Hello to all,

Welcome to the new edition of the SOLIDWORKS® Support Monthly News! This monthly news blog is co-authored by members of the SOLIDWORKS® Technical Support teams worldwide. Here is the list of topics covered in this month’s Blog:

1. Updating Legacy Cosmetic Threads for Reliable Drawings and Models

1. Updating Legacy Cosmetic Threads for Reliable Drawings and Models

–  Nikhil BHIRUD 

As designs evolve across software versions, maintaining consistent thread callouts and visibility of cosmetic threads in model or drawings is essential for both manufacturing accuracy and model reliability.
Over time, even well-established models can begin to show discrepancies threads that disappear in model, misplaced threads in drawings, or callouts that lose formatting. These small irregularities often stem from data created using earlier versions of SOLIDWORKS.

That’s where this feature comes in: Updating Legacy Cosmetic Threads the simplest way to ensure threaded features behave predictably and display correctly across both models and drawings.

Understanding the Problem:

Many ongoing projects still include models built years ago using earlier cosmetic thread definitions. These legacy threads might look fine initially but can introduce subtle issues such as:

• Missing or inconsistent threads
• Threads that fail to appear in model or drawings
• Mismatched or dangling annotations after rebuilds

Modern versions of SOLIDWORKS manage cosmetic threads with enhanced geometry references, smarter callout links, and improved visualization control. By updating older data, you bring these improvements to existing parts eliminating inconsistencies and restoring full reliability across assemblies and drawings.

How to Update Legacy Cosmetic Threads:

The update process is simple and typically takes only a few moments per file:

1. Open the part, assembly, or drawing that contains cosmetic threads.
2. Go to Tools → Options → System Options → General.
3. Enable the setting: Allow cosmetic threads for upgrade.  This enables SOLIDWORKS to automatically detect and upgrade legacy cosmetic threads when present.
4. In the FeatureManager Design Tree, right-click the top-level part or assembly.
5. Choose Upgrade Cosmetic Thread Features: This command appears only when legacy cosmetic threads are detected in the open document.
6.  Wait for the operation to complete, then save the file.

Important: Once saved, the file cannot revert to the old data structure. After updating, open any associated drawings or assemblies and perform a Rebuild so that thread callouts and annotations refresh correctly.

What Improves After the Update:

When legacy cosmetic threads are upgraded, SOLIDWORKS regenerates them using the modern internal structure. You’ll notice several improvements:

• Reliable visibility in shaded, section, and hidden-line display states
• Accurate, associative callouts correctly linked to Hole Wizard data
• Stable mirrored and patterned threads that retain full associativity
• Cleaner rebuilds with fewer missing or dangling annotations

Although geometry remains unchanged, the upgraded cosmetic thread data now follows the same format used in current versions making your design more robust and easier to maintain.

Before we look at results, let’s see the difference this change makes visually.

                    Visual comparison before and after upgrading cosmetic threads.

If threads still do not appear after updating, confirm that Cosmetic threads and (optionally) Shaded cosmetic threads are enabled under:
Tools → Options → Document Properties → Detailing → Annotations.

When to Use This Command:

Use the upgrade whenever you encounter:

• Older customer or supplier files
• Archived projects using pre-2020 cosmetic thread data
• Parts showing inconsistent or missing thread graphics in drawings

Running the Upgrade Cosmetic Thread Features command once ensures reliable callouts, consistent display, and smooth rebuilds in all future releases of SOLIDWORKS.

Conclusion:

Updating legacy cosmetic threads is a quick yet impactful way to modernize your design data.
It enhances drawing accuracy, stabilizes mirrored and patterned features, and ensures that every thread annotation behaves exactly as intended.

Whether you’re revisiting a classic design or standardizing an entire library, take a moment to run Upgrade Cosmetic Thread Features.
It’s a small step that keeps your data dependable, modern, and production-ready.

References:

• SOLIDWORKS Help – Upgrade legacy documents to use cosmetic-threads improvements