SolidWorks Macro Performance Enhancers

No one likes a slow macro. What�s worse is to be embarrassed by your peers with
lackluster speed resulting in macro envy! Don�t let your macros suffer from this
unnecessary condition. Add a few of these tweaks to your code to re-invigorate
their performance.
SketchManager.AddToDB

If your macro is ever creating sketch geometry, this one is a must! Try the
following VB.NET macro code. Start by opening a new part and inserting a sketch on
any plane. The macro is supposed to create 5 circles in a very small pattern.

Sub main()
Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim Part As ModelDoc2
Dim skSegment As SketchSegment
Dim skMgr As SketchManager

swApp = Application.SldWorks

Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
skMgr = Part.SketchManager
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(0#, 0#, 0#, 0.001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(0.0005, 0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(0.0005, -0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(-0.0005, 0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(-0.0005, -0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
End Sub

There�s a good chance that when you run the code, there are no circles drawn as a
result. If you zoom in to the origin close enough, it will run.

Now, try the following. AddToDB is set to True to cause the sketch geometry to be
created and to avoid snapping to other nearby geometry. AddToDB should be set back
to False when you�re done with the sketch.

Sub main()
Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim Part As ModelDoc2
Dim skSegment As SketchSegment
Dim skMgr As SketchManager

swApp = Application.SldWorks

Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
skMgr = Part.SketchManager
skMgr.AddToDB = True
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(0#, 0#, 0#, 0.001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(0.0005, 0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(0.0005, -0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(-0.0005, 0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.CreateCircleByRadius(-0.0005, -0.0005, 0#, 0.0001)
skMgr.AddToDB = False
End Sub

See the difference? Now, the enhancement doesn�t come without some side effects
which may include missing automatic relationships and occasional headaches for
other users who need to work with the sketch.
ModelView.EnableGraphicsUpdate
Sometimes a macro seems to go so fast that it�s over before you were ready. You
never saw anything happen until, whammo, it�s on the screen. Well, there�s a good
chance the programmer used this little magic trick.

The ModelView is the current viewport for the file in SolidWorks. If a user
regularly splits the viewport into multiple views, you would need to operate on
each of them. Luckily most users don�t. You can get to the ModelView interface by
calling ModelDoc2.ActiveView.

Record yourself a macro of whatever actions you�d like. But keep it to one model.
The macro below is a subset of me zooming and rotating all over the screen.

Public Sub main()

Dim swDoc As ModelDoc2 = Nothing
Dim swPart As PartDoc = Nothing
Dim swDrawing As DrawingDoc = Nothing
Dim swAssembly As AssemblyDoc = Nothing
Dim boolstatus As Boolean = False
Dim longstatus As Integer = 0
Dim longwarnings As Integer = 0
swDoc = CType(swApp.ActiveDoc, ModelDoc2)
Dim myModelView As ModelView = Nothing
myModelView = CType(swDoc.ActiveView, ModelView)
myModelView.FrameState = _
swWindowState_e.swWindowMaximized
myModelView = CType(swDoc.ActiveView, ModelView)
myModelView.RotateAboutCenter(0.10566, 0)
myModelView = CType(swDoc.ActiveView, ModelView)
myModelView.RotateAboutCenter(0.05513, 0)
.... way too much stuff in between to post ....
swDoc.ViewZoomtofit2()
swDoc.HideComponent2()
swDoc.ClearSelection2(True)
swDoc.ShowNamedView2("*Top", 5)
End Sub

Playing back the macro gives you a dizzying display of nearly the exact steps you
just recorded. Now, for the performance boost. Add the following call to set
EnableGraphicsUpdate to False until everything is done. Then set it back to True
to see a final graphics update.

Public Sub main()

Dim swDoc As ModelDoc2 = Nothing
Dim swPart As PartDoc = Nothing
Dim swDrawing As DrawingDoc = Nothing
Dim swAssembly As AssemblyDoc = Nothing
Dim boolstatus As Boolean = False
Dim longstatus As Integer = 0
Dim longwarnings As Integer = 0
swDoc = CType(swApp.ActiveDoc, ModelDoc2)
Dim myModelView As ModelView = Nothing
myModelView = CType(swDoc.ActiveView, ModelView)
myModelView.FrameState = _
swWindowState_e.swWindowMaximized
myModelView = CType(swDoc.ActiveView, ModelView)

myModelView.EnableGraphicsUpdate = False

myModelView.RotateAboutCenter(0.10566, 0)
 myModelView = CType(swDoc.ActiveView, ModelView)
myModelView.RotateAboutCenter(0.055131, 0)
.... way too much stuff in between to post ....
swDoc.ViewZoomtofit2()
swDoc.HideComponent2()
swDoc.ClearSelection2(True)

myModelView.EnableGraphicsUpdate = True

swDoc.ShowNamedView2("*Top", 5)
End Sub

Now run the macro again and, presto change-o, all you�ll see is a brief pause and
the end result. Add this to any existing macro that takes time to process and
you�ll likely see improvements. Watch out though. This one can come with a nasty
side effect if you don�t handle and trap errors. If your code stops before setting
EnableGraphicsUpdate to true, your model view is dead in the water until you re-
open the file.
SldWorks.DocumentVisible

This one is perfect for those macros that need to open reference models into
memory. Adding views to drawings and inserting components in assemblies are two
obvious uses. The SolidWorks application has the DocumentVisible method that
causes any files of a given type to be opened without a display window. Refreshing
the display window is visually distracting as well as a performance drain.

The following VB.NET macro code inserts a part into a new assembly. Check the path
for the sample part to make sure it is correct for your system.

Public Sub main()

Dim swDoc As ModelDoc2 = Nothing
Dim swAssembly As AssemblyDoc = Nothing
Dim swComp As Component2
swDoc = swApp.NewAssembly()
Dim assemName As String
assemName = swDoc.GetTitle
swAssembly = swDoc
Dim FileName As String
FileName = "C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp" _
& "\SolidWorks\samples\tutorial\" _
& "advdrawings\base plate.sldprt"
swDoc = swApp.OpenDoc(FileName, _
swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART)
swApp.ActivateDoc(assemName)
swComp = swAssembly.AddComponent2(FileName, 0, 0, 0)
swAssembly.EditRebuild()
End Sub

Before you can make the call to AddComponent2, you need to have the model open in
memory. But notice the time required to open the base plate part. And when you�re
done, the base plate part is still open with its own window. Imagine adding dozens
or even hundreds of parts into an assembly. You could throw someone into a seizure
with all the blinking!

Add some smooth speed to the macro by calling DocumentVisible from the SolidWorks
application interface. You need to pass it the document type too.

Public Sub main()

Dim swDoc As ModelDoc2 = Nothing
 Dim swAssembly As AssemblyDoc = Nothing
Dim swComp As Component2
swDoc = swApp.NewAssembly()
Dim assemName As String
assemName = swDoc.GetTitle
swAssembly = swDoc
Dim FileName As String
FileName = "C:\Program Files\SolidWorks Corp" _
& "\SolidWorks\samples\tutorial\" _
& "advdrawings\base plate.sldprt"
'Open parts invisibly
swApp.DocumentVisible(False, swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART)

swDoc = swApp.OpenDoc(FileName, _
swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART)
swApp.ActivateDoc(assemName)
swComp = swAssembly.AddComponent2(FileName, 0, 0, 0)
swAssembly.EditRebuild()

'reset part visibility

swApp.DocumentVisible(True, swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART)
End Sub

Much nicer, no? If you�re adding multiple components, consider using

DocumentVisible along with EnableGraphicsUpdate on the assembly ModelView and
you�ll have some serious speed! Side effects include completely destroying a
user�s ability to open models with any kind of user interface if you fail to trap
errors and reset document visibility at the end of your code. Once you�ve called
DocumentVisible during a SolidWorks session, all files opened of that type will be
opened in memory, but will be invisible to the user unless you reset
DocumentVisible to True.