This topic provides you with quick access to the enhancements in SOLIDWORKS API 2018.
Service Pack 4
New method
IRefPlaneFeatureData Interface
Obsoleted method
IRefPlaneFeatureData Interface
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Service Pack 2
New methods
IAnnotation Interface
IModelDocExtension Interface
Obsoleted method
IModelDoc2 Interface
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Service Pack 0
New and changed functionality
Improved API architecture
- Advanced assembly mates. See IAssemblyDoc::CreateMate, IAssemblyDoc::CreateMateData, IAngleMateFeatureData, IDistanceMateFeatureData, ILinearCouplerMateFeatureData, IMateFeatureData, IProfileCenterMateFeatureData, ISymmetricMateFeatureData, and IWidthMateFeatureData.
- Sweep features. See Sweep Features and SweepFeatureData Objects, ISweepFeatureData::GetProfileType, and ISweepFeatureData::SweepType.
Thread features
Advanced Holes in parts
Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Applications (VSTA) 3.0
Context-Sensitive Help Viewer Help for .NET Macros
- Visual Studio 2012, 2013, 2015, and later all support Microsoft Help Viewer. When you install SOLIDWORKS 2018, SOLIDWORKS and SOLIDWORKS enumerator context-sensitive helps are registered and integrated with the Help Viewer of the Visual Studio installed on your machine. After installing SOLIDWORKS 2018, configure Visual Studio to launch Help Viewer F1 help by selecting Help > Help Preference > Launch in Help Viewer. For details, read about Context-Sensitive SOLIDWORKS API Help.
SOLIDWORKS Accessor Diagrams
- Each interface help topic in this release of the SOLIDWORKS API help includes an accessor diagram.
- Accessor diagrams quickly show you which interfaces either access or are accessed by an interface.
- Click the link in the Accessor Diagram section of any interface help topic. The topic interface's accessor diagram opens in a PDF reader. On the left side of the diagram are the interfaces whose methods or properties access the topic interface. On the right side of the diagram are the interfaces accessed by methods or properties in the topic interface.
- For detailed information about accessing a particular interface, inspect the Accessors section in that interface's help topic.
Other major enhancements
- Bidirectional twist and thin-walled sweep features. See ISweepFeatureData::GetD2TwistAngle, ISweepFeatureData::SetD2TwistAngle, ISweepFeatureData::D1ReverseTwistDir, ISweepFeatureData::D2ReverseTwistDir, and ISweepFeatureData::ThinFeature.
- Lock magnetic mates. See IMate2::LockMagneticMate.
- Select exploded views, create a regular explode step, create a radial explode step, and edit explode steps. See IConfiguration::AddRadialExplodeStep, IConfiguration::AddExplodeStep2, IExplodeStep::AutoSpaceComponentsOnDrag, IExplodeStep::GetComponents, IExplodeStep::GetExplodeDirection, IExplodeStep::SetExplodeDirection, IExplodeStep::GetRotationAxis, IExplodeStep::GetSpecificComponentXForm, IExplodeStep::GetSubAssemblyExplodeSteps, IExplodeStep::SetRotationAxis, IExplodeStep::DivergeDirection, IExplodeStep::DivergeFromAxis, IExplodeStep::ExplodeDistance, IExplodeStep::ExplodeStepType, IExplodeStep::ReverseRotationDirection, IExplodeStep::ReverseTranslationDirection, IExplodeStep::RotateAboutEachComponentOrigin, IExplodeStep::RotationAngle, and IExplodeStep::SetComponents.
- Hande pre- and post-notify events when converting to bodies. See DPartDocEvents_ConvertToBodiesPostNotifyEventHandler Delegate and DPartDocEvents_ConvertToBodiesPreNotifyEventHandler Delegate.
- Add and edit pairs of concentric mates between the same two components (Hole Sets), allowing for misalignment of either or both concentric mates. See IAssemblyDoc::AddConcentricMateWithTolerance, IAssemblyDoc::EditConcentricMate, IMate2::ForceMisalignment, IMate2::RemoveMisalignment, IMate2::GetConcentricAlignmentType, IMate2::GetCurrentMisalignedDeviation, IMate2::GetLinkedMate, IMate2::GetMaximumMisalignedDeviation, IMate2::GetUseMisalignedDeviationDocumentProperty, IMate2::SetConcentricAlignmentType, IMate2::SetMaximumMisalignedDeviation, and IMate2::SetUseMisalignedDeviationDocumentProperty.
- Save and restore the current SOLIDWORKS settings. See ISldWorks::RestoreSettings and ISldWorks::SaveSettings.
- Check for interference between two bodies. See IModeler::CheckInterferenceBetweenTwoBodies.
- Access hidden content in tables. See ITableAnnotation::DeleteColumn2, ITableAnnotation::DeleteRow2, ITableAnnotation::DisplayedText2, ITableAnnotation::GetColumnTitle2, ITableAnnotation::GetColumnType2, ITableAnnotation::SaveAsText2, ITableAnnotation::SetColumnTitle2, ITableAnnotation::SetColumnType2, and ITableAnnotation::Text2.
- Add specific display dimensions by type. See IModelDocExtension::AddSpecificDimension.
- Get layer items by type. See ILayer::GetItems.
- Get or set the balloon padding for an existing note in a drawing. See INote::GetBalloonPadding and INote::SetBalloonPadding.
- Get or set whether a configuration node is expanded in ConfigurationManager. See IConfiguration::GetExpanded and IConfiguration::SetExpanded.
- Set whether to expand all configurations in a specified pane of ConfigurationManager. See IConfigurationManager::SetExpanded.
- Show the preview of a selected configuration in ConfigurationManager. See IConfigurationManager::ShowPreview.
- Rebuild a model after adding a configuration. See IConfigurationManager::AddConfiguration2.
- Add rebuild and save marks to multiple configurations and remove them from all configurations. See IConfigurationManager::AddRebuildSaveMark and IConfigurationManager::RemoveMarkForAllConfigurations.
- Get or set whether to display configuration names and descriptions in ConfigurationManager. See IConfigurationManager::ShowConfigurationDescriptions and IConfigurationManager::ShowConfigurationNames.
- Get or set component display state specific properties in multiple assembly display states. See IComponent2::GetReferencedDisplayStates, IComponent2::GetVisibilityInAsmDisplayStates, IComponent2::SetReferencedDisplayStates, IComponent2::SetVisibilityInAsmDisplayStates.
- Get or set whether a component is graphics only. See IComponent2::IsGraphicsOnly.
- Expand and collapse indented items in a BOM table. See IBomTableAnnotation::Collapse and IBomTableAnnotation::Expand.
- Modify control points and interior knots in sketch splines. See ISketchSpline::ModifyControlPoint and ISketchSpline::ModifyKnot.
- Create a spline constrained to a surface. See ISketchManager::CreateSpline3.
- Access general tolerance table annotations and features. See IModelDocExtension::InsertGeneralToleranceTableAnnotation, IGeneralToleranceTableFeature and IGeneralToleranceTableAnnotation.
- Offload PhotoView 360 rendering to other networked machines. See IRayTraceRendererOptions::OffloadedRendering.
- Add a distance mate between cylindrical components of an assembly. See IAssemblyDoc::AddDistanceMate, IAssemblyDoc::EditDistanceMate, IMate2::DistanceFirstArcCondition, and IMate2::DistanceSecondArcCondition.
- Get or set whether to import DimXpert annotations when inserting or mirroring a part. See IMirrorPartFeatureData::DimXpertAnnotations.
- Import and export Hole Wizard and Toolbox data. See ISldWorks::ExportHoleWizardItem, ISldWorks::ExportToolboxItem, ISldWorks::ImportHoleWizardItem, and ISldWorks::ImportToolboxItem.
- Get whether a custom property is editable in a configuration. See ICustomPropertyManager::IsCustomPropertyEditable.
- Get Link to Property setting of custom properties. See ICustomPropertyManager::GetAll3 and ICustomPropertyManager::Get6.
- Set whether to link or unlink a specified custom property. See ICustomPropertyManager::LinkProperty.
- Get or set whether to link or unlink all custom properties. See ICustomPropertyManager::LinkAll.
- Get or set whether to show a slit in the corner relief of Flat-Pattern features. See IFlatPatternFeatureData::ShowSlitInCornerRelief.
- Get or set GTol leader options, "All Over This Side" and "All Around This Side". See IGtol::GetAllAroundThisSide, IGtol::GetAllOverThisSide, IGtol::SetAllAroundThisSide, and IGtol::SetAllOverThisSide.
- Get, edit, insert, or delete below frame text of GTols. See IGtol::DeleteBelowFrameTextAt, IGtol::GetBelowFrameTextAt, IGtol::GetBelowFrameTextLineCount, IGtol::GetText, IGtol::InsertBelowFrameTextAt, and IGtol::SetBelowFrameTextAt.
- Set table anchors at selected sketch points on a drawing sheet. See ISheet::SetAsTableAnchor.
- Get or set whether table text is all upper case. See ITableAnnotation::UpperCase.
- Get corresponding objects between drawing views and parts or assemblies. See IModelDocExtension::GetCorresponding2, IModelDocExtension::GetCorrespondingEntity2, IView::GetCorresponding, and IView::GetCorrespondingEntity.
- Get or set a custom property builder template for a part or a weldment. See IModelDocExtension::CustomPropertyBuilderTemplate.
- Override default part or assembly templates when creating a Split feature. See IFeatureManager::PostSplitBody2.
- Get or set whether to automatically repair non-critical custom property data corruption in a file to open. See IDocumentSpecification::AutoRepair.
- Get or set whether to automatically repair critical data corruption in a file to open. See IDocumentSpecification::CriticalDataRepair.
- Get or set whether to automatically rebuild equations. See IEquationMgr::AutomaticRebuild.
- Get or set whether to override the default template when creating a Split feature. See ISplitBodyFeatureData::OverrideDefaultTemplateSettings and ISplitBodyFeatureData::TemplatePath.
- Add and edit sheet metal Normal Cut features. See ISMNormalCutFeatureData, IFeatureManager::AddSMNormalCut, IFeatureManager::AddSMNormalCutType, and IFeatureManager::FinishSMNormalCut.
- Display a home icon. See ISwHtmlInterface::ShowHomeIconMarker.
- Insert Gtols into a DimXpert part and get and set whether a DimXpertFeature annotation is combined. See IDimXpertPart::InsertGtol, IDimXpertGtol, IDimXpertFeature::IsCombinedAnnotation, and IDimXpertFeature::SetCombineAnnotation.
- Define one or more ground planes in a plant assembly and activate each one as needed to insert published assets. See IFeatureManager::InsertGroundPlane, IAssemblyDoc::ActivateGroundPlane, and IAssemblyDoc::GetActiveGroundPlane.
- Specify whether to break sketch blocks when inserting a break line in a drawing view. See IBreakLine::BreakSketchBlocks and IView::InsertBreak3.
- Single sign-on for add-ins. See ISldWorks::GetSSOFormattedURL.
- Reverse the end point tangent direction of arcs and splines. See ISketchManager::ReverseEndPointTangent.
- Support for moveable datum target symbols. See IModelDocExtension::InsertDatumTargetSymbol3, IDatumTargetSym::SetDatumTargetHorizontal, IDatumTargetSym::SetDatumTargetNotMoveable, and IDatumTargetSym::SetDatumTargetRotational.
- Get all file dependenies, including imported native CAD references (3D Interconnect components). See IModelDocExtension::GetDependencies.
- Get whether a body is a mesh body. See IBody2::IsMeshBody.
- Insert a bounding box for a part. See IFeatureManager::InsertGlobalBoundingBox.
- Get or set whether to include suppressed components in Pack and Go. See IPackAndGo::IncludeSuppressed.
- Set the transparency of a part or the top-level assembly. See IModelDocExtension::SetTopLevelTransparency.
- Get or set whether to randomize the scale when auto hatching a drawing's section view. See IDrSection::RandomizeScale.
- Get or set imported notes in MBD 3D PDFs. See IMBD3DPdfData::GetImportedNotes and IMBD3DPdfData::SetImportedNote.
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New interfaces
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New methods, properties, and delegates
DPartDocEvents
IAssemblyDoc Interface
IBody2 Interface
IBomTableAnnotation Interface
IBreakLine Interface
IComponent2 Interface
IConfiguration Interface
IConfigurationManager Interface
ICustomPropertyManager Interface
IDatumTargetSym Interface
IDimXpertFeature Interface
IDimXpertPart Interface
IDocumentSpecification Interface
IDrSectionInterface
IEquationMgr Interface
IExplodeStep Interface
IFeatureManager Interface
IFlatPatternFeatureData Interface
IGtol Interface
ILayer Interface
IMate2 Interface
IMBD3DPdfData Interface
IMirrorPartFeatureData Interface
IModelDocExtension Interface
IModeler Interface
INote Interface
IPackAndGo Interface
IRayTraceRendererOptions Interface
ISheet Interface
ISketchManager Interface
ISketchSpline Interface
ISldWorks Interface
ISplitBodyFeatureData Interface
ISweepFeatureData Interface
ISwHtmlInterface Interface
ITableAnnotation Interface
IView Interface
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Obsoleted methods, properties, and delegates
IConfiguration Interface
IConfigurationManager Interface
ICustomPropertyManager Interface
IFeatureManager Interface
IModelDoc2 Interface
IModelDocExtension Interface
ISketchManager Interface
ITableAnnotation Interface
IView Interface
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End of life announcements
SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM API
- SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM API is no longer supported. SOLIDWORKS Workgroup PDM is replaced by SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional.
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