Macro for extracting dimensional dimensions from Solidworks

romainfe · March 28, 2014, 2:25pm

Hi all

I am working on the automation of a CAD/CAM process and I would like to be able to extract from a part or a Solidworks assembly the dimensions and their dimensions (for each function of the part(s) to an external file.

Thanks to Mr. Boutherand on an old article of ''myCadblog'', I found a macro that allows you to extract this data via an excel file. Only this macro seems to be obsolete (see code below).

Could you help me update it? (FYI: I'm on Solidworks 2014)

Thank you very much in advance for your feedback!

Roman

Sub AddAllDimensions()
Dim swDisplayDimension As SldWorks.DisplayDimension
Dim swDimension As SldWorks.Dimension
Dim swFeature As SldWorks.Feature
On Error GoTo SiErr
'Retrieves the SolidWorks application
Set swApp = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application")
'We get the active document
Set swDoc = swApp.ActiveDoc
'Retrieves the first function
Set swFeature = swDoc.FirstFeature
If swFeature Is Nothing Then
MsgBox "the document is empty", vbExclamation
Exit Sub
End If
Do
'On each function we retrieve the dimensions
Set swDisplayDimension = swFeature.GetFirstDisplayDimension
If Not swDisplayDimension Is Nothing Then
Do
Set swDimension = swDisplayDimension.GetDimension
Add to the list
Call AddDimToSheet(swDisplayDimension)
Set swDisplayDimension = swFeature.GetNextDisplayDimension(swDisplayDimension)
Loop Until swDisplayDimension Is Nothing
End If
Set swFeature = swFeature.GetNextFeature
Loop Until swFeature Is Nothing
Exit Sub
SiErr:
Set swDisplayDimension = Nothing
Summary Next
End Sub

gt22 · March 28, 2014, 4:34pm

may be a 32-bit to 64-bit or VBA macro language issue

http://help.solidworks.com/2013/French/WhatsNew/c_application_programming_interface_wn2012.htm?format=P

@+ ;-)

jfaradon · March 28, 2014, 4:40pm

I changed the macro slightly, it now lists the odds and their values

All that remains is to add your treatments

There she is

macro1.zip

romainfe · March 28, 2014, 5:22pm

@gt22: Thank you I'll look at the doc closely.

@jfaradon: Thank you for the macro modification, indeed it recovers the dimensions but only under solidworks by displaying a msgbox right?

Basically, the macro runs in an excel file to be able to extract the dimensions in cells.

Is it possible to run it in excel?

Thank you for your quick answers!

mathieuanger · March 28, 2014, 8:47pm

Good evening

just a quick question extract the values ok, but if you have tolerances how will it be with CAD/CAM machining?

Because I find the question very interesting but this point on tolerances makes me turlupine!

Thank you.

romainfe · March 29, 2014, 9:50pm

Good evening Matthieu,

Tolerances don't matter in our industrial process (strange statement taken out of context:) ) but it is. The application is quite special, far from the classic mechanical precisions...

What I need in the design is thanks to a library of functions where the machining is standardized in its shapes (sketch + material removal function) and for which I redefine the dimensions of the dimensions each time, to draw my parts and assemble them.

From the drawing of each part or the assembly, I want to extract a nomenclature of each part, the functions applied to each part (the machining in production) and the dimensions I used for each function. The manufacturing program only needs the names of the parts, the features applied to those parts, and some of the dimensions that define the positioning of the features on the part (the position of the machining in production).

That's the story. :)

Good night.

romainfe · March 31, 2014, 8:58am

Hi all

I finally managed to get the macro to work!

See the result attached...

On the other hand, it only seems to work for parts, and not for assemblies, while there is no .part specification in the macro code, is this normal?

Have a nice day!

extraction_test.jpg

jfaradon · March 31, 2014, 11:32am

Roman

Here is a modification to take into account the assemblies

The code on the feature value retrieve part is the same

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks

Dim swDoc As SldWorks.ModelDoc2

Dim swAss As SldWorks.AssemblyDoc

Dim swPart As SldWorks.PartDoc

Dim swFeature As SldWorks.Feature

Sub main()

On Error GoTo SiErr

'Retrieves the SolidWorks application

Set swApp = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application")

'We get the active document

Set swDoc = swApp.ActiveDoc

Select Case swDoc.GetType

Box swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART

Set swPart = swDoc

Call TraverseFeature(swPart)

Box swDocumentTypes_e.swDocASSEMBLY

Set swAss = swDoc

Dim swComponents As Variant

swComponents = swAss.GetComponents(False)

For i = 0 TB UBound(swComponents)

Call TraverseFeature(swComponents(i). GetModelDoc)

Next i

Box swDocumentTypes_e.swDocDRAWING

MsgBox "Not on a plan", vbExclamation

End

End Select

SiErr:

MsgBox Err.Description, vbCritical

End

End Sub

Sub TraverseFeature(ByRef swDoc As SldWorks.ModelDoc2)

Dim swDisplayDimension As SldWorks.DisplayDimension

Dim swDimension As SldWorks.Dimension

Dim swFeature As SldWorks.Feature

' If the document does not exist (e.g. not available, component deleted)

If swDoc Is Nothing Then Exit Sub

'Retrieves the first function

Set swFeature = swDoc.FirstFeature

If swFeature Is Nothing Then

MsgBox "the document is empty", vbExclamation

Exit Sub

End If

Do

'On each function we retrieve the dimensions

Set swDisplayDimension = swFeature.GetFirstDisplayDimension

If Not swDisplayDimension Is Nothing Then

Do

Set swDimension = swDisplayDimension.GetDimension

Add to the list

If MsgBox(swDimension.FullName & " = " & swDimension.GetValue2(""), vbOKCancel, swDoc.GetTitle) = vbCancel Then End

Set swDisplayDimension = swFeature.GetNextDisplayDimension(swDisplayDimension)

Loop Until swDisplayDimension Is Nothing

End If

Set swFeature = swFeature.GetNextFeature

Loop Until swFeature Is Nothing

Exit Sub

SiErr:

MsgBox Err.Description, vbCritical

End

End Sub

romainfe · March 31, 2014, 7:40pm

Good evening jfaradon,

Sorry I just realized that it was you who had developed the original macro and the associated excel file... :S

Thank you for your new code, but I have trouble integrating it into the current set of macros in the excel file. Do I have to replace the whole ''Sub AddAlldimensions()'' code with the new one? I wasn't at the BE today to test...

Thank you very much.

Good night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello!

I integrated the whole thing this morning, it works!!

I declared ''i'' As Integer and that's okay.

On the other hand I just have an error msgbox at the end (see attached image) I can't see where it comes from...

Thank you very much in any case. I didn't have the reflex of forums when it comes to design and your skills and responsiveness is extraordinary.

Have a nice day!

Roman

msgbox_error.jpg

mad · January 28, 2015, 8:23am

Hello, what do you need to add to extract its in an excel file? or txt?

p4board · March 28, 2015, 7:15pm

Hello and thank you for this code. I tried to use it as inspiration to extract dimensions as annotations in an assembly. I therefore ask my question here, which seems to me to be more judicious.

The dimensions (between 2 components) have a name of the RD1@annotations type. Is it possible to access their values via a macro? I looked in the API, but I'm drying up (FeatureByName?)

Second question of the same order, I would like to control the value of a contarrinte in the assembly.

The goal is to vary an angle and retrieve the measured dimensions by annotations directly in Excel.

Thank you for your help.

pl · June 9, 2015, 12:43pm

Hello, the old questions are very little followed on this forum because there is no possibility to sort by last activity. If you have a question, don't hesitate to ask it on the forum, and there you will have quick answers!