Units and document properties setup in Solidworks - Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Setting up units and document properties in SolidWorks helps you work with the right measurements and settings for your design. This ensures your drawings and models are accurate and consistent from the start.

When starting a new design and you need to use specific measurement units like millimeters or inches.

When you want to make sure all parts in an assembly use the same unit system.

When preparing drawings that require specific dimension styles or precision.

When you need to customize document settings like fonts, line thickness, or display options.

When sharing files with others who use different unit standards to avoid confusion.

Steps

Step 1: Click

- Options button (gear icon) on the Standard toolbar or Tools menu > Options

The System Options and Document Properties dialog box opens

💡 Use the Document Properties tab to change settings for the current file only

Step 2: Select

- Document Properties tab in the Options dialog box

You see categories like Units, Drafting Standard, and Dimensions

💡 This tab controls settings specific to the current document

Step 3: Click

- Units category under Document Properties

Unit options appear, showing length, mass, time, and other units

💡 You can choose from predefined unit systems or customize units

Step 4: Select

- Desired unit system (e.g., MMGS for millimeters, grams, seconds)

Units update to the selected system for the current document

💡 Changing units here affects how dimensions and measurements display

Step 5: Adjust

- Other document properties like Drafting Standard or Dimension Precision

Settings update to match your design requirements

💡 Set dimension precision to control decimal places shown in drawings

Step 6: Click

- OK button in the Options dialog box

Settings save and apply to the current document

💡 For new documents, save as a template to reuse these settings

Before vs After

Before

New document uses default units (MMGS) and default drafting standard (ANSI) with 2 decimal places precision

After

Document units changed to IPS (inch, pound, second), drafting standard set to ISO, and dimension precision set to 3 decimal places

Settings Reference

Units

📍 Options dialog > Document Properties tab > Units

Sets the measurement units for length, mass, time, and other quantities in the current document

Default: MMGS

Drafting Standard

📍 Options dialog > Document Properties tab > Drafting Standard

Defines the standard style for dimensions, symbols, and annotations in drawings

Default: ANSI

Dimension Precision

📍 Options dialog > Document Properties tab > Dimensions > Precision

Controls how many decimal places show for dimension values

Default: 2 decimal places

Common Mistakes

Changing units in System Options instead of Document Properties

System Options affect all documents globally, which may cause unintended changes in other files

Change units in Document Properties to affect only the current document

Not saving the document as a template after setting units and properties

You have to repeat the setup for every new document, wasting time

Save the configured document as a template to reuse settings easily

Summary

Units and document properties setup ensures your design uses the correct measurements and styles.

Always set units in Document Properties to keep changes local to the current file.

Save your settings as a template to speed up future projects.