Where Are SolidWorks Drawing Templates Saved?
When working with SolidWorks, you may find yourself in need of creating custom drawing templates to suit your specific needs. These templates provide a starting point for your drawings, allowing you to save time and maintain consistency across your designs. In this article, we will explore where SolidWorks drawing templates are saved and how you can access them.
Saving Your Custom Drawing Templates
Before we dive into where the default drawing templates are stored, let’s first discuss how you can save your own custom templates.
To save a custom drawing template in SolidWorks, follow these steps:
- Open a new drawing and set up the document properties according to your requirements.
- Add any necessary elements such as title blocks, borders, or logos.
- Go to File > Save As.
- In the Save As Type drop-down menu, select “Drawing Template (*.drwdot)”.
- Navigate to the desired folder where you want to save your template.
- Name the file and click on Save.
Your custom drawing template is now saved and ready for use. Let’s move on to discovering where these templates are stored on your computer.
Finding Default SolidWorks Drawing Templates
The default SolidWorks drawing templates are typically installed along with the software itself. They are stored in a specific location on your computer’s hard drive.
To locate the default drawing templates in SolidWorks, follow these steps:
- Open SolidWorks.
- Go to Tools > Options.
- In the options window, select the File Locations tab.
- In the “Show folders for” drop-down menu, choose “Document Templates”.
- The path displayed in the list below represents the location where your default drawing templates are stored.
You can also modify this location by clicking on the “Add..” or “Modify.” button within the options window.
Note:
If you are unable to locate your default drawing templates or want to restore them to their original state, you can reinstall SolidWorks to ensure all default templates are present.
Accessing Custom Drawing Templates in SolidWorks
To access your custom drawing templates within SolidWorks, follow these steps:
- Open SolidWorks.
- Create a new drawing document using either a blank sheet or an existing template.
- Go to File > New.
- In the pop-up window, select the “Templates” tab.
- Navigate to the folder where you saved your custom drawing template.
- Select your desired template and click on OK.
Your custom drawing template will now be loaded as the starting point for your new drawings in SolidWorks. Remember that you can always create multiple templates tailored for different projects or design requirements.
In conclusion, understanding where SolidWorks drawing templates are saved is essential for efficient workflow management and maintaining design consistency. By saving your own custom templates and accessing them within SolidWorks, you can streamline your drawing creation process and improve overall productivity.