Custom SOLIDWORKS Drawing Template

dateMay 28, 2021

Customized drawing template is one of the best ways to maximize efficiency for design tasks in SOLDIWORKS. The purpose of this blog is to give you a deeper understanding of how SOLIDWORKS drawing documents and templates are structured, as well as the steps to create the drawing template.

Structure of a Drawing Document

A drawing document is consist of two primary pieces Drawing Sheet and Sheet Format, as well as drawing views and other properties.

Structure of a Drawing Document

 

What is SOLIDWORKS Drawing Template?

Drawing Templates are the files used to begin a new drawing document. They have a file extension of *.drwdot.

Drawing Templates often include both a drawing sheet and a sheet format file. However, templates have the flexibility to be created without a sheet format.

Some of the drawing templates given below include a sheet format and some do not.

Steps to Create Drawing Template with Sheet Format

Now that we are familiar with the structure of drawing documents and templates, let’s take a look at the process to design a custom drawing template.

 

The following steps can be effective strategy for developing a full set of drawing templates and sheet formats.

 

Step 1: Start a blank new drawing via File > New
Step 2: Edit the Sheet Properties. Right-click on drawing sheet -> Properties and choose the sheet size (A, B, C, etc.), set the Sheet Scale, etc. Click OK.

 

Step 3: Edit the Sheet Format. Right-click on drawing -> Edit Sheet Format, customize the title block, border and anchors.

Step 4:  Exit Edit sheet format.

Step 5:  Save the Sheet Format file by going to File -> Save Sheet format.  This will save a .slddrt file.

Specify the location of the drawing template in SOLIDWOKRS

Options->System Options->File Locations->Show folders for Sheet Format

Click add to add the current location of your customized sheet format (Refer to step6)

 

Step 6:  Save as drawing template

a) Save the current drawing document (blank) as *.drwdot file.

b) Specify the location of the drawing template in SOLIDWORKS

Options->System Options->File Locations->Show folders for Document templates

Click add to add the current location of your customized template.