Hi All,

I have finished an implementation of pseudo design table (PDT) with transformation support which i want to share to the world. I want to know about your comments about same.

By pseudo design table (PDT) I mean a detatched design table excel file which is having transformation support and the PDT is linked using custom properties in the solidworks document.

REASON FOR DEVELOPMENT :- SW is good tool for manual working. But its awefully deficient in terms of automation and large assemblies as compared to Unigraphics NX. To come up with a solution which would aid in automation and large assembly handling I created this DLL.

Benefits: -

1.      This is done with the automation in goal.

2.      So transformation support is provided.

3.      No limitation of 256 columns of excel is there for excel 2007 below.

4.      Embedding of excel is not there so the assemblies/parts are opened faster.

5.      No embedded design tables are possible.

6.      Levels of children for model updation from pseudo design table can be controlled.

7.      Opening and closing of design table is avoided.

8.      Can run on any sheet of any name of pseudo design file.

Limitations: -

1.      Only one way design table linking is possible. That is models are updated from design table only and not vice versa.

2.      Once model is updated using the pseudo design table the attributes are locked for modification by design table. This happens even if there is no linking with solidworks design table ( which is not used in this case). This is due to “IconfigurationManager:: IsetConfigurationParams” API.

3.      “Family” range is not recognised. Always “A2” is treated in place of the “family” range.

4.     Run time addition of configurations / properties is not possible using pseudo design table.

DOCUMENTATION :- Please refer the attached zipped file (PDT Documentation.zip).

Jeetendra Prasad.

Senior Automation Engg.