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Don’t you just love some seriously beautiful wallpaper to customize your programs with? Sure, you can customize your SolidWorks background, but that’s so SolidWorks 2007. Now, in SolidWorks 2008 you can even add a custom image to your drawing background. In fact…are you ready… it already comes with… a crinkly paper background. Yeah, pretty hard to miss. Props to that guy.
Good ol’ Mike P. got around to explaining this a bit before I finished some graphics done, so here’s my addition and two handfuls of wallpapery goodness.
Like Mike says, you can go to Tools, Options, Color and check the “Use specified color for drawing paper color” or you can change that sucka up!
To make your own
The file to change is in …\SolidWorks\data\Images\drawings. It’s called sheetbackground1.bmp. The easiest way to change it? You can open it in your favorite graphics program (like Adobe Photoshop or Gimp (free)) and add any graphics you want.
I’d recommend using a white background and setting the transparency of your graphic low so it’s easy to use in the drawing, but as you see below, even a dark one can be used.
Make a backup copy of the other sheetbackground1.bmp and just save your graphic in the same folder with the same name. Restart SolidWorks, open a drawing and you’ll see your new background.
Some to try
It may seem completely useless to use background images on drawings, but you may find something to use it for. I can’t really think of any except maybe setting up an image that has areas defining a layout or getting fancy with a presentation. So most of these are just for fun, but maybe you’ll find one of them inspiring or useful. Save these to the same folder and remove the solidsmack00_ at the front.
Download all in a zip file (2.84 MB)
Black Charcoal
Reflector
Green Phase
Blue Shader
Builder88
image credit
Attachmentator
Flammable
Just for Ricky
SolidWorks Offwhite
Perspectivate
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November 8th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
The link in this one does not work. Just a little FYI.
It is a very interesting thought though to be able to change the drawing background. Keep up the good work.
November 8th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
The link in this one does not work. Just a little FYI.
It is a very interesting thought though to be able to change the drawing background. Keep up the good work.
November 8th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
oops, sorry bout that. The zip file should be good to download now. Thanks by the way.
November 8th, 2007 at 10:26 pm
oops, sorry bout that. The zip file should be good to download now. Thanks by the way.
November 9th, 2007 at 1:55 am
[...] sourced here [...]
November 9th, 2007 at 10:42 am
When I wrote about this earlier, I was envisioning a repository of images available for users to download, and to also upload. Looks like you got it started! I kind of pictured it like how the iPhone third party apps provide a somewhat endless list of custom backrounds. Perhaps a site to list them, and make them available is something that could be done by someone? http://www.solidworksbackrounds.com??? Or maybe over at Solidmentor? I will write an update to my post next week.
November 9th, 2007 at 11:42 am
When I wrote about this earlier, I was envisioning a repository of images available for users to download, and to also upload. Looks like you got it started! I kind of pictured it like how the iPhone third party apps provide a somewhat endless list of custom backrounds. Perhaps a site to list them, and make them available is something that could be done by someone? http://www.solidworksbackrounds.com??? Or maybe over at Solidmentor? I will write an update to my post next week.
November 12th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
That’s a great idea Mike. People love backgrounds. These posts get a lot of hit for those looking for backgrounds, either for solidworks or their desktop. Solidmentor would be a good place to put them.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Fantastic backgrounds, thank you for posting these!
I can see why they would get a lot of hits.
March 7th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Fantastic backgrounds, thank you for posting these!
I can see why they would get a lot of hits.
May 13th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Hello Josh,
I love your work, especially “Green Phase”
Could you contact me by email and help me out with the making of 3 buttons for my website?
Please let me know, I would like to have 3 buttons nicely designed like “Green Phase”
The buttons will be used as a link to my website(s), just like on this site: http://www.one.com there are 3 buttons (yellow, grey and green) on the right, and I would like similair buttons on my website.
Please let me know if you are interested, I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Rolf van Zanten from the Netherlands
May 13th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
Hello Josh,
I love your work, especially “Green Phase”
Could you contact me by email and help me out with the making of 3 buttons for my website?
Please let me know, I would like to have 3 buttons nicely designed like “Green Phase”
The buttons will be used as a link to my website(s), just like on this site: http://www.one.com there are 3 buttons (yellow, grey and green) on the right, and I would like similair buttons on my website.
Please let me know if you are interested, I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards,
Rolf van Zanten from the Netherlands
June 24th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I read similar article also named Backgrounds for SolidWorks 2008 Drawings | SolidSmack - SolidWorks 3D CAD Technology Design Blog, and it was completely different. Personally, I agree with you more, because this article makes a little bit more sense for me