How to read items from a material database?

Hi Andreas,

I could not understand your issue. But if you just wish to see the material database in excel, you can simply drag it in excel.

(Excel puts all properties column wise)

Andreas Killer,

     I have just gone through this last week.  Took me a day and a half to get it correct.  From everything I've read the material database is an XML file and you need to parse it as such.  Lots of people said it couldn't be done, but I kept digging and it works for me.  Here is what I have, hope it helps you.  My code is in VBA.

     Here is what my material database looks like: (copy your material database and rename it from .sldmat to .xml)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>

-<mstns:materials version="2008.03" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:sldcolorswatch="http://www.solidworks.com/sldcolorswatch" xmlns:msdata="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msdata" xmlns:mstns="http://www.solidworks.com/sldmaterials">

-<curves id="curve0">

     <point y="1.0" x="1.0"/>

     <point y="1.0" x="2.0"/>

     <point y="1.0" x="3.0"/>

</curves>

-<classification name="ALUMINUM">

     -<material name="0.012 ALUMINUM">

          -<shaders>

          ...

          -<swatchcolor RGB="6d757e">

          ...

          -<physicalproperties>

          ...

     </material>

     -<material name="0.020 PERF. ALUMINUM">

     classification name is the sub section of the database

     material name is the material in each sub section of the database

     This is how I currently have it set up.  I have Aluminum, Steel, Wood, Plastic classifications and materials in each that are applied to the models. This is a very large file with many materials I just wanted to show how mine is set up so it will hopefully explain the code better.

     Now for the fun part.  I pulled this together from several sources and manipulated it to my needs. I only activate this function if the Model is a part file. You may have to do a check for a part file so you don't run into an error on an assembly file.

Sub addMaterialList()

    Dim materialArray() As String

    Dim xmlDoc As Object

    Dim xmlRoot As Object

    Dim xmlTemplate As Object

    Dim xmlTemplate2 As Object

    Dim xmlAttributes As Object

    Dim xmlAttributes2 As Object

    Dim xmlName As Object

    Dim xmlName2 As Object

    Dim xmlChildren As Object

    Dim xmlChild As Object

    Dim b As Integer

    Set xmlDoc = CreateObject("MSXML2.DOMDocument")

    xmlDoc.async = False

    xmlDoc.validateOnParse = False

    xmlDoc.Load ("XXXX")  'XXXX = exact location of your sldmat file. Ex: C:\Solidworls\material database.sldmat

    Set xmlRoot = xmlDoc.DocumentElement

    Set xmlChildren = xmlRoot.ChildNodes

    b = 0     'Keeps track of material count and is declared in the array size below

    For Each xmlTemplate In xmlChildren

        If xmlTemplate.nodeName = "classification" Then     'This line searches for nodes of the XML and grabs only "classification" as noted above in the XML file example. Ex: Aluminum.

            Set xmlAttributes = xmlTemplate.Attributes

            Set xmlName = xmlAttributes.getNamedItem("name") 'This line reads the classification name Ex: Aluminum

            'Debug.Print xmlName.text   'If you needed these names, you would add it to an Array here.

            Set xmlChild = xmlTemplate.ChildNodes

            For Each xmlTemplate2 In xmlChild

                If xmlTemplate2.nodeName = "material" Then       'Just like classification, this filters out the materials.

                    ReDim Preserve materialArray(b)     'This line reconfigures the materialArray to the count of "b" which is incremented each time.

                    Set xmlAttributes2 = xmlTemplate2.Attributes

                    Set xmlName2 = xmlAttributes2.getNamedItem("name")     'This line reads the material name. Ex: 0.012" Aluminum

                    'Debug.Print xmlName2.text

                    materialArray(b) = xmlName2.text     'This line adds the material name to the materialArray.

                    b = b + 1

                End If

            Next xmlTemplate2

        End If

    Next xmlTemplate

    'Sort Array, does exactly what it says. Sorts Alphabetically.  Numbers are first. This doesn't have to be done.

    Dim strTemp As String

    Dim i As Long

    Dim j As Long

    Dim lngMin As Long

    Dim lngMax As Long

    lngMin = LBound(materialArray)

    lngMax = UBound(materialArray)

    'Debug.Print "=" & lngMax

    For i = lngMin To lngMax - 1

        For j = i + 1 To lngMax

            If materialArray(i) > materialArray(j) Then

                strTemp = materialArray(i)

                materialArray(i) = materialArray(j)

                materialArray(j) = strTemp

            End If

        Next j

    Next i

    'Add Materials to both pulldowns - Here I add my materials to both a configuration specific and global material pulldown. You can iterate though the array and place the values anywhere you wish.

    Dim Index As Integer

    For Index = 0 To lngMax

        'Debug.Print (materialArray(Index))

        txtMatl.AddItem (materialArray(Index))     ' My personal location for the materials.

        txtGMatl.AddItem (materialArray(Index))     'My 2nd personal location for the same materials.

    Next

End Sub

     Once you get the pulldown filled or whichever you are using, then you can set your material accordingly. You can uncomment the Debug.Prints and comment over the materialArray(b) = xmlName2.text just to see if the code will cycle properly through your material database.  This code may not be perfect and could probably use some cleaning up, but it works for my material database.  Hope it helps.