CAD Forum

I am using the latest build of SolidWorks and trying desperatley to find a way to open a Subassembly in a separate window.

I have watched several tutorials on how to do it, but either way, the "Open Subassembly" - option is nowhere to be found.

I have tried to customize to pop-up window, but it not there, I have tried to right-click on the part in the Design tree, it is still not there. I have also tried to click on the actuall model in the big window, still nothing in the small pop-up menu.

I have also tried to reset everything to default, still nothing.

Is there are smart way to make this work?

By "separate window" do you mean another instance of solidworks? I don't of a way to do that through the software.

SPerman wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:23 am By "separate window" do you mean another instance of solidworks? I don't of a way to do that through the software.

No, I mean, within the work I am doing. I am not sure if it called "separate window". I want to open a subassembly, some part of
a machine for example, completeley by itself.

In videotutorials, like this:



I am not sure if it is OK to post / link to videos, so just let me know if I should remove it.

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:56 am No, I mean, within the work I am doing. I am not sure if it called "separate window". I want to open a subassembly, some part of
a machine for example, completeley by itself.

In videotutorials, like this:



I am not sure if it is OK to post / link to videos, so just let me know if I should remove it.

I guess I don't understand the issue. If you have an assembly with a sub assembly......then just click on the sub assembly in the tree and select open. This will open it in a separate internal window.

Is there a difference between what you see on your screen and what the video is doing? Can you share a screen shot of what you are seeing?

Like previously suggested, you can just open the sub-assembly from the Tree, with RMB options,

If you want to see it open in a different "window" you can click on the icon to reduce the window of your currently-open file so you can see multiple windows within SW. Note this is not the very top-right icon, but the one at top-right of your open file's workspace. I don't personally use this option very often, except when I want to edit a part file and see changes in an assembly in real-time.

I don't know how to make the process any clearer than the video you posted.

Let's start from the beginning. When you right or left click on a sub-assembly in the tree do you not get this icon?

Glenn Schroeder wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 9:26 am Let's start from the beginning. When you right or left click on a sub-assembly in the tree do you not get this icon?


image.png

Hi, thank you for trying to help. No, that icon is not there. I tried to find it in "customize", and it still not there. I have looked all over the GUI and in the help sections, but I cannot access it anywhere. The install was fine, and everything works very well, it's just this part that doesn't.

I will trough the other suggestions meantioned above.

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 11:06 am Hi, thank you for trying to help. No, that icon is not there. I tried to find it in "customize", and it still not there. I have looked all over the GUI and in the help sections, but I cannot access it anywhere. The install was fine, and everything works very well, it's just this part that doesn't.

I will trough the other suggestions meantioned above.

Check out the first thing mentioned at viewtopic.php?f=17&t=98&p=883#p883. It's a shot in the dark, but I've seen that cause an extraordinary number of issues.

Could you post a screenshot of what you see when you right click on a sub-assembly?

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 11:06 am Hi, thank you for trying to help. No, that icon is not there. I tried to find it in "customize", and it still not there. I have looked all over the GUI and in the help sections, but I cannot access it anywhere. The install was fine, and everything works very well, it's just this part that doesn't.

I will trough the other suggestions meantioned above.

Can you share a screen shot of what you DO see?

It's possible to edit that menu, but I can't find a way to accidentally remove the open icon.
The grayed out icons can't be changed on my installation Take this next suggestion with a grain of salt. Editing the registry can be potentially hazardous if not done correctly. If you don't feel comfortable doing this then it may be a good idea to avoid that altogether. Registry changes don't have an undo button so be careful.
My suggestion would be to go to your registry and rename your SW folder to something like (SOLIDWORKS 20## - old) and then restart solidworks.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\SolidWorks\SOLIDWORKS 2021
After you restart solidworks, it will act like you just installed it with the EULA agreement and popups asking you about menu button stuff. The registry will populate a new folder called "SOLIDWORKS 20##" If your button has returned, then you had a corrupt registry piece somewhere. When you're done and want to go back, delete the new SOLIDWORKS 20## folder and rename your "SOLIDWORKS 20## - old" back to the original name. Your settings should return just fine.

Edit: This won't necessarily fix your issue, but it will help track down why it's happening. The only way to fix it would be to reset your settings to default and start over

Edit 2: Added disclaimer about editing the registry being potentially hazardous

Easier way to test registry issues is to login as a different user.

Not everyone has that option.

dpihlaja wrote: ↑Thu Jan 20, 2022 11:35 am Can you share a screen shot of what you DO see?

How embarrassing; I have a typo in the topic title, sorry about that

Once again you guys helped me find a solution; or understand what I was trying to do better.

I could not take a screen shot because I am working on a laptop, I don't have the "PRT-SCREEN" key, neither does Snipping Tool work, since I need the pointer to make the edges, the menu goes away.

In any case, at the top of my model (I did not create it); I saw the desciption, and it said "subassembly", so when I left-clicked there, the "Open Subassembly" icon was there.

Then I looked at the part I wanted to open, which was not the one I meantioned above, it was not possible, because I guess it is not a subassembly.

So, what I am trying to do, is to open one specific part of a machine with the command "Open part". I can do that with different things in the model, but not just that part which I need to open. It is the front cover of a machine. I can pull it out in explode view, but not open it in a new window. That was what I was trying to do all this time; but I can't.

Any suggestions here?

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:33 am So, what I am trying to do, is to open one specific part of a machine with the command "Open part". I can do that with different things in the model, but not just that part which I need to open. It is the front cover of a machine. I can pull it out in explode view, but not open it in a new window. That was what I was trying to do all this time; but I can't.

Any suggestions here?

Do you have access to all the documents (parts and assemblies) from your computer? Unless not, you cannot open the specific file.

You could use Isolate-command on the front cover, but it is just technically hiding all other parts in the assembly for the time you have Isolation active. Which means you cannot edit the part.

Could it help you?

Also, Windows 10 and I believe 11 have replacement tool for old Snipping tool called Snip & Sketch which should launch by pressing Win+Shift+S simultaneuosly. It has some capabilities that Snipping tool doesnt.

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:33 am How embarrassing; I have a typo in the topic title, sorry about that

Once again you guys helped me find a solution; or understand what I was trying to do better.

I could not take a screen shot because I am working on a laptop, I don't have the "PRT-SCREEN" key, neither does Snipping Tool work, since I need the pointer to make the edges, the menu goes away.

In any case, at the top of my model (I did not create it); I saw the desciption, and it said "subassembly", so when I left-clicked there, the "Open Subassembly" icon was there.

Then I looked at the part I wanted to open, which was not the one I meantioned above, it was not possible, because I guess it is not a subassembly.

So, what I am trying to do, is to open one specific part of a machine with the command "Open part". I can do that with different things in the model, but not just that part which I need to open. It is the front cover of a machine. I can pull it out in explode view, but not open it in a new window. That was what I was trying to do all this time; but I can't.

Any suggestions here?

You can download some good screen shot tools for free.

Can you right click on the part and use the isolate command so it is the only part shown now?

It sounds like you might be working on a MULTI-BODY PART, and NOT an assembly.
It probably looks like an "assembly", but in SOLIDWORKS it is considered a MULTI-BODY PART. To "open one body" into it's own window, you could try the following:

1. Expand the folder called SOLID BODIES, towards the top of the tree.
2. Click on the part you want to export, in the graphics area --> This should highlight the solid body, in the SOLID BODIES folder, in the tree.
3. Right mouse button on the SOLID BODY from the SOLID BODIES folder. Choose INSERT INTO NEW PART

This will create a new part, containing only the geometry from that solid body.
Save this new part. The geometry will be linked back to the original part.

Hope this helps,
Toby

TooTallToby wrote: ↑Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:15 am It sounds like you might be working on a MULTI-BODY PART, and NOT an assembly.
It probably looks like an "assembly", but in SOLIDWORKS it is considered a MULTI-BODY PART. To "open one body" into it's own window, you could try the following:

1. Expand the folder called SOLID BODIES, towards the top of the tree.
2. Click on the part you want to export, in the graphics area --> This should highlight the solid body, in the SOLID BODIES folder, in the tree.
3. Right mouse button on the SOLID BODY from the SOLID BODIES folder. Choose INSERT INTO NEW PART

This will create a new part, containing only the geometry from that solid body.
Save this new part. The geometry will be linked back to the original part.

Hope this helps,
Toby

Agreed. And a simple screen shot of what he was seeing would have helped immensely with figuring this out. Even if he had snapped a picture with his camera phone and uploaded that. Not picking on him....just saying.

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:33 am How embarrassing; I have a typo in the topic title, sorry about that

Once again you guys helped me find a solution; or understand what I was trying to do better.

I could not take a screen shot because I am working on a laptop, I don't have the "PRT-SCREEN" key, neither does Snipping Tool work, since I need the pointer to make the edges, the menu goes away.

In any case, at the top of my model (I did not create it); I saw the desciption, and it said "subassembly", so when I left-clicked there, the "Open Subassembly" icon was there.

Then I looked at the part I wanted to open, which was not the one I meantioned above, it was not possible, because I guess it is not a subassembly.

So, what I am trying to do, is to open one specific part of a machine with the command "Open part". I can do that with different things in the model, but not just that part which I need to open. It is the front cover of a machine. I can pull it out in explode view, but not open it in a new window. That was what I was trying to do all this time; but I can't.

Any suggestions here?

Forgive if this is a duplicate reply, but built into Windows is the Snipping Tool.

In addition to selecting an assembly in the tree, you can also select an assembly by right clicking one of its components and selecting "Select Subassembly". If it's part of a nested assembly, the you can select the immediate parent and a generation above that.

KevinC wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:06 am In addition to selecting an assembly in the tree, you can also select an assembly by right clicking one of its components and selecting "Select Subassembly".
image.png
If it's part of a nested assembly, the you can select the immediate parent and a generation above that.
image.png

You can also select the component and press the 'D' key to display the breadcrumb bar at the mouse pointer and walk right back up the entire assembly hierarchy.

Mr_Assembly wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 4:33 am I could not take a screen shot because I am working on a laptop, I don't have the "PRT-SCREEN" key, neither does Snipping Tool work, since I need the pointer to make the edges, the menu goes away.

snip and sketch
new (top left)
snip in 3 or 10 seconds
click that
open menu
wait for it to do the snip
select area
done