Standard Views without Zoom-to-fit

When using Standard Views in SolidWorks, the resulting view of the model is normally Zoom to fit.  This is regardless to the zoom level of the current view.  So, if I’m zoomed in to look at a specific feature a very long part, when I change from Front View to Rear View, the model will be resized to fit to screen.  This might be unexpected in some cases, as it requires extra steps to return to the area where I was working on the model.

With newer versions of SolidWorks, there is an alternative.  A toggle setting is available under Tools>Options…>System Options>View.  Unselect the Zoom to fit when changing to standard views option.

The only draw back is that this toggle is buried deep within the Options window.  This makes the task of dynamically using this functionality difficult.  Otherwise, this is a great function.

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Zoom to fit when changing to standard views

Author: fcsuper

As a drafter, mechanical designer and CAD engineer, I've been in the mechanical design field since 1991. For the first 8 years of my career, I was an AutoCAD professional. I utilized AutoLISP and many other AutoCAD customization features to streamline drafting activities for 6+ drafters and designers. I authored several custom functions, one of which was published in the March 1997 issue of Cadalyst Magazine. Since 1998, I've been used SolidWorks non-stop. I've worked to utilize the SolidWorks' user environment to simplify drafting and design activities for 20+ engineers. I've created this website to provide current information about SolidWorks from a variety of contributors. More recently, I am now employed by Dassault Systemes as SOLIDWORKS Sr. Product Definition Manager to improve drawing, annotation and MBD related areas.

2 thoughts on “Standard Views without Zoom-to-fit”

  1. Thanks for that tip, I was often wondering about that with standard views. I looked back through my SW installs, and this setting appeared in SW2009.

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