Hi,
I'm new to the api and am hoping someone can give me some guidanceon this.
I am trying to automate a process; we currently use anothersoftware tool to perform calculations to size certain parts for us,all the dimensional information is available for me to access (textfile output format). The major part geometry would only change insize, type and thickness. The assembly may have as few as 3 partsor as many 100 parts depending the project and each part couldchange. What I mean by this statement (all parts could change) isthat I can not simply create an assembly with differentconfigurations since the possibly of configurations is driven byprojects and calculations and not standards.
My thought now is that the only way to automate this is to createan API that would use a set of base parts that contains all thepossible features I would require, 1) create a copy of the part ina project folder, 2) change what I needed for the project (i.e.change configuration of the part to suppress features, modifydimensions), 3) create an assembly and start inserting parts.Before I proceed further does anyone see this as not being possibleor not advisable?
Assuming this is the right path, what is the best way to mate partsusing the api? For certain part connections I can use matereferences because they can only be used in certain places (e.g.bushing on a shaft), can you in the api specify mating with matereferences?
For other parts it is not as simple, there maybe structural steelthat I need to mate to another piece of structural steel ormultiple pieces of steel that I need to mate to one piece invarious locations, my only starting point would be the knownlocation of the initial piece of steel I have placed in theassembly. The concept I have right now is to create referencegeometry in the assembly based off the initial piece of steel sothat I can mate and constrain the new steel there, is this the bestway to go?
Thanks,
Ed
SolidworksApi macros
I'm new to the api and am hoping someone can give me some guidanceon this.
I am trying to automate a process; we currently use anothersoftware tool to perform calculations to size certain parts for us,all the dimensional information is available for me to access (textfile output format). The major part geometry would only change insize, type and thickness. The assembly may have as few as 3 partsor as many 100 parts depending the project and each part couldchange. What I mean by this statement (all parts could change) isthat I can not simply create an assembly with differentconfigurations since the possibly of configurations is driven byprojects and calculations and not standards.
My thought now is that the only way to automate this is to createan API that would use a set of base parts that contains all thepossible features I would require, 1) create a copy of the part ina project folder, 2) change what I needed for the project (i.e.change configuration of the part to suppress features, modifydimensions), 3) create an assembly and start inserting parts.Before I proceed further does anyone see this as not being possibleor not advisable?
Assuming this is the right path, what is the best way to mate partsusing the api? For certain part connections I can use matereferences because they can only be used in certain places (e.g.bushing on a shaft), can you in the api specify mating with matereferences?
For other parts it is not as simple, there maybe structural steelthat I need to mate to another piece of structural steel ormultiple pieces of steel that I need to mate to one piece invarious locations, my only starting point would be the knownlocation of the initial piece of steel I have placed in theassembly. The concept I have right now is to create referencegeometry in the assembly based off the initial piece of steel sothat I can mate and constrain the new steel there, is this the bestway to go?
Thanks,
Ed
SolidworksApi macros
