Import and save non-native files

<?xml encoding=”UTF-8″>By Adam Nagy

When you import a non-native file then you are using a translator add-in to do the import. Each of them might have different options which can affect how you implement things.

As shown in this blog post you can easily find out all the options available for a translator add-in:
http://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2014/02/get-option-names-and-values-supported-by-inventor-translator-addins-via-api.html 

For SolidWorks translator add-in’s open options you’d get something like this in Inventor 2016:

SaveComponentDuringLoad
True
SaveLocationIndex
1
ComponentDestFolder
C:UsersadamnagyDocumentsInventorSW
AssemDestFolder
C:UsersadamnagyDocumentsInventorSW
SaveAssemSeperateFolder
False
AddFilenamePrefix
False
FilenamePrefix
AddFilenameSuffix
False
FilenameSuffix
EmbedInDocument
True
SaveToDisk
False
ImportSolid
True
ImportSurface
True
ImportWire
True
CreateIFO
False
ImportAASP
False
ImportAASPIndex
0CreateSurfIndex
1
GroupName
GroupNameIndex
0ExplodeMSB2Assm
False
ImportUnit
0CheckDuringLoad
False
AutoStitchAndPromote
True
AdvanceHealing
False
EdgeSplitAndMergeDisabled
False
FaceSplitAndMergeDisabled
False
AssociativeImport
False
Selective Import
False
Link Visibility
True

E.g. if you want to import a complete SolidWorks assembly and save the created Inventor files, then the translator has an option for that. You can specify where the created files should be placed and also if they should be saved during the creation of those files, so you don’t even have to iterate through them and save them – actually if you save the main assembly and use
Application.SilentOperation = True, that should do the trick too.  

The following code can automate the whole import and save part:

Sub ImportAndSaveSolidWorksFiles()
Dim oAddIns As ApplicationAddIns
Set oAddIns = ThisApplication.ApplicationAddIns
' SolidWorks translator addin
Dim oTA As TranslatorAddIn
Set oTA = oAddIns.ItemById("{402BE503-725D-41CB-B746-D557AB83BAF1}")
' Activate if needed
If Not oTA.Activated Then oTA.Activate
Dim oTO As TransientObjects
Set oTO = ThisApplication.TransientObjects
Dim oDM As DataMedium
Set oDM = oTO.CreateDataMedium
oDM.FileName = "C:Gearsgears.SLDASM"
Dim oTC As TranslationContext
Set oTC = oTO.CreateTranslationContext
oTC.Type = kFileBrowseIOMechanism
Dim oNVM As NameValueMap
Set oNVM = oTO.CreateNameValueMap
' Show the options dialog if you want
' Call oTA.ShowOpenOptions(oDM, oTC, oNVM)
' and print out the available options
' Call PrintInfo(oNVM, 1)
' Set the options we need
Call oNVM.Add("SaveComponentDuringLoad", True)
Call oNVM.Add("SaveLocationIndex", 1)
Call oNVM.Add("ComponentDestFolder", "C:UsersadamnagyDocumentsInventorSW")
Call oNVM.Add("SaveAssemSeperateFolder", False)
Dim oDoc As Document
Call oTA.Open(oDM, oTC, oNVM, oDoc)
End Sub
Sub PrintInfo(v As Variant, indent As Integer)
If TypeOf v Is NameValueMap Then
Dim nvm As NameValueMap
Set nvm = v
Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To nvm.Count
Debug.Print Tab(indent); nvm.Name(i)
Call PrintInfo(nvm.Value(nvm.Name(i)), indent + 1)
Next
Else
Debug.Print Tab(indent); v
End If
End Sub

Result: