Get and Set Location Dimension Example (VBA)

This example shows how to get and set DimXpert distance-between or angle-between dimensions.

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------

' Preconditions:

' 1. Open <SOLIDWORKS_install_dir>\samples\tutorial\dimxpert\bracket_ads_plusminus.sldprt.
' 2. Multi-select two faces:
'    a. that share a common edge to get the angle-between dimension.
'    b. that do not share a common edge to get the distance-between dimension.
' 3. Open an Immediate Window in the IDE.
' 4. Ensure that the latest SOLIDWORKS DimXpert type library is loaded:
'    a. Select Tools > References.
'    b. Click Browse.
'    c. Find and select <SOLIDWORKS_install_dir>\swdimxpert.tlb.
' 5. Run this macro (F5).
'
' Postconditions:

' 1. Inspect the Immediate Window.
' 2. Observe the DistanceBetween1 or AngleBetween1 annotation on the

'    DimXpertManager tab.
'
' NOTE: Because this part is used in a SOLIDWORKS online tutorial,
' do not save any changes when you close it.
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Option Explicit
Dim dimXpertPart As dimXpertPart

Sub Main()

    Dim swapp As SldWorks.SldWorks
    Set swapp = Application.SldWorks
    Dim swModelDoc As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
    Set swModelDoc = swapp.ActiveDoc
    Dim annoType As Long

   If swModelDoc Is Nothing Then
     Exit Sub
   End If

    Dim dimXpertMgr As SldWorks.DimXpertManager
    Set dimXpertMgr = swapp.IActiveDoc2.Extension.DimXpertManager(swapp.IActiveDoc2.IGetActiveConfiguration().Name, True)
    Debug.Print "Model: " & swapp.IActiveDoc2.GetPathName

    Dim dimXpertPartObj As dimXpertPart
    Set dimXpertPartObj = dimXpertMgr.dimXpertPart
    Set dimXpertPart = dimXpertPartObj
   

    Dim dimOption As DimXpertDimensionOption
    Set dimOption = dimXpertPart.GetDimOption
   

    ' Specify a dimension along the normal to the face
    dimOption.DimensionPositionOption = 0
   

    ' Insert the dimension
    dimXpertPart.InsertLocationDimension dimOption
   

    Dim vAnnotations As Variant
    vAnnotations = dimXpertPart.GetAnnotations()

    Debug.Print "------------------------"
    Debug.Print "Annotations..."
    Debug.Print "------------------------"

    Dim annotationTemp As DimXpertAnnotation
    Dim annotationIndex As Long
    For annotationIndex = 0 To UBound(vAnnotations)
        Set annotationTemp = vAnnotations(annotationIndex)
        Call GeneralInfo(annotationTemp)
        annoType = annotationTemp.Type
        Call DimensionToleranceData(annotationTemp)
    Next

End Sub

Private Sub GeneralInfo(annotation As DimXpertAnnotation)

    Dim annoType As String
    Dim modelObj As Object
    Dim modelFeature As SldWorks.feature

    Debug.Print ""
    Debug.Print ("Name: " + annotation.Name)

    annoType = annotationTypeNameFromObject(annotation)

    Debug.Print ("Type: " + annoType)
    Debug.Print ("Display Entity: " + DisplayEntity(annotation))

    Set modelObj = annotation.GetModelFeature
    Set modelFeature = modelObj
    If Not (modelFeature Is Nothing) Then
        Debug.Print ("ModelFeature: " + modelFeature.Name + " (" + modelFeature.GetTypeName2() + ")")
    End If

End Sub

Private Sub DimensionToleranceData(annotation As DimXpertDimensionTolerance)

    Dim isAngleType As Boolean
    Dim annoType As Long
    Dim upper As Double, lower As Double
    Dim plus As Double, minus As Double
    Dim boolstatus As Boolean

    annoType = annotation.Type
    isAngleType = False

    Debug.Print ""
    Debug.Print ("Dimension Tolerance Compartment")
   

    If annoType = swDimXpertDimTol_DistanceBetween Then
        Dim distancebetween As DimXpertDistanceBetweenDimTol
        Set distancebetween = annotation
        Call DistanceBetweenData(distancebetween)

    ElseIf annoType = swDimXpertDimTol_AngleBetween Then
        isAngleType = True
        Dim angleBetween As IDimXpertAngleBetweenDimTol
        Set angleBetween = annotation

        ' the origin and tolerance feature
        Debug.Print ("Origin Feature: " + angleBetween.OriginFeature.Name)

        ' is supplement angle
        Debug.Print ("Supplement Angle: " + IIf(angleBetween.Supplement, "True", "False"))

   End If
   

    ' conversion for radians to degrees when dimension type is angle

    Dim dbl As Double
    If isAngleType Then
        dbl = 57.2957795130823
    Else
        dbl = 1#
    End If

    ' the nominal, and upper and lower limits of size of the dimension

    Debug.Print ("")
    Debug.Print ("Compute Nominal Dimension: " + FormatDouble(annotation.GetNominalValue * dbl))
    boolstatus = annotation.GetUpperAndLowerLimit(upper, lower)
    Debug.Print ("Get Upper Limit: " + FormatDouble(upper * dbl))
    Debug.Print ("Get Lower Limit: " + FormatDouble(lower * dbl))

    ' the upper and lower tolerance value by type
    Select Case annotation.DimensionType

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_BlockTolerance
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Block Tolerance")

    ' block tolerance

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_BlockToleranceNoNominal
        Dim blockTols As DimXpertBlockTolerances
        Set blockTols = dimXpertPart.GetBlockTolerances

        Select Case blockTols.Type

            Case swDimXpertBlockToleranceType_ASMEInch
                Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Block Tolerance No Nominal")
                If isAngleType Then
                    Debug.Print ("Angular Block Tolerance")
                Else
                    Debug.Print ("Block Tolerance Decimal Places: " + Format(annotation.BlockToleranceDecimalPlaces, "##,##0"))
                End If

            Case swDimXpertBlockToleranceType_ISO2768
                Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: General Tolerance")

        End Select

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_ISOLimitsAndFits
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Limits and Fits")

    ' limits and fits tolerance
    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_ISOLimitsAndFitsNoNominal

        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Limits and Fits No Nominal")
        Debug.Print ("Limits and Fits: " + annotation.LimitsAndFitsCode)

    ' limit dimension
    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_LimitDimension

        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Limit Dimension")
        boolstatus = annotation.GetUpperAndLowerLimit(upper, lower)
        Debug.Print ("Get Upper Limit: " + FormatDouble(upper * dbl))
        Debug.Print ("Get Lower Limit: " + FormatDouble(lower * dbl))

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_MAXTolerance
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: MAXTolerance")

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_MINTolerance
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: MINTolerance")

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_NoTolerance
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: NoTolerance")

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_PlusMinusDimension
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Plus Minus Dimension")

    ' plus and minus dimension

    Case swDimXpertDimTolType_PlusMinusNoNominal
        Debug.Print ("Dimension Type: Plus Minus No Nominal")
        boolstatus = annotation.GetPlusAndMinusTolerance(plus, minus)
        Debug.Print ("Plus  Tolerance: " + FormatDouble(plus * dbl))
        Debug.Print ("Minus Tolerance: " + FormatDouble(minus * dbl))

    End Select

       
End Sub

Private Sub DistanceBetweenData(annotation As DimXpertDistanceBetweenDimTol)

    Dim feature As DimXpertFeature
    Dim featureFosUsage As Long
    Dim I As Double, J As Double, K As Double
    Dim boolstatus As Boolean

    ' the origin and tolerance feature along with their feature of size usage (min, max, center)
    boolstatus = annotation.GetOriginFeature(feature, featureFosUsage)

    Debug.Print ("")
    Debug.Print ("Origin Feature: " + feature.Name + " @ " + FosUsage(featureFosUsage))
    boolstatus = annotation.GetFeature(feature, featureFosUsage)
    Debug.Print ("Tolerance Feature: " + feature.Name + " @ " + FosUsage(featureFosUsage))

    ' The direction vector

    boolstatus = annotation.GetDirectionVector(I, J, K)
    Debug.Print ("")
    Debug.Print ("Direction Vector: " + FormatVector(I, J, K))

End Sub

Private Function annotationTypeNameFromObject(anno As DimXpertAnnotation) As String
    annotationTypeNameFromObject = annotationTypeNameFromTypeNumber(anno.Type)
End Function

Private Function annotationTypeNameFromTypeNumber(annoTypeIndex As Long) As String

    Select Case annoTypeIndex

    Case swDimXpertDimTol_DistanceBetween
        annotationTypeNameFromTypeNumber = "DistanceBetween Dim"

    End Select

End Function

Private Function DisplayEntity(annotation As DimXpertAnnotation) As String

    Dim str As String
    Dim dispEnt As Object
    Dim swAnnot As SldWorks.annotation

    Set dispEnt = annotation.GetDisplayEntity

    If Not dispEnt Is Nothing Then
        If TypeOf dispEnt Is SldWorks.annotation Then
            Set swAnnot = dispEnt
            str = swAnnot.GetName
        End If
    End If

    DisplayEntity = str

End Function

Private Function FosUsage(value As Long) As String

    Dim str As String
    Select Case value

    Case swDimXpertDistanceFosUsage_Center
        str = "Center"

    Case swDimXpertDistanceFosUsage_MaximumSide
        str = "Max"

    Case swDimXpertDistanceFosUsage_MinimumSide
        str = "Min"

    Case Else
        str = "N/A"

    End Select

    FosUsage = str

End Function

Private Function FormatVector(I As Double, J As Double, K As Double) As String

    Dim str As String
    str = FormatDouble(I) + ", " + FormatDouble(J) + ", " + FormatDouble(K)
    FormatVector = str

End Function

Private Function FormatDouble(value As Double) As String

    Dim str
    str = Format(value, "##,##0.0000")
    FormatDouble = str

End Function

Private Function RadiansToDegrees(value As Double) As String

    Dim str
    str = Format((value * 57.2957795130823), "##,##0.00")
    RadiansToDegrees = str

End Function