Design Library PARENT TOPIC

Task Pane

The Design Library tab in the Task Pane provides a central location for reusable elements Controlling the
such as parts, assemblies and sketches. It does not recognize non-reusable elements such as Appearance of the Task
Pane
SOLIDWORKS drawings, text files, or other non-SOLIDWORKS files.
Customizing Task Pane
Tabs
Design Library Subfolders populated by SOLIDWORKS with
reusable items such as parts, blocks, and Custom Properties in the
Task Pane
annotations; you can add folders and
content. SOLIDWORKS Resources

Toolbox To access the content, install and add in the File Explorer
SOLIDWORKS Toolbox Library. View Palette

3D 3D models from component suppliers and Appearances, Scenes,

ContentCentral individuals in all major CAD formats. and Decals Tab

SOLIDWORKS Additional SOLIDWORKS content for blocks, 3D ContentCentral

Content Routing, CircuitWorks, and Browsing the

weldments; Ctrl+click to download .zip files. SOLIDWORKS Forum
from the Task Pane

Design Library Tools Blocks in Drawings

The following tools are available on the Design Library tab: Library Features

and Back and Forward Navigate through the previous

folder history
Add to Library Add content to the Design Library
Add File Location Add an existing folder to the Design
Library
Create New Create a new folder on disk and in
Folder the Design Library
Refresh Refresh the view of the Design
Library tab
Up One Level Navigate up to the parent folder
Configure Display and activate the Toolbox -
Toolbox Customize Hardwaredialog box
You can also specify folders for Design Library in Tools > Options > System Options > File
Locations.

Working with Design Library Contents

You can drag copies of parts, assemblies, features, annotations, and so on from:
The Design Library into the graphics area.
The graphics area into the lower pane of the Design Library.
One folder to another in the Design Library.
Microsoft Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer into the Design Library.
When you drag items into the Design Library, the Add to Library PropertyManager appears
with a default file name, the default file type, and the selected folder for the Design Library
folder.
You can add multiple selections of features and sketches, but only one item at a time for
other categories.
To copy a complete assembly or part into the Design Library, select it in the
FeatureManager design tree and drag to the lower pane.
To copy annotations or blocks into the Design Library, hold down Shift and drag from the
graphics area to the lower pane. Annotations are saved with the extensions for favorites.
To copy features, drag from either the FeatureManager design tree or the graphics area.
Features are saved as library feature parts.
 If you modify an item that you inserted from the Design Library, the item is also
modified in the library.

Filtering a Folder
You can apply filters to identify forming tools or display only assemblies in selected
folders. Right-click a folder in the upper pane, then select:

Forming Identifies the folder as containing forming tools. The

tools SOLIDWORKS software handles forming tools
folder differently from other parts, but the file name
extension is the same, so the software recognizes
forming tools by the folder classification.
Assemblies Displays only the assembly documents in the folder.
folder

CONTENTS
Add to Library PropertyManager

Add File Location

Add an existing folder to the Design Library tab in the Task Pane.

Add Existing Folder

Add an existing folder to the Design Library tab in the Task Pane. This procedure creates a shortcut.

Create New Folder

Create a new folder on the local disk and on the Task Pane Design Library tab.

Refreshing the Design Library

Search 'Design Library' in the SOLIDWORKS Knowledge Base.