Get Connector Forces, Moments, and Torques at a Time Example (VBA)

This example shows how to get the forces, bending moments, and torques for a selected connector at a specified time.

'---------------------------------------------------------------------------
' 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. Add the SOLIDWORKS Constant type library as a reference (in the IDE,
'    click Tools > References > SOLIDWORKS version Constant type library).
' 4. Ensure the specified model exists.
' 5. Open the Immediate window.
'
' Postconditions: Inspect the Immediate window for the connector forces,
' moments, and torques.
'
' NOTE: Because the model is used elsewhere, do not save changes.
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Option Explicit

Function VerifyLong(SwApp As SldWorks.SldWorks, lExpected As Long, lActual As Long, sMessage As String) As Boolean
    'This function will compare two long values for equivalence.
    'If they are different, an error message is reported with {sMessage}
    'as title, and the function returns false.
    'If equivalent, the function returns true.
    VerifyLong = True
    If lActual <> lExpected Then
        ErrorMsg SwApp, sMessage & ": Expected = " & CStr(lExpected) & " , Actual = " & CStr(lActual)
        VerifyLong = False
    End If
End Function

Function VerifyTolerance(SwApp As SldWorks.SldWorks, dExpected As Double, dActual As Double, dTol As Double, sMessage As String) As Boolean
    'This function will compare two double values to ensure that the actual
    'value is within the specified tolerance range
    'of the expected value. If the actual is not within the tolerance range,
    'an error message is reported with {sMessage}
    'as title, and the function returns false. 
    'Otherwise, the function returns true to indicate equivalence/success.

    VerifyTolerance = True
    If (dActual < ((1 - dTol) * dExpected)) Or (dActual > ((1 + dTol) * dExpected)) Then
        ErrorMsg SwApp, sMessage & ": Expected = " & CStr(dExpected) & " , Actual = " & CStr(dActual) & " , Tolerance = " & CStr(dTol) & " percent"
        VerifyTolerance = False
    End If
End Function

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

Sub main()
 

    Dim SwApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
    Dim Part As ModelDoc2

    Dim COSMOSWORKS As CosmosWorksLib.COSMOSWORKS, CWAddinCallBack As CosmosWorksLib.CWAddinCallBack, ActDoc As CosmosWorksLib.CWModelDoc
    Dim StudyMngr As CosmosWorksLib.CWStudyManager, Study As CosmosWorksLib.CWStudy, CWMesh As CosmosWorksLib.CWMesh
    Dim StudyOptions As Object, CWFeatObj As CosmosWorksLib.CWResults, ActDocExt As SldWorks.ModelDocExtension
   

    Dim sModelName As String, sStudyName As String
    Dim sStudyConfig As String
         

    Dim longstatus As Long, longwarnings As Long, errCode As Long
    Dim accurateTime As Double
   

    Dim el As Double, el_hold As Double
    Dim tl As Double, tl_hold As Double
   

    Dim UResMax As Double, Tol1 As Double
    Dim bStudyFound As Boolean
    Dim Force As Variant
    Dim iMeshUnit As Long, iSolverType As Long, iNumberOfStudies As Long
    Dim ix As Long, iStudyType As Long
   

    'Model names
    sModelName = "C:\Users\Public\Documents\SOLIDWORKS\SOLIDWORKS 2018\samples\tutorial\api\beam_boltconnection.sldasm"
   

    'SOLIDWORKS configuration for which study is active (Blank "" = use default)
    sStudyConfig = ""
    'Study name                      
    sStudyName = "Study 1"                 
   

    iSolverType = swsSolverTypeDirectSparse 'Solver type

    Set SwApp = Application.SldWorks
    If SwApp Is Nothing Then Exit Sub

    Set Part = SwApp.OpenDoc6(sModelName, swDocASSEMBLY, 1, "", longstatus, longwarnings)
    If Part Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to open: " & sModelName
  

    Set CWAddinCallBack = SwApp.GetAddInObject("SldWorks.Simulation")
    If CWAddinCallBack Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No CWAddinCallBack object"
    Set COSMOSWORKS = CWAddinCallBack.COSMOSWORKS
    If COSMOSWORKS Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No CosmosWorks object"
   

    'Get active document
    Set ActDoc = COSMOSWORKS.ActiveDoc
    If ActDoc Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No active document"
   
    Set ActDocExt = Part.Extension
    If (ActDocExt.NeedsRebuild = True) Then
        Part.ForceRebuild3 (False)
    End If
       

    'If needed, change the SOLIDWORKS configuration to activate the study
    If sStudyConfig <> "" Then
        Part.ShowConfiguration2 (sStudyConfig)
    End If
   

    Set StudyMngr = ActDoc.StudyManager
    If StudyMngr Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No study manager object"
  

    'Find the study
    bStudyFound = False
    iNumberOfStudies = StudyMngr.StudyCount
    For ix = 0 To iNumberOfStudies
        StudyMngr.ActiveStudy = ix
        Set Study = StudyMngr.GetStudy(ix)
        If Study Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to get study: " & ix
        If UCase(Study.Name) = UCase(sStudyName) Then
            bStudyFound = True
            Exit For
        End If
    Next
    If bStudyFound = False Then
        ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to find study named: " & sStudyName
    End If
  

    'Create mesh
    Set CWMesh = Study.Mesh
    If CWMesh Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "No mesh object"
   

    'Check to use the default element size or tolerance
    If ((el = 0) Or (tl = 0)) Then
   

        'Get the default element size and tolerance
        Call CWMesh.GetDefaultElementSizeAndTolerance(iMeshUnit, el_hold, tl_hold)
       

       'If element size was not entered, use the default
        If el = 0 Then
           el = el_hold
        End If
      

        'If tolerance size was not entered, use the default
        tl = 0.025
        If tl = 0 Then
            tl = tl_hold
        End If
   

    End If
   

    'Create mesh
    If CWMesh.MesherType = swsMesherTypeAlternate Then
        'Using the curvature-based mesher; set the minimum element size equal to the maximum element size
        errCode = Study.CreateMesh(0, el, el)
    Else
        'Using the standard mesher
        errCode = Study.CreateMesh(0, el, tl)
    End If
    If errCode <> 0 Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to create mesh: Error code = " & CStr(errCode)
   

    'Check the mesh state
    VerifyLong(SwApp, swsMeshStateExistsAndCurrent, CWMesh.MeshState, "Mesh is not current or does not exist")

    'Check the number of components that failed to mesh
    VerifyLong(SwApp, 0, CWMesh.GetNoOfFailedComponents, "Mesh failure")

    'Get analysis type
    iStudyType = Study.AnalysisType
    If iStudyType = swsAnalysisStudyTypeStatic Then
        Set StudyOptions = Study.StaticStudyOptions
    ElseIf iStudyType = swsAnalysisStudyTypeThermal Then
        Set StudyOptions = Study.ThermalStudyOptions
    ElseIf iStudyType = swsAnalysisStudyTypeFrequency Then
        Set StudyOptions = Study.FrequencyStudyOptions
    ElseIf iStudyType = swsAnalysisStudyTypeBuckling Then
        Set StudyOptions = Study.BucklingStudyOptions
    ElseIf iStudyType = swsAnalysisStudyTypeNonlinear Then
        Set StudyOptions = Study.NonlinearStudyOptions
    Else
        ErrorMsg SwApp, "Study options for this type of analysis are not available"
    End If
    If StudyOptions Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to get study options object"
   

    'Set solver type
    StudyOptions.SolverType = iSolverType
   

    'Run analysis
    errCode = Study.RunAnalysis
    If errCode <> 0 Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Analysis failed with error code " & errCode
   

    'Get results
    Set CWFeatObj = Study.Results
    If CWFeatObj Is Nothing Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to get results object"
       

    Force = CWFeatObj.GetConnectorForcesWithTimeValue(0#, "Counterbore with Nut-1", swsUnit_e.swsUnitSI, accurateTime, errCode)
   

    If errCode <> 0 Then ErrorMsg SwApp, "Failed to get connector results at the specified time"
       

    Debug.Print "Connector forces, moments, and torques for Counterbore with Nut-1 at time, " & accurateTime & ":"
    Debug.Print "   Shear force x-component: " & Force(0)
    Debug.Print "   Shear force y-component: " & Force(1)
    Debug.Print "   Shear force z-component: " & Force(2)
    Debug.Print "   Resultant shear force: " & Force(3)
    Debug.Print "   Axial force x-component: " & Force(4)
    Debug.Print "   Axial force y-component: " & Force(5)
    Debug.Print "   Axial force z-component: " & Force(6)
    Debug.Print "   Resultant axial force: " & Force(7)
    Debug.Print "   Bending moment x-component: " & Force(8)
    Debug.Print "   Bending moment y-component: " & Force(9)
    Debug.Print "   Bending moment z-component: " & Force(10)
    Debug.Print "   Resultant bending moment: " & Force(11)
    Debug.Print "   Torque x-component: " & Force(12)
    Debug.Print "   Torque y-component: " & Force(13)
    Debug.Print "   Torque z-component: " & Force(14)
    Debug.Print "   Resultant torque: " & Force(15)
   

    'Check maximum resultant bending moment
    UResMax = 0.467
    Tol1 = 0.1
    VerifyTolerance(SwApp, UResMax, CDbl(Force(11)), Tol1, "Resultant bending moment is beyond tolerance")
   

End Sub