Replace references in components or drawing views using SOLIDWORKS Document Manager API

This example demonstrates how to replace references (components or drawing views) in SOLIDWORKS files (assemblies or drawings) using Document Manager API.

• Specify the full path to the parent file (e.g. assembly)
• Specify the full path to the document to replace
• Specify the full path to the new document

ISwDMDocument::ReplaceReference SOLIDWORKS Document Manager API method is used to replace the old reference with new one.

Const FILE_PATH As String = "Full path to replace reference in"
Const ORIGINAL_REFERENCE As String = "Full path to reference to be replaced"
Const NEW_REFERENCE As String = "Full path to the new reference"

Const LIC_KEY As String = "Your license key"

Dim swDmApp As SwDocumentMgr.SwDMApplication4

Sub main()

    Dim swClassFact As SwDocumentMgr.SwDMClassFactory
    
    Set swClassFact = New SwDocumentMgr.SwDMClassFactory
    
    Set swDmApp = swClassFact.GetApplication(LIC_KEY)
    
    Dim swDmDoc As SwDocumentMgr.SwDMDocument19

    Set swDmDoc = OpenDocument(FILE_PATH)
    
    Dim searchOpts As SwDocumentMgr.SwDMSearchOption
    Set searchOpts = swDmApp.GetSearchOptionObject
    searchOpts.SearchFilters = SwDmSearchFilters.SwDmSearchExternalReference + SwDmSearchFilters.SwDmSearchRootAssemblyFolder + SwDmSearchFilters.SwDmSearchSubfolders + SwDmSearchFilters.SwDmSearchInContextReference
    
    'this method must be called otherwise replacement will fail
    swDmDoc.GetAllExternalReferences4 searchOpts, Empty, Empty, Empty
            
    swDmDoc.ReplaceReference ORIGINAL_REFERENCE, NEW_REFERENCE
    
    swDmDoc.Save
    
End Sub

Function OpenDocument(filePath As String) As SwDocumentMgr.SwDMDocument19
    
    Dim err As SwDmDocumentOpenError
    
    Dim docType As SwDocumentMgr.SwDmDocumentType
    
    Dim ext As String
    ext = LCase(Right(filePath, 6))
    
    Select Case ext
        Case "sldprt"
            docType = swDmDocumentPart
        Case "sldasm"
            docType = swDmDocumentAssembly
        Case "slddrw"
            docType = swDmDocumentDrawing
    End Select
    
    Dim swDmDoc As SwDocumentMgr.SwDMDocument19
    
    Set swDmDoc = swDmApp.GetDocument(filePath, docType, False, err)
    
    Set OpenDocument = swDmDoc
    
End Function