Insert New Virtual Component Example (VBA)

This example shows how to insert a new part as a virtual component in an assembly and save it to an external file.

'---------------------------------------------------------------------
' Preconditions:

' 1. Open public_documents\tutorial\smartcomponents\stepped_shaft.sldasm.
' 2. Select a planar face on the assembly.
' 3. Open the Immediate window.
' 4. Step through this macro by pressing F8.
'
' Postconditions:

' 1. Inserts a new part as a virtual component in the assembly.
' 2. Attempts to save the virtual component to an external file.
' 3. Examine the Immediate window and FeatureManager design tree.
'
' NOTE: Because this assembly is used elsewhere, do not
' save changes.
'---------------------------------------------------------------------
Option Explicit

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Dim swAssy As SldWorks.AssemblyDoc
Dim swComponent As SldWorks.Component2
Dim swSelMgr As SldWorks.SelectionMgr
Dim status As Long

Sub Main()

    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

    Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc
    Set swAssy = swModel

    ' Get the pre-selected planar face
    Dim swFeature  As SldWorks.Face2
    Set swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager
    Set swFeature = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, 0)

    ' Create the part and insert it as a virtual component
    ' in the assembly
    status = swAssy.InsertNewVirtualPart(swFeature, swComponent)

    If status = 1 Then

        Debug.Print "Virtual component inserted!"
        Debug.Print "Name of virtual component: " & swComponent.Name2

        ' Check to see if the part is a virtual component
        Debug.Print "  Is component virtual? " & swComponent.IsVirtual        

        Dim objFSO As Object
        Dim objFile As Object
        Dim compName As String
        Dim splits As Variant        

        Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
        Set objFile = objFSO.GetFile(swModel.GetPathName)

        splits = Split(swComponent.Name2, "^")
        compName = objFSO.GetParentFolderName(objFile) & "\" & splits(0)

        If swComponent.GetModelDoc2.GetType = swDocPART Then
            compName = compName & ".sldprt"
        Else
            compName = compName & ".sldasm"
        End If

        Debug.Print "  Path and name of virtual component: " & compName
        

        Dim ret As Boolean
        ret = swComponent.SaveVirtualComponent(compName)
        If ret Then
            Debug.Print "    Virtual component saved!"
        Else
            Debug.Print "    Virtual component not saved!"
            Debug.Print "       Check the folder's attributes where to save the virtual component and check your permissions to this folder."
        End If

    Else
        Debug.Print "Error code returned when attempting to insert new part as virtual component: " & status
    End If

    swModel.ClearSelection2 (True)    

End Sub