Installation
- SOLIDWORKS and SW PDM System Requirements
- Preparing for Installation
- How to Download SOLIDWORKS
- SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager (.EXE)
- How to Request a Manual Download for SOLIDWORKS
- How To Order A SOLIDWORKS Media Kit
- Installing – A Complete Overview to Managing a CAD Environment
- SOLIDWORKS Individual Installation
- How to Modify Your SOLIDWORKS Installation
- How to Repair Your SOLIDWORKS Installation
- SOLIDWORKS Activation Wizard: How to Transfer SOLIDWORKS License
- Performing a Clean Uninstall
- How to Quickly Update SOLIDWORKS to a Newer Service Pack
- Install the 3DEXPERIENCE Add-in for SOLIDWORKS
- SOLIDWORKS Network Licensing
- How to Upgrade SolidNetWork License Manager
- Moving from SOLIDWORKS Standalone to Network Licenses
- Adding License to an Existing SolidNetwork License Manager
- Use Options File to Reserve Licenses for Specific Users
- SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Order Guide
- How to Reactivate SOLIDWORKS Network Licenses
- How to Move the SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager to a New Server
- SOLIDWORKS SolidNetwork License Manager Overview
- How to Install the SolidNetwork License Manager
SOLIDWORKS Portal
SOLIDWORKS
- SOLIDWORKS Hardware Guide – 2022 Update
- SOLIDWORKS Keyboard Shortcuts
- SOLIDWORKS Copy Settings Wizard
- Accessing Xpress Tools
- How To Tell Who Has a SOLIDWORKS File Open
- How to Use SOLIDWORKS Pack and Go
- SOLIDWORKS Administration Overview
- Rebuild Types and How They Work
- How to Store SOLIDWORKS Templates on the 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
- How to Adjust Annotation Formatting and Spacing
- Understanding SOLIDWORKS Settings and Templates
- How to create SOLIDWORKS Part, Assembly, and Drawing Templates
PDM
- PDM How to Work in Off-line Mode
- Enhancement Requests for PDM Users
- How to Use PDM Move Tree
- How to Use PDM Copy Tree
- PDM - What are Private State Files?
- PDM Search Operators
- How to Set PDM to Details View in Windows File Explorer
- SOLIDWORKS PDM Search Results – Which Configuration’s Variables are Displayed?
- PDM Automatic Login Options
- PDM Administrators: Roles and Responsibilities
- PDM License Type Matrix
- PDM Server Recommendations
- PDM Backup Procedures
- How to Reset Your SOLIDWORKS PDM Admin Password
- How to Control Get Version Commands
- Adding a PDM Vault View with a Windows Azure Active Directory Account
- PDM Major Minor Revisions
- How to Set Revision Manually in PDM
- How to Set Up Revision Tables
- PDM - What are Version Free Variables?
- PDM How to Rollback a File to a Previous Version
- PDM Setting Cache Options Automatically
- How to Change PDM Date Formatting
- How to Delete a PDM User Completely
- How to Reset Web2 Authentication in IIS
- SOLIDWORKS PDM Connectivity Test Tool
- How to Configure the SOLIDWORKS PDM Local HOSTS file to Resolve Server Name
- Create Local Vault View Shortcut
- How to Configure a Computer to be a PDM Task Host
- How to Setup a Dedicated Unattended Task Host
- Show all articles ( 6 ) Collapse Articles
- Create Local Vault View
- How to Delete or Recreate a Local Vault View
- Create Local PDM Vault View Using .cvs File
- How to Change PDM Client License Type after Installation
- PDM File Version Upgrade Tool
- PDM Upgrade Checklist
- How to Upgrade SOLIDWORKS PDM Add-ins
- How to Upgrade SOLIDWORKS Toolbox in PDM
- SOLIDWORKS PDM: Moving Server Components - Checklist
- How to Install SOLIDWORKS PDM Standard
- SOLIDWORKS PDM / Manage Installation Guide (PDF)
- Install Microsoft SQL 2019 for PDM Professional
- How to Install PDM Client Software
Known Solutions
- Windows Firewall Exceptions for SOLIDWORKS Network Based Products
- Why Users Need Local Admin Rights to Install SOLIDWORKS
- How to Run SOLIDWORKS with Administrator Permissions
- Blank SOLIDWORKS Installation Manager - Resolution
- SOLIDWORKS RX - The Ultimate CAD Diagnostic Tool
- SOLIDWORKS Safe Modes
- How to Force SOLIDWORKS to Use Your Graphics Card
- How to Ensure that You are Running a SOLIDWORKS Certified Graphics Card Driver
- Troubleshooting SOLIDWORKS Installation Issues
- Resolution to Common File Location Errors
- Non-Matching Internal ID
- Could not obtain a license for SOLIDWORKS CAM. Invalid (inconsistent) license key
- “The Source Folder Is Not Versioned Properly…” Error when Modifying Serial Number
- “A Newer Version of This Product is Already Installed” Error when Installing SOLIDWORKS
- "Error obtaining License (-85, 147, 0)"
- SOLIDWORKS Search Routine Order
- How to Restore Dismissed SOLIDWORKS Messages
- Viewing SOLIDWORKS Configurations in eDrawings
- How to Modify the Reference/Update Dialog Dismissal Time
- SOLIDWORKS Educational Resources
- Show all articles ( 5 ) Collapse Articles
Simulation
- Simulation Meshing Guide
- How to Duplicate and Reuse Simulation Study Data
- Setting Up Default Options for SOLIDWORKS Simulation Studies
- Which Type of Elements Should I Use?
- Is SOLIDWORKS Simulation Accurate?
- Getting Started with Simulation
- The Basics of Setting Up a Study in Simulation
- Do I Need Non-linear Simulation?
How to Set Up Default Options for your SOLIDWORKS Simulation Studies
If you recently purchased SOLIDWORKS Simulation or if you are setting up a new computer with SOLIDWORKS Simulation, having the default options and preferred Plot settings can help create a more automated workflow for your analysis. This article will go over some of the most common options that users can configure. Please note that changing these options will only change the options in new simulation studies created and will not overwrite options in existing studies.
To access the Simulation Settings, you first need to have a SOLIDWORKS part or assembly open and have the SOLIDWORKS Simulation Add-in activated.


Go to Simulation -> Options -> Default Options to configure the options used for new studies.


This article will go over some of the most common options that are configured for users but you can explore the other options here on your own.

Units – You can customize the units that the studies use to either your personal or company preference.

Mesh – While most of the other settings in this section are often left at their default, the option to “Render beam profiles and shell thickness” is often checked to better visualize the results when you are using beam or shell elements in your study.

Solver and Results – When simulations are run, a lot of files are generated and organizing them in an effective manner is important. If the results files are not saved locally on your machine, then your simulations can take a lot longer to run and the files can experience corruption, so it is best practice to save your results files locally. The most common setup is to create a custom folder on your C drive called “Solidworks Simulation Results” and set this as the user defined results section. This will also make it easy in the future to clear out old simulation files to free up hard drive space as Simulation files can get very large.

Plot -> Color Chart – You can choose the Number Format and the number of Decimal Places on the legend. Enabling the option to change the color above yield for von mises plots is a popular option to quickly alert you to a problem. Depending on the units used, Floating number format is often easier to read.

Plot -> Default Plots – This section allows you to customize the plots that are automatically created when you run a new study. Each type of study has different plots that are customized. The first plot (“Plot1”) will be the plot that is shown right after the study is finished running. For Static Studies, the most common plots that are set up are Von Mises Stress, Resultant Displacement, Energy Norm Error, and Factor of Safety.

If you find yourself routinely changing anything about your plots to make them easier to read, return to these Simulation options to make changes that will be applied to all new studies. If you have additional questions, please contact us for more information!