Hi,

I know how to render my images progrematically.

What i want is to be able to saev the renderd alpha channel as well.

How can i do that?

The simple routine i use fro saving the rendered views is below and the outout file (jpeg) is created with:

lOutFile = TASK_WORKING_DIR & "render_" & \$\$\$FILE_NAME\$\$\$ & FILE_SUF & lCameraId

The \$\$\$VAR\$\$\$ is for the solidworks task scheduler input fields - it can be replace by any string.

Dim swApp As Object
'------------------------------------------
'
' Preconditions: SolidWorks model is open and contains at least one camera.
'
' Postconditions: The cameras are turned on and off.
'
'------------------------------------------
Option Explicit
'
' Utility struct to combine the name and ID of a camera
'
Type Camera_t
    Name As String
    Id   As Long
End Type
'Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
' TASK_WORKING_DIR 
' IS_PART -> (Y/y) => SLDPRT otherwise SLDASM
' FILE_PATH
' FILE_NAME.
Sub main()
    Dim swModel                 As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
    Dim swModelView             As SldWorks.ModelView
    Dim swCamera                As SldWorks.Camera
    Dim lNumCameras             As Long
    Dim lCameraId               As Long
    Dim swFeature               As SldWorks.Feature
    Dim aCameras()              As Camera_t
    Dim bValue                  As Boolean
    Dim sFeatureName            As String
    Dim lTypeOfCamera           As Long
    Dim lTypeOfCameraPosition   As Long
    
    Dim longstatus As Long
    Dim dummyRet As Long
    
    Dim fullPath As String
    Dim docType As Integer
    Dim TASK_WORKING_DIR As String
    Dim FILE_TYPE As String
    Dim FILE_SUF As String
    'Dim FILE_NAME As String
    'Dim IS_PART As String
    'FILE_PATH = "c:\Users\Chupi\Documents\Solid\Other\Bottle\Wine bottle\" 
    'FILE_NAME = "flatScreen"
    'IS_PART = "n"
    TASK_WORKING_DIR = "c:\Users\Chupi\Pictures\Solid\" 
    If (\$\$\$FILE_SUFFIX\$\$\$ <> "") Then
       FILE_SUF = "_" + \$\$\$FILE_SUFFIX\$\$\$
    Else
       FILE_SUF = ""
    End If
    If (\$\$\$IS_PART\$\$\$ = "Y" Or \$\$\$IS_PART\$\$\$ = "y") Then
       FILE_TYPE = "SLDPRT"
       docType = 1
    Else
       FILE_TYPE = "SLDASM"
       docType = 2
    End If
    
    fullPath = \$\$\$FILE_PATH\$\$\$ + \$\$\$FILE_NAME\$\$\$ + "." + FILE_TYPE
    
    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks            ' Connect to SolidWorks
    Set swModel = swApp.OpenDoc6(fullPath, docType, 1, "", dummyRet, longstatus)
    'Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc               ' Get active document
    Set swModelView = swModel.ActiveView        ' Get the active model view for the active document
    
    ' Get current directory (destination of render)
    ' Check if a camera view is active
    Set swCamera = swModelView.Camera
    Debug.Print
    If (swCamera Is Nothing) Then
        Debug.Print "No active camera."
    Else
        Debug.Print "Camera is active."
        Debug.Print "  Name = " & swCamera.Id
    End If
    
    
    swModelView.Camera = Nothing                ' Turn off camera view
   
    Dim lOutFile As String
    Dim status As Boolean
    Dim swRayTraceRenderer, swRayTraceRenderOptions As Object
    Set swRayTraceRenderer = swApp.GetRayTraceRenderer(swPhotoView)             ' Access PhotoView 360
    Set swRayTraceRenderOptions = swRayTraceRenderer.RayTraceRendererOptions    ' Get and set rendering options
    
    ' Get the number of cameras
    lNumCameras = swModel.Extension.GetCameraCount
    Debug.Print
    Debug.Print "Number of cameras = " & lNumCameras
    
    ReDim aCameras(lNumCameras - 1)
    
    For lCameraId = 0 To (lNumCameras - 1)
        ' Valid ID:
        '
        '  0 <= ID <= (ModelDocExtension::GetCameraCount - 1)
        '
        ' IDs are reassigned if a camera is deleted
        aCameras(lCameraId).Id = lCameraId
          
        Set swCamera = swModel.Extension.GetCameraById(lCameraId)   ' Get the camera
        Set swFeature = swCamera
        
        sFeatureName = swFeature.Name                           ' Get the names of the feature and camera
        aCameras(lCameraId).Name = sFeatureName
        
        lTypeOfCamera = swCamera.Type                           ' Get the type of camera
        lTypeOfCameraPosition = swCamera.PositionType           ' Get the type of camera position
    Next lCameraId
    
    ' Now switch the view to each camera
    For lCameraId = 0 To (lNumCameras - 1)
        bValue = swModelView.SetCameraByName(aCameras(lCameraId).Name)
        If (bValue = False) Then
            Debug.Print "Failed to set model view to use camera " & aCameras(lCameraId).Name
        Else
            Debug.Print "Model view set to use camera " & aCameras(lCameraId).Name
            'status = swRayTraceRenderer.InvokeFinalRender                               ' Invoke final render window
            'status = swRayTraceRenderer.AbortFinalRender                                ' Abort final render window
            lOutFile = TASK_WORKING_DIR & "render_" & \$\$\$FILE_NAME\$\$\$ & FILE_SUF & lCameraId
'            lOutFile = "render_" & lCameraId    'don't know where this is written
            status = swRayTraceRenderer.RenderToFile(lOutFile, 0, 0)      ' Render
        End If
        swModelView.Camera = Nothing
    Next lCameraId
        
    'MsgBox "Done"
End Sub
'Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
'End Sub