The Property Manager is an essential feature and tool of the Solidworks software. Many SolidWorks commands include properties and other parameters that may be adjusted using the Property Manager. The Property Manager may be found in the panel to the left of the graphics area, under the Property Manager tab. When you choose entities or instructions from the Property Manager, the Property Manager opens. Solidworks’ Property Manager is a must-have functionality.

Property Manager is a tool in the SolidWorks program that lets you adjust properties like coordinates, angles, and other values for the object you’re drawing (POINT, LINE, CIRCLE, ELLIPSE, or POLYGON). For each sort of entity, the characteristics provided vary. Learning how to use property managers in Solidworks starts by understanding how to turn on the Property Manager feature. Click Tools, Options, System Options, General, and click the Enable Property Manager check box. The Property Manager displays to the left of the graphics area after you complete designing an object. You can edit a value and click elsewhere on the Property Manager to see the changes in the graphics area.

When you choose an entity of a type handled by the Property Manager or give a command that affects an entity, such as MOVE or COPY, the Property Manager feature displays.

How to Use Property Manager in Solidworks

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To learn how to use property managers in SolidWorks, you must first grasp how the features operate. Property Managers have the following features:

Titlebar

The title bar displays the feature icon and name (Boss_Extrude1). The feature name may be specified using DisplayNameAttribute, and the feature icon can be set with PageOptionsAttribute’s overloaded constructor

The property manager displays the following buttons:

OK: The OK button accepts the selections, executes the command, and closes the Property Manager.
Cancel: The Cancel button ignores any choices and closes the Property Manager.
Detailed Preview: The Detailed Preview button displays a preview of the feature.
Help: The help button opens the corresponding help topic.
Keep Visible: The Keep Visible button keeps the Property Manager open.

Other property managers with wizards include:

Back: The Back button returns the process to the previous step.
Next: The next control proceeds the approach to the next step.
Undo: The Undo button cancels the last execution.

Message

The message is a property manager feature that is a text box that directs you to the next step and typically lists many alternatives to accomplishing the next step.

Group Boxes

Group collection of related buttons, list boxes, and selection boxes, with a group title that can be expanded or collapsed.

Selection Boxes

Selection boxes in the graphics area and the FeatureManager design tree allow choices. The boxes turn pink while they’re active. The graphics area is highlighted when choosing an item in the selection box. Right-click a box and pick Delete (for one item) or Clear Selections from the menu (for all items).

The box increases as you make choices. Drag the handle or the bottom border to lengthen or shrink the box. Right-click and choose “Autosize” or double-click the handle or bottom border to restore the box to its original size.

You can resize a box without losing attention to the active box when you add selections with a Property Manager that supports two list boxes. If you’re adding options to one box and it’s getting too big, you may reduce an inactive box to make more room while keeping adding selections to the first box without having to refocus on it—input from the keyboard in Property Managers.

To navigate in Property Managers, you can do these:

You may access every control by using Tab to travel from control to control in a Property Manager. To expand and collapse group boxes, switch check boxes on and off, pick radio buttons, and use keyboard shortcuts.

Toggle checkboxes and activate command buttons (You can use the spacebar). The arrow keys may navigate between groups of radio buttons and select a radio button.

Vertical and Horizontal Control

The Property Manager opens at the optimal width when you create new documents. You may resize the width of the divider that divides the Property Manager from the graphics area by dragging it back and forth. It snaps into place at the ideal width for showing the Property Manager.

The left panel may be divided to show any combination of Property Manager, FeatureManager design tree, ConfigurationManager, and third-party tabs using a split bar. Drag the horizontal split bar down when the cursor moves to Double-click the split bar or drag it to the panel’s top to revert to a single panel.

Floating and Docking the Property Manager

Drag the Property Manager’s title bar out of the docked position to float it. You may drag the Property Manager anywhere on or outside the SOLIDWORKS window once it is floating.

To dock a floating Property Manager window, follow these steps:

Move the pointer over a docking icon while dragging the Property Manager on the SOLIDWORKS window.