{"id":8197,"date":"2020-12-23T13:16:14","date_gmt":"2020-12-23T12:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cadbooster.com\/?p=8197"},"modified":"2025-01-12T16:15:35","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T15:15:35","slug":"macros-for-solidworks-the-absolute-basics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.cadbooster.com\/nl\/macros-for-solidworks-the-absolute-basics\/","title":{"rendered":"Macros for SOLIDWORKS: the absolute basics"},"content":{"rendered":"

This post is about how to create, edit and debug SOLIDWORKS macros when you are completely new to building software.<\/p>\n

We’ll record a simple macro, explain the code and clean it up. Then we explain how you can debug your own macros.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to be a software engineer by profession to be able to create macros, but a basic understanding of programming will help. I myself am a mechanical engineer by trade. I only started coding professionally when I started CAD Booster in 2017.<\/p>\n

In this post, you’ll find<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. What is a macro?<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. What is an add-in?<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. How to record a SOLIDWORKS macro<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. VBA editor: what is the immediate window?<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Explaining the recorded code<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Improving the recorded code<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Checking the model type to prevent errors<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. How to debug VBA SOLIDWORKS macros<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. How to pick a language<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Sources and courses<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    1. What is a macro?<\/h3>\n

    SOLIDWORKS has two flavors for automation: macros and add-ins.\u00a0Macros are the most accessible, so we’ll start with those.<\/p>\n

    We’ll be using VBA or Visual Basic for Applications. VBA is an old Microsft programming language for creating macros for applications like Excel.<\/p>\n

    A VBA macro is a single .SWP file that can sit anywhere on your computer. You can run the macro by browsing for it or by adding a shortcut button to your command manager in SOLIDWORKS..<\/p>\n

    You can even record and play back macros, although not all actions can be recorded.<\/p>\n

    The advantages of macros<\/h4>\n
      \n
    1. Relatively easy to get started with.<\/li>\n
    2. SOLIDWORKS contains an editor to create and edit macros.<\/li>\n
    3. Can be created in VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), VB (Visual Basic, formerly VB.net) and C#.<\/li>\n
    4. You can quickly create a new macro. By now, I can build a simple macro in two minutes.<\/li>\n
    5. If you are familiar with macros in Excel, you can reuse much of that knowledge.<\/li>\n
    6. You can run them in a batch tool like #Task<\/a>, although I’m not a big fan of that product.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      The disadvantages of macros<\/h4>\n
        \n
      1. The forms look ugly and gray unless you put in some real work.<\/li>\n
      2. You cannot create task panes (those tabs on the right).<\/li>\n
      3. You cannot do proper version control because the SWP file is not a text file. Version control software like Git can therefore not see what you have changed, only that the file has changed.<\/li>\n
      4. It’s hard to roll out updates because:\n
          \n
        1. Files can become locked when you access them with multiple people. I’ve heard people say they had to wait till everyone went home to update the macro file.<\/li>\n
        2. When everyone has their own file, you are never sure everyone is using the same version.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          2. What is an add-in?<\/h3>\n

          If you want to make a professional product that integrates with SOLIDWORKS, you need to build an add-in.<\/p>\n

          With add-ins, you can create Property Manager Pages (PMPs, those menus on the left, that let you edit Extrude properties, for example) and task panes (the menu tabs on the right).<\/p>\n

          Add-ins are usually installed on your computer with a Windows installer. After that, your new add-in appears in the list of available add-ins:<\/p>\n

          \"enable<\/p>\n

          Add-ins can be built by SOLIDWORKS (like SOLIDWORKS Routing) or by third parties like CAD Booster. We develop and sell the products Drew<\/a> (for drawing automation) and Lightning<\/a> (the fast fastener filter) and we also build custom add-ins for our customers.<\/p>\n

          The advantages of add-ins<\/h4>\n
            \n
          1. Completely integrated within SOLIDWORKS.<\/li>\n
          2. You can create them in any programming language that supports COM. Frequently used languages are C#, C++ and Python.<\/li>\n
          3. Allows you to create task panes and property manager pages.<\/li>\n
          4. You can create your own user interface (with WPF, for example) in the task pane. There’s no need to use the ugly gray user interfaces from 20 years ago from Windows Forms.<\/li>\n
          5. You can do proper version control (with Git, for example) because the source code is stored in multiple text files.<\/li>\n
          6. Users can easily install add-ins and their updates with an installer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            The disadvantages of add-ins<\/h4>\n
              \n
            1. There is a steep learning curve if you have never built software before, or if you have never built software for SOLIDWORKS before.<\/li>\n
            2. You need external tools like Visual Studio to develop the software.<\/li>\n
            3. You need to compile your code and create an installer.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Overall, we love add-ins and we rarely build macros for our customers.<\/p>\n

              3. How to record a SOLIDWORKS macro<\/h3>\n

              The first step in learning how to create macros is by recording your own actions using the macro recorder.<\/p>\n

              Prepare your model file, hit record and only perform the actions that you want to record. Hit stop to save the file.<\/p>\n

              \"record<\/p>\n

              This great video by GoEngineer shows you how to record your actions and let SOLIDWORKS convert them into a macro. You can then create a button in your toolbar to run the macro whenever you need it again.<\/p>\n

              <\/div>
              SOLIDWORKS - Basic Macro<\/div><\/div>
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              <\/div>
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