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Change axis on the systems default triad/coordinatesystem

Question asked by Jimmy Sacklin on Feb 5, 2008
Latest reply on Jan 13, 2010 by Mark Larson

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I would like to change the orientation of the default triad/coordinatesystem.
This means that I want the axis Z to bee X, Y to bee Z and X to bee Y.
I would like to have the X axis as the RUNNING direction and Z as UP direction
Is this possible?
How do I do?

I need to do this in general not only sketch mode.

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13 Replies

Jim Wilkinson Feb 5, 2008 1:01 PM
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Hi Jimmy,

The general procedure to change your default orientation is as follows:
1) Open a new part.
2) Bring up the view orientation dialog (space bar) and pin it.
3) Double click on *Front to put it in a front view.
4) Single click on *top and then hit the Update Standard Views button (middle one on the top of the view orientation dialog).
5) Click Yes to confirm the change.
6) Rename the default plane names as desired.
7) Save your part template if you want all of your new parts to follow this scheme.
Repeat the procedure for your assembly template.

You can set your default orientations up any way that you want; the above procedure will set it up to use the standard "Z-up" coordinate system that a lot of other systems use.

I hope this helps.
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- Jimmy Sacklin @ Jim Wilkinson on Feb 12, 2008 6:50 AM
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  Hi Jim!
  Thank´s for your answer.
  I had already done like you proposed me to do.
  Yes, it works but....when using the orientation function "normal to" it turns the model upside down.
  How do i get the the "normal to" function to work as the standard confguration does?
  
  Best regard
  Jimmy Sacklin
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  - Jim Wilkinson @ Jimmy Sacklin on Feb 12, 2008 10:09 AM
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    Hi Guys,
    
    Unfortunately, I can't say why the original programmers decide on the Y-up coordinate system vs. the Z-up. I started just after SolidWorks 1995 started shipping out the door and it was already that way. It could be that the programmers followed the Pro/Engineer model which I believe it the same.
    
    Jimmy, unfortunately, there is no way to change the normal to behavior. You can make a second face selection before selecting normal to and that will determine which face points up in the normal to orientation (the normal of the second selected face will point up on the screen).
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- ben shaw @ Jim Wilkinson on Mar 26, 2008 10:09 AM
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  Jim Wilkinson wrote:
  
  The general procedure to change your default orientation
  
  Unfortunately this messes all kinds of stuff up like the shadows and reflections in scenes - the above mentioned 'normal to view' - plane sizes.. ect..
  
  (unless i have done something wrong)
  
  and using the default you have to keep picking the front plane as reference when you really mean the top.
  
  Im not sure if its related but when i rotate my view - after i let go the part floats a little further in the direction it was going... i dont think this is an issue caused by my space pilot since it happens using only the mouse as well.
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Kelvin Lamport Feb 10, 2008 10:17 PM
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Jim,

The trouble with that method of re-orientation is that any user, at any time, can return the orientation to the SW default by a simple click of the Reset button.

This question often arises in other forums. Discussions often follow regarding the reasoning for SW adopting the 'Y=up' orientation.
Would you please give some background, from a SW perspective, why SW chose to use this orientation?
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- Mark Henrichs @ Kelvin Lamport on Feb 10, 2008 11:19 PM
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  Jim,
  I too would be interested in SW's thinking....way back when I tried to ask this before SW tried to convince me I had it all backwards. At least now I know I'm not the only one.
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Brian Hoerner Feb 12, 2008 11:13 AM
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I haven't looked into this with SolidWorks, but, with Pro/E and IDEAS, as well as AutoCAD, you are able to change the standard view orientation to a "machinists" type orientation. I think the default orientation goes back to hand drawings, and stuck with AutoCAD and just kept on going as a standard.
I don't know if SolidWorks has a one click switch to change this, I will send this to my VAR's tech support, which has been the greatest over the last couple years, to see if they have any input.
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Brian Hoerner Feb 12, 2008 3:14 PM
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Unfortunately there's no way to modify the standard coordinate system in SW. I copied the following from the Knowledge Base.

The XYZ orientation is hard coded into SolidWorks, and cannot be changed by the user

The following functionality allows the user to change the orientation of a sketch with respect to the Coordinate system:
Tools > Sketch Tools > Modify

The following functionality allows the user to change the orientation of a body with respect to the Coordinate system:
Insert > Feature > Move/Copy

It is also possible to use˜Update Standard View" redefine the orientation to redefine the Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front and Back views.
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- 1-GCUQMA @ Brian Hoerner on Jun 9, 2009 4:10 PM
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  Has there been any changes to this situation?
  
  Can we fix it yet, in 2009?
  
  Michael
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Jimmy Sacklin Aug 31, 2009 4:28 PM
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Hello SW people!
Has there been any progress i the coordinatesystem area yet?
I asked how to change the orientation of it a couple of years ago...now the release of SW 2010 i knocking on our doors.....
How many years will it take?

Best regards
Jimmy Sacklin
ABB AB, Sweden
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- Anna Wood @ Jimmy Sacklin on Aug 31, 2009 11:10 PM
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  Jimmy,
  
  Probably never going to happen. If they change the coordinate system for you, then SW will be messing up the coordinate system they have used forever for the rest of us that like it just fine the way it is.
  
  FWIW,
  
  Anna
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Terry Raymond Jan 13, 2010 9:44 AM
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Ugh I just ran into this issue as well. I don't see why they couldn't fix SW. It is an interface problem, not a model problem right?

If Z is set to up in the model, when I choose the Front or Right planes and press the Normal To button, make sure that Z points up on the display! This doesn't affect the model file.
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Mark Larson Jan 13, 2010 12:09 PM
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This orientation dates back to Rene Descartes, whom the cartesian coordinate system is named after (the guy that invented it). So I guess you can say this is the way it has always been from day one. It is what is taught in every math, geometry, trigonomtry, drafting, engineering... class I am aware of. Asking a French owned company to disown one of their favorite son's invention (amazingly, it took someone almost 2 thousand years to tie geometry & algabra together), and to go against the previous mentioned disciplines may be asking a bit much.

I noticed in another thread somebody is complaining because they don't like the fact SW does not allow you to project a line onto a plane that is perpendicular to the sketch plane. It has nothing to do with SW, or even the French, it is a simple fact of geometry that the result is not a line, it is a point, ergo you cannot do it, to get this line into the plane you need an equation to transfer this line definition onto the sketch plane.
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Change axis on the systems default triad/coordinatesystem

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