How To Make An Exploded View In SOLIDWORKS: The Definitive Engineering Guide

To create an exploded view in SOLIDWORKS, navigate to the Assembly tab on the CommandManager and click Exploded View to open the PropertyManager. Select the components you wish to move, then use the directional triad manipulator to translate or rotate them to their desired position, entering precise linear or angular offsets in the Modify dialog. Once the explode steps are defined, apply Exploded Line Sketches to establish visual assembly paths, enabling the configuration to be seamlessly imported into 2D engineering drawings and Bill of Materials (BOM) layouts.

Pre-Explosion Setup: Assembly Architecture and Configuration Management

Before initiating an exploded view in SOLIDWORKS, you must ensure your assembly is properly structured and stable. An exploded view is not merely a visual trick; it is a dedicated configuration saved within the ConfigurationManager of your assembly file. Creating an exploded view on a poorly constrained or structurally chaotic model can lead to broken references, misplaced parts, and inaccurate technical documentation.

Before clicking the Exploded View command, verify that all mates are fully defined or sufficiently locked so that parts do not drift during configuration changes. If you are working on a massive assembly with nested subassemblies, decide beforehand whether you want to explode the subassemblies as single, rigid units or explode their individual components. Organizing your design intent at this stage saves hours of backtracking when generating drawing sheets.

Assembly Preparation Checklist

• Target Software Version: SOLIDWORKS 2020 or newer is recommended to take full advantage of automatic spacing, radial steps, and flexible subassembly explosion capabilities.
• Prerequisite Assembly State: All structural mates must be solved with zero errors or warnings in the FeatureManager design tree.
• Configuration Control: Create a dedicated configuration (e.g., "Exploded_Default") inside the ConfigurationManager to isolate your exploded state from your resolved or collapsed design states.
• Estimated Process Duration: 15 to 45 minutes, depending on assembly component count, step complexity, and explode line routing.
• Hardware and Settings: Enable Graphics Performance options in System Options to ensure smooth dragging of heavy components when utilizing the interactive translation triad.

Step-by-Step Assembly Explosion Workflow

Step 1: Open the Exploded View PropertyManager

Open your fully resolved assembly in SOLIDWORKS. Navigate to the Assembly tab on the CommandManager and click the Exploded View icon. Alternatively, you can go to the top menu and select Insert, then click Exploded View.

If you prefer working directly within configurations, switch to the ConfigurationManager tab at the top of the FeatureManager design tree. Right-click the active configuration and select New Exploded View. This immediately activates the Exploded View PropertyManager on the left side of your screen and highlights the default "Explode Step1" in the settings panel.

Pro-Tip: Always ensure you are working in the correct active configuration before starting. If you accidently build an exploded view in your primary "Default" configuration, you risk altering the visual representations of assemblies in your active production drawings.

Step 2: Choose Your Explode Step Type

In the Explode Step Type section of the PropertyManager, you must choose between a Regular Step (translate and rotate) or a Radial Step.

A Regular Step is the most common option. It allows you to move selected components along linear X, Y, or Z axes, or rotate them around those axes.

A Radial Step is designed for cylindrical patterns, such as bolts arranged in a circular flange or casing fasteners. Selecting Radial Step allows you to disperse components outwards from a central axis in a single, clean motion. Choose the option that matches your mechanical disassembly sequence.

Step 3: Select Components and Use the Triad Manipulator

Click on the components you want to move in the graphics area. Selected parts will highlight in blue and appear in the Component(s) to Explode selection box.

Once selected, the reference triad manipulator appears on the components. This triad consists of three colored arrows representing linear translation directions (Red for X, Green for Y, Blue for Z) and three colored rings for rotational movements.

To move the components:

1. Hover your cursor over the specific arrow representing your desired explosion path.
2. Click and hold the arrow, then drag the components along the axis.
3. Release the mouse button once the parts are in their approximate position.
4. To enter a precise distance, go to the PropertyManager under Explode Distance, enter your exact measurement (e.g., 150mm), and press Enter.

Warning: Do not click the green checkmark (OK) in the PropertyManager after completing your first step. Doing so will close the tool. Instead, click the Apply button or simply start selecting the next set of components to automatically generate "Explode Step2".

Step 4: Utilize Auto-Space Components on Drag

When dealing with repeating hardware stackups, such as a bolt, lock washer, flat washer, and bracket, manual individual spacing is tedious. To solve this, select all the stacked components together.

In the PropertyManager, check the box labeled Auto-space components on drag. When you drag the translation triad, SOLIDWORKS automatically distributes the selected components along the travel axis, maintaining an equal, proportional distance between each part.

You can adjust the spacing interval dynamically by dragging the spacing slider in the graphics area or by typing an exact separation distance in the PropertyManager options.

Step 5: Adjust Subassembly Explosion Rules

By default, when you select a part that belongs to a subassembly, SOLIDWORKS selects only that individual part. If your goal is to move the entire subassembly as a single rigid unit:

1. Look at the bottom of the Explode PropertyManager.
2. Check the box for Select sub-assembly parts.
3. When you click any component of a subassembly in the graphics area, the entire subassembly bounding box and triad will activate, allowing you to translate the entire unit together.

If you need to explode components within a subassembly after moving the entire subassembly, you can create nested steps by unchecking the subassembly selection option for subsequent steps.

Step 6: Create and Route Exploded Line Sketches

An exploded view is difficult to interpret without path lines showing where parts seat. Once you have finalized your component positions, click the green checkmark to save the exploded view.

To add path lines, go to the Assembly tab on the CommandManager, click the dropdown arrow beneath Exploded View, and select Exploded Line Sketch. This activates a specialized 3D sketch environment.

To draw paths:

1. Click Route Line on the CommandManager.
2. Select a circular edge, face, or vertex on your first component (for example, the bottom face of a bolt head).
3. Select the corresponding landing point on the mating part (for example, the threaded hole in the base plate).
4. SOLIDWORKS will automatically draw a dashed 3D route line connecting the items.
5. If the route line passes through solid geometry, use the line's arrow manipulators to adjust its jog path, or click Reverse Direction in the PropertyManager.
6. Click the green checkmark to save the route line, and exit the 3D sketch.

Technical Comparison of SOLIDWORKS Exploded View Methods

Resolving Common SOLIDWORKS Explosion Failures & Geometry Glitches

The Exploded View Disappears or Collapses in Drawing Views

• Root Cause: The drawing view is referencing a configuration that does not have the exploded state active, or the "Show in exploded state" property is unchecked in the drawing view properties.
• Actionable Fix: Open your 2D drawing sheet. Click on the problematic view to open its Drawing View PropertyManager. Under the Reference Configuration section, select the configuration that contains your exploded view. Below this dropdown, check the box labeled Show in exploded or model break state. If the box is greyed out, verify that you saved and rebuilt the assembly model in its exploded state before updating the drawing.

Triad Manipulator is Misaligned with the Part Travel Direction

• Root Cause: The default coordinate system of the assembly or the selected part does not align with the physical angle at which the part needs to slide or disassemble (common in angled or skewed designs).
• Actionable Fix: Right-click the center sphere of the triad manipulator in the graphics area. Select Align to, and then select a linear edge, planar face, or axis on your model that matches the desired direction of travel. The triad will immediately reorient its X, Y, and Z axes parallel to your selection, allowing clean linear dragging along custom angles.

Exploded Line Sketches Display as Broken or Dangling (Red/Yellow Errors)

• Root Cause: The mating faces or circular edges used as references for the Route Line were deleted, renamed, or heavily modified during a design revision.
• Actionable Fix: Right-click the 3D Exploded Line Sketch in the FeatureManager design tree and select Edit Sketch. Look for yellow or red highlighted lines indicating lost references. Click on the broken line segment, open the PropertyManager, locate the missing reference box, right-click to delete the missing reference, and select a new valid edge or face on your updated geometry to repair the associative path.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I collapse an exploded view back into a normal assembly view?

To collapse your view, switch to the ConfigurationManager tab in the left-hand panel. Click the arrow next to your active configuration to expand it. Locate the Exploded View icon, right-click it, and select Collapse. Double-clicking the Exploded View icon also toggles the assembly between its exploded and collapsed states.

Can I animate an exploded view directly in SOLIDWORKS?

Yes, you can easily animate the explosion sequence. Right-click your Exploded View in the ConfigurationManager and select Animate Collapse or Animate Explode. This opens the Animation Controller, where you can play, loop, adjust the playback speed, and export the sequence as an AVI or MP4 video file for assembly training.

Why is my subassembly moving as individual parts instead of a single unit?

This occurs because the "Select sub-assembly parts" option was not enabled during selection. To fix this, right-click the specific explode step in the ConfigurationManager, select Edit Feature, scroll down to the bottom of the PropertyManager, and ensure the sub-assembly option is checked before making your component selections.

How do I change the order of the explode steps?

To change the sequence of your steps, expand the Exploded View feature in your ConfigurationManager. You will see a list of numbered steps (Explode Step1, Explode Step2, etc.). Simply click and drag a step up or down in the list to reorder it. SOLIDWORKS will automatically recalculate the disassembly timeline based on your new order.

Optimize Your Engineering Documentation Workflows

To transform your design office efficiency, ensure your engineering teams utilize consistent configuration naming conventions and standardized exploded line properties across all projects. Creating clean, production-ready exploded views directly reduces assembly floor errors and simplifies your technical publication pipeline.