I need to create 500+ SolidWorks parts representing concrete wall penetrations. Each part is a simple wall block with a cutout (rectangular or round opening varying in size). Dimensions come from Excel.

Current manual process:

• Receive Excel sheets with opening IDs, wall thickness, and penetration dimensions

• Manually create each part in SolidWorks

• Generate drawings with company template

• Export PDFs for field crews

• Repeat 500+ times

What I'm Trying to Automate

1. Read Excel data → Extract opening dimensions and metadata 

   1. I've built a Python script that successfully reads and parses the Excel data. 

2. Generate SolidWorks parts → Create wall geometry + penetration cutouts

3. Save with correct naming → Use opening IDs from Excel

4. Close parts after saving → Critical for memory management with large batches

5. (Future) Generate drawings and PDFs

Questions for the Community

1. What's the recommended workflow for this type of batch part generation in SolidWorks?

2. Should I avoid mixing Python + VBA? Is pure Python API or a SolidWorks add-in better for this use case?

3. How do others handle large-scale automated part creation with external data sources?

4. Memory management considerations when generating hundreds of parts in sequence?

Looking for guidance on the best architectural approach for reliable, scalable SolidWorks automation with external data sources.

Thanks for taking a look!