So that's what that's for!

SOLIDWORKS SW General
1

Since switching to SW2022 I’ve seen this coordinate system show up when I’d click on a component in an Assembly. I usually research new features, but didn’t this time, just assuming it wouldn’t be anything I’d want to use. I found it mildly annoying, but not enough to investigate and see if I could turn it off.

Today, I lost a washer in my Assembly. I clicked on it in the tree and that thing popped up. In my little brain I thought “I’ll click on the Z and drag, and see what happens.” Guess what? I was able to move it by doing that, and get it out where I could get to it.

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2

That looks like the “move with triad” tool. It’s nice that it now appears automatically.

3

Does it go away if you turn off Instant3D?

4

Does it obey existing Mates?

5

Now I need something like that for the screws, washers, nuts, and sockets that disappeared into the dark when working on car engines.

6

Pshaw, just hit Undo the next time you drop a part. Works a treat.

7

As of 2022, it does show up just by clicking on the component.

https://help.solidworks.com/2022/english/SolidWorks/sldworks/c_triad.htm?verRedirect=1

8

That is move with triad tool as someone else SPerman suggested.

In SW 2018, you have to specifically select it.
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9

If this is the “move with triad” triad, then it has nothing to do with instant 3d. It is the same as dragging the part, but using this allows it to only translate/rotate along the selected direction. It also allows for precise movements. (See GIF below)


Yes
triad.gif

10

“Someone else”

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11

SPerman

Probably Dan should have credited a “SPerman” for your initial post, but I can see how’d he’d hesitate. Is that handle you want?

Dwight

12

Once I was inside the reply, I could no longer see who had pointed it out! LOL. I was too lazy to open a 2nd tab to the same discussion…and I didn’t edit it… Which I am fixing now… sigh

13

In my opinion It’s the most annoying feature in SW. I turned it off from the very first day I upgraded to 2022.

For those who asked, yes, it goes away if you turn off instant3D.
And if the component is fixed or fully defined by mate, you can not move the component using it. So it’s totally worthless (for me)

@Glenn Schroeder I’m sure you know that you can select the component in Feature Tree and isolate it. It’s what I do when I can’t find a part in the assembly.

14

It is the handle I was given when the world adopted first initial last name as a default email address. (Scott Perman) Might as well own it.
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15

Nice plate, Scott!

16

I always said if I had a boy I would name him Steven Ulysses Perman.

17

I love the “Move With Triad” tool… Have had a keyboard shortcut for it for ages.

That said it would bug the crap out of me to have it show up every time I selected something. I also toggle off Instant3D, so good to hear that will toggle off automatic popup of the triad.

I use it for getting parts rotated into a close approximation of where I want a part before applying mates.

18

I stopped using triad long time ago. I’m much comfortable to wheel click an edge or axis and rotate around the entity.

Just give it a try. You may find it faster and easier too.

cheers

19

I only use the triad for moving the sectioning tool or a camera. It seems a little fussy to pick the right part of it, so it rotates instead of translates.

Dwight

20

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, I did know that, but this new feature is simpler than Isolating the component, dragging it out, then exiting Isolate.

Using SW 30+ hours per week since 2009 I’d never used it before yesterday.

It’s one of those things I’ve learned to ignore if I don’t need it. I keep Instant 3D turned on all the time since it’s so handy for making quick edits. Single-click on a feature to show dimensions, single-click on them to edit, and it instantly rebuilds.

To orient Parts before applying a Mate I right-click and drag to rotate, and have done so ever since learning about it from Kelvin Lamport at the old forum many years ago.