Get Normal of Planar Surface Example (VBA)

This example shows how to the normal parameters of a planar surface.

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'

'  Preconditions:

'       (1) Part, assembly, or drawing document is open.

'       (2) Face of a planar surface is selected.

'

'  Postconditions:  None

'

'  NOTE: The normal of a surface (Surface::PlaneParams)

'           cannot be in the same direction as the normal

'           of the face (Face2::Normal).

'

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Option Explicit

Sub main()

    Dim swApp                   As SldWorks.SldWorks

    Dim swModel                 As SldWorks.ModelDoc2

    Dim swSelMgr                As SldWorks.SelectionMgr

    Dim swFace                  As SldWorks.face2

    Dim swSurf                  As SldWorks.surface

    Dim vPlaneParam             As Variant

    Dim vFaceNorm               As Variant

    Dim i                       As Long

    Dim bRet                    As Boolean

    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

    Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc

    Set swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager

    Set swFace = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject5(1)

    Set swSurf = swFace.GetSurface: Debug.Assert swSurf.IsPlane

    vPlaneParam = swSurf.PlaneParams

    vFaceNorm = swFace.Normal

    Debug.Print "File = " & swModel.GetPathName

    Debug.Print "  Surface"

    Debug.Print "    normal               = (" & vPlaneParam(0) & ", " & vPlaneParam(1) & ", " & vPlaneParam(2) & ")"

    Debug.Print "    root                 = (" & vPlaneParam(3) * 1000# & ", " & vPlaneParam(4) * 1000# & ", " & vPlaneParam(5) * 1000# & ") mm"

    Debug.Print "  Face"

    Debug.Print "    normal               = (" & vFaceNorm(0) & ", " & vFaceNorm(1) & ", " & vFaceNorm(2) & ")"

    Debug.Print "    FaceInSurfaceSense   = " & swFace.FaceInSurfaceSense

End Sub

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