New in SolidWorks 2013: Change Your Life with Search Options

One of the great things about SolidWorks is that each new release is chock full of new functionality and improvements. The challenge of knowing where the settings are located that govern the behavior of all that functionality, unfortunately,
becomes larger and larger…. until SolidWorks 2013.

In SolidWorks 2013, we have the same Options dialog that we've had in the past, with tabs and categories and all manner of controls, but we also now have a way to quickly find what we want — it's called Search Options.

Blog1

Say I'm working on a file from someone who didn't use the same document properties I want; maybe the arrows in sketches aren't to my liking. In the old days, I'd have to remember where those specific settings were located, or go through the Help and find it that way. In 2013, I can just type in the word "arrow" in Search Options, and immediately I'll have a list of each and every setting (both System Options and Document Properties included). What's more, I can click on that list and the Options dialog will jump to the described location for me, so I can literally click through and visually search for the page of settings that I want, with SolidWorks
highlighting my keyword match on each page as I go:

Blog2

Thus, on my third click in the list, I find the arrow settings I was looking for. Simple!

If you are a CAD administrator or a person who supports SolidWorks at your company, Search Options can make your life a whole lot easier. I won't leave home without it!

***

Jeff Setzer is a Product Manager at Graphics Systems, a SolidWorks Value Added Reseller with locations across Wisconsin and Illinois. He is a regular contributor to the Graphics Systems’ blog: SolidNotes.com, your source for SolidWorks, Simulation, Data Management, & Product Communication Tips & Tricks.

Want to try out SolidWorks Premium? You can request a free trial on our website.

Want to see how SolidWorks can help you win new business and get to market faster? Request a  SolidWorks demo today.