Apply Sheet Format to New Sheets Automatically
- February 6, 2023
- Rick Braine
How to apply a Sheet Format to each new drawing sheet automatically
Sometimes customers have a need to display a truncated title block or modified sheet format on subsequent drawing sheets to allow for more drafting area, reduce duplicated notes, etc. One sheet contains the full title block, revision table, etc., while additional sheets may only contain detail or other ancillary views. No matter the reason, understanding how to modify your templates to apply a different sheet format to new sheets can be useful.
Before you begin, be sure to fully understand the difference between SOLIDWORKS Drawing Templates and Sheet Formats in this guide.
Note: We recommend Storing Custom SOLIDWORKS Templates and Sheet Formats in a Custom Location using this guide.
Create a "Sheet 2" Sheet Format File
- Start a new drawing using the desired drawing template (File > New, choose a drawing template).
- Edit the sheet format (right-click the sheet’s tab and select Edit Sheet Format) and modify the title block, logo images, annotations, Mapped Custom Properties, etc.
- Accept the changes and return to the drawing sheet by clicking the sheet icon
in the top right corner of the graphics area. - Save the newly modified sheet format by selecting File > Save Sheet Format to save it as a .slddrt filetype with a descriptive name. The example below contains a suffix ‘Sheet 2’.
in the top right corner of the graphics area.
Build the Drawing Template
- Start a new drawing using the desired drawing template (File > New, choose a drawing template).
- Select Tools > Options > Document Properties tab > Drawing Sheets.
- Turn on the Sheet Format for new sheets option ‘Use different sheet format’ and then click Browse to locate the ‘Sheet 2’ sheet format (.slddrt).
- Click OK to close the document properties dialog and return to the drawing.
- Save the drawing template by selecting File > Save As… and save as a Drawing Template (.drwdot) filetype to your templates folder set in Tools > Options > System Options tab > File Locations.
- Start a new drawing using the newly saved template and test adding a second sheet to verify the truncated/modified sheet format is used for new sheets.
Follow this guide to solve the waring message SOLIDWORKS Sheet Format Could Not Be Located
Technical Support
If you have any questions or experience unexpected behavior, feel free to reach out to MLC CAD Systems technical support
About the author
Rick is a Customer Service Expert based in the Phoenix, Arizona. He has been using SOLIDWORKS to solve complex design challenges since 2007. Rick’s experience includes sheet metal design and fabrication, CNC laser operation, developing components and engineered systems for the transportation industry, as well as CAD administration for SOLIDWORKS and PDM. He enjoys providing solutions to satisfy customers and assist their users in becoming proficient SOLIDWORKS users.
