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Mate Addition and Rebuild Macro for SolidWorks

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Description

This macro automates the addition of a specific type of mate (e.g., coincident mate) to a selected component in an assembly document. After adding the mate, it forces a rebuild of the assembly to ensure that all changes take effect.

System Requirements

  • SolidWorks Version: SolidWorks 2014 or newer
  • Operating System: Windows 7 or later

Pre-Conditions

Note
  • An assembly document must be open in SolidWorks.
  • The component to which the mate is to be applied must be selected prior to running the macro.

Results

Note
  • Adds a specified mate to the selected component.
  • Forces a rebuild of the assembly to reflect the new mate addition.
  • Clears any selections to tidy up the workspace post-operation.

Steps to Setup the Macro

  1. Prepare the Assembly Document:

    • Open the assembly document in SolidWorks.
    • Select the component to which you want to apply the mate.

  2. Load and Run the Macro:

    • Open the SolidWorks VBA editor by pressing (Alt + F11).
    • Insert a new module and paste the provided macro code into this module.
    • Run the macro directly from the VBA editor or save and run it from within SolidWorks under Tools > Macro > Run.

  3. Using the Macro:

    • The macro will automatically add the specified mate to the selected component.
    • After execution, the assembly is rebuilt to apply the changes, and the selection is cleared.

VBA Macro Code

' Disclaimer:
' The code provided should be used at your own risk.  
' Blue Byte Systems Inc. assumes no responsibility for any issues or damages that may arise from using or modifying this code.  
' For more information, visit [Blue Byte Systems Inc.](https://bluebyte.biz).

Option Explicit

' Main subroutine to add a coincident mate to the selected component in an assembly
Sub main()
    ' Declare and set SolidWorks application and document variables
    Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks            ' SolidWorks application object
    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
    Dim Part As SldWorks.ModelDoc2            ' Active document object
    Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc

    ' Validate if a document is loaded
    If Part Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "No document is open.", vbExclamation, "Error"
        Exit Sub ' Exit if no document is loaded
    End If

    ' Declare variables for operations
    Dim boolstatus As Boolean                 ' Status of the operation (not used directly here)
    Dim longstatus As Long                    ' Long status to capture errors or warnings
    Dim longwarnings As Long                  ' Long warnings (not used directly here)
    Dim Feature As Object                     ' Object for the newly added mate

    ' Add a coincident mate to the selected component
    ' Parameters:
    ' - Mate type: 3 (Coincident)
    ' - Alignment: 2 (Aligned)
    ' - Flip flag: False (No flipping)
    ' - Distance/Angle: All set to 0 for this mate type
    ' - Long status: Captures the success or failure of the mate addition
    Set Feature = Part.AddMate2(3, 2, False, 0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, longstatus)

    ' Check if the mate was successfully added
    If longstatus <> 0 Then
        MsgBox "Failed to add mate. Status code: " & longstatus, vbCritical, "Error"
        Exit Sub
    End If

    ' Force a rebuild to update the assembly with the new mate
    Part.ForceRebuild

    ' Clear any remaining selections to ensure a clean state
    Part.ClearSelection2 True

    ' Notify the user of successful operation
    MsgBox "Coincident mate added successfully.", vbInformation, "Success"
End Sub

Macro

You can download the macro from here

Customization

Need to modify the macro to meet specific requirements or integrate it with other processes? We provide custom macro development tailored to your needs. Contact us.

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