Automating SOLIDWORKS 2017 Using Macros

• Designed to teach you how to develop macros for SOLIDWORKS and the SOLIDWORKS Workgroup and Enterprise PDM 

• Covers many of the major API functions through practical use cases 

• Focuses on the Visual Studio Tools for Applications macro interface 

• Features improved code structure to promote best-practices 

• Fully revised for the SOLIDWORKS 2017 API calls 


Automating SOLIDWORKS 2017 Using Macros is designed as a tutorial to help beginner to intermediate programmers develop macros for SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS Workgroup or Enterprise PDM. The focus of this book is primarily on the Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) macro interface. It covers many of the major API functions through practical use cases. It teaches many Visual Basic.NET fundamentals as well as SOLIDWORKS, SOLIDWORKS Workgroup or Enterprise PDM and Excel API functions. The Author has also added a chapter dedicated to some of his favorite source code for you to use as the basis for typical automation procedures. 


What you'll learn 


• Record macros 

• Control Custom Properties 

• Create parts and features 

• Build assemblies 

• Batch create drawings 

• Extract information from PDM 

• Create many other time saving utilities 


New to this edition 


The entire text has been updated to use the latest SOLIDWORKS API methods. Additionally, the Macro code structure has been improved in many chapters to encourage programming best practices. 


Table of Contents


1.   Macro Basics 

2.   One Button PDF Publishing 

3.   Model Dimensions Using Excel VBA 

4.   Controlling Options 

5.   Material Properties 

6.   Custom Properties 

7.   Model Creation 

8.   Data Import and Export 

9.   Drawing Automation 

10. Notes, Annotations and Tables 

11. Add Assembly Components 

12. Working with File References 

13. Document Manager API 

14. PropertyManager Pages 

15. Using SOLIDWORKS Events in Macros 

16. Creating Add-Ins from Macros 

17. Workgroup PDM API Basics 

18. Extract Workgroup PDM Documents 

19. Workgroup PDM Check In 

20. PDM Professional API Basics 

21. PDM Professional Files and Variables 

22. PDM Professional Bills of Materials 

23. Favorite Code Examples 

      Index