Page 62 - Mastering SolidWorks

|
30 CHAPTER 2 NavigatiNg the SolidWorkS iNterface

The final setting for the CommandManager’s appearance is the size of the icons. You have
control over the size of the icon images in the CommandManager. You can find this setting in the
Options flyout on the Title Bar toolbar shown in Figure 2.6. The difference between large and
small icons is shown in the lower part of the figure.

Figure 2.6
Setting large icons

This setting applies to all the toolbar icons except the menu bar, RMB menu, and context bar
icons. The setting may not take full effect until you restart SolidWorks. Large icons can be useful
on displays with very high resolution; in particular, on laptops where the screen itself may be
small but the resolution is very high. All the screenshots in this book are taken with the Large
Icons option turned on for improved visibility.

Recognizing the Limitations of the CommandManager
If you undock the CommandManager, you cannot reorient the tabs horizontally. They remain
vertical. In addition, you cannot place multiple rows of toolbars on the same row as a
CommandManager using large buttons with text. You cannot dock the CommandManager to
the bottom of the SolidWorks window. Another minor limitation is that although SolidWorks
allows you to place toolbars at the right end of the CommandManager and above the
CommandManager when the CommandManager is docked at the top, it does not allow you to
place them to the left of the CommandManager or below it.

Using Toolbars

Interface setup is frequently about compromise or balancing conflicting concerns. In the case of
the CommandManager, the compromise is between screen space, mouse travel, and clicks. You
may find yourself clicking frequently back and forth between the Sketch and Features tabs. For
this reason, you may find it valuable to put the Sketch toolbar vertically on the right side of the
graphics window and remove it from the CommandManager. This enables you to see the Sketch
and Features toolbars at the same time and greatly reduces clicking back and forth between the
CommandManager tabs.
The SolidWorks interface performs best with some customization. No two people set it up
exactly the same, but everyone needs some adjustment because he or she might be working on
specialized functionality (such as molds or surfacing) or might work with limited functionality
(such as predominantly revolved features). Of course, customization can accommodate personal
preferences—for example, if one user prefers to use hotkeys and another uses menus, gestures, or
the S key.