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SOLIDWORKS Macro to delete feature folder with all children features

When deleting the top folder in SOLIDWORKS features tree all sub features are not get deleted so it is required to select all of them one-by-one in order to delete folder content.

This is not always possible to do in one step due to the features relations:

Manually deleting the folder feature{ width=400 }

The macro below allows to delete all of the features in the selected folder in one click using SOLIDWORKS API. Nested folders are also supported.

Deleting the folder with all children features{ width=400 }

Macro can optionally display the confirmation dialog with the list of features about to be deleted

Watch video demonstration

Const SHOW_CONFIRMATION_DIALOG As Boolean = True

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2

Sub main()

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc

If Not swModel Is Nothing Then

Dim swSelMgr As SldWorks.SelectionMgr
Set swSelMgr = swModel.SelectionManager

Dim swFolderFeat As SldWorks.Feature

Set swFolderFeat = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)

If Not swFolderFeat Is Nothing Then

If swFolderFeat.GetTypeName2() = "FtrFolder" Then

Dim vFeats As Variant
vFeats = GetFeaturesInFolder(swFolderFeat)
Dim i As Integer

If Not IsEmpty(vFeats) Then
For i = 0 To UBound(vFeats)
Dim swFeat As SldWorks.Feature
Set swFeat = vFeats(i)
swFeat.Select2 True, -1
Next
End If

If SHOW_CONFIRMATION_DIALOG Then

Dim featNames As String

For i = 1 To swSelMgr.GetSelectedObjectCount2(-1)

On Error Resume Next

Set swFeat = swSelMgr.GetSelectedObject6(i, -1)
If Not swFeat Is Nothing Then
featNames = featNames & vbCrLf & swFeat.Name
End If

Next

If swApp.SendMsgToUser2( _
"Delete the following feature(s) and all absorbed features?" & vbCrLf & featNames, _
swMessageBoxIcon_e.swMbQuestion, _
swMessageBoxBtn_e.swMbYesNo) = swMessageBoxResult_e.swMbHitNo Then
End
End If
End If

swModel.Extension.DeleteSelection2 swDeleteSelectionOptions_e.swDelete_Absorbed

Else
MsgBox "Selected feature is not a folder"
End If

Else
MsgBox "Please select folder feature"
End If

Else
MsgBox "Please open model"
End If

End Sub

Function GetFeaturesInFolder(folderFeat As SldWorks.Feature) As Variant

Const FOLDER_CLOSE_TAG As String = "___EndTag___"

Dim swFeatsColl As Collection
Set swFeatsColl = New Collection

Dim swNextFeat As SldWorks.Feature

Set swNextFeat = folderFeat.GetNextFeature

Dim nestedFolderLevel As Integer
nestedFolderLevel = 0

While Not swNextFeat Is Nothing

Dim isEndFolderTagFeat As Boolean
isEndFolderTagFeat = False

If swNextFeat.GetTypeName2() = "FtrFolder" Then

isEndFolderTagFeat = Right(swNextFeat.Name, Len(FOLDER_CLOSE_TAG)) = FOLDER_CLOSE_TAG

If isEndFolderTagFeat Then
If nestedFolderLevel = 0 Then
GetFeaturesInFolder = CollectionToArray(swFeatsColl)
Exit Function
Else
nestedFolderLevel = nestedFolderLevel - 1
End If
Else
nestedFolderLevel = nestedFolderLevel + 1
End If

End If

If Not isEndFolderTagFeat Then
If Not Contains(swFeatsColl, swNextFeat) Then
swFeatsColl.Add swNextFeat
End If

CollectAllSubFeatures swNextFeat, swFeatsColl
End If

Set swNextFeat = swNextFeat.GetNextFeature

Wend

End Function


Sub CollectAllSubFeatures(swFeat As SldWorks.Feature, coll As Collection)

Dim swSubFeat As SldWorks.Feature
Set swSubFeat = swFeat.GetFirstSubFeature

While Not swSubFeat Is Nothing

If Not Contains(coll, swSubFeat) Then
coll.Add swNextFeat
End If

CollectAllSubFeatures swSubFeat, coll
Set swSubFeat = swSubFeat.GetNextSubFeature

Wend

End Sub

Function Contains(coll As Collection, item As Object) As Boolean

Dim i As Integer

For i = 1 To coll.Count
If coll.item(i) Is item Then
Contains = True
Exit Function
End If
Next

Contains = False

End Function

Function CollectionToArray(coll As Collection) As Variant

If coll.Count() > 0 Then

Dim arr() As Object

ReDim arr(coll.Count() - 1)
Dim i As Integer

For i = 1 To coll.Count
Set arr(i - 1) = coll(i)
Next

CollectionToArray = arr

Else
CollectionToArray = Empty
End If

End Function