Feature Manager - How to make it better

SOLIDWORKS SW General
1

The very first thing I struggled with moving from NX to Solidworks is the feature manager. My memory of NX is fading since it’s been 4+ years since I used it, but from what I recall, the Assembly navigator, Part navigator could be broken out into separate windows (and pinned to the 2nd monitor, but that is a different subject.) The simulation manager was also it’s own window, and not stacked on top of the others.

How do I get the most out of the solidworks Feature Manager? Is there a way to use this feature that doesn’t involve constantly collapsing, expanding and scrolling?

A few times I’ve had the Feature Manager window split in two. I find this completely unusable, but maybe I’m doing it wrong.
Any suggestions or tutorials on how to get the most out of SW FM would be greatly appreciated.

2

I have a few things that might help if you aren’t already doing them.

  1. You can have the software automatically group instances of the same component in the tree. Right-click on the Assembly name at the top of the tree, go to Tree Display, and select “Group Component Instances”. This does something similar to putting them into a folder, though the icon is different. You can still expand it to see the individual components if/when needed.

  2. You can of course place multiple components in folders. Ctrl+select the components, right-click, and select “Add to new folder” from the drop-down. After doing so you can drag additional components into the folder if you wish.

  3. I was going to say use sub-assemblies, but I see you already are.

3

Use Folders to manage the Feature Tree, name your folders to separate different sub-assemblies etc..

4

I use folders quite a bit in parts, but have never used them in an assembly. Thanks for the tips.

5

This is a good practice, and it’s helpful to name the folders with a good description. That way you know what’s in them. I like to use names like “Folder1”, “Folder2”, “Folder3”, and so on…

6

Then when you need to rearrange the folders, I’m guessing you name them “Rev B - Was Folder3”

7

Some subtle things:

You can check a setting inside Tool>Options>FeatureManager> Unroll to selected objected
This will go to the selected component inside the featuremanager. If you’re like me and hate that because it opens up too many sub-assemblies too often, then you can uncheck it and right click the desired part and select ‘‘Go to selected component’’ so that it selects it on the featuremanager.

When the featuremanager gets too “messy”, collapse all is pretty useful also to have it brought back to it’s ‘original state’.

I hate seeing enveloppes, so I love hiding them from the top level by right clicking and hiding all enveloppes. If there are some that I do desire to show, I will reshow them afterwards.

8

I agree with all comments so far. Geez this got long. TL,DR: keep order. show comments. ignore errors.

My products have a clear flow, weak pun intended. I have organized nested folders and linear sequential components from suction connection to the pump, and from pump to discharge connection. Placing things in a clear order within the folder really helps when coming back to it to change or mate something.

I place components above and below subfolders to keep flow order. It can be a little fussy. Basic assembly default folder tree, in my case:
Prime Refs (axes, planes, SSP)
Pumps
Suction

Suction Pipe/Tube
Suction Components

CC Branch
S Pattern 18in

S Drain Branch
Discharge
Discharge Pipe/Tube
Discharge Components
D Pattern 18in
D Drain Branch
PRV Branch
PD Branch
PI Branch
[Instrument] Branch
Electrical
Structural
Obsolete

  • You can see that I group what will be linear patterned. This makes it easier both to create and modify this. I edit the linear pattern distance into the folder name. This is not in any way driving, but only a ready reference point when placing other things around the pattern such as pattern exceptions. I don’t use global variables for this because my complexity can increase beyond a clear usefulness there.
  • My design follows a Process & Instrumentation Diagram. Yours may not. This is the immediate source of my flow order, and a ready reference document at all times. Perhaps your design has its own hierarchy that can apply. A clear hierarchy makes multi-user work a lot easier!
  • Any further development can get a subfolder, like bolt-on supports, hardware for flange pairs, common joined drains, secondary electrical panel, or such. If a pattern gets complex, I can nest a primary and secondary pattern. Subassemblies can also carry appropriate folder nesting.
  • If I am including a tank or tote, that is placed in order, with possible containments, spools, or hoses subfolders, and again hardware for flange pairs.

AlexLachance mentioned Collapse All. That default key command is Shift+C.

All the above expands on my use of what has already been said.

You can also use the FM for Show Comments. R-click top assembly > Tree Display > Show Comment Indicator. This way, components and/or folders in your FM can show a sticky note icon whenever you want to note something that will need further attention later. A common one for me is to use a specific keyword, NEEDS, so that I can later search for what’s NEED’ed. “NEEDS BOM confirmation and support adjustment prior to fabrication.” or “NEEDS product inspection on receipt,” when manufacturer data is old and vague. Some users have suggested expanding the usefulness of the comment indicator, and Alin had a very nice thread (in the missing 5% series) on the topic in the old board. Stuff like color codes, priority, or status. Who knows if it will improve.

Folders are also very useful to me to “remove from current rebuild” some troublesome erroneous imported components. These complex items had been provided in a poor to fair quality STEP file, imported with hundreds of gaps and broken faces which do not heal with repeated attempts. I create placeholder reference entities for its connection points and anchors. Then, for the entire time that I am working on the assembly and a majority of the time that I’m working in the drawing, these segregated components are suppressed and not causing yellow triangle errors in every step of design. Then, when I am about to publish the drawing, I will turn it on and save the PDF.

I think we’re discussing how to use Feature Manager better. Making it better is another discussion entirely, involving improvements. For example, I wish that I could sort patterns into the folders which contain their parents, but must accept that patterns always sort to the bottom of the FM.

9

Read this:

https://dezignstuff.com/solidworks-featuremanager-management/

10

You can undock the property manager (the 2nd tab at the top of the feature manager), but you cannot undock the feature manager itself.

11

Wow, thanks for the mention! Sometimes I think people aren’t paying any attention.

12

Thanks for all of the suggestions. There are some ideas here that can help my efficiency, but nothing addressing the root problem I have with the FM: Solidworks decision to display all of this information as one giant vertical accordion.

13

Hrm, it sounds to me like you might have you Feature Manager flattened, because there should be a kind of hierarchy for assemblies and sub assemblies

Edit: Hrm, ‘‘Flattened feature manager’’ seems to only be for Parts, but I could have sworn I’ve seen it inside assemblies..

14

I don’t have them flattened. But when I need a part that is 4 sub assemblies deep, everything between it and the top level gets expanded, leading to “scrolling, scrolling, scrolling.”

15

Okay Scott, so you’re facing the same kind of ‘annoyance’ as me. Look up the first post I made and uncheck the box that says to expand to the selected component inside the featuremanager settings. That should remove 75% of the annoyance, which will leave you having to use '‘expand to select component’, when right clicking instead.


Sorry for the frenchness

This is the setting you want to turn off:
This is the thing to select to have it expand to the item, when desired(to change mates for example or edit a sketch at the part level)

16

I played with that. It does help just generally moving around in the model, but once I “expand to selected component” it leaves me in the same place.

I probably need to get in the habit of hitting the “collapse all” shortcut before I do anything. At least that way I’m only working with what needs to be expanded right then.

17

I hate the whole expanding thing so I use that setting and collapse by reflex now. It took a certain time to get accustomed to but I don’t regret it whatsoever. But that’s a personal preference. None of my co-workers work this way and they get away with it just fine.

When I’m working in the assembly level, I don’t need to see the sub-assemblies’s composition, I need to be able to access them quickly to edit, delete or add mates. That’s the most efficient way I found to be able to do that, while also having the possibility of ‘‘getting’’ to the desired part, if it is the part and not the assembly that I desire to modify.

18

I work more in assembly than in parts. My parts ideally have all their features into one single folder named FEATURES. Pretty sneaky IKR. Collapse all of that which I don’t need to reference, expand individuals as needed. Useful part reference entities stay at top level, usually below FEATURES.

Telling you that folders applied usefully will make your life easier isn’t the same as telling you what you need to fold in.

19

I’m not totally following this conversation, so let me know if I’ve missed something.

Have you tried “Show Hierarchy Only”? It gets rid of the assembly features, and just shows the part and sub-assembly names.
And another setting I like in assemblies is “View Mates and Dependencies”. That just shows the mates under each part without the part features.

20

Show Hierarchy! That was what I was looking for for assemblies!