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SWalker@carrollhealthcare · Guest

Could someone share a few pointers on how to go about creating an API
(using VB) to manipulate (and create) custom properties for part models and
assembly models. I have programming experience so a reference to the
specific methods and properties of the part object model would suffice.

I have a bunch of part models to which I wish to add a few custom
properties and values to those properties. I hope to be able to open each
model make the changes and close the model.

While I'm at it, is it possible to open a bunch of drawings and refresh the
sheet layout programatically?

Foraging through the help, although interesting and informative, can be
time comsuming. This project has been dumped on my lap and there is a time
crunch. So I wonder if the API approach can save me some time.

thanks
SW

CS · Guest

Custom properties can be quickly manipulated programatically, if they aren't
Configuration specific, using DSOfile.dll you may have to download it if you
don't have it on your machine.

here is some sample code that i wrote to update MaterialNo and Material
(which in my case is the description). In this case I used a list of part
numbers in excel tried to change the props and returned a string for the
status and also changed the cell color for the status.

Function ChangeSldWorksMaterial(PartNo As String, CurrentCell As Range) As
String
'written by Corey Scheich in December of 2004
'Opens a part file using company directory standards
'Atempts to change the custom properties of the file
'If successful changes the cell to green and returns that both props
were changed
'if unsuccessful changes the cell to red or yellow depending on where
the mishap was
ChangeSldWorksMaterial = "Failed"
'code to get description
Dim PropReader As DSOleFile.PropertyReader
Dim ThisFile As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim AllProps As DSOleFile.CustomProperties
Dim FileDesc As DSOleFile.CustomProperty
Dim RdOnly As Boolean
Dim Count As Long
Dim FilePath As String
Dim FoundMaterialNo As Boolean
Dim FoundMaterial As Boolean
Dim Prop As DSOleFile.CustomProperty

FoundMaterial = False
FoundMaterialNo = False

'use company standard model folder structure developed from part
number
FilePath = "G:\Models\" & Left(PartNo, 3) & "\" & PartNo & ".sldprt"

Set PropReader = CreateObject("DSOleFile.PropertyReader")
RdOnly = True
On Error Resume Next
RdOnly = PropReader.GetDocumentProperties(FilePath).IsReadOnly
On Error GoTo 0
Select Case RdOnly
Case True
'if file is read only change cell to red and return the text
below
CurrentCell.Interior.Color = RGB(255, 0, 0)
ChangeSldWorksMaterial = "Part was Read Only"
Exit Function

Case False
Set AllProps =
PropReader.GetDocumentProperties(FilePath).CustomProperties
Count = 1
For Count = 1 To AllProps.Count
'compare the names of available custom properties
'to desired names non case sensitive
Select Case UCase(AllProps.Item(Count).Name)
Case UCase("Description")
strDescription = AllProps.Item(Count).Value
Case UCase("Material#")
'set the new value
AllProps.Item(Count).Value = "500090"
FoundMaterialNo = True
Case UCase("Material")
'set the new value for multi line
AllProps.Item(Count).Value = "HRSHT 10GA" &
vbCrLf & _
"(.135t)" & vbCrLf &
_
"72 X 120"
FoundMaterial = True

End Select

Next
'check if each prop was found
If FoundMaterialNo = False Then
Set Prop = AllProps.Add("Material#", "500090")
If Prop Is Nothing Then GoTo NotSet
End If
If FoundMaterial = False Then
Set Prop = AllProps.Add("Material", "HRSHT 10GA" &
vbCrLf & _
"(.135t)" & vbCrLf & _
"72 X 120")
If Prop Is Nothing Then GoTo NotSet
End If

CurrentCell.Interior.Color = RGB(0, 255, 0)
End Select
Set PropReader = Nothing
Set AllProps = Nothing
ChangeSldWorksMaterial = "Both properties changed successfully"
Exit Function
NotSet:
'if any props weren't found set the color to yellow and return the
string below
CurrentCell.Interior.Color = RGB(255, 130, 0)
ChangeSldWorksMaterial = "Could not add one of the properties"
End Function

To refresh the sheet layout on a single sheet drawing you should only have
to open and save it. To refresh it on a multi sheet drawing you may have to
open each sheet. If you want to do alot of files I would suggest running it
at night as it will be very taxing on your computer while running as I am
sure you could guess.

Regards,

Corey

<SWalker@carrollhealthcare.com> wrote in message
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That70sTick · Guest

<http://www.esoxrepublic.com/freeware>
CopyCustomInfo macro frere for dissecting.
Beware that "AddCustomInfo" does not overwrite existing properties.

SWalker@carrollhealthcare · Guest

"CS" <C@S.COM> wrote in news:33fob6F3lgibmU1@individual.net:

SWalker@carrollhealthcare · Guest

"That70sTick" <rol4@liquidschwarz.com> wrote in
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