Complete Code Example Available on GitHub:
https://github.com/BlueByteSystemsInc/SW_API_Tips_Tricks/tree/master/ReportProgress

When working with the SOLIDWORKS API, it’s common to encounter operations that take significant time—such as traversing large assemblies, analyzing complex parts, or batch processing files. Unlike some applications that allow multithreading for responsiveness, SOLIDWORKS operates primarily on a single-threaded model. This means traditional threading approaches aren’t ideal for providing user feedback on lengthy operations. However, SOLIDWORKS offers a built-in way to display progress and provide cancellation options through its own API, ensuring your application remains responsive and user-friendly.

Why Not Use Threads?

While you might instinctively think about using separate threads to keep your user interface responsive, SOLIDWORKS is inherently single-threaded. Interacting with the SOLIDWORKS API from multiple threads can lead to instability and unpredictable behavior, including crashes. Hence, relying on SOLIDWORKS’ native progress reporting tools is strongly recommended.

SOLIDWORKS’ Built-in Progress Reporting: UserProgressBar

SOLIDWORKS provides a straightforward mechanism for reporting progress to users via the UserProgressBar interface. This built-in progress bar not only shows progress visually but also allows users to cancel ongoing tasks. The user can cancel an operation by pressing the Escape key.

Here’s how you can implement it effectively in your SOLIDWORKS API programs.

Example Implementation in C#

Let’s illustrate with a practical example. The following snippet demonstrates a typical scenario: performing repetitive, time-consuming operations (like face analysis) and reporting progress clearly to users:

Key Points in the Example:

• Initialization: UserProgressBar is started with a defined range and title.
• Progress Updates: Call UpdateProgress() frequently within your loop or operation to keep users informed.
• Handling Cancellation: The method returns a status indicating if a user has requested cancellation. You can then gracefully abort or confirm with the user.
• Completing the Task: Always call End() on your progress bar when finished or canceled.

Benefits of Using SOLIDWORKS’ Progress Bar:

• Immediate Feedback: Users visually track operation progress, improving user experience.
• Responsive Cancellation: Users can safely abort operations without risk to data integrity.
• Stable API Interactions: Avoids risks associated with threading, ensuring stability and compatibility with SOLIDWORKS’ single-threaded architecture.