How to Suppress Component in Assembly in SolidWorks

To suppress a component in a SolidWorks assembly, right-click the component in the FeatureManager design tree and select Suppress. This hides the component and stops it from updating, improving assembly performance.

Syntax

In SolidWorks, suppressing a component in an assembly is done through the user interface or API. The main action is:

• Right-click component > Suppress

This disables the component without deleting it.

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Right-click component in FeatureManager design tree
Select 'Suppress' from the context menu

Example

This example shows how to suppress a component named 'Gear1' in an assembly:

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1. Open your assembly in SolidWorks.
2. In the FeatureManager design tree, find the component named 'Gear1'.
3. Right-click 'Gear1'.
4. Click 'Suppress' from the menu.

The component 'Gear1' will be hidden and excluded from rebuilds until unsuppressed.

Output

The 'Gear1' component disappears from the assembly view and its icon in the tree shows as suppressed.

Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when suppressing components include:

• Trying to suppress a component that is already suppressed (no effect).
• Suppressing components that are required for mates, which can cause errors.
• Forgetting to unsuppress components later, leading to missing parts in final assembly.

Always check mates and dependencies before suppressing.

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Wrong way:
Right-click component > Delete (removes component permanently)

Right way:
Right-click component > Suppress (temporarily disables component)

Quick Reference

Action	How to Do It	Effect
Suppress Component	Right-click component > Suppress	Hides and disables component temporarily
Unsuppress Component	Right-click suppressed component > Unsuppress	Restores component to active state
Delete Component	Right-click component > Delete	Removes component permanently from assembly

Key Takeaways

Right-click a component in the assembly tree and select 'Suppress' to disable it temporarily.

Suppressing improves assembly performance by hiding and stopping updates on the component.

Check mates and dependencies before suppressing to avoid errors.

Unsuppress components when you need them back in the assembly.

Do not delete components if you only want to hide them temporarily.