"Engineering Automation" with Visual Basic

[thick]

I'd like to learn more regarding Visual Basic's potential application with Solid Modeling (i.e. SolidWorks).
For example, our company builds industrial machinery. These machines are nearly identical, but vary slightly in size, capacity, etc... We currently go in and modify those components (in SolidWorks)which are slightly different, then build an assembly from scratch. Needless to say, this seems to be a waste of time when all of our machines are very much alike, with only minor differences.
What we are in pursuit of is building (1) master asembly, then with Visual Basic programming, type in what size, capacity, etc.. the machine is to be, and have the VB program "automatically re-configure" the assembly to those specs, update and construct 2-D prints, etc...
Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this, or where can I obtain some for information regarding such topic.


Thanks in Advance !!! [sig][/sig]

 

[duner]

Since your already using Solidworks, have you heard of Design Tables. You can create a table in Excel and input values for dimensions. The table can then be imported into Solidworks and automatically creates the configurations.

 

[hoyle]

Hello

email me at work on nigel_hoyle@eu.fmo.com and I can tell you all about the stuff we have done.
We have bearing design programs doing advanced hydrodynamic calculalations, writing an output file using data fed into a spreadsheet. This is read innto Pro/E with a mapkey (macro) and the master model regens itself to the new information. All associated information is of course updated, drawings CNC etc. and then it is a simple file save as exercise. It has taken a long time, and a huge amount of advanced Pro/E part progarmming to get this to work, but it does, and PTC have stated it is the most advanced use of Pro/E usage in the UK they know of, so we must be doing soemthing right

Anyway email me and I could talk for Britain on this one

Nigel

 

[swertel]

Thick,

I am still learning VB programming and SolidWorks API. In doing so, I came across a great website for all SWX users.

http://www.nhcad.com

This site writes freeware apps for SWX as well as great tutorials. Check them out for a little example by clicking the Excel Solver example.
If you get anywhere on this, I'd like to see it because I'm working on the same thing for my company.

You may also want to post this on the SolidWorks products discussion forum. You'll probably get better answers there.

To remain on topic for this forum, I think with all the "tools" that are becoming available, engineers have a possibility of designing themselves out of a job. Thankfully, we are innovative and will inevitably design new "tools" that only we understand.

--Scott

 

A SCADA will be bether see

http://www.scadaNEWS.com