Apply Mesh Control Example (VBA)

This example shows how to get and set beams and joints, create a mesh, and apply a mesh control.

'----------------------------------------------------------------------------
' Preconditions:
' 1. Add the SOLIDWORKS Simulation as an add-in (in SOLIDWORKS, click
'    Tools > Add-ins > SOLIDWORKS Simulation > OK).
' 2. Add the SOLIDWORKS Simulation type library as a reference (in the IDE, 
'    click Tools > References > SOLIDWORKS Simulation version type library).
' 3. Ensure that the specified part and material library exist.
' 4. Open the Immediate window.
'
' Postconditions:
' 1. Creates a static study named frame.
' 2. Gets beam information.
' 3. Applies Plain Carbon Steel material to all beams.
' 4. Calculates joints for all beams, gets a neutral axis for each beam,  
'    and gets the pinball tolerance value and unit.
' 5. Sets the mesher type to alternate curvature based.
' 6. Applies a mesh control and gets its values.
' 7. Creates a mixed mesh and gets its type and state.
'    NOTE: This can take several seconds to complete.
' 8. Inspect the Immediate window.
'
' NOTES:
' *  Beam elements are created by default for parts with structural members.
' *  Because the part is used elsewhere, do not save changes.
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Option Explicit
 

Sub main()
   Dim SwApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
   Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
   Dim swModelDocExt As SldWorks.ModelDocExtension
   Dim swSelMgr As SldWorks.SelectionMgr
   Dim COSMOSWORKS As CosmosWorksLib.COSMOSWORKS
   Dim COSMOSObject As CosmosWorksLib.CwAddincallback
   Dim ActDoc As CosmosWorksLib.CWModelDoc
   Dim StudyMngr As CosmosWorksLib.CWStudyManager
   Dim Study As CosmosWorksLib.CWStudy
   Dim BeamMgr As CosmosWorksLib.CWBeamManager
   Dim BeamBody As CosmosWorksLib.CWBeamBody
   Dim Joints As CosmosWorksLib.CWJoints
   Dim Mesh As CosmosWorksLib.CWMesh
   Dim MeshControl As CosmosWorksLib.CWMeshControl
   Dim nbrBeamBodies As Long
   Dim beamBodyType As Long
   Dim ElementSize As Double
   Dim Tolerance As Double
   Dim errors As Long, warnings As Long
   Dim errCode As Long
   Dim j As Integer
   Dim bApp As Boolean
   Dim keepJointUpdates As Boolean
   Dim status As Boolean
   Dim selEntity As Object
   Dim selEntities(7) As Object
 

    If SwApp Is Nothing Then Set SwApp = Application.SldWorks
  

    Set COSMOSObject = SwApp.GetAddInObject("SldWorks.Simulation")
    If COSMOSObject Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "COSMOSObject object not found"
    Set COSMOSWORKS = COSMOSObject.COSMOSWORKS
    If COSMOSWORKS Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "COSMOSWORKS object not found"
   

    Set swModel = SwApp.OpenDoc6("C:\Users\Public\Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS 2017\tutorial\weldments\weldment_box2.sldprt", swDocPART, swOpenDocOptions_Silent, "", errors, warnings)
    Set swModelDocExt = swModel.Extension
    Set swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager
    Set ActDoc = COSMOSWORKS.ActiveDoc()
    If ActDoc Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No active document"
 

    Set StudyMngr = ActDoc.StudyManager()
    If StudyMngr Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No CWStudyManager object"
    Set Study = StudyMngr.CreateNewStudy3("frame", swsAnalysisStudyTypeStatic, 0, errCode)
    If Study Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Study not created"
 

    Set BeamMgr = Study.BeamManager
    nbrBeamBodies = BeamMgr.BeamCount
    Debug.Print "Beams..."
    Debug.Print "  Number of beams: " & nbrBeamBodies
    Set BeamBody = Nothing
    For j = 0 To (nbrBeamBodies - 1)
        Set BeamBody = BeamMgr.GetBeamBodyAt(j, errCode)
        If errCode <> 0 Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No beam body"
        Debug.Print "    Name of beam body: " & BeamBody.BeamBodyName
        beamBodyType = BeamBody.BeamType
        If beamBodyType = 0 Then
            Debug.Print "      Type of beam body: beam"
        Else
            Debug.Print "      Type of beam body: truss"
        End If
        bApp = BeamBody.SetLibraryMaterial("C:\Program Files\SOLIDWORKS Corp\SOLIDWORKS\lang\english\sldmaterials\solidworks materials.sldmat", "Plain Carbon Steel")
        If bApp = False Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No material applied"
        Set BeamBody = Nothing
    Next j
       

    ' Calculate joints
    Set Joints = BeamMgr.GetJointGroup(errCode)
    Debug.Print " "
    Debug.Print "Joints..."
    If errCode <> 0 Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No joint group"
    Joints.JointsBeginEdit
    Joints.IncludeAllSelectedBeam = True
    Joints.IncludeDisplayNeutralAxis = True
    Joints.CalculateJoints
    Joints.JointsEndEdit
    keepJointUpdates = Joints.IncludeKeepModifiedJointOnUpdate
    If (keepJointUpdates = True) Then
        Debug.Print ("  Keep joint updates? yes")
    Else
        Debug.Print ("  Keep joint updates? no")
    End If
    Debug.Print "  Overwrite the pinball value: " & Joints.IncludeTreatAsJointForClearanceLessThan
    Debug.Print "  Pinball radius: " & Joints.PinBallRadius * 0.001
    Select Case Joints.PinBallRadiusUnit
        Case 0
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: mm"
        Case 1
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: cm"
        Case 2
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: m"
        Case 3
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: in"
        Case 4
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: ft"
        Case 5
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: ft-in"
        Case 6
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: am"
        Case 7
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: nm"
        Case 8
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: micron"
        Case 9
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: mil"
        Case 10
            Debug.Print "  Pinball radius unit: micronIn"
    End Select
   

   
    Set Mesh = Study.Mesh
    If Mesh Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No mesh object"
    Mesh.Quality = swsMeshQualityHigh
    Mesh.MesherType = swsMesherTypeAlternateCB
    Mesh.GetDefaultElementSizeAndTolerance swsLinearUnitMillimeters, ElementSize, Tolerance
   

    ' Select structural members for mesh control
    Debug.Print ""
    Debug.Print ("Mesh control...")
      

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Square tube 30 X 30 X 2.6(1)[4]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(0) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
   

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Square tube 30 X 30 X 2.6(1)[3]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(1) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
   

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Square tube 30 X 30 X 2.6(1)[2]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(2) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
   

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Square tube 30 X 30 X 2.6(1)[1]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(3) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
       

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Square tube 30 X 30 X 2.6(1)[8]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(4) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
 

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Square tube 30 X 30 X 2.6(1)[6]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(5) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
   

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Sb beam 80 X 6(1)[2]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(6) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
   

    status = swModelDocExt.SelectByID2("Sb beam 80 X 6(1)[1]", "SOLIDBODY", 0, 0, 0, False, 0, Nothing, 0)
    Set selEntity = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)
    Set selEntities(7) = selEntity
    Set selEntity = Nothing
   

    Set MeshControl = Mesh.ApplyMeshControl(selEntities, errCode)
    MeshControl.MeshControlBeginEdit
    MeshControl.BeamSelected = 0
    MeshControl.MinimumElementSize_BlendedCurved = 4
    MeshControl.MinNumOfElementsPerCircle_BlendedCurved = 8
    MeshControl.MeshControlEndEdit
    Debug.Print "  Name of mesh control: " & MeshControl.Name
    Debug.Print "  Beam selected? (1 = yes; 0 = no) " & MeshControl.BeamSelected
    Debug.Print "  Element size for mesh control (m): " & MeshControl.ElementSize
    Debug.Print "  Number of entities in mesh control: " & MeshControl.EntityCount
    Debug.Print "  Number of elements for beams: " & MeshControl.NumofElementsforBeams
    Debug.Print "  Ratio of the average element size (layer i)/(layer i-1): " & MeshControl.Ratio
    Debug.Print "  State of mesh control (0 = suppressed; 1 = not suppressed): " & MeshControl.State
    Debug.Print "  Minimum element size for boundaries with highest curvature: " & MeshControl.MinimumElementSizeForBlendedCurveMesher
    Debug.Print "  Minimum number of elements in a circle to determine the maximum angle: " & MeshControl.MinNumOfElementsPerCircleForBlendedCurveMesher
   

    Debug.Print "  Number of mesh controls: " & Mesh.MeshControlCount
   

    errCode = Study.CreateMeshForMeshControl(MeshControl.Name)
   

    ' Mesh the part
    Debug.Print " "
    Debug.Print "*** Creating a mesh next, which can take several seconds. Please wait. ***"

    errCode = Study.CreateMesh(swsLinearUnitMillimeters, ElementSize, Tolerance)
    If errCode <> 0 Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Mesh failed"
   

    Debug.Print " "
    Debug.Print "Mesh..."
    Debug.Print "  Time to create (hh:mm:ss): " & Mesh.TimeToCompleteMesh
    Debug.Print "  Type: "
    Select Case Mesh.MeshType
        Case 0
            Debug.Print "    Solid"
        Case 1
            Debug.Print "    Midsurface"
        Case 2
            Debug.Print "    Surface"
        Case 3
            Debug.Print "    Mixed"
        Case 4
            Debug.Print "    Beam"
    End Select
   

    Debug.Print "  State: "
    Select Case Mesh.MeshState
        Case 0
            Debug.Print "    No mesh"
        Case 1
            Debug.Print "    Exists and is current"
        Case 2
            Debug.Print "    Exists and is not current"
        Case 3
            Debug.Print "    Failed"
        Case 4
            Debug.Print "    Interrupted"
    End Select
   

End Sub
Sub ErrorMsg(SwApp As SldWorks.SldWorks, Message As String)
    SwApp.SendMsgToUser2 Message, 0, 0
    SwApp.RecordLine "'*** WARNING - General"
    SwApp.RecordLine "'*** " & Message
    SwApp.RecordLine ""
End Sub