jasonnicholson/getreferences

Gets the references for SolidWorks parts, Documents, and Assemblies.

This repo is no longer maintained.

Author: Jason Nicholson
Date Started: 2011-Sept-12
Last Date of README Update: 2011-Oct-7

#Goal: This project is for creating a console application that obtains SolidWorks references. I would like to return configuration information but that is not currently possible in all cases (The SolidWorks API calls are unreliable).

#Compiling Prerequisites: You must have the SolidWorks Document Manger Key and the SolidWorks Document Manager DLL to compile this code. You may obtain a key from the SolidWorks API division. Visit: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/support/apisupport.htm for more info. You need a C# compiler with .NET 4. I used the Microsoft Visual C# 2010 Express.

#Binary Use Prerequisites: You must have .NET 4. You must have the SolidWorks Document Manager DLL installed. You may obtain it from SolidWorks.com in the download section. You will have to sign in to the Customer Portal to get the file. From my understanding of the license agreement I signed with SolidWorks for the Document Manager, I have the right to distribute the DLL and my code as long as I don't distribute my key. Until I get the licensing completely figured out, I will not distribute the SwDocumentMgr.dll with my project. You may obtain Document Manager instructions from the SolidWorks API Help "Getting Started" section. At the time of writing this, here is the address of the "Getting Started" page of the Document Manager: http://help.solidworks.com/2011/English/api/swdocmgrapi/SolidWorks.Interop.swdocumentmgr_GettingStartedSWDocMgrAPI.html?id=a6e51b17163d4174b8c2c25c0f0afdac#ApplicationBasics

#Where to get the Binary: Its located in GetReferences\GetReferences\bin\Release\GetReferences.exe

#Documentation: An example use of GetReferences is located in: \Documentation
If you call GetReferences.exe with no arguments, then the syntax usage displays.

#Known Issues: -Sometimes the document manager does not return the references of a drawing even though they exist. This is a problem with the SolidWorks Document Manger and not the code of GetReferences. The break down occurs when the Document Manager call SwDMDocument13::GetAllExternalReferences4 returns an empty string array but its not "null." Even trying to access the zeroth element of the string array returns a "out of bounds error." My hunch is the SolidWorks file is damaged. Note that in 26,000 test files, only three returned this error. This error will return the following: "Object reference not set to an instance of an object. at GetReferences.Program.GetDrawingReferences(SwDMDocument dmDoc) at GetReferences.Program.Main(String[] args) File is internally damaged, .Net error occurred, or GetReferences.exe has a Bug." Note that this error will occur for files that do not have references but the string array returned by SwDMDocument13::GetAllExternalReferences4 is not "null."

Command Line Instructions

Syntax 
    [option] [ParentFilePath]

Output
    ""ParentFilePath""      ""ChildFilePath""   ""IsVirtual""   ""IsReferenceBroken""


Output if Error Occurs
    ""ParentFilePath""  ""ErrorMessageAndStackTrace""


Only one Filename is accepted.  No wildcars allowed. If the path has spaces 
use quotes around it.  Note that the file must have one of the following 
file extensions: .sldasm, .slddrw, .sldprt, .asm, .drw, or .prt.  The output
is tab delimited.  This makes it easy to redirect the output to a text file
that can be opened as spreadsheet.

Options
    /q      Quiet mode.  Suppresses the current message.  It does
            not suppress the one line error messages related to problems
            opening SolidWorks Files.  Quiet mode is useful for batch files
            when you are directing the output to a file.  The main error 
            message is suppressed but you are still informed about problems 
            opening files.

Version 2011-Oct-7 18:56
Written and Maintained by Jason Nicholson
http://github.com/jasonnicholson/GetReferences