API Help

Welcome to API Help

You can use a software product's API (Application
Programming Interface) to:
automate and customize the product.
write applications that add functionality to the product,
typically referred to as add-in applications.
Each product's API contains multiple functions that you can
call from Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), VB.NET, Visual
C#, Visual C++ 6.0 , and Visual C++/CLI. These functions
provide direct access to product's functionality.
API Help is available on the Web and locally. See Accessing
API Help in Access and Navigation.
Use the Send comments link located in the upper-right
corner of a reference topic to report errors and omissions in
the Help. The subject line of the mail message sent to API
Help Feedback will automatically contain the name of the
reference topic that you are reading. If you have feedback
about a topic without a Send Comments link, then send
your feedback to apihelp.feedback@3ds.com. Your feedback
is important because it will help Dassault Systèmes
SolidWorks Corporation improve the Help, which will
hopefully benefit you. Please continue to send functionality
related questions about any of the APIs to SOLIDWORKS API
Support.
NOTE: All of the sample code supplied is provided on an as-is
basis, and is only intended to demonstrate ways of using an
API. No representations or warranties are made regarding
these samples. Any licensed user of an API is free to use any
or all of these samples in connection with building
applications related to that API, and is granted a royalty-free,
non-exclusive license for these samples, or parts thereof.
Intellectual property rights of the samples remain with
SOLIDWORKS. Any confidentiality provisions of the applicable
product license apply to the samples.
API Help
Access and Navigation

Accessing API Help

API Help is available on the Web or locally. To enable your

access to API Help on the Web, select Help > Use
SOLIDWORKS Web Help. A check mark indicates that API
Help is enabled and accessible on the Web.
NOTES:
API Help is updated for every service pack; however, the
web version of API Help is only updated for service packs
SP0, SP1, and SP5. If you want the most up-to-date
version of API Help for service pack SP2, SP3, or SP4,
use the latest local version of API Help.
The local version of API Help is not automatically installed
with SOLIDWORKS service packs. Get the latest local
version of API Help that includes updates for the
functionality contained in a given service pack from the
SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal:

1. Open www.solidworks.com.
2. Log into the SOLIDWORKS Customer Portal.
3. Click Downloads and Updates.
4. On the SOLIDWORKS tab:
1. At the top, select the version of SOLIDWORKS
whose API Help you want to download.
2. At the bottom, click the product link for the
service pack whose API Help you want to
download.
5. In the SOLIDWORKS Download EULA page, click the
English button and click Accept Agreement &
Continue.
 6. At the bottom of the Download and Install page,
click the download, unzip, and install all the
files link.
7. Select a version in the Upgrading from Service
Pack list, select the product in the SOLIDWORKS
Product list, and click Continue.
8. Click SOLIDWORKS Help in the Step 4 -
Required updates table.
9. After swHelpEnglish.exe downloads, double-click
it to open the installer dialog.
10. Specify a local directory and click OK to copy the
files to it.
11. Navigate to the location you specified to copy the
files or to the default location,
C:\SWDist\swHelpEnglish\Files\api.
12. Copy all of the files in this folder to your
SOLIDWORKS installation \api folder so that the
just-downloaded version of API Help is available in a
running session of SOLIDWORKS.

To open context-sensitive SOLIDWORKS API Help from:

SOLIDWORKS VB.NET or C# macros opened in Visual
Studio 2015:
1. In the IDE, select Help > Set Help Preference >
Launch in Help Viewer.
2. Put your cursor on the interface, method, property, or
delegate whose help topic you want displayed and
press the F1 key.
The associated help topic is displayed in Microsoft
Help Viewer 2.2.
SOLIDWORKS VB.NET or C# applications opened in
Visual Studio 2012:
 1. In the IDE, put your cursor on the interface, method,
property, or delegate whose help topic you want
displayed and press the F1 key.
2. If the associated help topic is not displayed, then
select Tools > Options in the Help Viewer.
1. Select Online.
2. Select Try local first, then online or Try local
only, not online.
3. Select Local Help.
4. Click OK.
5. Put your cursor on the interface, method,
property, or delegate in the IDE again and press
F1.
The associated help topic is displayed.
SOLIDWORKS VBA macros:
In the SOLIDWORKS Microsoft Visual Basic Integrated
Developer Environment (IDE), put your cursor on the
interface, method, property, or event whose help topic
you want displayed and press the F1 key. The associated
help topic is displayed.

IMPORTANT NAVIGATION CHANGES IN API HELP IN

2009 AND LATER
Reference topics now use the name of the interface,
not the object, as in earlier API Help systems.

So, in this Help, it is:

IAdvancedSelectionCriteria not
AdvancedSelectionCriteria,
IAnnotation not Annotation,
 IAnnotationView not AnnotationView,
IAssemblyDoc not AssemblyDoc, etc.

All interface, method, properties, and delegate topics

contain links to their corresponding Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) object, method, properties, and
event topics. Additionally each Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) object topic includes that object's
object model in graphical format, if an object model
exists. If an object model does not exist, then the
object's topic is blank.

The SOLIDWORKS interfaces are no longer categorized

by functionality on the Contents tab. Instead, they
appear in alphabetical order in their respective interop
assembly namespace book. If you prefer to locate
SOLIDWORKS reference (i.e., interface, method,
property, and delegate topics) topics categorized by
functionality, then open the Functional Categories topic
in the SOLIDWORKS APIs book, which is located in the
SOLIDWORKS API Help book. The
SolidWorks.Interop.sldworks Namespace book contains
the majority of the reference topics for the
SOLIDWORKS interfaces.

Topics for obsolete interfaces, methods, properties,

and delegates are not accessible from the Contents
tab; however, they are accessible using the Index and
Search tabs. Always read the description at the top of
a topic. A link to the current version of a topic appears
in the description. Descriptions for obsolete topics
have intentionally been omitted.

Navigating API Help

NOTE: The following information applies to API Help when
accessed locally only.

Index and Contents Tabs

If you are looking for specific functionality, but do not

know the name of the function (interface, method,
property, delegate, or enumerator), the quickest way to
locate the function is to use the Index tab.

Index tab

Click the Index tab and type in the first few letters of the
function whose topic you want displayed. For example to
find the assembly interface topic, you can type assemb
and Assemblies (see also IAssemblyDoc Interface)
is selected. Double-click Assemblies (see also
IAssemblyDoc Interface). Select IAssemblyDoc
Interface and click Display in the Topics Found dialog.

Contents tab

You can also peruse the table of contents. Click the

Contents tab, click a book to expand it, and examine its
topics. API reference topics appear by product in their
interop assembly namespace book or books.
All reference (interface, method, property, and delegate)
topics include breadcrumbs near the top of the topic.
These breadcrumbs can help you determine which
product's topic you are reading. Additionally the name of
a method's or property's interface appears enclosed in
parentheses after the name of the method or property at
the top of the topic and at the end of the breadcrumb.

Search Tab

If you cannot find the function that you want using the
Index or Contents tabs, you can use the Search tab.

Type a word or phrase on the Search tab to see a list of

topics that contain that word or phrase. For example,
type tangent edges and click List Topics on the
Search tab to see the topics that contain that exact or
similar phrase. To reduce the number of topics found,
clear the Match similar words (if selected) and select
the Search titles only (if not selected) check boxes,
which appear after the list. By default, the search results
are ranked by number of occurrences of the word or
phrase in the topic. You can alphabetize the search
results by clicking Title.

You can also use wildcard expressions and boolean

operations in your search word or phrase.

NOTE: If you specify an object by name in your search

(e.g., Annotation), then the interface topic will appear in
the search results (e.g., IAnnotation), not the object
topic. Object topics do not appear in the search results;
only the interface topics.

Wildcard Expressions (*, ?)

You can type the exact name of the function or you can
use an * (asterisk) in your search expression to locate
all of the topics that contain the search expression. For
example, type noti* to locate all of the topics containing
the word notify, notifies, notification, notice, and so
on.

To locate all of the topics that contain just the word

notify, type notif?. The ? (question mark) indicates to
search for the specified expression string plus one
character.

NOTE: The * and ? characters can appear at the

beginning, embedded within, or at the end of a
search expression. However, they cannot be the only
character in the search expression.

Boolean Operators (AND, NEAR, NOT, OR)

You can use Boolean operators in the search expression.

For example, if you are trying to find the SOLIDWORKS
method that adds a mate condition between two
assembly components, click the Search tab and type the
following keywords and the Boolean operator AND:

assembly AND mate AND relationship

This search expression locates the IAssemblyDoc

Interface Members, IAssemblyDoc Interface
Methods, AddMate3 Method (IAssemblyDoc),
EditMate2 Method (IAssemblyDoc), and, of course,
this topic.
Other Boolean operators that you can use in your search
string are:

NEAR – Locate all of the topics that contain the specified

terms, close together.

NOT – Locate all of the topics that contain the term

specified before NOT, then exclude all of the topics that
contain the term specified after NOT

OR – Locate all of the topics that contain any of the

specified terms.
API Help
Syntax Conventions
See Also

This topic explains the syntax conventions used with the API Help:

Notation
Methods and arguments
Return values
Interfaces
Properties
Availability links

Notation

All SOLIDWORKS and add-in API functions support the COM interface. If you are using
COM, the SOLIDWORKS or add-in API function returns an HRESULT, and any additional
return values are passed by reference as arguments.

Back to top

Methods and arguments

The following syntax uses the SOLIDWORKS method, IModelDocExtension::SelectByID2,

which is a function that returns a BOOLEAN value. It passes nine arguments to the
function.

Dim boolstatus As Boolean = false

Visual Basic boolstatus = swModelExtension.SelectByID2("Point1",
.NET "SKETCHPPOINT", .2, .3, 0, False, 0, Nothing,
swSelectOptionDefault)

Visual Basic Dim Result as Boolean

for Result = swModelExtension.SelectByID2("Point1",
Applications "SKETCHPOINT", .2, .3, 0, False, 0, Nothing,
(VBA): swSelectOptionDefault)
bool boolstatus = false;
boolstatus = swModelExtension.SelectByID2("Point1",
C#
"SKETCHPOINT", .2, .3, 0, false, 0, null,
swSelectOptionDefault);
BOOL Result = FALSE;
Unmanaged Result =
C++
swModelExtension.SelectByID2(_T("Point1"),_T("SKETCHPOINT
Dispatch:
.2, .3, 0,0,0,0,swSelectOptionDefault);
 VARIANT_BOOL Result = FALSE;
Unmanaged HRESULT hres = swModelExtension-
C++ COM: >SelectByID2(_T("Point1"),_T("SKETCHPOINT"),.2,.3,
0,0,0,0,swSelectOptionDefault,&result);
bool bSelected = swModelExtension->SelectByID2(swBody->Na
C++/CLI "SOLIDBODY", 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, true, 0, nullptr,
(int)swSelectOption_e::swSelectOptionDefault);

NOTE: The return value in the Visual Basic (Usage) section in the Help is always shown
as value. Because some methods and properties contain an argument named Value,
SOLIDWORKS recommends that you rename the return value variable value to something
meaningful to avoid an error in your code and for clarity.

The next example uses the SOLIDWORKS method, IDrawingDoc::EditSheet, which is a

subroutine which returns nothing (void). The method accepts no arguments.

Visual Basic
.NET swDrawing.EditSheet()

Visual Basic
for
Applications
(VBA): swDrawing.EditSheet (see the Note below this table)

C# swDrawing.EditSheet();

Unmanaged
C++
Dispatch: swDrawing.EditSheet();

Unmanaged
HRESULT hres = swDrawing->EditSheet();
C++ COM:

C++/CLI swDrawing->EditSheet();

NOTE: Some methods are subroutines (that return nothing (void)) that also pass
arguments. The VBA syntax for those methods is slightly different, despite what the Visual
Basic for Applications (VBA) Syntax section of the help indicates. The help shows
parentheses in the method signatures of all VBA methods. In practice, parentheses are not
used in the VBA method signature of subroutines that return nothing. For example,
IModelDoc2::SetUnits is a subroutine that returns nothing but passes arguments. The
correct way to call IModelDoc2::SetUnits in VBA:
Part.SetUnits swINCHES, swFRACTION, 16, 0, False

Back to top

Return values

The following syntax uses the SOLIDWORKS method, IModelDoc2::GetType, which is a

subroutine that returns a long value. This function takes no arguments. Instead, it uses
the current IModelDoc2 object and returns its type.

Visual Basic int docType = 0;

.NET docType = swModel.GetType();

Visual Basic
for Dim docType As Long
Applications docType = swModel.GetType
(VBA):

int docType = 0;
C#
docType = swModel.GetType();

Unmanaged long docType = 0;

C++
docType = swModel .GetType();
Dispatch:

Unmanaged long docType = 0;

C++ COM: HRESULT hres = swModel ->GetType( &docType );

swDocumentTypes_e nDocumentType;
C++/CLI
nDocumentType = (swDocumentTypes_e)swModel->GetType();

Back to top

Interfaces

Some functions have different versions of syntax. A function has multiple interfaces only
when required. Always check the See Also link near the bottom of topic to see if a
function has multiple interfaces (e.g., IBody2::GetFirstFace and IBody2::IGetFirstFace).

Visual Basic Dim swFace as Face2 = Nothing

.NET swFace = swBody.GetFirstFace

Visual Basic
for Dim swFace As Object
Applications Set swFace = swBody.GetFirstFace
(VBA):

Face2 swFace = null;

C#
swFace = (Face2) swBody.GetFirstFace();

Unmanaged IDispatch* faceDisp = NULL;

C++ faceDisp = swBody.GetFirstFace();
Dispatch: IFace2 swFace(faceDisp);

Unmanaged LPFACE2 swFace = NULL;

C++ COM: HRESULT hres = swBody->IGetFirstFace( &swFace );

C++/CLI IFace2^ swFace = nullptr;

 swFace = (IFace2^)swBody->GetFirstFace();
- or -
IFace2^ swFace = nullptr;
swFace = swBody->IGetFirstFace();

The Dispatch interface returns a Dispatch pointer, while the COM interface returns an
LPFACE2 pointer. The COM interface uses object pointers instead of Dispatch pointers and
pointers instead of VARIANT SafeArrays. Because the argument types are different, any
API function that handles objects or arrays has two distinct interfaces, one for COM and
one for Dispatch.

Back to top

Properties

The following syntax uses the SOLIDWORKS property IFeature::Name to get and set the
name of a feature.

Visual Basic get: featName = swFeat.Name

.NET set: swFeat.Name = featName

Visual Basic
for get: featName = swFeat.Name
Applications set: swFeat.Name = featName
(VBA):

get: featName = swFeat.Name;

C#
set: swFeat.Name = featName;

Unmanaged featName =
get:
C++ swFeat.GetName();
Dispatch: set:
swFeat.SetName(featName);
hres = swFeat-
Unmanaged get: >get_Name(&featName);
C++ COM: set: hres = swFeat-
>put_Name(featName);

get: featName = swFeat->Name;

C++/CLI
set: swFeat->Name = featName;

Back to top

Availability links
The Availability links appearing at the bottom of a method, property, and delegate topic
identifies the release in which the method, property, or delegate was introduced. Topics in
the API Help lacking Availability links indicate that the method, property, or delegate was
introduced prior to the SOLIDWORKS 98Plus release.
Back to top
API Help
Obsolete APIs
APIs are continually enhanced. In most instances, when an
existing API is superseded by a new API, the new API has the
same name as the existing API followed by a number. A
higher number indicates a more recent API. For example, the
method IEntity::Select4 superseded IEntity::Select3,
which superseded IEntity::Select2, etc. In this example,
IEntity::Select3, IEntity::Select2 and IEntity::Select are
obsolete APIs.
It is recommended that you use the newest APIs in your
code, and, whenever possible, update your existing code to
use the newest APIs.
Topics for obsolete interfaces, methods, properties, and
delegates are not accessible from the Contents tab; however,
they are accessible from the Index and Search tabs. Always
read the description at the top of a topic. A link to the current
version of a topic appears in the description. Descriptions for
obsolete topics published prior to the SOLIDWORKS 2009
SP0 release have intentionally been omitted.
API Help
Resources
Additional resources for APIs and product-specific information
are:

SOLIDWORKS
Start the SOLIDWORKS software and click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help.

SOLIDWORKS Costing
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, and open the SOLIDWORKS
Costing book.

SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional

Start the SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional
Administration tool, log into a SOLIDWORKS PDM vault
as admin, expand the vault, right-click Add-ins, and
click Programmer's Reference Guide.

FeatureWorks
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, expand the Features book, and
open the FeatureWorks book.

eDrawings
Start the eDrawings software and click Help >
eDrawings Help Topics.

SOLIDWORKS Routing
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, and open the Routing book.

SOLIDWORKS Simulation
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, and open the Simulation book.

SOLIDWORKS Sustainability
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, and expand the Sustainability
Products book, and open the SOLIDWORKS
Sustainability book.

SOLIDWORKS Toolbox
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, and open the Toolbox book.

SOLIDWORKS Utilities
Start the SOLIDWORKS software, click Help >
SOLIDWORKS Help, and open the SOLIDWORKS
Utilities book.
API Help
Contacting API Support
It is our goal to provide the best support possible for the
APIs. Understanding how this support works, and the type of
information we need to assist you, can help us solve your
problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.

API Support

The API support e-mail address is apisupport@3ds.com.

An API is a thin layer over the user interface. Thus, if there is
a problem in the API, it often exists in the user interface. If
you can reproduce the problem in the user interface, report
the problem to SOLIDWORKS User-interface Technical
Support.
When the problem is fixed in the user interface, then the fix
is automatically applied to the API.

Information to include in your e-mail message to API Support

Your contact information.

Your product serial or license number.

A description of your problem. Please send each problem

in a separate e-mail message to ensure appropriate
tracking of the problem.

All API methods, properties, and events related to your

problem.

Product version, including service pack. If your problem

is a regression, report the last version in which your code
worked correctly, including the service pack number.

All test files (SOLIDWORKS documents and so on).

Graphics driver details (if the problem is graphics

related).

Operating-system details (if you suspect the problem is

operating-system related).

Source code for your project as per these guidelines.

NOTE: Whenever possible, avoid using obsolete APIs in

your code; instead, update your code to use the most
recent APIs to see if that fixes your problem.
API Help
SOLIDWORKS API Examples, Sample Projects,
and Tips
To locate SOLIDWORKS examples in the Help, use the index
tab.

Examples are grouped by language on the Index tab. Type:

C# examples to see available C# examples.

C++/CLI examples to see available managed C++
examples.
Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET) examples to see
available VB.NET examples.
VBA examples to see available Visual Basic for
Applications (VBA) examples.
C++ examples to see available unmanaged C++
examples.

Examples are also linked to relevant reference topics. See the

Example section in a reference topic.

The SOLIDWORKS API Support web page, which is part of

the SOLIDWORKS website, provides you access to additional
API examples, sample projects, tips, discussion forum,
knowledge base, etc.

NOTE: You must be connected to the internet to view the

SOLIDWORKS API Support web page and SOLIDWORKS
website.
API Help
eDrawings API Sample Project
The eDrawings API sample projects show how to create
eDrawings API applications in Microsoft Visual Studio and
other types of applications that support ActiveX controls. You
can download the eDrawings API SDK, which contains the
eDrawings API sample projects, from the SOLIDWORKS web
site.

NOTES:

You must be connected to the internet to download the

eDrawings API SDK from the SOLIDWORKS website.

You must have WinZip installed on your computer to

download the eDrawings API SDK. See www.winzip.com
for details about this software.

All of the sample code and projects are provided on an

as-is basis and are only intended to demonstrate ways of
using the eDrawings API. No representations or
warranties are made regarding these samples. Any
licensed user of eDrawings is free to use any or all of
these samples in connection with building applications
related to eDrawings and is granted a royalty-free, non-
exclusive license for these samples or parts thereof.
Intellectual property rights of the samples remain with
eDrawings. Any confidentiality provisions of the
eDrawings license apply to these samples.
Source code guidelines

Attempt to distill your problem down to a simple code

example; however, avoid sending code fragments.
For VB/VBA code, use the Option Explicit statement
and declare all variables with early binding.
For C++ code, ensure there are no COM reference
leaks.
Include a testing procedure. This is typically a step-by-
step list that explains how to reproduce your problem.
If you are having problems developing test code or a
test case, let us know.
Do not include compiled DLL or EXE files. We rebuild
your files using your source code.
When sending test code, ensure that all dependent
source files are included.
Send all files as a compressed WinZip archive.
Return to Contacting API Support