My company has changed how we do flat pattern drawings such that it requires the "mergeface" feature of the flat pattern feature to be turned off.

This is not a problem going forward for new parts and components, but if we want to reuse old components or parts, I want to make a macro so it makes the require changes to be updated to the new standard (merge face change being one of a few).

Where I am getting hung up on is that the API doesn't offer a "SetMergeFace" method for the flat pattern interface.

Being new to VBA and the solidworks API I assume I can change the parts flat pattern public property MergeFace, but it does not seem to make any changes.

2015 SOLIDWORKS API Help - IFlatPatternFeatureData Interface Members

Simple code:

Dim swApp As Object

Dim Part As Object

Set swApp = _

Application.SldWorks

Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc

Part.FeatureByName("Flat-Pattern1").GetDefinition.MergeFace = False

This effectively produces no change to the flat pattern feature

Breaking it out doesn't do anything:

Set swFeat = Part.FeatureByName("Flat-Pattern1")

Set swFlatPattern = swFeat.GetDefinition

swFlatPattern.MergeFace = False

Not knowing better, I assumed I am missing something with the access selection. I don't really understand the purpose of the .IAccessSelection2 method of the flat pattern interface. I assume it unlocks editing to the flat pattern feature? But when I have the code below I get "run time error '61836': Unable to read write-only property."

Dim Component As Component2

boolstatus = swFlatPattern.IAccessSelections(Part, Component)

Is there a way to edit the mergeface option of the flat pattern feature in a macro?

Thanks