How to Hide Relations in SOLIDWORKS

Sketch relations can be shown or hidden in SOLIDWORKS while you edit a sketch. Hiding relations makes a crowded sketch easier to read, especially when many icons are covering the geometry.

Hide sketch relation icons

1. Edit the sketch.
2. Go to View > Hide/Show.
3. Turn off Sketch Relations.
4. Continue editing the sketch with the icons hidden.

This hides the relation icons from view, but it does not delete the relations. The sketch still behaves the same way.

This distinction is important. Hiding relation icons is only a display choice, so the sketch remains constrained by coincident, horizontal, vertical, tangent, equal, and other relations that already exist.

Show relations again

To show the icons again, return to the same View > Hide/Show menu and turn Sketch Relations back on. This is useful when you need to diagnose why a sketch is under-defined, over-defined, or moving in an unexpected way.

If you are training someone or reviewing a model from another user, turn relations back on before making major sketch edits. The icons help explain the design intent behind the sketch.

Use Display/Delete Relations for cleanup

If the goal is to remove relations rather than hide them, use Display/Delete Relations. That tool lets you inspect relation types, find dangling or conflicting relations, and delete only the relations that should be removed.

Delete relations carefully. Removing one relation can make the sketch easier to move, but it can also remove the constraint that kept the feature aligned with the rest of the model.

When to hide relations

Hide relation icons when the sketch is visually crowded or when you are placing dimensions and the icons are in the way. Show them again when troubleshooting design intent. A sketch that looks cleaner is not necessarily better constrained.

For complex sketches, switch between hidden and visible relations as you work. Hiding them helps with visual cleanup, while showing them helps with diagnosis and final checking.

Troubleshooting

If relations seem to disappear, first check whether the icon display is turned off. If sketch behavior changes, then a relation may have been deleted or replaced. Use Display/Delete Relations to confirm what is actually controlling the sketch.