Can you show a part as ʼdashed linesʼ if it is hidden behind another in SolidWorks?
Short Answer
Yes — in SolidWorks, you can show a part as dashed lines when it is hidden behind another by using Hidden Lines Visible on the view or component display style. This is the most common professional method in drawings and assemblies for showing obscured edges. Limitation: it only displays hidden edges that SolidWorks can calculate from the current view.
What You Need to Know Before
Warning: Hidden lines can make crowded assemblies difficult to read, especially if tangent edges and overlapping parts are also visible. In large or lightweight assemblies, display performance and hidden-edge accuracy may also drop depending on view quality and component state.
How to Show Hidden Parts as Dashed Lines in SolidWorks
Command: Hidden Lines Visible
Shortcut: No default keyboard shortcut
Quick Steps:
- In a drawing or assembly, select the view, component, or body you want to display differently, then go to the Heads-Up View toolbar or right-click menu.
- Choose Display Style > Hidden Lines Visible.
- If needed, open the view/component properties and confirm hidden edges are not removed by a display override or draft quality setting.
Variables & Settings
Key Setting: Display Style = Hidden Lines Visible
Expert Setting: In drawings, this setting is applied per view, so one drawing view can show dashed hidden edges while another stays in Hidden Lines Removed or Shaded. In assemblies, component-level display style overrides can affect whether hidden geometry appears as expected.
Why it Fails
Cause 1 (Geometry): The hidden edges may be tangent, merged, or too small relative to the view scale, so SolidWorks does not display them clearly as dashed lines.
Cause 2 (layers/Locks): In drawings, the hidden edge font or layer properties may be overridden, making dashed lines appear continuous, too light, or invisible.
Cause 3 (Command/Logic): The view may be set to Hidden Lines Removed, Shaded, or Draft Quality, which can suppress or simplify hidden edge calculation.
Quick Fix & Best Practice
Quick Fix: Right-click the drawing view and switch Display Style to Hidden Lines Visible, then increase view quality if hidden edges still do not show correctly.
Manager’s Verdict: Use Hidden Lines Visible only when the hidden feature adds manufacturing or inspection value. For production drawings, avoid excessive hidden lines in complex assemblies because they reduce readability fast.
FAQ
Can I show hidden lines for only one component in a solidworks assembly?
Yes, by applying a component-level display style override.
Why are my hidden lines not dashed in a drawing?
The line font or layer settings for hidden edges may be incorrect.
Can Hidden Lines Visible be used in shaded views?
Generally no, because shaded display styles prioritize visible faces over dashed hidden edges.
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