COMMENT-SW Version independent models

Is there anyway that you could talk that vendor into sharing their macro? Either that or else sell it to Solidworks with the condition that it is incorporated into the current and all future versions.

At SWW 2006 I saw a presentation of a another concept. The company, which I can't remember right now, used an Excel Spreadsheet linked to a design table to "Build" Parts and Assemblies as needed. The Assembly and Part files weren't stored, just the speadsheets to build them. Both methods are very impressive.

Someone with the skills to develop these concepts should "run" with them and bring them into mainstream use. In my opinion, it could be huge.

Best Regards, Devon T. Sowell

I doubt the macro would do you much good unless you wanted their gearbox. My guess is they built a model and used the idea of a configurator to drive the macro's creation.

YouGoFirst wrote:

That vendor was SMC and the model was that of an air cylinder. The presentation should be available on the Conference Proceedings DVD.

WT

Paul,

I've seen these on some websites that offer SW models.

You still have the problem of unsupported features if your reading a 2006 macro into 2004 "IF" the macro calls on functions that don't exist. For mechanical parts though, you're probably right.

Mark

Well, the MACRO (API) is still version dependent. :(

If the macro works on all (possible) versions of SWX, then its using the lowest common denominator... for example, a DOS program is "Windows version independent".

"Condiment Central".... I bet you "relish" downloading from there (boo ! hiss!)

A couple people have mentioned that the macro might not be version independent. I am well aware of this issue. If you look at the code I wrote in the Star2.1 benchmark you will notice that it deals with this issue. What I found was that in general, SW will execute macros written in earlier versions. And of course the fact that the macros from the vendor do in fact run on 2004 says something about this issue.

If I get a chance I'll have a peek at the vendor's macro and see what they are do> T> >> we are getting models from a vendor that are SW version

I just remembered, the first time I saw a Macro like this was about 4 -5 years ago when a client sent some SKF bearing holders to me. It blew me away then. When I tried to open the Macro, it was locked, it wouldn't open. I'll have to see if I can dig them up.

Devon