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How to Change Drawing Template in SOLIDWORKS

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Well-configured SOLIDWORKS drawing templates are the key to consistent, standards‑compliant drawings across projects and teams. When you “change the drawing template”, you are really updating the drawing’s Document Properties, sheet format settings, and any predefined views, then saving those changes back out as a .drwdot template file.

The entirety of the options on the Document Properties tab applies to the drawing template. A drawing template (.drwdot) stores these document‑wide settings, and usually also contains one or more drawing sheets that reference a sheet format (.slddrt) for the border and title block.:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

This tutorial walks through the main changes you will typically make to a SOLIDWORKS drawing template and how to resave those changes so they become your new default.

Saving the Template

The process for creating a new drawing template or updating an existing one is always the same:

  1. Create or open a drawing that already looks close to what you want (for example, start from your current company template).
  2. Adjust all required settings in Tools > Options > Document Properties (annotations, dimensions, units, drawing sheets, etc.).
  3. Save the file as a drawing template:
    • Go to File > Save As.
    • In Save as type, choose Drawing Templates (*.drwdot).
    • Save the file in a folder that is listed under Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations > Document Templates, so it appears in the New document dialog.:contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
  4. Overwrite the existing template (to update it) or give the file a new name if you want to keep both versions.

Once saved, your updated drawing template will appear as an option whenever you create a new drawing.

Document Properties

Document Properties control the drafting standard, fonts, layers, units, and many other behaviors for the current drawing file. When you save a drawing as a template, all of these settings are stored in the .drwdot file and reused for every new drawing that uses that template.:contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Drafting standard, notes, and tables

Begin by selecting the drafting standard to be used for annotations, dimensions, and symbols (for example, ANSI, ISO, DIN, JIS, or GB) in Tools > Options > Document Properties. This choice controls defaults such as arrowhead style, text sizes, and dimension placement rules.

It is common for companies to require all drawing text to be capitalized. If that matches your standard, enable the options to make notes and table text all uppercase (for example, the All uppercase options under the Notes and Tables settings). That way, anything typed in those annotations is automatically converted to capital letters, enforcing consistency without relying on manual checks.

Leader styles and annotation layers

The Annotations section of Document Properties lets you control default leader styles and many details of how notes, weld symbols, surface finish symbols, geometric tolerances, and other annotations behave. For example, you can set default arrowhead types, bent leader lengths, and whether leaders are attached to edges, vertices, or just free‑floating.:contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Use these options to match your company or industry standard so that every new annotation automatically uses the correct leader style and text formatting, instead of having to tweak each one after placement.

Each of the subcategories under Annotations (for example, Weld Symbols, Surface Finish, Datums) allows further customization. The image above shows the weld symbol settings. In each of these subcategories you can specify a default layer for that annotation type. When you place that symbol, it is automatically created on the selected layer, which helps keep your drawing organized and makes it easy to hide or recolor specific categories of annotations later.

Tip: Define your layers in the drawing (for example, DIMENSIONS, ANNOTATIONS, CENTERLINES), then set the default layer of the template to “-Per Standard-“ so SOLIDWORKS can apply layer behavior consistently according to your standard.

Dimensions and precision

Similar to the Annotations section, dimensions can also be customized from Document Properties > Dimensions. Here you can configure default precision, trailing zeros, tolerance display, and arrowhead styles for different dimension types (linear, radial, ordinate, and angular).:contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Changing the precision in the main Dimensions page controls the default for many dimension types, but angular dimensions (such as Angle or Angular Running) have their own specific options. If you need a different number of decimal places for angles compared to linear dimensions, make sure to edit those individual categories as well.

Each individual dimension type can be further modified by selecting it in the tree on the left (for example, Linear, Angular, Ordinate). Many of these pages also include a Layer drop‑down. In the example shown, all dimensions are assigned to a layer called Dimensions, which makes it easy to format or hide them as a group.

Drawing sheets and title blocks

The first sheet of a drawing typically contains more detailed title block information and general notes, while subsequent sheets may use a simplified title block. SOLIDWORKS allows you to specify one sheet format for the first sheet and a different sheet format for new sheets added later:

  • Go to Tools > Options > Document Properties > Drawing Sheets.
  • Under Sheet format for new sheets, enable Use different sheet format.
  • Browse to and select the alternate .slddrt sheet format that should be used for all additional sheets.:contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}

Only a single “second sheet” sheet format can be specified per drawing template. In practice, that means you should create separate drawing templates for each combination of drawing size and standard (for example, A‑size ANSI, B‑size ANSI, A3 ISO) so that each template automatically uses the correct sheet format on all sheets.

Units and measurement systems

Similar to part and assembly templates, the units for the drawing template must be defined so that all new drawings use the desired measurement system by default. This is done from Tools > Options > Document Properties > Units.

SOLIDWORKS provides five default unit systems: MKS (meter, kilogram, second), CGS (centimeter, gram, second), MMGS (millimeter, gram, second), IPS (inch, pound, second), and Custom. Selecting Custom lets you specify units and precision independently for length, angle, mass, and time.:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Set the unit system and decimal precision here before saving the template so that every new drawing created from this template automatically uses the correct units.

Unless you are required to match a specific company or industry standard line definition, it is usually best to leave Line Font, Line Style, and Line Thickness at their defaults. These settings are derived from the selected drafting standard and give you a reliable starting point. If you do have custom line standards, adjust them here and then resave the template so they are applied consistently.

Predefined Views

Predefined views allow you to build a drawing template that is already populated with standard views (front, top, right, isometric, etc.). When a model is inserted into a drawing created from this template, those predefined views automatically convert into regular drawing views at the specified orientation, position, and scale.:contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}

Creating predefined views in the template

To add predefined views to your drawing template:

  1. Create a new drawing and specify the desired sheet format (border and title block).
  2. On the Drawing toolbar or from the menu, choose Predefined View (or Insert > Drawing View > Predefined).
  3. Place the predefined view on the sheet and set its orientation (for example, Front, Right, Top, Isometric), scale, and display style in the view’s PropertyManager.
  4. From that predefined view, create any required projected predefined views (for example, front with projected right and top views) so they are all laid out in the correct positions.:contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
  5. Optionally, add custom view labels or annotation blocks near each view. Keep in mind that you will still need to fine‑tune their positions once a real model is inserted.

These views appear as dashed boxes until a model is attached, indicating that they are placeholders in the template.

 

Using the drawing template with predefined views

The next time you use File > Make Drawing from Part/Assembly or start a new drawing and select this template, SOLIDWORKS will prompt you for a model and then automatically populate the sheet with the predefined views. This can significantly reduce the time required to create standard drawing layouts, especially for common part and assembly types.:contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}

Custom view labels and any other annotations that you placed near the predefined views may need slight adjustment once the model is loaded. In the example below, the right‑side label has been repositioned after the views were generated.

Best Practices for Managing Drawing Templates

  • Keep templates and sheet formats in controlled folders. Store your .drwdot and .slddrt files in shared, backed‑up locations and point all users to those folders in Tools > Options > System Options > File Locations.:contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}
  • Use separate templates for different sizes and standards. Create distinct drawing templates for each paper size (A, B, C, etc., or A3, A2, A1) and for each drafting standard your organization uses. This keeps settings and sheet formats simple and predictable.:contentReference[oaicite:11]{index=11}
  • Test with real models. Before rolling out a new template to your team, create a few test drawings from real parts and assemblies to confirm that annotations, units, title blocks, and predefined views behave as expected.
  • Version and document changes. When you update templates (for example, after a standards change), keep a record of what changed and when, so older drawings can be updated deliberately if needed.

By carefully configuring Document Properties, sheet formats, units, and predefined views—then resaving your modified drawing as a .drwdot file—you can create SOLIDWORKS drawing templates that enforce your company standards and dramatically speed up the creation of new drawings.

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