Thread: how to rotate view in solidworks while mating parts?

I'm having trouble mating parts in solidworks. I can't seem to figure out how to rotate the view while the mates tab is open. Right clicking no longer brings up the list with rotate on it, and most of the time I can only see one of the surfaces I want to select. I've been getting around this by selecting one of the surfaces then holding the shift key and rotating the view then selecting the mates button and the surface will be pre selected. Then I can pick the second surface, but this method is a pain there must be a better way.

Thanks in advance

Hold down the scroll wheel and drag?

Comatose is right. The scroll wheel doubles as a middle mouse button. If you push down on it without scrolling and move the mouse around the model will rotate. You can also select "through" the model by right clicking and choosing select other. This will give you a list of entities that are under the cursor. You can pick from the list, but if you right click on the model again surfaces will disappear. You can peel away surfaces until you can see the one you want. Then just left click to select and all of the other surfaces will reappear.

Make sure in your mouse properties (in control panel) that the middle button's "function" is selected as the middle button.

Also don't forget about the arrow keys, besides the middle button. If you need to rotate only component in the assembly, RMB and hold on it and you can rotate it only the same as a LMB will move it.

Also if you RMB over or close the the face that is hidden you can select other and it will give you options of other faces or edges to pick thru other parts to get the mate you want.

last but not leat you can set transparency of some components so you can select thru to other faces.

Thanks guys! The middle mouse button and the select other work flawless

Get a trackball/spaceball.....productivity will triple.

Manipulate part with left hand, select surfaces with right hand on mouse.

Might want to take some dramamine first couple of sessions though.

+1 on spaceball (or 3d mouse, space pilot). Can spin and/or zoom in and out with left hand and select features with right (mouse) like doug says. Makes it 10x easier. Does take a little while to coordinate brain with hand, though. Once you get used to it, you won't want to do without one. Kinda pricey though.