SolidWorks View Shortcuts

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

One of the greatest challenges beginners face when working in 3D CAD programs such as SolidWorks is simply how to orient themselves in the 3D environment — panning, zooming, rotating, and changing views. Here are some standard shortcuts to orient yourself:

• f: to fit the model to the screen. If you find your view far away from your model, f (fit to screen) is your friend.
• Ctrl+7: Isometric view
• Ctrl+8: Normal to surface
• Mouse Wheel Click+Drag (or middle mouse click+drag): Rotate
• Mouse Wheel Scroll Up: Zoom out. The location of the cursor determines the focal point of the zoom
• Mouse Wheel Scroll Down: Zoom in
• Ctrl+Mouse Wheel Click: Pan
• Right Mouse Click+Drag (on component in assembly): Rotate component, obeying existing constraints

Additionally, Ctrl+1(through 6) can be used to navigate through all the standard views: (1) Front, (2) Back, (3) Left, (4) Right, (5) Top, (6) Bottom