The Mystery of the Disappearing SolidWorks Drawing View

by Josh on August 18, 2008 · Comments

Getting just the right detailed drawing view of a model can take immense amounts of time. More than they really should for products designed in 3D. When you open a drawing and nothing is there but the dimensions, that can really make you throw blunt objects.

So, you stare real close at the computer screen. It doesn’t show up. You hit rebuild, nothing. Forced rebuild (Ctrl-Q), nothin’. Pushing on the screen, making loud grunting noise… Your hand slowly reaches for the stapler….

Wait, there’s one very simple trick you can use to get a vacant drawing view to return to your brilliant masterpiece of drafting delight.

How easy is it?
You don’t have to recreate your drawing view, change drawing templates or slap your friends. It’s actually very simple and hardly worth all the fluffy and entertaining words I’m putting around it. Nonetheless, it gets the point across, that this is very frustrating, the best way I know how.

Does your view look like this? __________ when it should look like this?

Not cool. Here’s what to do:

  1. Delete the View
  2. Hit Undo (Ctrl-Z)

The drawing view with all the lines should appear. I’ve always had this work. It saves you from reopening the drawing or recreating the view. I’ve seen it mostly happen on Large Assemblies in 2006 and 2007. Have you tried this same approach?

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Tagged as: drawings, solidworks, tips

  • ejmccartin
    I can usually get it back by changing the display style and changing back. Just a little less stress inducing than the delete key. ;-)
  • I have had this problem before also, had it happen with large assemblies and some that were not that big. Usually deleted it and made a new one. This will be a timesaver in the future!

    Also, does it still happen in 2008? I just upgraded yesterday finally!
  • Jeff Sweeney
    Duuuude! Nice one!

    I've also had this happen when I print! Rebooting the printer usually helps. Printers is so stooopid.
  • I recently had a detail view disappear in this manner. I RMB’ed on the detail circle->Edit Sketch and found that somehow the sketch circle driving the view had become no more. No the circle had not moved away, it was gone. I drew a new circle and confirmed the sketch. The view reappeared happily. The interesting thing is SW won’t let you delete the profile and leave the sketch. If you do it acts as a cancel rather than confirm. So how did the sketch become empty?
  • bigmikeo
    Great tip!

    Not to be picky but you hole isn't dim'ed.
    It just jumped at me and I know that's not the reason for this but I couldn't help it...I'm a jerk like that.
  • Well I haven't tried this before when it has happened to me but I sure will now. Thanks.
  • Josh,

    Never had that happen, but I'm glad to know how to fix it if it does!

    Thanks
  • I hate to delete anything in fear of well deleting it...

    So I have alwasy "fixed" this issue by scaling up the view, and then setting it back to the sheet scale.
  • BRS
    Go figure. It's always something I never think about.. grrr.. I have spent so much time on fixing things like this and have been pushing my deadline on many projects because I have to go back and fix issues with issues like this. This almost seems too good to be true....
  • The first things I try are a Ctrl-Q rebuild, Alt-Tab to another application, and a minimize and maximize. Sometimes the issue is simply a graphics issue. Those three things bring back about 30-40% of this issue for me (on 2007). After those, delete and undo forces the program to recalculate and redraw the geometry which usually solves the issue. Nice post and good tip! Thanks.
  • Hey Chris, thanks for confirming this. It's crazy the ladder of things we'll
    climb to get something going.
  • Keith Cooley
    I am new to Solidworks, but have ran across this problem in 2009. Not knowing what to do, I simply changed the scale to something else, then back to the original scale. Ta da... it's back. Not sure why they disappear.
  • Gregory
    SW 2009 SP3.0 for me will drop parts in views and will even print these drawings while not displaying the missing parts. I had noticed that going to 'edit format' and then back to 'edit sheet' will force the page to regenerate and show all the parts. I have been working on my laptop exclusively and I have not seen if my desktop gives me similar fits.
  • Dean
    I'm like PAVERTON. I have a drafters innate fear of the DELETE key, espceially when it's a pretty looking curvy thingy with 10,000 dimensions, curves, arcs, diameters, radii, etc,etc,etc,.... But I've found that switching back and forth between HIGH QUALITY and DRAFT QUALITY will accomplish the same thing without losing any notes or dimensions.
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