Select component's face in assembly

SOLIDWORKS API/VBA Macros
1

I’m trying to show the flat pattern’s fixed face for any selected sheetmetal part in the assembly.

I already tried the method swEntity.Select3 the return value is True but nothing is selected.

1 Like
2

You need to post some code with an example assembly.

3

Got it!

Option Explicit

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim swComp As SldWorks.Component2
Dim swEnt As SldWorks.Entity

Sub Main()

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc

Dim Sheetmetal_Flatpattern_Name As String

If swModel.GetType = swDocPART Then
        
    Sheetmetal_Flatpattern_Name = Get_Flatpattern_Name(swModel)
Else
    
    Set swComp = swModel.SelectionManager.GetSelectedObjectsComponent2(1)
    
    Sheetmetal_Flatpattern_Name = Get_Flatpattern_Name(swComp.GetModelDoc2)
       
    Set swEnt = swComp.GetCorrespondingEntity(swEnt)
End If

swEnt.Select False
End Sub

Private Function Get_Flatpattern_Name(ByVal Ref_Model As SldWorks.ModelDoc2) As String

Dim Ref_Feat As SldWorks.Feature
Dim Ref_SheetMetal As SldWorks.SheetMetalFeatureData
Dim Ref_FlatPattern As SldWorks.FlatPatternFeatureData
Dim Ref_Face As SldWorks.Face2

Set Ref_Feat = Ref_Model.FirstFeature

Do While Not Ref_Feat Is Nothing

    If Ref_Feat.GetTypeName2 = "FlatPattern" Then
        Get_Flatpattern_Name = Ref_Feat.name
        Exit Do
      End If

    Set Ref_Feat = Ref_Feat.GetNextFeature
Loop

Set Ref_FlatPattern = Ref_Feat.GetDefinition

Ref_FlatPattern.AccessSelections Ref_Model, Nothing

Set Ref_Face = Ref_FlatPattern.FixedFace2

Ref_FlatPattern.ReleaseSelectionAccess

Set swEnt = Ref_Face
Set swEnt = swEnt.GetSafeEntity
End Function

This was the missing line in the code:
Set swEnt = swComp.GetCorrespondingEntity(swEnt)

1 Like
4

It seems like you’re attempting to write a macro in SolidWorks to select the fixed face of a sheet metal part. Here’s a basic example of how you could achieve this:

Option Explicit

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim swPart As SldWorks.PartDoc
Dim swFlatPatternFeature As SldWorks.FlatPatternFeature
Dim swSelMgr As SldWorks.SelectionMgr

Sub Main()
    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
    Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc
    
    If Not swModel Is Nothing Then
        If swModel.GetType = swDocPART Then
            Set swPart = swModel
            If swPart.IsSheetMetal Then
                Set swFlatPatternFeature = swPart.FeatureByName("Flat-Pattern1") ' Change "Flat-Pattern1" to match your flat pattern feature name
                If Not swFlatPatternFeature Is Nothing Then
                    swFlatPatternFeature.Select2 True, 0 ' Select the flat pattern feature
                    Set swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager
                    Dim selectedFace As SldWorks.Face2
                    Set selectedFace = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1) ' Get the selected face
                    If Not selectedFace Is Nothing Then
                        MsgBox "Selected face: " & selectedFace.Name
                    Else
                        MsgBox "No face selected"
                    End If
                Else
                    MsgBox "Flat pattern feature not found"
                End If
            Else
                MsgBox "Selected part is not a sheet metal part"
            End If
        Else
            MsgBox "Selected document is not a part"
        End If
    Else
        MsgBox "No active document"
    End If
End Sub