CATScript/VBA for Sketch Analysis

[2briancox]

Does anyone know of a way to use a macro in CATIA V5 R23/24 to activate and read the results from a Sketch Analysis on a CATDrawing?

I would like to end or perhaps pause a script if the geometry is open.

 

[itsmyjob]

open ?

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[2briancox]

Ok. Now if I could find an API reference on what to open (and read) that would be very helpful.

 

[itsmyjob]

can you be a bit more specific about what you need to analyze?

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[2briancox]

There is a tool withing the Drafting Workbench of CATIA (when you open a CATDrawing) called Sketch Analysis. It reports how many profiles there are and whether they are Closed Profiles (such as a polygon or circle) or Open Profiles (such as an arc, spline or line).

I want to activate that tool and read its output using CATScript.

 

[ferdo]

Hi,

As far as I know, to activate that tool you can use CATIA.StartCommand "Sketch Analysis" or CATIA.StartCommand "Sketch Solving Status"... but...all GeneratedItem are iso-constrained (coming from 3D), drawn elements are under-constrained (if they are not fixed or constrained in another way).

Regards
Fernando

https://picasaweb.google.com/102257836106335725208

https://picasaweb.google.com/103462806772634246699/

 

[2briancox]

Thank you, Fernando. I'll give that a try when I return to work. Do you know what the return type of ”Sketch Solving Status” is?

 

[ferdo]

If I remember correctly, it will give you a small window saying the status, if you have under-constraints sketches it will be also selected on graphic area.

Regards
Fernando

https://picasaweb.google.com/102257836106335725208

https://picasaweb.google.com/103462806772634246699/

 

[2briancox]

If I wanted a macro to read in the lines of output from that window, would you know how to go about that?

Ultimately I'm trying to achieve diverging like:

If more than one profile or profile1 is open then
Prompt the use to fix the profile
Pause the macro
End If

 

[2briancox]

I apologize for that last post. My phone thinks it knows what I'm trying to say and often gets it wrong.

I'm trying to achieve something like this:

If there is more than 1 profile or profile1 is open then
Prompt the user to fix the geometry
Pause the macro until they do
Check again
End if

 

[2briancox]

Fernando,

This fix worked to open up the Sketch Analysis window. Thank you!

Do you know if there's a way to read in the data that it puts out into VBA? I'm trying to avoid human interaction if possible here.

Thanks again.

 

[ferdo]

Hi,

I'm not aware about something like is, drafting is one of the worst workbenches in automation. Anyway, let designers live, don't automate everything

Regards
Fernando

https://picasaweb.google.com/102257836106335725208

https://picasaweb.google.com/103462806772634246699/

 

[2briancox]

Ha! Very funny. Our designers are unfortunately spending too much time looking at every single DXF, when they only need to fix the ones that have geometry that is not closed. Tedious.

Anyway, do you think this might be approachable through CAA or some other means?

I don't think you can use the search tools to find out if some geometry is open or closed. Or can you?

 

[itsmyjob]

I would look into this:

try to make a pad from your sketch => if error tell user to fix

search all face in pad, define a new reference with first face.

trim (remove lumb) with ref face, then try to get volume, if you have one then profile is not single profile => ask user to fix

remove trim, remove pad

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[2briancox]

Thank you, Eric. That sounds like a very workable idea! I don't yet know how to do much of what you explained but I get the concept and I'll research it.

Perhaps you could just explain one question. What do you mean by trim (remove lumb)?

 

[itsmyjob]

search catia online doc

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​

 

[2briancox]

I understand. And thank you for your suggestion. I will look that up when I need it, although I've realized I really just need to know if the shape is made without error. Quantity of bodies can be ignored for now.

However, I cannot get the Copy-Paste method to work. When I record the copy and paste within the "Record Macro", I get the copy, but the paste is just a list of the items created manually. So, the copy works fine. But .Paste is not a method of Factory2D or Sketch. I am assuming that I have to create a reference of the "Copy", but I'm not exactly clear from the documentation I have on how to put that reference into a part sketch. Is there a link someone has that explains it clearly?

 

[2briancox]

Scratch that. I was trying to search for, then copy-paste all of the geometry. I switched to copy-paste the view, and it all worked out fine. SOLVED!

 

[ferdo]

You could look here

Regards
Fernando

https://picasaweb.google.com/102257836106335725208

https://picasaweb.google.com/103462806772634246699/

 

[itsmyjob]

glad it worked

Eric N.
indocti discant et ament meminisse periti ​