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Save the selected body into external file using SOLIDWORKS API

This VBA example demonstrates how to serialize the selected body (surface or solid) into the COM Stream using SOLIDWORKS API and store that in the external binary file.

Imports SolidWorks.Interop.sldworks
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices.ComTypes

Module Module1

Declare Function CreateStreamOnHGlobal Lib "ole32" (ByVal hGlobal As IntPtr, ByVal fDeleteOnRelease As Boolean, ByRef ppstm As IStream) As Long

Const FILE_PATH As String = "D:\body.dat"

Sub Main()

Dim app As ISldWorks = CreateObject("SldWorks.Application")
app.Visible = True

Dim model As IModelDoc2
model = app.ActiveDoc

If Not model Is Nothing Then

Dim body As IBody2 = model.ISelectionManager.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)

If Not body Is Nothing Then
SaveBodyToFile(body, FILE_PATH)
Else
Throw New Exception("Please select body to export")
End If

Else
Throw New Exception("Please open the model")
End If

End Sub

Sub SaveBodyToFile(body As IBody2, filePath As String)

Dim stream As IStream = Nothing

CreateStreamOnHGlobal(IntPtr.Zero, True, stream)
body.Save(stream)

Dim comStream = New ComStream(stream, False, False)

Using fileStream = File.Create(filePath)
comStream.Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Begin)
comStream.CopyTo(fileStream)
End Using

End Sub

End Module

Public Class ComStream
Inherits Stream

Private ReadOnly m_ComStream As IStream
Private ReadOnly m_Commit As Boolean
Private m_IsWritable As Boolean

Public Sub New(ByRef comStream As IStream, writable As Boolean, Optional commit As Boolean = True)

If comStream Is Nothing Then
Throw New ArgumentNullException(NameOf(comStream))
End If

m_ComStream = comStream
m_IsWritable = writable
m_Commit = commit

End Sub

Public Overrides ReadOnly Property CanRead() As Boolean
Get
Return True
End Get
End Property

Public Overrides ReadOnly Property CanSeek() As Boolean
Get
Return True
End Get
End Property

Public Overrides ReadOnly Property CanWrite() As Boolean
Get
Return m_IsWritable
End Get
End Property

Public Overrides ReadOnly Property Length As Long
Get
Const STATSFLAG_NONAME As Integer = 1

Dim stats As ComTypes.STATSTG = Nothing
m_ComStream.Stat(stats, STATSFLAG_NONAME)

Return stats.cbSize
End Get
End Property

Public Overrides Property Position() As Long
Get
Return Seek(0, SeekOrigin.Current)
End Get
Set(ByVal Value As Long)
Seek(Value, SeekOrigin.Begin)
End Set
End Property

Public Overrides Sub Flush()
If m_Commit Then
Const STGC_DEFAULT As Integer = 0
m_ComStream.Commit(STGC_DEFAULT)
End If
End Sub

Public Overrides Sub SetLength(ByVal Value As Long)
m_ComStream.SetSize(Value)
End Sub

Public Overrides Sub Write(buffer() As Byte, offset As Integer, count As Integer)
If offset <> 0 Then
Dim bufferSize As Integer
bufferSize = buffer.Length - offset
Dim tmpBuffer(bufferSize) As Byte
Array.Copy(buffer, offset, tmpBuffer, 0, bufferSize)
m_ComStream.Write(tmpBuffer, bufferSize, Nothing)
Else
m_ComStream.Write(buffer, count, Nothing)
End If
End Sub

Public Overrides Function Read(buffer() As Byte, offset As Integer, count As Integer) As Integer

Dim bytesRead As Integer = 0
Dim boxBytesRead As Object = bytesRead
Dim hObject As GCHandle

Try
hObject = GCHandle.Alloc(boxBytesRead, GCHandleType.Pinned)
Dim pBytesRead As IntPtr = hObject.AddrOfPinnedObject()

If offset <> 0 Then
Dim tmpBuffer(count - 1) As Byte
m_ComStream.Read(tmpBuffer, count, pBytesRead)
bytesRead = CInt(boxBytesRead)
Array.Copy(tmpBuffer, 0, buffer, offset, bytesRead)
Else
m_ComStream.Read(buffer, count, pBytesRead)
bytesRead = CInt(boxBytesRead)
End If

Finally
If hObject.IsAllocated Then
hObject.Free()
End If
End Try

Return bytesRead

End Function

Public Overrides Function Seek(offset As Long, origin As SeekOrigin) As Long

Dim curPosition As Long = 0
Dim boxCurPosition As Object = curPosition
Dim hObject As GCHandle

Try
hObject = GCHandle.Alloc(boxCurPosition, GCHandleType.Pinned)
Dim pCurPosition As IntPtr = hObject.AddrOfPinnedObject()

m_ComStream.Seek(offset, origin, pCurPosition)
curPosition = CLng(boxCurPosition)
Finally
If hObject.IsAllocated Then
hObject.Free()
End If
End Try

Return curPosition
End Function

Protected Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
Try
If disposing Then
m_IsWritable = False
End If
Finally
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Try
End Sub

Protected Overrides Sub Finalize()
Dispose(False)
End Sub

End Class
Const FILE_PATH As String = "D:\body.dat"

Private Declare PtrSafe Function CreateStreamOnHGlobal Lib "ole32" (ByVal hGlobal As LongPtr, ByVal fDeleteOnRelease As Long, ByRef ppstm As Any) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function GlobalLock Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hMem As LongPtr) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function GlobalUnlock Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hMem As LongPtr) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function GlobalSize Lib "kernel32" (ByVal hMem As LongPtr) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Function GetHGlobalFromStream Lib "ole32" (ByVal ppstm As LongPtr, hGlobal As LongPtr) As Long
Private Declare PtrSafe Sub CopyMemory Lib "kernel32" Alias "RtlMoveMemory" (ByRef Destination As Any, ByRef Source As Any, ByVal Length As Long)

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks

Sub main()

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks

Dim swModel As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Set swModel = swApp.ActiveDoc

If Not swModel Is Nothing Then

Dim swBody As SldWorks.Body2
Set swBody = swModel.SelectionManager.GetSelectedObject6(1, -1)

If Not swBody Is Nothing Then
SaveBodyToFile swBody, FILE_PATH
Else
MsgBox "Please select body to export"
End If

Else
MsgBox "Please open the model"
End If

End Sub

Sub SaveBodyToFile(body As SldWorks.Body2, filePath As String)

Dim comStream As IUnknown

If CreateStreamOnHGlobal(0, 0, comStream) Then
Err.Raise vbError, "", "Failed to create new stream"
End If

body.Save comStream

Dim buff() As Byte

buff = GetArrayFromComStream(comStream)

WriteByteArrToFile filePath, buff

End Sub

Private Function GetArrayFromComStream(comStream As IUnknown) As Byte()

Dim buffer() As Byte

Dim hMem As LongPtr
Dim lpMem As LongPtr
Dim bytesCount As Long

If Not comStream Is Nothing Then

If GetHGlobalFromStream(ByVal ObjPtr(comStream), hMem) = 0 Then

bytesCount = GlobalSize(hMem)

If bytesCount > 0 Then

lpMem = GlobalLock(hMem)

If lpMem <> 0 Then
ReDim buffer(0 To bytesCount - 1)
CopyMemory buffer(0), ByVal lpMem, bytesCount
GlobalUnlock hMem
GetArrayFromComStream = buffer
Else
Err.Raise vbError, "", "Failed to lock memory"
End If
Else
Err.Raise vbError, "", "Stream is empty"
End If
Else
Err.Raise vbError, "", "Failed to get handler from stream"
End If
Else
Err.Raise vbError, "", "Stream is null"
End If

End Function

Function WriteByteArrToFile(filePath As String, buffer() As Byte)

Dim fileNmb As Integer
fileNmb = FreeFile

Open filePath For Binary Access Write As #fileNmb
Put #fileNmb, 1, buffer
Close #fileNmb

End Function