[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":108},["ShallowReactive",2],{"_3WdcGcJD9FAG-RYc2zfsdU6gHT5TlCNhXwxhnn8AwY":3,"article_change-you_solidworks":10,"_apollo:default":106,"_apollo:identified":107},{"mailchimpAudience":4},{"actionUrl":5,"slug":6,"locale":7,"default":8,"__typename":9},"","change-you","en","https:\u002F\u002F3ds.us3.list-manage.com\u002Fsubscribe\u002Fpost?u=ed4601044e1936748c0d2aa6b&id=e5080ff9fe&f_id=002d4de2f0","MailchimpAudience",{"posts":11},{"nodes":12,"__typename":105},[13],{"id":14,"slug":6,"title":15,"uri":16,"excerpt":17,"locale":18,"featuredImage":21,"tableOfContents":29,"content":30,"date":31,"authorJobTitle":5,"author":32,"masterings":43,"globalTags":47,"products":61,"disciplines":73,"seo":94,"__typename":104},"cG9zdDo0MTIzMA==","Change Your Tree: See the Mates First!","\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolidworks\u002Fchange-you","\u003Cp>Sometimes when working with an assembly, I am more interested in seeing…\u003C\u002Fp>\n",{"locale":19,"__typename":20},"en_US","Locale",{"node":22,"__typename":28},{"large":23,"__typename":24,"medium_large":23,"thumbnail":25,"srcSet":26,"sizes":27},"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F02\u002Fsolidworks.jpg.webp","MediaItem","https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F02\u002Fsolidworks-150x150.jpg.webp","https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F02\u002Fsolidworks.jpg.webp 588w, https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2025\u002F02\u002Fsolidworks-300x168.jpg.webp 300w","(max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px","NodeWithFeaturedImageToMediaItemConnectionEdge",[],"\u003Cp>Sometimes when working with an assembly, I am more interested in seeing the component mates than the component features. While I know I can expand a component in the FeatureManager tree and then expand the mates folder beneath it, I find the tree gets cluttered quickly with all of the component features.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.gxsc.com\u002F.a\u002F6a00d8349cbbac69e2017ee3d23195970d-pi\">\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>At times like these, I take control of my FeatureManager and invert the default behavior so that the features are in the folder–not the mates–when I expand components in the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.gxsc.com\u002F.a\u002F6a00d8349cbbac69e2017d3c5ccd9e970c-pi\">\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>To accomplish this, simply right-click the top icon of your assembly’s FeatureManger, choose “Tree Display” from the pop-up menu, then choose “View Features and Mates” from the pop-over menu. Now, when you expand a component, the mates show up nicely, while the features can still be accessed by digging onto the Features folder.\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.gxsc.com\u002F.a\u002F6a00d8349cbbac69e2017c322e9d0f970b-pi\">\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\u003Cp>John Setzer is the Training Coordinator at \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.gxsc.com\u002F\" target=\"_self\">Graphics Systems\u003C\u002Fa>, a SolidWorks Value Added Reseller with locations across Wisconsin and Illinois. He is a regular contributor to the Graphics Systems’ blog: \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fblog.gxsc.com\u002Fgraphics_systems_solidnot\u002F\" target=\"_self\">SolidNotes.com\u003C\u002Fa>, your source for SolidWorks, Simulation, Data Management, & Product Communication Tips & Tricks.\u003C\u002Fp>","2012-10-10T15:40:58",{"node":33,"__typename":42},{"nicename":34,"description":5,"slug":35,"name":35,"firstName":36,"lastName":37,"avatar":38,"__typename":41},"jeff-setzer","jeff setzer","Jeff","Setzer",{"url":39,"__typename":40},"https:\u002F\u002Fblog-assets.solidworks.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F01\u002Fgsc-120x120-1.png-96x96.webp","Avatar","User","NodeWithAuthorToUserConnectionEdge",{"nodes":44,"edges":45,"__typename":46},[],[],"PostToTaxonomy_masteringConnection",{"nodes":48,"__typename":60},[49,55],{"id":50,"name":51,"slug":52,"uri":53,"__typename":54},"dGVybTo5NTk5","Design","design","\u002Ftags\u002Fdesign\u002F","Taxonomy_tag",{"id":56,"name":57,"slug":58,"uri":59,"__typename":54},"dGVybTo5NjAz","SOLIDWORKS","solidworks","\u002Ftags\u002Fsolidworks\u002F","PostToTaxonomy_tagConnection",{"edges":62,"nodes":70,"__typename":72},[63],{"isPrimary":64,"node":65,"__typename":69},false,{"id":66,"name":57,"slug":58,"uri":67,"__typename":68},"dGVybTo1Ng==","\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolidworks\u002F","Taxonomy_product","PostToTaxonomy_productConnectionEdge",[71],{"id":66,"name":57,"slug":58,"uri":67,"__typename":68},"PostToTaxonomy_productConnection",{"nodes":74,"edges":89,"__typename":93},[75],{"id":76,"name":77,"slug":78,"uri":79,"parentId":80,"disciplines":81,"__typename":88},"dGVybTo2MA==","3D CAD","3d-cad","\u002Fdisciplines\u002F3d-cad\u002F","dGVybTo1OA==",{"nodes":82,"__typename":87},[83],{"title":77,"uri":84,"parentId":85,"__typename":86},"\u002Fdisciplines\u002Fdesign-engineering\u002F3d-cad","cG9zdDozNzcz","Discipline","Taxonomy_disciplineToDisciplineConnection","Taxonomy_discipline",[90],{"isPrimary":64,"node":91,"__typename":92},{"parentId":80,"id":76,"name":77,"slug":78,"uri":79,"__typename":88},"PostToTaxonomy_disciplineConnectionEdge","PostToTaxonomy_disciplineConnection",{"canonical":5,"title":95,"metaDesc":5,"opengraphAuthor":5,"opengraphDescription":96,"opengraphTitle":15,"opengraphUrl":97,"opengraphSiteName":98,"opengraphPublishedTime":99,"opengraphModifiedTime":100,"twitterTitle":5,"twitterDescription":5,"readingTime":101,"metaRobotsNoindex":102,"__typename":103},"Change Your Tree: See the Mates First! - Blog Solidworks","Sometimes when working with an assembly, I am more interested in seeing…","\u002Fproducts\u002Fsolidworks\u002Fchange-you\u002F","Blog Solidworks","2012-10-10T19:40:58+00:00","2026-02-12T17:20:16+00:00",1,"noindex","PostTypeSEO","Post","RootQueryToPostConnection",{},{},1776970353725]