easy to navigate. Right-click → Add to New Folder.

6.3 Backups and system options

These are the options every new user should adjust right away:

• Tools → Options → Document Properties → Units → lock to MMGS (mm, g, s).
• Tools → Options → System Options → General → check Show errors every rebuild.
• Tools → Options → System Options → Backups/Recover → recommended: auto-backup every 5 minutes, auto-save every 10 minutes.
• Put the backup folder on a drive other than C:, in its own dedicated folder.

7. Exporting and Importing Personal Settings

When migrating to a new PC or deploying a standard environment to your team, use Tools → Save/Restore Settings.

• A single .sldreg file carries over every setting (shortcuts, custom CommandManager, option values).
• Team sharing: keep a master .sldreg in a network folder and have new hires Restore it on their first login.
• It is mostly compatible across SolidWorks versions, but restoring from 2025 backward into 2024 may drop some options.

8. View and Display Tips

• RealView / Ambient Occlusion / Shadows: turn off while working, turn on for screenshots and reviews — that is the right performance balance.
• Show Temporary Axes: turn on only when working with circular patterns or revolves, and keep it off otherwise to cut visual noise.
• Tangent Edge display: setting View → Display → Tangent Edges as Phantom (dashed) improves drawing and screenshot readability.
• Section View (graphics area): Section icon on the view toolbar → real-time cross-section on any plane. Essential for inspecting assembly internals.

Field Checklist

• Unit system standardized to MMGS
• Auto-backup 5 min / auto-save 10 min, backup path on a separate drive
• Single-key shortcuts assigned to Extrude, Cut, Fillet, Mirror
• S-Key shortcut bar configured separately for Part/Assembly/Drawing/Sketch
• Mouse gestures enabled at 8-way or higher
• Most-used commands isolated into a Custom tab in the CommandManager
• Personal settings backed up to .sldreg
• RealView and Shadows off while working, on for reviews