This ensures there is no ambiguity about the instance referenced in each equation. You can apply equations to specific instances. In this release the Equations dialog displays components that are referred by unique instance numbers. You can only view and unsuppress them in the Ordered View. You can suppress equations and global variables from all views in the Equations dialog box. However, you cannot use it for a one-time import or export. You can use this option in place of the import and export functions when you want to set up an ongoing link.

In the Equations dialog box, you can link to an external text file that contains equations and global variables. SolidWorks identifies circular references, highlights the equations in red, and displays a warning. You can use the Automatic Solve Order option to automatically sequence the equations in an order determined by the software to produce accurate results. The Equations dialog box includes syntax checking to avoid errors and reduce the time you spend on troubleshooting mistakes.

In the Equations dialog box, you can navigate from cell to cell, across rows, and columns using the following keys: You can select an entry from the drop-down list instead of typing the entire entry. When you enter an equation in the Equations dialog box and type in one or more characters, a type-ahead feature displays a drop-down list showing all global variables, mathematical functions, and file properties that start with those characters. You can undo and redo steps by clicking Undo and Redo at the top of the Equations dialog box. You can select multiple rows in the Equations dialog box to perform the same task on all of the equations, for example to suppress, unsuppress, or delete several equations at once. Sorting and filtering work in all views of the Equations dialog box. New sorting and filtering capabilities make it much easier to find equations and global variables and see how they are related. Each view shows a different combination and sequence of equations, global variables and dimensions to help you perform tasks such as finding a specific equation, viewing all dimensions used in a part, and changing the order in which equations are solved. The Equations, Global Variables and Dimensions dialog box offers three views.

Solidworks 2012 equations