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Toolbar Woes
- Thread starter JS1975
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Using the Command Manager should take care of his problems. Have him check out the help file on the Command Manager.
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Don't worry about people stealing your ideas. If your ideas are any good, you'll have to ram them down people's throats.
--Howard Aiken, IBM engineer
CorBlimeyLimey
Mechanical
I assume you mean changing between Part, Assembly & Drawing mode when you refer to "applications".
Unfortunately the only way (that I know) to "keep them around" is to open a new Part, Assembly & Drawing in turn, and set the toolbars for each. SW will retain the toolbar settings for each mode when each mode is closed.
As Scorch mentioned, using the Command Manager can help to unclutter the screen & keep a more consistent "feel" to the screen layout between modes. It too needs to be set for each mode. However if you set it so that it is exactly the same for each mode, you will find that some of the icons will be greyed out according to what functions can be used within the active mode.
e.g. In Drawing mode, the Assemblies & Features icons will not be accesible.
![[cheers]](/data/assets/smilies/cheers.gif "[cheers] [cheers]")
Unfortunately the only way (that I know) to "keep them around" is to open a new Part, Assembly & Drawing in turn, and set the toolbars for each. SW will retain the toolbar settings for each mode when each mode is closed.
As Scorch mentioned, using the Command Manager can help to unclutter the screen & keep a more consistent "feel" to the screen layout between modes. It too needs to be set for each mode. However if you set it so that it is exactly the same for each mode, you will find that some of the icons will be greyed out according to what functions can be used within the active mode.
e.g. In Drawing mode, the Assemblies & Features icons will not be accesible.
Helpful SW websites faq559-520
How to find answers ... faq559-1091
SW2006-SP5 Basic ... No PDM
Toolbar management can be a real pain in the o-ring sometimes, but there is a simple system that can help organize all of the functions you need to use regularly. As The Limey mentioned SolidWorks remembers the toolbar setting for each file type (assembly, part, drawing, etc.), and will remember the last configuration you had set up.
If you set up your Toolbars in at least three rows you can easily orgainize the functions that you need. The top row of toolbars should include items that are ubiquitous to all of SolidWorks: Standard Toolbar, Views Toolbar, ect. The second row of toolbas should be populated with items that you use often in all file types: Sketch Toolbar, Photoworks, etc. The third row will be specific to the type of file that you are working on. For example, in assembly mode you could have the Assembly Toolbar, and in part mode you could have the Feature Toolbar there.
I would drop the Command Manager. It's one of those things that looks cool, but doesn't really add anything over normal toolbars. Plus it adds unnecessary clicks switching from features to sketches to surfaces. Create individual buttons as much as you can for functions that you use often. You can even create a hotkey if you don't want to clutter up your screen. Ditch items that you don't use often. If you don't work with sheet metal very often then there's no need to have it hanging around in your toolbar taking up space.
This system seems to work pretty well for me, and it keeps things a little more uniform across the board.
Hope that helps.
Dan
If you set up your Toolbars in at least three rows you can easily orgainize the functions that you need. The top row of toolbars should include items that are ubiquitous to all of SolidWorks: Standard Toolbar, Views Toolbar, ect. The second row of toolbas should be populated with items that you use often in all file types: Sketch Toolbar, Photoworks, etc. The third row will be specific to the type of file that you are working on. For example, in assembly mode you could have the Assembly Toolbar, and in part mode you could have the Feature Toolbar there.
I would drop the Command Manager. It's one of those things that looks cool, but doesn't really add anything over normal toolbars. Plus it adds unnecessary clicks switching from features to sketches to surfaces. Create individual buttons as much as you can for functions that you use often. You can even create a hotkey if you don't want to clutter up your screen. Ditch items that you don't use often. If you don't work with sheet metal very often then there's no need to have it hanging around in your toolbar taking up space.
This system seems to work pretty well for me, and it keeps things a little more uniform across the board.
Hope that helps.
Dan
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