I'm here in need of help for a macro in SolidWorks that works correctly, but is lacking a crucial check while working.

The macro simply saves the document (drawing) as a PDF. Simple right?

Well, it saves the file in the same location the file is being worked from, locally or in a network and with the same name but the ".pdf" extension.

So far so good.

The problem is access rights. usually you have rights to write the file, but depending on certain conditions you don't.

This is what happens:

• If there is no PDF of that file in the target location, it creates the PDF and it finishes fine.

• If there is a PDF file already, ( say you are updating changes to the drawing), then it overwrites the file but only IF you have access to it.

Here is the problem:

• If the file exists in the location and it is READ ONLY, then the macro never finishes and hangs up.

• This also hangs up SolidWorks, causing it to crash-hang.

• Your only option is force quit SolidWorks and restart, loosing your changes.

• If the program is hanged up and you try to manually force DELETE the read only file in Explorer, it also crashes Explorer.

The macro is only missing a step to check if the file is read only.

If it is, then is should just tell the user the file is read only and finish.

I have tried many ways to do this , but since I'm not trained at all in VB, I simply cannot figure it out...

I have cut and paste several other VB subs but I cannot make it work properly... having errors.

Here is the macro steps that work fine, (I recorded back in 2012) but it lacks the file checking for read only:

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks 
Dim Part As SldWorks.ModelDoc2 

Sub main() 

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc 

On Error Resume Next 

Dim FilePath As String 
Dim PathSize As Long 
Dim PathNoExtension As String 
Dim NewFilePath As String  

FilePath = Part.GetPathName 
PathSize = Strings.Len(FilePath) 
PathNoExtension = Strings.Left(FilePath, PathSize - 6) 
NewFilePath = PathNoExtension & "pdf"  

Part.SaveAs2 NewFilePath, 0, True, False  

End Sub 

Can someone add the missing steps to check if the file to be recorded is read only and then quit the macro with a " File is read only" message?

Then the user can go and take control of the file prior to re-writing over it using the macro.

Much appreciated, Thanks!

Adrian

I'm here in need of help for a macro in SolidWorks that works correctly, but is lacking a crucial check while working.

The macro simply saves the document (drawing) as a PDF. Simple right?

Well, it saves the file in the same location the file is being worked from, locally or in a network and with the same name but the ".pdf" extension.

So far so good.

The problem is access rights. usually you have rights to write the file, but depending on certain conditions you don't.

This is what happens:

• If there is no PDF of that file in the target location, it creates the PDF and it finishes fine.

• If there is a PDF file already, ( say you are updating changes to the drawing), then it overwrites the file but only IF you have access to it.

Here is the problem:

• If the file exists in the location and it is READ ONLY, then the macro never finishes and hangs up.

• This also hangs up SolidWorks, causing it to crash-hang.

• Your only option is force quit SolidWorks and restart, loosing your changes.

• If the program is hanged up and you try to manually force DELETE the read only file in Explorer, it also crashes Explorer.

The macro is only missing a step to check if the file is read only.

If it is, then is should just tell the user the file is read only and finish.

I have tried many ways to do this , but since I'm not trained at all in VB, I simply cannot figure it out...

I have cut and paste several other VB subs but I cannot make it work properly... having errors.

Here is the macro steps that work fine, (I recorded back in 2012) but it lacks the file checking for read only:

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks 
Dim Part As SldWorks.ModelDoc2 

Sub main() 

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc 

On Error Resume Next 

Dim FilePath As String 
Dim PathSize As Long 
Dim PathNoExtension As String 
Dim NewFilePath As String  

FilePath = Part.GetPathName 
PathSize = Strings.Len(FilePath) 
PathNoExtension = Strings.Left(FilePath, PathSize - 6) 
NewFilePath = PathNoExtension & "pdf"  

Part.SaveAs2 NewFilePath, 0, True, False  

End Sub 

Can someone add the missing steps to check if the file to be recorded is read only and then quit the macro with a " File is read only" message?

Then the user can go and take control of the file prior to re-writing over it using the macro.

Much appreciated, Thanks!

Adrian

• vba
• solidworks

Share Improve this question Follow edited Jan 19 at 6:35 Ken White 126k1515 gold badges236236 silver badges466466 bronze badges asked Jan 17 at 18:08 Adrian CrisciAdrian Crisci 133 bronze badges 4

• Please edit your question title to describe the problem you're having or question you're asking. Your current title is nothing but a repetition of the tag information (which should not be in the title at all) and the word Macro, which says nothing meaningful. The title should be clear and descriptive enough that a future site user skimming a list of search results will know what it contains. For suggestions on writing a good title, see How to Ask. – Ken White Commented Jan 18 at 2:45
• 1 Thank you Ken, this was my first post ever in Stack overflow, and you are right the title was quite ambiguous. I just corrected it. Regards, – Adrian Crisci Commented Jan 19 at 6:06
• Thanks. I just improved on your edit. Again, the tag information should not appear in the title at all, with very rare exceptions (none of which apply to your question). Repeating them in the title is just useless noise that adds nothing of value. The tagging system works very well here. – Ken White Commented Jan 19 at 6:37
• 1 Perfect thank you! – Adrian Crisci Commented Jan 20 at 16:11

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2 Answers 2

Sorted by: Reset to default 0

Based on this thread:

NewFilePath = PathNoExtension & "pdf"
If Dir(NewFilePath) <> "" Then
    Dim res As Long
    res = GetAttr(NewFilePath)
    If res = 33 Then
        MsgBox "File is read only"
        Exit Sub
    End If
End If

Jerome:

Based on this post and your, answer I was able to solve the issue. The problem is that I'm working with SolidWorks PDM another layer of complexity.

PDM is marking the "res" = 1 if the file is read only (or checked-in into the vault)

And "res" = 0 is not read only (if the PDM document is check-out and available for write)

Based on your reply and the post, I was able to play around and make it work with the following:

Dim swApp As SldWorks.SldWorks
Dim Part As SldWorks.ModelDoc2
Sub main()
Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
 
On Error Resume Next
Dim FilePath As String
Dim PathSize As Long
Dim PathNoExtension As String
Dim NewFilePath As String
Dim res As Long

FilePath = Part.GetPathName

PathSize = Strings.Len(FilePath)
PathNoExtension = Strings.Left(FilePath, PathSize - 6)
NewFilePath = PathNoExtension & "pdf"
   
res = GetAttr(NewFilePath)

If res = 0 Then
    Part.SaveAs2 NewFilePath, 0, True, False
    Exit Sub
Else
    MsgBox "PDF File is not CHECK OUT"
End If

End Sub

Now I need to figure out the commands to simply Check it out and Check it in automatically from PDM and not force the user to do it manually.

Thank you so very much!.

Adrian