Category: PDM API Tips

If you’re developing custom add-ins or commands for SOLIDWORKS PDM, you may want to improve the user experience by organizing your commands into submenus. This approach is central to creating submenus in SOLIDWORKS PDM, ensuring a more professional and structured interface. As you add more commands, a cluttered context menu can quickly become overwhelming, so grouping related commands under a parent label keeps the interface clean and intuitive. How to Create a Submenu To create a submenu, use the double backslash (\\ in C# if not escaped) separator in the menu name when registering your command with AddCmd. Example poCmdMgr.AddCmd(15065, “ParentMenu\\ChildMenu”, 43, string.Empty, string.Empty, -1, 0); This code registers a new command under: Right-click > ParentMenu > ChildMenu Important Notes Need help building PDM tools or structuring your add-ins? Reach out to Blue Byte Systems Inc. — we specialize in SOLIDWORKS PDM automation and custom development.

When making numerous calls to the same operation in SOLIDWORKS PDM, the batch interfaces (e.g., IEdmBatchAdd2, IEdmBatchChangeState5) are designed to maximize efficiency and performance. Optimizing large scale operations with batch interfaces in SOLIDWORKS PDM becomes essential when handling high file volumes, helping reduce processing time and system strain while maintaining reliable automation. Here’s a list of all the batch interfaces in PDM and their intended uses. Interface Description IEdmBatchAdd2 Allows adding multiple files or folders to the vault with improved support for additional options. IEdmBatchChangeState5 Enables batch transitioning of files to a different workflow state with the most advanced features. IEdmBatchDelete3 Provides functionality for deleting multiple files from the vault with enhanced validation. IEdmBatchItemGeneration2 Facilitates batch generation of items, ensuring efficient handling of linked item creation. IEdmBatchListing4 Retrieves detailed lists of files, folders, or items in the vault with extended filtering options. IEdmBatchUnlock2 Check-in operation for multiple files in a batch, including support for conditional operations and error handling. IEdmBatchUpdate2 Updates properties or variables for multiple files in the vault with better performance and reliability. You may also read: SolidWorks Macro to Batch Rebuild and Export Drawings to PDF

When developing automation tools or add-ins for SOLIDWORKS PDM, one of the most common mistakes I see is relying on file paths or names to identify objects. Stop using file names in PDM automation because, at first glance, it seems logical—after all, files have names, right? But here’s the problem: file names and paths are fragile. Users can (and will) rename files, move folders, or reorganize entire directories. The moment that happens, your automation breaks. Enter Immutable IDs SOLIDWORKS PDM assigns a unique, immutable ID to every object—files, folders, data cards, you name it. These IDs never change, no matter what the user does. By using these IDs in your scripts and add-ins: Real-World Example Let’s say your script updates a custom property on all files in a certain folder. If you use the folder path and someone moves it, your script won’t find it. If you use the folder’s ID, it works no matter where it lives. The Takeaway Best practice: Always use IDs to identify objects in SOLIDWORKS PDM. Paths and names are for humans. IDs are for automation.

When writing an add-in for SOLIDWORKS PDM, it is essential to consider compatibility across different versions of the software. Some API calls introduced in newer versions may not be available in older versions, potentially causing runtime errors for clients using older systems, which is why writing add-ins with version-specific APIs becomes so important. Scenario Suppose your add-in uses an API feature introduced in SOLIDWORKS PDM 2022, but some clients are still using SOLIDWORKS PDM 2018. To ensure compatibility, you can programmatically check the PDM version installed on the client’s machine before calling the new API. Solution: Use the GetVersion Method The GetVersion method allows you to retrieve the major and minor version numbers of the installed SOLIDWORKS PDM Professional. Based on the version, your code can decide whether to execute the new API call or fall back to an alternative logic for older versions. Implementation Here is an example in Visual Basic: This approach ensures your add-in remains robust and user-friendly, even in environments with mixed PDM versions, highlighting the importance of writing add-ins with version-specific APIs.

Your add-ins consist of DLL files. Each time an application like explorer.exe logs into PDM, it loads those files into the application’s sessions, increasing startup time and memory usage. While memory use is not a major issue these days, startup time can be noticeably affected. This is why it’s essential to ideal number of add-ins per SOLIDWORKS PDM vault, as having too many add-ins can significantly impact user performance and responsiveness. The ideal number of add-ins is five, but PDM already includes three default ones: This means you only have 2 slots left for custom add-ins before performance starts to degrade. Each add-in adds overhead, increasing vault load times. Instead of multiple separate add-ins, merge functionalities into one to keep performance smooth. ✅ PDM already has 3 built-in add-ins, leaving space for just 2 custom add-ins.✅ Too many add-ins slow down vault operations.✅ Merging multiple add-ins into one improves performance & simplifies maintenance.