How to Hide Dimensions in SOLIDWORKS Drawings

Contents

You can hide dimensions in a SOLIDWORKS drawing when a dimension is only temporary, duplicated, not needed for the released view, or making the sheet hard to read. The usual method is to right-click the dimension and choose Hide. To bring hidden dimensions back, use View > Hide/Show > Annotations.

Be careful with this command. Hiding a dimension does not delete it, but it can make a drawing harder to review if important dimensions are hidden by accident.

SOLIDWORKS drawing dimensions before hiding — Hide dimensions only when the drawing remains clear and complete.

Hide one drawing dimension

Open the SOLIDWORKS drawing.
Click the dimension you want to hide.
Right-click the selected dimension.
Choose Hide.
Review the drawing view to make sure the sheet still communicates the design clearly.

Right-clicking a SOLIDWORKS drawing dimension — Right-click a drawing dimension and choose Hide.

Hide several dimensions at once

To hide multiple dimensions, hold Ctrl while selecting the dimensions, then right-click and choose Hide. This is useful when cleaning up a view after importing model items or when several reference dimensions are cluttering a sheet.

Do not use bulk hiding as a substitute for proper drawing organization. If the sheet is crowded, consider moving dimensions to another view, adding detail views, using ordinate dimensions, or adjusting the drawing layout.

Multiple dimensions selected in a SOLIDWORKS drawing — Use Ctrl-select when several dimensions need the same action.

Show hidden dimensions again

Go to View > Hide/Show > Annotations.
Hidden annotations and dimensions become visible for selection.
Select the hidden dimension you want to restore.
Right-click and choose Show, or use the available show command in your version.
Turn off Hide/Show Annotations when you are done.

Hide Show Annotations command in SOLIDWORKS — Use Hide/Show Annotations to find dimensions that were hidden.

Hide versus delete

Hiding and deleting are different. Hide keeps the dimension in the drawing so it can be shown again later. Delete removes it from the drawing view. If you are not sure whether the dimension might be needed later, hide it first and review the sheet before deleting anything.

If the drawing needs a cleaner dimensioning approach, review SOLIDWORKS detailing and drawing techniques. For hole-heavy sheets, SOLIDWORKS hole tables can reduce clutter without hiding important information.

Common problems

You cannot find a hidden dimension: enable Hide/Show Annotations and inspect the drawing view.
The wrong item hides: zoom in and select the dimension text or extension line more carefully.
The drawing looks incomplete: restore the dimension or move it to a clearer location.
Too many model dimensions appear: review imported model items and drawing view settings.
Hidden dimensions keep confusing reviewers: use a cleaner drawing layout instead of hiding many items.

Cleaned SOLIDWORKS drawing after hiding dimensions — The final drawing should be cleaner without losing needed manufacturing information.

Reference: SOLIDWORKS product guidance explains hiding a drawing dimension from the right-click menu and restoring hidden annotations through View > Hide/Show > Annotations.