Set Visibility of Sketch in sub assembly

<?xml encoding=”UTF-8″>By Adam Nagy

The following blog post talks about ComponentOccurrence contexts, which is relevant in this case as well: http://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2012/12/componentoccurrence-contexts-and-reference-keys.html

If you want to set the visibility of an object that can only be reached through a ComponentDefinition (PartComponentDefinition/AssemblyComponentDefinition) object and it resides in a sub assembly, then you need to bring it into the context of the main/top assembly using CreateGeometryProxy. This is what the following code does as well. This will make the sketch highlighted in the picture (Sketch 2) invisible.

Sub HideSubAsmSketch()
Dim dwg As DrawingDocument
Set dwg = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim baseView As DrawingView
Set baseView = dwg.Sheets(1).DrawingViews(1)
Dim mainAsm As AssemblyDocument
Set mainAsm = _
baseView.ReferencedDocumentDescriptor.ReferencedDocument
Dim mainDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
Set mainDef = mainAsm.ComponentDefinition
Dim subOcc As ComponentOccurrence
Set subOcc = mainDef.Occurrences(1)
Dim subDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
Set subDef = subOcc.Definition
' This does exactly the same as the below code. This
' way we'll get outside of the context of the main
' assembly and get inside the context of the sub assembly
' Set subDef = GetSubAsmDef()
' Anything we get through subDef will need to be
' brought into the context of mainAsm if
' that's where we want to set properties
Dim sk As PlanarSketch
Set sk = subDef.Sketches("Sketch 2")
' Let's bring sk into the mainAsm context through the
' occurrence object
Dim skProxy As PlanarSketchProxy
Call subOcc.CreateGeometryProxy(sk, skProxy)
' Now we can set the visibility for it
Call baseView.SetVisibility(skProxy, False)
End Sub
Function GetSubAsmDef() As AssemblyComponentDefinition
Dim asm As AssemblyDocument
Set asm = ThisApplication.Documents.Open("SubAsm.iam")
Set GetSubAsmDef = asm.ComponentDefinition
End Function