Creating a SOLIDWORKS Macro Template

A SOLIDWORKS macro template is a SOLIDWORKS macro that lets you specify parameter values when you schedule it as a custom task in SOLIDWORKS Task Scheduler. A SOLIDWORKS macro template is a text file that typically contains Visual Basic code, SOLIDWORKS API calls, and token names. When you schedule a SOLIDWORKS macro template to run as a custom task in SOLIDWORKS Task Scheduler, you specify the parameter values to substitute for the token names.

Token names can be either text strings or numerics. They are formatted as follows:

Type of Parameter Format of Token Name
String $$$<token_name>$$$
Number ###<token_name>###

A SOLIDWORKS macro template must have a .swb filename extension.

To create a macro template:

  1. Open a new text file using Windows Notepad, Microsoft WordPad, or other text editor.
  2. Copy and paste a SOLIDWORKS macro into the text file.
    See SOLIDWORKS API and Add-Ins Help Topics for information about SOLIDWORKS macro files.
  3. Type token names in place of the parameters whose values you want to specify. For example:
    Original code: swApp.SetCurrentWorkingDirectory "c: emp"
    Modified code: swApp.SetCurrentWorkingDirectory $$$TASK_WORKING_DIR$$$
  4. Save the text file with a filename extension .swb.
    Create a backup copy of the SOLIDWORKS macro template file before scheduling and running it, or store the SOLIDWORKS macro template file in a location other than the task working directory. Click View > Options > Task Options to see the task working directory. When a task using a SOLIDWORKS macro template runs, the system creates a copy of the macro template and replaces the token names with the parameter values you specified when you scheduled the task. The system saves the file in the task working directory under the same filename as the original SOLIDWORKS macro template. If the original SOLIDWORKS macro template is stored in the task working directory, the system overwrites it with the new file.
    The following code is an example of a SOLIDWORKS macro template. It opens each SOLIDWORKS drawing document in a folder and saves it as a DXF file. When you schedule the macro template as a custom task in SOLIDWORKS Task Scheduler, you specify the parameters to substitute for the token names: $$$TASK_SOURCE_DIR$$$ and $$$TASK_DESTINATION_DIR$$$.
    Dim swApp As Object
Dim swModel As Object
Dim ret As Boolean
Dim openError As Long
Dim openWarn As Long
Dim errorFilePath As String
Dim nErrors As Long
Dim nWarnings As Long
Dim destinationPath As String
Dim sourcePath As String
Dim modelTitle As String

Sub main()

    sourcePath = $$$TASK_SOURCE_DIR$$$
    destinationPath = $$$TASK_DESTINATION_DIR$$$
     
    errorFilePath = destinationPath + "\" + "swTaskScheduler.error"
    ErrorOut "Start logging any errors...", errorFilePath
    
    Set swApp = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application")
    swApp.SetCurrentWorkingDirectory destinationPath
    
    ' Determine type of document
    
    openWarn = 0
    
    Dim fileName As String
    fileName = Dir(sourcePath + "\*.SLDDRW")
    
    Do While fileName <> ""
        modelTitle = ""
        Set swModel = swApp.OpenDoc6(sourcePath + "\" + fileName, 3, 1, "", openError, openWarn)
        
        
        If (openWarn And 2) Then
            ErrorOut "File is read-only.", errorFilePath
            ret = False
        ElseIf (openWarn And 4) Then
            ErrorOut "File is locked by another user.", errorFilePath
            ret = False
        ElseIf (openWarn And 512) Then
            ErrorOut "File is view-only.", errorFilePath
            ret = False
        Else
            ret = True
        End If
        
        If Not swModel Is Nothing Then
            modelTitle = swModel.GetTitle()
            If ret = True Then
                    ' Strip off SOLIDWORKS drawing file extension (.slddrw)
                    ' and add DXF file extension (.dxf)
                    Dim sPathName As String
                    sPathName = swModel.GetPathName
                    sPathName = Left(sPathName, Len(sPathName) - 6)
                    sPathName = sPathName + "dxf"
                    sPathName = Replace(sPathName, sourcePath, destinationPath)
                    ' Save as file as DXF
                    bRet = swModel.SaveAs4(sPathName, swSaveAsCurrentVersion, swSaveAsOptions_Silent, nErrors, nWarnings)
            End If
            
            Set swModel = Nothing
            swApp.CloseDoc modelTitle
        End If

        
        fileName = Dir
    Loop
          
    ' Exit the SOLIDWORKS software
    swApp.ExitApp
    Set swApp = Nothing
    
End Sub

Function ErrorOut(errorString As String, errorFilePath As String)
    Open errorFilePath For Append As #5
    Print #5, errorString
    Close #5
End Function