SolidWorks Design Automation Using the SolidWorks API, Microsoft Excel and VBA

Copyright © 2009 Razorleaf Corporation www.razorleaf.com

Managing Fiduciary Responsibility Within a Keynesian Economic

Environment

A New View of Investments in a Post-Crisis Capital Downturn World

September 15, 2009

Paul Gimbel


Design Automation: Simple SolidWorks Solutions to

Practical Programmatic Packages

Part 2: Programmatic Automation Using SolidWorks for Computations

September 15, 2009

Paul Gimbel


If You Use This…


Or This…


Or One of These…


Or This…


Or This…


Or Even This…


Then you need…


Design Automation: Simple SolidWorks Solutions to

Practical Programmatic Packages

Part 2: Programmatic Automation Using SolidWorks for Computations

September 15, 2009

Paul Gimbel


And a Very Expensive Calculator at That

SolidWorks:

The Ultimate Calculator for Design Automation


“Thinking…Bad. SolidWorks…Good.”


• Beer Pong

Engineering Education Skills

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• Mountain Dew + Espresso Beans

• Creative Culinary Techniques

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+=

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• Mountain Dew + Espresso Beans


•People use Automation to:• Produce SolidWorks Models/Drawings• Guide Users to Ensure Good Input• Feasibility or Performance Calculations

• Predicted Performance• Shipping Weight• Cost

Types of Interaction


• Complex Geometric Calculations• Manufacturability• Interference/Clearance• Simultaneous Equations• Design Validation• Top-Down Assembly Modeling

Applications


• Linkage• Truss• Belt & Pulley System

Examples: Complex Geometric Calculations


• Complex Sheet Metal• Tooling Decisions• Assembly and Tool Clearance• Tolerancing

Examples: Manufacturability


• Complex Fit Problems• Iterative Optimization• Validation Checks• Clearance Value Determination

Examples: Interference/Clearance


• Equations Tying Sketches Together

• Circular Problems• Mixed Arithmetic and

Geometric “Equations”

Examples: Simultaneous Equations


• Form, Fit, and Function• Geometric Impossibilities• Weight Problems• Return Values for Performance Calculations

Examples: Design Validation


• Enclosures• Intersecting Surfaces• Matched Components

Examples: Top-Down Assembly Modeling (TDAM)


• Microsoft Excel Samples• Yes, Excel. Here’s why:• Excel does a lot of the work• VisualStudio.NET is expensive• You spent all your budget coming

here• Familiar/Friendly user interfaces• It demo’s well• If you think my jokes are bad, you

should see my C# code

Before We Start Talking Code…


•NO LIVE CODE TODAY!!• I’ve seen enough of these things to know• Too slow (and boooooooring)• You don’t want to watch me search for typos• MY code won’t crash…GUARANTEED• Full code will be available upon request• Supported by PETA (People for the Ethical

Treatment of Audiences)

Nope. Not Going To Do It


•Southern States Superior Spring and Scissor Lift Systems

• Input required height• Input max weight• Return linkage lengths • Return output points• Run stress calculation• Iterate as needed• Output data sheet

Sample 1: The Simple Out-And-Back


1.Collect inputs2.Perform arithmetic and logic calculations3.Attach to SolidWorks4.Pass values to SolidWorks5.Force regeneration of model6.Retrieve values from SolidWorks7.Perform further calculations8.Iterate with SolidWorks as needed9.Generate outputs

Design Automation Steps


1) Collect Inputs

NAME THESE INPUT CELLS

NAME THESE OUTPUT CELLS

Type Cell Name Here

Check out SWW2008 presentation…”Automating Your

Designs: Excel, VBA, and Beyond” at www.razorleaf.com

for tips on using Excel for design automation

http://www.razorleaf.com/


• Convert the units as needed

• Determine the smallest cylinder that will support the load

• Determine stroke for selected cylinder

2) Perform Arithmetic and Logic Calculations


• Check your references• Be specific with your data types• Use CreateObject

• Attach/Create new SolidWorks• Open your master file

3) Attach to SolidWorks


3) Attach to SolidWorksOption ExplicitSub CalculateScissor()

‘Results variables for SolidWorks to returnDim bStatus As BooleanDim lStatus As LongDim lWarnings As Long

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks ‘Object holding the SolidWorks Session‘Attach to or create a SolidWorks SessionSet swApp = CreateObject(“SolidWorks.Application”)

Dim swPart As SldWorks.ModelDoc2 ‘Object holding our SolidWorks document‘Open our partswApp.OpenDoc6 “C:\SSSSSLift\ScissorLift.Sldprt”, 1, 0, “”, lStatus, lWarningsSet swPart = swApp.ActivateDoc2(“ScissorLift.Sldprt”, False, lStatus)


•Proper Programming Style includes:• ‘Commenting the snot out of everything• Error trapping (On Error Goto/Try…Catch)• Testing for data types (important when interacting with

Excel)• Testing for objects (If myObject IS NOTHING Then

panic)• Including Debug Code (Debug.Print/Assert, or a log file if

you’re lucky enough to have a debug library)

Public Service Announcement


• Name your features and dimensions in SolidWorks• If you need to select, avoid “screen picks”

• Travel up and down the object tree• SolidWorks tools to make inputs easier

• Link Values• Geometric Relations (ex. Symmetry) • Equations

4) Pass Values to SolidWorks


4) Pass Values to SolidWorks

swPart.Parameter(“OverallLength@[email protected]").SystemValue = Range(“StrokeInches”).Value * 0.0254 ...or better yet... = InchesToMeters(Range("StrokeInches").Value) ...or even better yet... = Convert(Range("Stroke").Value, Range("SUnits").Value, "meters")

NOTE: When getting or setting values from Excel, name the cells and use Range(”name”).value

Must be in meters


•Sherpa Tip #1

Simplify Your Life (By Simplifying Your Models)

Sherpa Tip #1


• Why are you building a model?• Visualization?

• Model is so it LOOKS right• Simulation?

• Model it so it WORKS right• Calculation?

• Model it so it gives you the right result• Drawings?

• Model it so that the drawings are correct• To win that SolidWorks model contest?

• OK, fine. Go for it.

Simplified Models and Automation


•Do you need threads?

•Do you need swoopies?

•Do you need fillets?

•Do you need hardware?

•Do you need mounting holes?

•Do you need SOLID GEOMETRY?

Did I Say Simple? Oh yeah. Simple.


Drive Geometry…Don’t create it

If the world was indeed created in six days, I bet it wasn’t through the SolidWorks API

Don’t Invent the Wheel, Redesign It


Scissor Lift Model

Extended Plane

Retracted Plane

Drive to set height goal

Each stack is a separate sketch

Stroke

Drive to change the geometry

Just for show: completely unnecessarySingle line is the real sketch


• SolidWorks has three different rebuild methods:• swPart.Rebuild (Assemblies and Drawings only)• swPart.EditRebuild3 (Rebuilds only what “needs” to be

rebuilt)• swPart.ForceRebuild3 (Rebuilds everything with a “Top

Only” option) “Sherpa Recommended!!”• You also have an option to suppress error messages…use it!• swPart.ShowFeatureErrorDialog = FALSE• Don’t rebuild unless you need to, but keep in mind…• Any time that you need to retrieve values, rebuild first• Some changes require, or are better off, after a rebuild

• Ex. Referencing an entity created/modified in earlier step

5) Force Regeneration of Model


• Populate Excel cells, instead of just bringing values into VBA variables

• Provides greater visibility to calculations• Easier to troubleshoot• Allows you to use Excel for validations and further calculations• Give Management their graphs and charts• Use the same syntax as driving values…only backwards

Watch your units and data types

Let’s see the code!

6) Retrieve Values from SolidWorks





6) Retrieve Values from SolidWorks

Range(“LinkLength”).Value = Part.Parameter(“LinkLength@[email protected]").SystemValue / 0.0254 ...or better yet... = MetersToInches(Part.Parameter(“LinkLength@[email protected]").SystemValue ) ...or even better yet... = Convert(Part.Parameter(“LinkLength@[email protected]").SystemValue , "meters“, Range("SUnits").Value)


Perform code calculations if:• you still need interact with SolidWorks• you’re dealing with data that Excel doesn’t handle well

(arrays)• you need to loop

Perform calculations in your DA System if:• you are done with SolidWorks• you want visibility into your calculations• you don’t want me to yell at you and deduct 15 style points

7) Perform Further Calculations


Minimize your round trips to SolidWorks by:• Analyzing your outputs• Performing calculations to get more accurate seed values• Design your models to minimize rebuilds and leverage

relations/equations

Keep the SolidWorks object so there’s no need to reinstantiate

8) Iterate with SolidWorks as Needed


Sherpa Tip #2

•Sherpa Tip #2

You ARE the Brute Squad!


Quite often you can simply:• Use the outputs from your design automation tool• Format results in Excel or WordIn other cases, you can:• Drive custom property value (for SolidWorks drawings,

BOM, Word docs)• Write to text files• Send information to databases

9) Generate Outputs

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• Spikes must be within a tolerance depending on rodent girth

• Base plastic strip is complex shape• Inputs include railing width and

length and the target size of the source of the client’s ire

Sample 2: Locating By Clearance

*Based VERY loosely on a

true client story!

Specialized Squirrel Skewer Syndicate

Sciurus Carolinensis


Squirrel Skewering Approach

No squirrels or SolidWorks models were harmed in the making of this presentation

Inputs:• Base Geometric Requirements• Railing Width• Railing Length• Rodent Size• Generate Simplified model with

Spike#1• Guess where Spike #2 should go• Measure clearance• If clearance is within tolerance, return

location• If clearance is outside of tolerance,

iterate


Five Simple Features:1. A swept feature to represent the plastic base2. A sketch representing the profile3. A cylinder representing one spike4. A cylinder representing the other spike5. Datum points on the tips6. A few mates

The Model


• Before the code is launched:• Users enter Profile Radius, Profile Length, Spike Spacing,

Tolerance• The code then:

The Program Flow

Guess Spacing

Push Values to

SW

Regenerate Model

Measure Clearance

Fill Values Into Excel

Is Clearance Within

Tolerance?NO

YES


• Always send an intelligent starting value• Minimize the number of trips you need to make• Track your values for trending• Create an array of the values• Use an interpolation/extrapolation routine to determine

next seed

Coding the Tricky Bits: Guessing The Seed Value

Public Function Seed(SeedValues() as Double, _LastResult As Double, Goal As Double, _Tolerance As Double)As Double

Seed will look at the result to see if it was too high or too low, Find the next seed value in that direction (if there is one), and interpolate based on how far out of tolerance (in %) it was


•Just a few of the Variables:• Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks• Dim swDoc As SldWorks.ModelDoc2• Dim swAssy As SldWorks.AssemblyDoc• Dim swComps As Variant ‘Array of components• Dim swFaces() As SldWorks.Face2• Dim swComp As SldWorks.Component2• Dim swBody As SldWorks.Body2• Dim swFace As SldWorks.Face2• Dim swMeasure As SldWorks.Measure• Dim Distance As Double

Coding the Tricky Bits: Measuring Clearance Values

Check out last year’s presentation…”Automating Your Designs: Excel, VBA, and Beyond” at www.razorleaf.com for tips on OOPs in SolidWorks and Excel

(I know it’s not TRUE OOP. So if you’re a coder, don’t bother yelling at me…I know.)



Sub main()

Set swApp = CreateObject(“SolidWorks.Application”)Set swDoc = swApp.ActiveDocSet swAssy = swDocswComps = swAssy.GetComponents(True)Set swComp = swComps(index)Set swBody = swComp.GetBodySet swFace = swBody.GetFirstFaceSet swFaces(FaceCount) = swFaceSet swMeasure = swDoc.Extension.CreateMeasurebResult = swMeasure.Calculate(swFaces)Distance = swMeasure.Distance

Follow the Bouncing Objects

**Lots of loops, comments, error trapping, and other stuff left out for clarity**

The Takeaway: Work TOP DOWN!


•Sherpa Tip #3

Work Top Down (unless you design skyscrapers)

Sherpa Tip #3


Modifying most SolidWorks content involves selection…• Set swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager• Set swFeat = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject5(1)

or• Set swFeat = swEditAssy.FeatureByName(sFeatName)• bResult = swFeat.Select2(False, 0)• bResult = swPart.EditSuppress2()

…or traversing the object tree• Set swApp = CreateObject(“Application.SldWorks”)• Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc• Set swModelExt = swModel.Extension…• swAnnViews = swModelExt.AnnotationViews…• Set swAnnView = swAnnViews(i)…• swAnnotations = swAnnView.Annotations…• Set swAnn = swAnnotations(j)…and so on…

Controlling Features and Other Friends


Mass PropertiesDim swMass As SldWorks.MassPropertySet swMass = swPart.Extension.CreateMassProperty

Access properties swMass.mass or .Volume or .SurfaceArea…

Section PropertiesDim swPart As Sldworks.ModelDoc2Dim swPartDocExt as Sldworks.ModelDocExtensionDim vFace As VariantDim vSecProps as VariantSet swPart = swApp.ActiveDocSet swPartDocExt = swPart.Extension‘Get face through selection or traverse Body->Face…vSecProps = swPartDocExt.GetSectionProperties2((vFace))

Other Calculations from SolidWorks


There is a Measure object (Imeasure Interface) with its own propertiesDim Measurement as SldWorks.MeasureDim bResult as BooleanDim dResult as Double

Build your selection set using SelectByID, etc.Set Measure = swPart.Extension.CreateMeasureMeasure.ArcOption = 0 ‘Center-to-Center/Min/MaxbResult = Measure.Calculate(Nothing)

You can also calculate an array of objectsDim swObjects() As VariantswObjects(0) = swFace ‘Previously captured objectswObjects(1) = swPoint ‘Previously captured objectbResult = Measure.Calculate(swObjects)

Then grab the property of the measure that you’re afterdResult = Measure.Length (or .Radius or .Angle or .Area or…)

Measure: An Object Unto Itself


Use macro features to execute:• On each rebuild

• Report values back to your automation, file, or database• At a specific point during the rebuild

• Perform “calculations” at particular manufacturing step• Report values back to the design automation

• Get results to use further down the tree• Use mass properties values to drive additional features

• Interruptions• Add flow, logic and validation to your SolidWorks models• Head off problems before SolidWorks fails or wastes time

Macro Features


From a SolidWorks API functionality perspective there is no difference between VBA and .NET

Consider .NET if you:• Have no need for a user interface (Excel does that

well)• Want to protect your code and app (Compiled code

versus exposed)• Have a lot of redundancies (Inheritance)• Complex algorithms (Polymorphism)• Need more structure in your life (True OOP)• Are all about efficiency and are a seasoned coder

SolidWorks and .NET


1.Collect inputs2.Perform arithmetic and logic calculations3.Attach to SolidWorks4.Pass values to SolidWorks5.Force regeneration of model6.Retrieve values from SolidWorks7.Perform further calculations8.Iterate with SolidWorks as needed9.Generate outputs

Design Automation Steps


• Perform calculations BEFORE you get to SolidWorks• SolidWorks will be the slowest link in the chain • Simplify your geometry• Avoid creating geometry on the fly• Kickoff SolidWorks, don’t let it decide when it will generate• Brute Force is not necessarily a bad thing (ESPECIALLY

when it’s SolidWorks exerting the force)• Work Top-Down…start with the end in mind

Concluding Tips and Techniques


Thank You! (for staying awake…well most of you at least)

• If you have questions, feel free to call me at home▫My name is Mickey Dorsey, (302)…

•Feel free to grab me (or my card) after the show

Paul GimbelBusiness Process

Sherpa

[email protected]

www.razorleaf.com

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SolidWorks Design Automation Using the SolidWorks API, Microsoft Excel and VBA