Linking Sketch Blocks to their Original Files

Sketch blocks are an incredibly useful tool in Solidworks to quickly insert massive or complex sketches into different files. If a single block is being used across multiple different files (for example, a layout sketch), it would be beneficial to ensure that you only have to edit one block to parametrically push that update to all other blocks being used.

You can do this on a block per block basis by ensuring that each inserted block is linked to its corresponding .sldblk file. There are a few ways of doing this:

1. When you insert the block, make sure that “Create External Reference to File” is checked on:

2. You can also link the block that you’re inserting by checking on the “Link to File” checkbox in the “Insert Block” Property Manager:

3. If your block has already been inserted, you can link it to its corresponding file by selecting the block and clicking on the “Link to File” button:

Using any of these three methods will ensure that any changes made to the original .sldblk file will be propagated the block instance that you’re inserting. Note that this will also make it so that you cannot edit the block directly but most open the .sldblk file in Solidworks and make your changes there.

If you’re having trouble linking your blocks to their corresponding .sldblk files, feel free to contact Hawk Ridge Systems Technical Support by calling our support hotline at 877.266.4469 (US) or 866.587.6803 (Canada). You can also email our support desk at support@hawkridgesys.com.