The Configure Feature tool in SOLIDWORKS allows you to quickly control the suppression state (whether it's active or inactive) of selected features, sketches, or mates across different configurations of your model.
Using the Configure Feature command simplifies the process of creating variations of your design by managing specific items for each configuration directly in a table.
Accessing the Configure Feature Tool
To begin configuring a feature, sketch, or mate:
- Locate the item you wish to configure in either the FeatureManager design tree on the left side of the SOLIDWORKS window or directly within the graphics area.
- Right-click on the desired feature, sketch, or mate.
- From the context menu that appears, click Configure Feature.
This action opens the Modify Configurations dialog box, which is the primary interface for managing your configurations for the selected item.
Using the Modify Configurations Dialog
Once the Modify Configurations dialog box is open, based on the item you selected using Configure Feature, you can perform specific actions related to configurations:
- Create new configurations: You can add new configurations directly within this dialog if needed.
- Suppress or unsuppress the feature for each configuration: This is a primary function. You can control whether the selected feature, sketch, or mate is active (unsuppressed) or inactive (suppressed) in each configuration listed in the dialog table. A checked box typically indicates the item is unsuppressed (active), while an unchecked box means it is suppressed (inactive).
The dialog presents a table format where each row represents a configuration and columns represent parameters or suppression states you can control. For Configure Feature, the primary column controls the suppression state.
Here's a simplified look at what the table might represent for a feature called "Hole1":
| Configuration Name | Hole1 (Suppressed?) |
|---|---|
| Default | ☑ |
| Version B | ☐ |
| Version C | ☑ |
In this example, 'Hole1' is active in 'Default' and 'Version C' configurations, but inactive (suppressed) in 'Version B'.
By using this table in the Modify Configurations dialog, you can efficiently define how the selected feature behaves across different versions of your design without manually changing its suppression state for each configuration individually. After making your changes, click OK to apply them.
