Macro to choose the position of a frame in a drawing

3D Design Volume Model
1

Hi all

I'm currently creating macro buttons to insert blocks into the background of a drawing.

So far nothing complicated, I have a code that works very well:

Set swApp = _
Application.SldWorks

Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
Part.EditTemplate
Part.EditSketch
Dim myBlockDefinition As Object
Set myBlockDefinition = Part.SketchManager.MakeSketchBlockFromFile(Nothing, "D:\_MAIA\1_MODELES\4_BLOCS-BUFFERS\Tol ISO2768 - EN22768 - mK.SLDBLK", False, 1, 0)
Part.EditSheet
Part.EditSketch
End Sub

 

My problem concerns the position of the block on the drawing, I would like to be able to predefine a position in my code (in X and Y).

Currently, when I launch the macro, the block fits into the bottom left corner of the drawing.

I tried a lot of things but without success.

If anyone knows anything about VBA I'm interested ;-)

Thanks in advance,

Kind regards.

 

1 Like
2

Hello

In fact, the first argument of your MakeSketchBlockFromFile method is the position!

In your example, you put "nothing" so I think by default, it fits at the anchor point of your drawing.

So you have two solutions: change the anchor point of your drawing templates, or modify this nothing to choose your point like this:

InsertPoint
Insertion point, which must be a 2D point with z = 0.0, for the block definition
 

The corresponding page: 

http://help.solidworks.com/2012/English/api/sldworksapi/SolidWorks.interop.sldworks~SolidWorks.interop.sldworks.ISketchManager~MakeSketchBLockFromFile.html

3 Likes
3

First of all, thank you for your help.

I don't want to touch my models

However, I don't know how to transcribe this new line to my code.

 To what will it return? Where should I put it?

Are there coordinates in X and Y?

Thanks in advance

1 Like
4

So before inserting your block, you will have to create and name your insertion point that you will use instead of your "nothing", see this link to create the point:

http://help.solidworks.com/2012/English/api/sldworksapi/SolidWorks.Interop.sldworks~SolidWorks.Interop.sldworks.IMathPoint.html

More details to create the point:

 'Create the new MathPoint from the sketch point data.

    'MathP refers to the point location in the sketch coordinates

    Set MathP = MathUtil.CreatePoint(PointCoords)

    'Display the point coordinates in relation to the sketch origin

    SketchPoints = MathP.ArrayData

    MsgBox SketchPoints(0) & ", " & SketchPoints(1) & ", " & SketchPoints(2)

http://help.solidworks.com/2012/English/api/sldworksapi/Transform_Sketch_to_Model_Example_VB.htm

 

2 Likes
5

I admit to being lost...

Here's what I did but without any results:

 

Set swApp = _
Application.SldWorks

Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
Part.EditTemplate
Part.EditSketch

Set MathP = MathUtil.CreatePoint(PointCoords)
SketchPoints = MathP.ArrayData

    MsgBox SketchPoints(0) & "5.0" & SketchPoints(1) & "5.0" & SketchPoints(2)


Dim myBlockDefinition As Object
Set myBlockDefinition = Part.SketchManager.MakeSketchBlockFromFile(Nothing, "D:\_MAIA\1_MODELES\4_BLOCS-BUFFERS\Tol ISO2768 - EN22768 - mK.SLDBLK", False, 1, 0)
Part.EditSheet
Part.EditSketch
Part.ClearSelection2 True
End Sub

6

In your line:

Part.SketchManager.MakeSketchBlockFromFile(Nothing, "D:\_MAIA\1_MODELES\4_BLOCS-BUFFERS\Tol ISO2768 - EN22768 - mK.SLDBLK", False, 1, 0)

 

You still use Nothing

As I told you, we need to replace this with an insertion point!

And in your line:

SketchPoints = MathP.ArrayData

You didn't fill in the coordinates.

 

Do you know vba programming?

1 Like
7

There is perhaps a more telling example to help you here:

'NEW BLOCKS: Create block definition

    Set swSketchBlockDef = swSketchMgr.MakeSketchBlockFromSelected(Nothing)

    '

    ' Define an insertion point

    nPt(0) = 60# / 1000#

    nPt(1) = -60# / 1000#

    nPt(2) = 0#

    vPt = nPt

    Set swMathPoint = swMathUtil.CreatePoint(vPt)

    '

    ' Insert an instance of the block definition

    Set swBlockInst = swSketchMgr.InsertSketchBlockInstance(swSketchBlockDef, swMathPoint, 1, 0)

http://help.solidworks.com/2013/English/api/sldworksapi/Create_Block_Definition_and_Insert_Block_Instance_Example_VB.htm

1 Like
8

Finally I changed the anchor points of the blocks.

Merici  PL

1 Like