Keep SOLIDWORKS Invisible While Activating Documents Example (C#)

This example shows how to keep SOLIDWORKS invisible while activating SOLIDWORKS documents, including assembly component files, and saving those documents as PDF files.

//------------------------------------------------------
// Preconditions:
// 1. Verify that the specified assembly file exists.
// 2. Verify that c:\temp exists.
// 3. Open the Immediate window.
//
// Postconditions:
// 1. Saves the specified assembly file and its
//    component files as PDF files to the c:\temp.
// 2. Examine the Immediate window and c:\temp.
//--------------------------------------------------------
using SolidWorks.Interop.sldworks;
using SolidWorks.Interop.swconst;
using System;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.IO;

namespace Macro1CSharp.csproj
{
    public 
 partial class SolidWorksMacro
    {
        public 
 ModelDoc2 swModel;
        public ModelDocExtension swExtension;

        public void Main()
        {
            Frame pFrame;
            string Document = null;
            string Output = null;
            try
            {
                // Allow SOLIDWORKS to run in the background
                // and be invisible
                swApp.UserControl = false;

                // If the following property is true, then the
                // SOLIDWORKS frame will be visible on a call to
                // ISldWorks::ActivateDoc2; so, set it to false
                swApp.Visible = false;

                // Keep SOLIDWORKS frame invisible when
                // ISldWorks::ActivateDoc2 is called
                pFrame = (Frame)swApp.Frame();
                pFrame.KeepInvisible = true;

                Document = "C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\SOLIDWORKS\\SOLIDWORKS 2018\\samples\\tutorial\\advdrawings\\blade shaft.sldasm";
                Output = "c:\\temp\\";
                Debug.Print("--- Save files as PDF ---");
                SaveToPDF(Document, Output);
                swApp.CloseAllDocuments(true);
                Debug.Print("--- Done ---");

                // Show SOLIDWORKS frame and SOLIDWORKS
                pFrame.KeepInvisible = false;
                swApp.Visible = true;
            }
            catch
            {
                Debug.Print("Execution failed.");
            }
        }

        private void SaveToPDF(string docFileName, string outputpath)
        {
            AssemblyDoc swAssembly = default(AssemblyDoc);

            int doctype = 0;
            int errors = 0;
            int warnings = 0;
            string modelpath = "";
            string modelFileName = "";
            string convFileName = "";
            bool Success = false;
            object[] vComponents = null;
            long i = 0;

            // Determine the type of SOLIDWORKS file based on
            // its filename extension
            string extension = "";
            extension = Path.GetExtension(docFileName);
            if (extension == ".sldprt")
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART;
            }
            else if (extension == ".SLDPRT")
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocPART;
            }

            else if (extension == ".sldasm")
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocASSEMBLY;
            }
            else if (extension == ".SDLASM")
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocASSEMBLY;
            }
            else if (extension == ".slddrw")
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocDRAWING;
            }
            else if (extension == ".SLDDRW")
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocDRAWING;
            }
            else
            {
                doctype = (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocNONE;
            }

            //Open document
            swModel = (ModelDoc2)swApp.OpenDoc6(docFileName, doctype, (int)swOpenDocOptions_e.swOpenDocOptions_Silent | (int)swOpenDocOptions_e.swOpenDocOptions_ReadOnly, "", ref errors, ref warnings);
            if (swModel == null)
            {
                Debug.Print("Failed to open document " + modelpath + ". Errors: " + errors);
            }
            // Activate the document, which should remain invisible
            // due to earlier call to IFrame::KeepInvisible
            swModel = (ModelDoc2)swApp.ActivateDoc2(docFileName, true, ref errors);

            // Build destination filename
            modelpath = swModel.GetPathName();
            modelFileName = Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(modelpath);
            convFileName = outputpath + modelFileName + ".pdf";
            swExtension = (ModelDocExtension)swModel.Extension;

            // Save document as PDF
            Success = swExtension.SaveAs(convFileName, (int)swSaveAsVersion_e.swSaveAsCurrentVersion, (int)swSaveAsOptions_e.swSaveAsOptions_Silent, null, ref errors,
ref warnings);
            if (Success)
            {
                Debug.Print("Document, " + modelpath + ", saved as " + convFileName + ". ");
            }
            else
            {
                Debug.Print("Document not saved: ");
                Debug.Print(" Errors: " + errors + modelpath + " as " + convFileName + ". ");
            }
            // Process all components
            if (doctype == (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocASSEMBLY)
            {
                swAssembly = (AssemblyDoc)swModel;
                vComponents = (object[])swAssembly.GetComponents(true);
                for (i = 0; i < vComponents.Length; i++)
                {
                    Component2 swComponent = default(Component2);
                    swComponent = (Component2)vComponents[i];
                    SaveToPDF(swComponent.GetPathName(), outputpath);
                }
            }
        }

        /// <summary>
        /// The SldWorks swApp variable is pre-assigned for you.
        /// </summary>
        public SldWorks swApp;
    }
}