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SolidWorks VBA Macro for Sheet Metal

Creating a VBA macro in SolidWorks for sheet metal involves automating tasks related to sheet metal parts, such as creating a sheet metal feature, flattening a part, or exporting a flat pattern. Below is a sample VBA macro that demonstrates some basic sheet metal operations in SolidWorks.


### Sample VBA Macro for Sheet Metal in SolidWorks

This macro will:

1. Create a new sheet metal part.
2. Add a base flange.
3. Add a bend.
4. Flatten the part.
5. Export the flat pattern as a DXF file.

Here's the VBA code for the macro:

```vba
Sub SheetMetalSample()
    Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
    Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
    Dim swPart As SldWorks.PartDoc
    Dim swFeature As SldWorks.Feature
    Dim swSheetMetalFeatureData As SldWorks.SheetMetalFeatureData
    Dim boolstatus As Boolean
    Dim longstatus As Long
    Dim longwarnings As Long
    
    ' Initialize SolidWorks application
    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
    
    ' Create a new part document
    Set swModel = swApp.NewDocument("C:ProgramDataSOLIDWORKSSOLIDWORKS 2024templatesPart.prtdot", 0, 0, 0)
    
    ' Set the part as the active document
    Set swPart = swModel
    
    ' Set units to millimeters (optional)
    swModel.Extension.SetUserPreferenceInteger swUserPreferenceIntegerValue_e.swUnitsLinear, swUserPreferenceOption_e.swDetailingNoOptionSpecified, swLengthUnit_e.swMM
    
    ' Create a base flange
    boolstatus = swPart.Extension.SelectByID2("", "FACE", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    swModel.InsertSheetMetalBaseFlange2 0.005, False, 0, 0.01, 0.01, False, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, False
    
    ' Add an edge flange
    boolstatus = swPart.Extension.SelectByID2("Edge1", "EDGE", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    swModel.FeatureManager.InsertSheetMetalFlange 0.01, swFlangePositionType_e.swFlangePositionBendOutside, 0.005, 0, False, False, False, 0, False, 0, 0, 0
    
    ' Flatten the part
    swPart.EditRebuild3
    boolstatus = swPart.Extension.SelectByID2("SM-FLAT-PATTERN", "BODYFEATURE", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    swModel.EditUnsuppress2
    
    ' Export the flat pattern as DXF
    longstatus = swModel.Extension.SaveAs("C:YourPathFlatPattern.dxf", 0, 0, Nothing, longwarnings)
    
    ' Confirm completion
    If longstatus = 1 Then
        MsgBox "Flat pattern exported successfully!"
    Else
        MsgBox "Failed to export flat pattern."
    End If
End Sub
```

### Explanation

1. **Initialize SolidWorks**: The macro starts by initializing the SolidWorks application and creating a new part document.

2. **Create a Base Flange**: A base flange is added to the part using `InsertSheetMetalBaseFlange2`. This function takes various parameters like thickness and bend radius.

3. **Add an Edge Flange**: An edge flange is added to the base flange using `InsertSheetMetalFlange`.

4. **Flatten the Part**: The part is flattened by selecting the "SM-FLAT-PATTERN" feature and unsuppressing it.

5. **Export as DXF**: The flat pattern is exported as a DXF file to the specified path.

### Setup Instructions

- **SolidWorks References**: Make sure to enable the SolidWorks type library references in your VBA environment. Go to `Tools > References` and select:
  - `SolidWorks 2024 Type Library`
  - `SolidWorks Constant Type Library`
  
- **Path Adjustments**: Update file paths according to your system. Ensure that the template path and export path are correctly set.

- **Error Handling**: This is a basic example. You might want to include additional error handling to ensure robustness.

### How to Use

1. Open SolidWorks and go to `Tools > Macro > New`.
2. Paste the above VBA code into the editor.
3. Run the macro using `Tools > Macro > Run`.

This sample demonstrates some basic operations related to sheet metal parts in SolidWorks using VBA. You can expand it by adding more features, such as custom bend tables, material properties, or other advanced sheet metal operations.

caa August 06 2024 89 reads 0 comments Print

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