SolidWorks API - Programming & Automation

The first in the series of books on programming of the SolidWorks CAD software is here. Shipping to anywhere in the world.

If you are new to programming or a seasoned developer this book suits all levels. Covering VBA, C# and VB.Net this is the only book you will need to know everything you need about the SolidWorks API.

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Contents & Details

The Basics

Recording your first macro
Writing a macro from scratch

Connecting with Visual Studio Express

Download and Install Visual Studio Express
Connect to SolidWorks in C#
Connect to SolidWorks in VB.Net

Starting SolidWorks Programming

Saving Drawing Sheets as DXF
Get Document Information
Displaying Document Information

Working with Selected Objects

Identifying Selected Objects
Mating Selected Objects
Setting Material of Selected Objects
Manipulating Dimensions
Selecting Objects
Setting a Selection Filter

Property Manager Pages

Deriving the base class
Adding items to the Page
Responding to events

Traversing

Traversing through an Assembly
Traversing through a Component
Displaying the results
Playing with Components and Features

Custom Property Manager

Acquiring a Custom Property Manager
Adding Custom Properties
Deleting Custom Properties
Check Custom Property Existence
Updating Custom Properties
The ConfigSearcher program

Working with Drawings

Automatically create Drawing Sheet
Counting Views
Printing Drawing Sheets

Add-ins

The basics of an Add-in
Removing Add-in entries

Comments (2)

SolidWorks API - Advanced Product Development

Books - Programming

Second in a series of highly popular books focusing intensively on the SolidWorks API programming toolset.

Firstly this book is written with the presumption that the reader has adequate knowledge of SolidWorks API programming (either from experience or from reading my previous book) and so complete beginners may struggle as basic steps are overlooked.

This book focuses a lot more on hardcore API programming techniques and methods focused around the add-in and PMP area of SolidWorks. Purely .Net (no VBA this time folks).

As well as covering the API, we go ten steps further and move on to something I have personally never found in any programming book on the market, presumably because those who have the knowledge do not wish to share it; actual real-world product development step-by-step - from concept to design and testing, onto licensing, installation, sales, distribution and marketing! After all, is that not where this journey is meant to lead?

The topics covered will include SolidWorks Add-ins, in-process coding vs. Standalone, planning and production, the development of a fully-functioning complex event and notification hooked add-in application, creating your very own installer software that installs your add-in and registers it with COM, then creates desktop/start menu shortcuts and much more. You will even be taught on using Photoshop CS4 to create a logo and packaging for your product ready for sale!

This book is truly a full product lifecycle journey and beginners right through to industry pro’s will learn a thing or two from at least one chapter.

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SolidWorks API Series 2: Drawing Automation

Books - Programming

The first of the series 2 books is coming!

The long awaiting continual series of SolidWorks API programming and automation books is finally on it's way. Preperations are being made to free up my time this year so that I can focus on the biggest and best book in the collection so far... Drawing Automation! Yes that's right, the huge topic is going to be covered extensively and with a lot of existing users/customers feedback and comments from the previous book and new suggestions are all being taken into account to produce the first of the Series 2 range.

Series 2 will be on better quality paper, going from wire bound to thermal bound (if all goes well in aquiring the Perfect Binding machine!) and have more content. Supported by the new online site there will also be a new comments and forum specifically for the series 2 books for anyone with issues who wishes to seek help on something they are stuck on, or just wishes to post any modifications or additions they have done from the book.

While the book is still being planned out, now is the time to get your comments and suggestions going, so feel free to comment below on any ideas and suggestions you have for the new book and they will be updated in the list below if approved:

Approved Suggestions

- Automatic Ordinate dimensioning

- Automatic drawing view creation and positioning

- Automatic dimension tidy-up and arrangement

- Retrieve extensive drawing document detail (sheets, views, BOMs, tables, properties, annotations, positions of all objects etc...)

- Add/delete/remove/move/update all above mentioned objects through API

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