SW properties display request

I would like to find a simple way to display the file properties of the
file name in a drawing, but with a twist. Our file names have both the
part number AND description in them. For example: 120004_widget.slddrw.
The part number is always a fixed field length, and the separator can
always be a dash/underscore. What I would like is a simple way to
display the part number in one place, and the description in another on
the drawings. In other words, truncate the SW$prp value to display only
the number of characters, and which set of characters. I don't really
care if it is a macro, or whatever.

Any ideas?

clay

 

Are you planning to do this with a macro?

 

Here's an easy way to do it while retaining the power of custom props.
Have a macro separate the file name into two separate custom
properties. Then you can use the custom props in notes, title block,
or whatever.


'
******************************************************************************
' Separate.swp - macro recorded on 02/07/05
'
******************************************************************************
Sub main()

Dim swApp As Object
Dim Part As Object
Dim Title As String, Message As String
Dim PartNo As String, Desc As String
Dim Separator As Integer
Dim bRetval As Boolean
Const swCustomInfoText = 30 'from swconst.bas

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

Separator = InStr(1, Title, "-", vbTextCompare)
If Separator = 0 Then
Separator = InStr(1, Title, "_", vbTextCompare)
End If
' Don't do anything if separator is not found
If Separator = 0 Then
Message = "Unable to separate file name into p/n and desc"
MsgBox Message, vbOKOnly, "Error!"
Else
' Left part of file name
PartNo = Left(Title, Separator - 1)
' Right part of file name
Desc = Right(Title, Len(Title) - Separator)
' Check if Windows is set to show extensions.
If InStr(1, Title, ".sld", vbTextCompare) > 0 Then
' If so, remove extension.
Desc = Left(Desc, Len(Desc) - 7)
End If
'MsgBox "PartNo = " & PartNo & " Desc = " & Description
' Write out custom props
bRetval = Part.AddCustomInfo3("", "PartNo", swCustomInfoText,
PartNo)
'bRetval = True if successful
' Overwrite existing (above will fail if props exist)
Part.CustomInfo2("", "PartNo") = PartNo
bRetval = Part.AddCustomInfo3("", "Description",
swCustomInfoText, Desc)
Part.CustomInfo2("", "Description") = Desc
End If

End Sub

 

Or you could do it this way with MicroSoft VBscript regular
expressions:

'******************************************************************************
' Separate.swp - macro recorded on 02/07/05
'******************************************************************************
Sub main()

Dim swApp As Object
Dim Part As Object
Dim Title As String, Message As String
Dim PartNo As String, Desc As String
Dim Separator As Integer
Dim bRetval As Boolean
Dim re, matches, match
Const swCustomInfoText = 30 'from swconst.bas

Set swApp = Application.SldWorks
Set Part = swApp.ActiveDoc
Set re = New RegExp
Title = Part.GetTitle

re.IgnoreCase = True
re.Pattern = "(\d{6})"
Set matches = re.Execute(Title)
For Each match In matches
PartNo = match.value
Next

re.Pattern = "[a-zA-Z ]+"
Set matches = re.Execute(Title)
For Each match In matches
Description = match.value
Next


MsgBox "PartNo = " & PartNo & " Desc = " & Description

End Sub

 

PAUL,

I get a compile error (user defined type not defined) on the line:

Set re = New RegExp

when trying to run this. ideas? Also, is it possible to email this to me
directly as a .swp file?

clay

 

In the tools menu click on references. Check one that says something like
VBScriptRegex in it.

 

Regular expressions don't really exist in VBA/VB6. You can get them by
adding a reference to "Microsoft VBScript Regular Expressions 5.5"
(http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;818802). If you
are just running your code once, then this will be OK, but VBA's inability
to remember references makes it problematic if you are trying to distribute
the macro.

If you use .NET and write either an executable or an add-in, it will be no
problem b/c .NET includes regular expressions.