Batch add components and position them in the grid using SOLIDWORKS API

Components inserted into 2 x 2 x 2 grid { width=250 }

This example demonstrates the performance efficient way of inserting a batch of components into assembly and automatic positioning of them in 3D grid using SOLIDWORKS API.

Components are inserted using the IAssemblyDoc::AddComponents3 SOLIDWORKS API method. Which allows to preassign the transformations for components to be inserted.

Boundaries of the grid can be specified by setting the constants in the begging of the macro.

Const ROWS_COUNT As Integer = 2 'maximum number of components in a row (parallel to X)
Const COLUMNS_COUNT As Integer = 2 'maximum number of components in a row (parallel to Y)
Const DISTANCE As Double = 0.1 'distance between components in rows, columns and levels

Specify the list of components to insert by assigning the values of compsPaths array. Inserting the same component path in different positions is supported.

Dim compsPaths(N) As String
    
compsPaths(0) = "Full path to part or assembly"
compsPaths(1) = "Full path to part or assembly"
...
compsPaths(N) = "Full path to part or assembly"

Const ROWS_COUNT As Integer = 2
Const COLUMNS_COUNT As Integer = 2
Const DISTANCE As Double = 0.1

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks

Sub main()

    Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
    
    Dim compsPaths(7) As String
    
    compsPaths(0) = "D:\models\box1.sldprt"
    compsPaths(1) = "D:\models\box2.sldprt"
    compsPaths(2) = "D:\models\box3.sldprt"
    compsPaths(3) = "D:\models\box1.sldprt"
    compsPaths(4) = "D:\models\box1.sldprt"
    compsPaths(5) = "D:\models\box2.sldprt"
    compsPaths(6) = "D:\models\box3.sldprt"
    compsPaths(7) = "D:\models\box1.sldprt"
    
    Dim swAssy As SldWorks.AssemblyDoc
    
    Set swAssy = swApp.ActiveDoc
    
    If Not swAssy Is Nothing Then
        InsertComponents swAssy, compsPaths, ROWS_COUNT, COLUMNS_COUNT, DISTANCE
    Else
        MsgBox "Please open assembly"
    End If
    
End Sub

Sub InsertComponents(assy As SldWorks.AssemblyDoc, vPaths As Variant, rows As Integer, columns As Integer, dist As Double)
    
    Dim transforms() As Double
    ReDim transforms((UBound(vPaths) + 1) * 16 - 1)
    
    Dim coordSys() As String
    ReDim coordSys(UBound(vPaths))
    
    Dim level As Integer
    Dim row As Integer
    Dim column As Integer
    
    Dim i As Integer
    
    For i = 0 To UBound(vPaths)
        
        If row = rows Then
            
            row = 0
            column = column + 1
            
            If column = columns Then
                column = 0
                level = level + 1
            End If
        
        End If
        
        Dim vTransform As Variant
        vTransform = ComposeTransform(row * dist, column * dist, level * dist)
        
        Dim j As Integer
        
        For j = 0 To UBound(vTransform)
            transforms(i * (UBound(vTransform) + 1) + j) = vTransform(j)
        Next
        
        row = row + 1
        
    Next
    
    assy.AddComponents3 vPaths, transforms, coordSys
    
End Sub

Function ComposeTransform(x As Double, y As Double, z As Double) As Variant
    
    Dim dMatrix(15) As Double
    dMatrix(0) = 1: dMatrix(1) = 0: dMatrix(2) = 0: dMatrix(3) = 0
    dMatrix(4) = 1: dMatrix(5) = 0: dMatrix(6) = 0: dMatrix(7) = 0
    dMatrix(8) = 1: dMatrix(9) = x: dMatrix(10) = y: dMatrix(11) = z
    dMatrix(12) = 1: dMatrix(13) = 0: dMatrix(14) = 0: dMatrix(15) = 0
    
    ComposeTransform = dMatrix
    
End Function