How Do I Import A Template Into Solidworks?

Every few releases it'south ever a good idea to update your SOLIDWORKS templates to the latest version you and your visitor are currently using. Being one of the techs on the Technical Back up squad, we meet the rare occurrence that a office, associates or drawing seems to have become corrupt. It's fifty-fifty more rare that nosotros find that multiple files neglect to open, this is when we start looking at the templates beingness the culprit.

OLD SOLIDWORKS TEMPLATES

With CAD software continually updating, you lot would non desire to design your new parts in old templates. Similarly, would yous want to employ a template from an old version Microsoft Word 5.5 to be used in your Microsoft Give-and-take 2016?

Over many years, during the normal upgrade path of SOLIDWORKS, templates go changed, updated and saved in the current version of SOLIDWORKS. This should permit the users to have templates that are of the best quality to showtime their new office, assembly and drawing file(southward) with. However, as with any program on Windows, templates can have problems. The steps below are how to go a fresh set of current templates created and, if and so desired, to copy the Drafting Standard and Sheet Format (title cake) over to the new template(due south).

Hint: To check the age of a part or associates template you can, start the new part or associates, right click over one of the normal planes (Front, Superlative or Correct), select Properties and await at the Appointment created and Last modify fields.

Here is an example of a template to NOT continue using until information technology'south updated (replaced):

old solidworks templates

Follow these steps on how to get a fresh set of SOLIDWORKS templates:

Open SOLIDWORKS > go to Options (gear icon on meridian center toolbar)
On the 'Organization Options' tab, select 'File Locations' category on the left side (about in the centre)
Exit the 'Show folders for:' set to 'Document Templates'
Hint:Nosotros will be deleting all the paths in the Folders box in the next pace. Take a screen shot or copy these downwards if you wish to re-plant these paths afterwards.
Selecting one past one, delete all paths that are listed. (If using PDM Professional, skip deleting the path pointed towards your PDM vault temp folder)
Click the 'Add' push, browse to some place convenient. (C:\ or Desktop or Documents)
Create a new empty binder. I created mine every bit 'C:\SW Template Binder\
Open this folder so click the 'Select Folder' button.
Click OK out of 'System Options', click yeah if prompted to making changes to search paths. The creation of the new templates happens very quickly and behind the scenes.
Start by going to the File menu, then selecting New or Clicking on New push button. This activeness causes SOLIDWORKS to check the empty folder that we pointed towards, see that there aren't any templates in the folder and create new ones.

At this point, you can just keep using the new templates that SOLIDWORKS created, modifying them every bit needed or you tin use these templates as the footing for creating updated version of your quondam templates. If you lot programme on updating your one-time templates, then you may want to add the onetime paths back into File Locations, Document Templates.

The basic procedure for creating new templates using the settings from your one-time templates is every bit such:

Open the old template, let's start with a part template. This tin be done by file, open up (modify your file type to Template), scan to the folder where your existing part template is stored or by file, new and selecting the existing part template. (File, New works if you lot put your old template paths dorsum into folder locations.
Save the drafting standard to an external file by going to Options, Document Properties tab, stay on the 'Drafting Standard' category, and so click the 'Save to External File' push. This creates an .sldstd file that tin can be read back into some other part file. It stores most items on the Document Properties Tab but not all of them.
To import these settings into the new office template that was created in the first half of this article. Open up the template by going to the 'File' carte du jour, 'Open', change 'File Blazon' to template, scan to the folder that nosotros created them in. In my example 'C:\SW Template Folder\'. Open the role template for this case. Part.prtdot
While the part.prtdot file is open up, go to Options, Document Backdrop, Drafting Standard category. Select the 'Load From External File' button, scan to the .sldstd file nosotros brand back in step ii). This imports all of the settings from your existing part template file. Verify that all of your existing settings are imported and then make any additional changes on the Certificate Properties tab as needed.
Salve the part.prtdot, shut the template. And then click new and test the new template.

Hint: I similar to name my templates as to what they are and when I created them. i.e. 'Function Inch 2020.prtdot'

Repeat these concluding steps 1) through v) for your associates and cartoon templates. For your drawing template, you will as well need to motion over your Sheet Format (Title cake) if you've customized them. To move over your Sheet Format follow these full general additional steps.

Open your existing Drawing template that contains your title block.
From the file bill of fare, select 'Save Sheet Format…' This allows you lot to save your title block every bit a .slddrt file.
Close your existing drawing.
Open your new cartoon template by 'File' menu, 'Open', alter 'File Type' to template, scan to the folder that we created them in. Again, in my example 'C:\SW Template Binder\'. Open the drawing template for this example. draw.prtdot
Modify the sheet format by right click over 'Sheet1' in the 'FeatureManager' tree, selecting 'Properties' and so browse to the .slddrt file that was saved in footstep 2
Salve your drawing template, close it and and then test information technology to make certain it's working correctly.

To expand on these steps if you accept additional size drawing sheets and/or demand to update your title block with actress things like, Annotations that are linked to custom properties.