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For automation is SolidWorks REQUIRED to be running in the PC?

Question asked by Ramon Herrera on Dec 16, 2019
Latest reply on Dec 17, 2019 by Artem Taturevych

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I have been writing automation software for a while, targeting many applications/file formats: PDF, Excel, XML, telephony, etc., etc.

There are two classes:

- Those in which the target application must be running (in some cases, all they do is to make the GUI invisible).

- Those in which the the target application does not have to be present.

In what category does the SolidWorks API(s) fall? Hopefully both?

The reason I ask is because I have many 3D apps and the one that is most demanding (in terms of graphics card) is SolidWorks. The application I plan to write will simply open a SLDDRW file and generate a PDF from it. No need for fancy GPU in that PC, is there?

TIA,

-Ramon F Herrera

Josh Brady Dec 16, 2019 5:13 PM

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SolidWorks must be installed to use SW API calls. These API calls will automate a running instance of SW (visible or not). I'm not sure the performance impact of the graphics card with respect to PDF generation from a drawing file. If the .slddrw was last saved in exactly the state that you want to PDF (doesn't require updates from model, custom properties, BOM, etc), you can probably use eDrawings and eDrawings API to generate a PDF without SolidWorks.

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Josh Brady Dec 16, 2019 5:13 PM

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Ramon Herrera @ Josh Brady on Dec 16, 2019 6:03 PM

Josh Brady wrote:

SolidWorks must be installed to use SW API calls. These API calls will automate a running instance of SW (visible or not). I'm not sure the performance impact of the graphics card with respect to PDF generation from a drawing file. If the .slddrw was last saved in exactly the state that you want to PDF (doesn't require updates from model, custom properties, BOM, etc), you can probably use eDrawings and eDrawings API to generate a PDF without SolidWorks.

I was looking into that possibility, saw a macro/plugin or some software thingy which requires to be programmed in Visual Basic?

I rather use C/C++ of C#

TIA,

-Ramon

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Artem Taturevych @ Ramon Herrera on Dec 17, 2019 2:04 AM

You can extract certain data using Document Manager API which doesn't require you to have SOLIDWORKS installed (such as BOM tables, 3D previews etc.). Also as Josh mentioned eDrawings could be used as well.

Here is example which exports to PDF from Drawing via eDrawings: Batch export SOLIDWORKS files to PDF via eDrawings API (without SOLIDWORKS) and this one is exporting to Parasolid via Document Manager: Export part to Parasolid via Document Manager API (without SOLIDWORKS)

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Josh Brady Dec 16, 2019 5:13 PM
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SolidWorks must be installed to use SW API calls. These API calls will automate a running instance of SW (visible or not). I'm not sure the performance impact of the graphics card with respect to PDF generation from a drawing file. If the .slddrw was last saved in exactly the state that you want to PDF (doesn't require updates from model, custom properties, BOM, etc), you can probably use eDrawings and eDrawings API to generate a PDF without SolidWorks.
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- Ramon Herrera @ Josh Brady on Dec 16, 2019 6:03 PM
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  Josh Brady wrote:
  
  SolidWorks must be installed to use SW API calls. These API calls will automate a running instance of SW (visible or not). I'm not sure the performance impact of the graphics card with respect to PDF generation from a drawing file. If the .slddrw was last saved in exactly the state that you want to PDF (doesn't require updates from model, custom properties, BOM, etc), you can probably use eDrawings and eDrawings API to generate a PDF without SolidWorks.
  
  I was looking into that possibility, saw a macro/plugin or some software thingy which requires to be programmed in Visual Basic?
  
  I rather use C/C++ of C#
  
  TIA,
  
  -Ramon
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  - Artem Taturevych @ Ramon Herrera on Dec 17, 2019 2:04 AM
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    You can extract certain data using Document Manager API which doesn't require you to have SOLIDWORKS installed (such as BOM tables, 3D previews etc.). Also as Josh mentioned eDrawings could be used as well.
    
    Here is example which exports to PDF from Drawing via eDrawings: Batch export SOLIDWORKS files to PDF via eDrawings API (without SOLIDWORKS) and this one is exporting to Parasolid via Document Manager: Export part to Parasolid via Document Manager API (without SOLIDWORKS)
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For automation is SolidWorks REQUIRED to be running in the PC?

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