Are SOLIDWORKS Cosmetic Threads a ‘Nice to have’, or a ‘Nuisance’? Depending on your organizations standards, SOLIDWORKS Cosmetic Threads can be a life-saver or a nuisance.
The nuisance factor may be enhanced multi-fold, when you are unable to display cosmetic threads as intended in your drawings or assemblies.
SOLIDWORKS Cosmetic Thread displayed
Given the difficulty that can ensue with the display of this annotation feature, many give up and elect to avoid using SOLIDWORKS cosmetic threads altogether. Our hope with this article is to guide you through the pinch points and have you confidently apply cosmetic threads as desired.
Display settings for SOLIDWORKS Cosmetic Threads
There are five main settings that will effect the display of SOLIDWORKS cosmetic threads within your parts, drawings or assemblies.
The very first point to make regarding the visibility of cosmetic threads is:
IF the cosmetic thread annotation in the component’s feature tree is set to HIDDEN, the cosmetic thread WILL NOT display – regardless of any other setting you attempt to apply.
To repair this, one simply has to find the Cosmetic thread feature within the feature tree and show or hide the feature, depending upon your preference.
SOLIDWORKS Cosmetic Thread Feature
No Magic Here, Simply Settings to Choose
Contrary to some popular beliefs, the remaining display options for cosmetic threads do not require you to hold your tongue a certain way, cross your fingers or perform a complicated dance routine in front of your colleagues…
The remaining four settings that will affect the visibility of cosmetic threads within the part, drawing, and assembly environments within SOLIDWORKS are:
- “View All Annotations” Setting
- “Cosmetic Threads” Setting
- “Display Annotations” Setting
- “Use Assembly Settings for all components” Option
Combinations of these four options will yield one of two different results, either the Cosmetic Thread notation will be visible in the graphics area, or it will not.
The combinations are weighted against the display of cosmetic threads, as two-thirds of the combinations will result in the cosmetic threads not being displayed at all.(No wonder you were unable to get them to show up…)
The table below illustrates the possible cosmetic thread display combinations, and the visible or not visible result of those selections.
| “View All Annotations” Setting | “Cosmetic Threads” Setting | “Display Annotations” Setting | “Use Assembly Settings for all components” Option | Display of Cosmetic Threads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Menu > All Annotations | Right click on Annotations folder > Details > “Cosmetic threads” checkbox | Right click on Annotations folder > “Display Annotations”option | Right click on Annotations folder > Details > “Use assembly settings for all components” checkbox | Cosmetic Threads are Not Visible or Visible |
OFF
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
ON
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
ON
|
OFF
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
ON
|
ON
|
OFF
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
ON
|
OFF
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
ON
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
ON
|
ON
|
OFF
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
ON
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
OFF
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
ON
|
OFF
|
ON
|
ON
|
Not Visible
|
ON
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
Visible |
ON
|
ON
|
OFF
|
OFF
|
Visible |
ON
|
OFF
|
ON
|
OFF
|
Visible |
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
OFF
|
Visible |
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
ON
|
Visible |
If you are wondering where to find the display options noted above we have some help available for that too…
Take a look at the following article: Where are the hidden settings for the Display of Cosmetic Threads?
The post The “Easy Bake” recipe for Displaying Cosmetic Threads appeared first on SOLIDWORKS Tech Tips, Videos & Tutorials from Javelin.