Getting BOM from SW 1

[ronin2307]

Hi I am extremely new to sw programming and I am having some troubles. Here is my code in VB.Net

Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim swBomTable As SldWorks.BomTableAnnotation
Dim fileerror As Long
Dim filewarning As Long
Dim swView As SldWorks.View
Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim swSelMgr As SldWorks.SelectionMgr
Dim swError As Long

swApp = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application")


Try
swModel = swApp.ActivateDoc2("C:\IF 53914.slddrw", True, swError)
swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager
swView = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject5(1)
swBomTable = swView.GetBomTable

Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub


I always get the OBJECT REFERENCE IS NOT SET TO AN INSTANCE OF AN OBJECT, because swView is NOTHING. Selection manager report 0 selected objects in the debug view.

any help will be highly appreciated

Thanx
Iggy

 

[CorBlimeyLimey]

Check out the "Assembly BOM" macro at

http://webpages.charter.net/mkikstra/SolidWorks.html

Making the best use of this Forum. faq559-716
How to get answers to your SW questions. faq559-1091
Helpful SW websites every user should be aware of. faq559-520

 

[ronin2307]

I looked at that code as well, but I am still having essentially the same problem. I have a drawing open, yet
swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc returns nothing

 

[Regg]

To use the selection manager, I believe you have to select the view first. Although I must admit I have never tried this. However, this is how normally retrieve the BOM table

Set swView = swModel.GetFirstView

Set swTable = swView.GetFirstTableAnnotation

You then have to check if swTable is = to Nothing. IF not then check the type of table returned examble:

swTable.Type = swTableAnnotation_BillOfMaterials

If that fails then you have to check the next view on the drawing

Set swView = swView.GetNextView

and start all over from

Set swTable = swView.GetFirstTableAnnotation

Do this until you find the BOM you are looking for or you run out of views.

If I remember correctly, the first view has the sheet format on it so you will cycle through at least once.

Regards,

Regg

 

[dogarila]

Check this thread559-115220 as well

 

[ronin2307]

First of all thank you for your explanations. They have shed some light on the whole issue. Some problems still persist though:

here is the code:

Try
'swApp.OpenDoc6("X:\Iggy\Basic Assembly\basicdwg.slddrw", swDocDRAWING, _
'swOpenDocOptions_Silent, "", fileerror, filewarning)

swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc
swDraw = swModel
swView = swDraw.GetFirstView
Do While Not swView Is Nothing
swTable = swView.GetFirstTableAnnotation
If Not swTable Is Nothing Then
MsgBox(swTable.Title)
End If
'swBomTable = swView.GetBomTable
Do While Not swTable Is Nothing
ProcessTable(swApp, swModel, swTable)
swTable = swTable.GetNext
Loop
swView = swView.GetNextView
Loop

Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox(ex.Message)
End Try

problem is that the swTable or swBOMTAble for that matter are always nothing. I iterate through 4 views yet the table is never set. I am using an excel based BOM.

 

[Regg]

I no longer work with Excel BOMs. I am not sure what I gave you works with those.

Regg

 

[Regg]

ronin2307,

Try using

swTable = swView.GetBOMTable

According to API help this will return the Excel BOM table.

If you go into API help do a search on BOMTable::, it will return a list of APIs that are used along with it.

Regards,

Regg

 

[ronin2307]

thanx. After much headache and research I have found out why I was not successful before.
ATTACH3 method is what I was failing to do, therefore I couldn't retrieve any data from the table.
I have it working now. Thanx

 

[alexit]

Please post your successful VB code, I too am working with Excel BOM and seek to manipulate this externally.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[ronin2307]

here is most of the code. A bit messy but it does the job
If there are questions please ask and I'll be happy to explain.
We have a few different templates and therefore I have to check the column headers accordingly so I know what to do with the data and in which column I can expect what. Bunch of formatting etc, that is really not that valuable to you.

For Each path As String In arrFilePaths
                intCount += 1
                arrFilePathAndMultiplier = path.Split(",")
                lblFile.Text = "Processing File: " & intCount & " of " & arrFilePaths.Count
               
                swApp.OpenDoc6(arrFilePathAndMultiplier(0), swDocDRAWING, swOpenDocOptions_ReadOnly, "", fileerror, filewarning)
                intMultiplier = arrFilePathAndMultiplier(1)

                blBOM_FOUND = False

                'getFileName
                GetFileName(path, strFileName)

                swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc

                If swModel Is Nothing Then
                    arlErrors.Add(path)
                Else
                    swDraw = swModel

                    'gotta do something here to get to the first sheet
                    'assuming for now that the first entry in the names array is actually the first sheet in the drawing
                    arrSheetNames = swDraw.GetSheetNames()
                    swDraw.ActivateSheet(arrSheetNames(0))

                    'start the do while loop that will iterate through the sheets if multiple present
                    Do While blBOM_FOUND = False
                        'here I get the paper size info
                        sheet = swDraw.GetCurrentSheet
                        retval = sheet.GetProperties
                        'strSheetName = sheet.GetName
                        arrDbl = retval

                        'Write a function here that will send the drawing size as a parameter so that I can set up the printer

                        If arrDbl(0) = PaperSize.A Or arrDbl(0) = PaperSize.B Then
                            PrinterSetup(swModel, ps, arrDbl(0), False)
                            PrinterSetup(swModel, ps, arrDbl(0), False)
                            PrinterSetup(swModel, ps, arrDbl(0), False)
                        ElseIf arrDbl(0) = PaperSize.C Or arrDbl(0) = PaperSize.D Then
                            PrinterSetup(swModel, ps, PaperSize.B, True)
                            PrinterSetup(swModel, ps, PaperSize.B, True)
                            PrinterSetup(swModel, ps, arrDbl(0), False)
                        End If


                        swView = swDraw.GetFirstView
                        arrdata.Clear()
                        Do While Not swView Is Nothing
                            'can I get the title here???
                            strTitle = swModel.GetTitle
                            swTbl = swView.GetBomTable
                            name = swView.Name
                            BOM_TYPE = BOMType.UNKNOWN_BOM
                            If Not swTbl Is Nothing Then 'ASSUME FIRST BOM FOUND IS THE ONE TO USE 
                                blBOM_FOUND = True
                                bRet = swTbl.Attach3 ' activate the table
                                count_column = swTbl.GetColumnCount
                                count_row = swTbl.GetRowCount()
                                
				'DO YOUR PROCESSING OF THE DATA HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!				


                                swTbl.Detach() 'release the table
                            End If
                            swView = swView.GetNextView
                        Loop

                        
                        If Not blBOM_FOUND Then
                            swDraw.SheetNext()
                        End If
                    Loop

                    'update bar
                    ProgressBar1.Value += 1
                    'update form
                    Repaint()

                    swApp.QuitDoc(strTitle)

                End If

Next

 

[mreimer]

It looks like you are only reading from the BOM and not writing to it. Are you able to write to the BOM and change BOM table data and have the changes show up after you detach from the BOM? My BOMs happen to contain macros that read model dimensions and do not always update properly after a rebuild. Instead, they display as blank cells. Manually double clicking on the table and then off again updates it.

Using Attach3 and then Detach looks like its doing the same thing since the cells appear to have updated text in them when the Excel object is active, but as soon as the BOM is detached, they blank out again. I can even change data programatically in non macro driven cells using the Excel object and it displays briefly, but then goes blank again after detaching.

Have you by chance dealt with this issue?

 

[ronin2307]

sorry, I haven't ever had to write to the BOM so I really do not have any idea how to do it.