https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/CAD APIs, automation, and engineering insights from CADSharp.enhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/onshape-api-rate-limits/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/onshape-api-rate-limits/Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMTLearn how Onshape API rate limits work, what changes for developers, and how to design efficient integrations that avoid unnecessary API calls.https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/2025-onshape-featurescript-onshape-api-enhancements/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/2025-onshape-featurescript-onshape-api-enhancements/Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMT2025 FeatureScript: A Year of New Standard Capabilities 2025 was a massive year for the FeatureScript Standard Library. Onshape didn't just improve existing tools; they introduced https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-2026-solidworks-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-2026-solidworks-api/Thu, 01 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMTThis article covers notable enhancements to the 2026 SOLIDWORKS API, PDM API, and Document Manager API. SOLIDWORKS API New interfaces IDSPBRMaterial Interface - Allows access to Dahttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-2025-solidworks-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-2025-solidworks-api/Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMTThis article covers notable enhancements to the 2025 SOLIDWORKS API, 2025 SOLIDWORKS PDM API, and 2025 SOLIDWORKS Document Manager API. SOLIDWORKS API Texture Mapping Enhancements:https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/2024-onshape-featurescript-onshape-api-enhancements/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/2024-onshape-featurescript-onshape-api-enhancements/Fri, 20 Dec 2024 12:00:00 GMT2024 FeatureScript Performance Improvements The updates focused on improving the performance of FeatureScript are among the most significant enhancements. These improvements includhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/onshape-hidden-tips-and-tricks/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/onshape-hidden-tips-and-tricks/Thu, 25 Jan 2024 12:00:00 GMTOnshape hidden tips and tricks. ㅤ Here is a list of useful Onshape tips that you may not know about: How to get Onshape dark theme Search for the DarkReader chrome extension. Add thttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/adding-featurescripts-to-your-toolbar/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/adding-featurescripts-to-your-toolbar/Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMTHow to add a custom feature to your toolbar? ㅤ Open the Onshape document containing the custom feature. While viewing the Onshape document, click on the icon near the top of the pahttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-2024-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-2024-api/Mon, 23 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMTThe most notable news with the SOLIDWORKS 2024 release is the addition of the ability to save 2024 models to 2023 or 2022 versions. This entirely solves the complaint of lack of bahttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/event-handlers-in-solidworks-addins/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/event-handlers-in-solidworks-addins/Sun, 15 Oct 2023 12:00:00 GMTWritten by Sean Stubbe Introduction Event handlers in SOLIDWORKS addins appear relatively straightforward to implement but they lack good documentation and I have not been able to https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/3dexperience-world-2023/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/3dexperience-world-2023/Fri, 10 Feb 2023 12:00:00 GMTHard to believe that its been three years since the SOLIDWORKS community gathered together in person. In that time, CADSharp has grown over four-fold, from five full-time contractohttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/3dexperience-world-2021/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/3dexperience-world-2021/Wed, 10 Feb 2021 12:00:00 GMTThank you for attending my 3DExperience World 2021 presentation! You can download the presentation files here, including the PowerPoint, macro, and video: How To Write A Powerful Mhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-pdm-api-training/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-pdm-api-training/Thu, 15 Oct 2020 12:00:00 GMTThe world's first ever SOLIDWORKS PDM API video course is now available to aspiring PDM developers everywhere via CADSharp.com. This five hour course will teach how to automate SOLhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/new-solidworks-api-best-practices-guide/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/new-solidworks-api-best-practices-guide/Tue, 17 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMT(Important: This guide is owned and distributed by SOLIDWORKS Corp, not CADSharp LLC, which is why we cannot provide it to you directly.) When SOLIDWORKS Corporation needed a best https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/command-blocker/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/command-blocker/Mon, 02 Mar 2020 12:00:00 GMTCADSharp is pleased to present a new free tool called Command Blocker that blocks specific commands from running in SOLIDWORKS. Optionally, you can also run a macro in lieu of the https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/3dexperience-world-2020/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/3dexperience-world-2020/Fri, 24 Jan 2020 12:00:00 GMT3DExperience World, formerly known as SOLIDWORKS World, has come and gone. We exhibited at booth 118 and had a fantastic time meeting hundreds of you from around the world. Keith Rhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/convert-dwg-task/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/convert-dwg-task/Tue, 01 Oct 2019 12:00:00 GMTOverview CADSharp is partnering with EhCanadian and is pleased to present one their flagship products, "Convert DWG Task". Formerly called, "Convert With DraftSight", Convert DWG Thttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/third-party-storage/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/third-party-storage/Thu, 01 Aug 2019 12:00:00 GMTOften-times developers will need to store information inside a model that should not be exposed to the user in any way. While attributes might solve this need, the downside is thathttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/power-of-pdm-explained-part-one/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/power-of-pdm-explained-part-one/Tue, 14 May 2019 12:00:00 GMTThis is the first post in a series PDM management and integration by Guy Edkins. If you have any need for SOLIDWORKS PDM customization, do not hesitate to contact us. When SOLIDWORhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-2019-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-2019-api/Mon, 04 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMTAnother year, another round of great updates for the SOLIDWORKS API. Although I'm not going to change the title of this blog series, this post is also going to contain updates for https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/how-to-ask-a-good-programming-question/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/how-to-ask-a-good-programming-question/Fri, 01 Mar 2019 12:00:00 GMTIn a hurry? Skip right to the section called Guidelines for the meat of this article. Introduction Over one year ago we introduced tech support through Slack, where you can ask youhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/cadsharptools/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/cadsharptools/Mon, 13 Aug 2018 12:00:00 GMTAs of May 2026, CADSharpTools has been retired as a commercial offering. CADSharpTools was developed to speed up SOLIDWORKS API and SOLIDWORKS PDM API development with a library ofhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2018-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2018-api/Thu, 01 Mar 2018 12:00:00 GMTSolidWorks 2018 was released over half a year ago, but it's never too late to talk about the new enhancements in the SolidWorks API. Aside from covering new API calls, we will lookhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-world-2018/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-world-2018/Thu, 14 Dec 2017 12:00:00 GMTWe are excited to announce that we will presenting and exhibiting at SolidWorks World 2018 in Los Angeles, CA on Feb 4-7. If you've never been, I highly encourage you to attend thihttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/slack/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/slack/Mon, 04 Dec 2017 12:00:00 GMTI loved using [Slack for technical support], you guys were extremely fast with answering my questions and it was much easier than dealing with long email threads.Austin A. This hishttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/productivity-software/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/productivity-software/Mon, 18 Sep 2017 12:00:00 GMTIn this post I want to give you a peek inside how I organize myself as a software developer, software development team leader, and small business owner. Consequently, you'll learn https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/crack-solidworks-vba-macro/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/crack-solidworks-vba-macro/Thu, 16 Feb 2017 12:00:00 GMTAny VBA macro, whether for SolidWorks or an Microsoft Office product, can have be locked using a password. The password is required to view the source code but not run the macro. Thttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/anti-piracy/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/anti-piracy/Mon, 13 Feb 2017 12:00:00 GMTWarning: I am not a software security expert. Please do not use this blog post as the basis for protecting highly sensitive code. This past week I presented twice at SolidWorks Worhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/bounding-box-techniques/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/bounding-box-techniques/Tue, 29 Nov 2016 12:00:00 GMTBounding boxes are used constantly in engineering for a variety of reasons. Amongst SolidWorks users, I frequently see them used to optimize plant floor layouts, packaging sizes, ahttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2017-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2017-api/Sat, 01 Oct 2016 12:00:00 GMTIt's that time of year again, folks. Let's look over some of the most notable enhancements to the SolidWorks API, as well as some tips for using the API Help most effectively. Creahttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2016-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2016-api/Sun, 01 Nov 2015 12:00:00 GMTAnother year, another round of SolidWorks API enhancements. Let's run through the most notable: Get corresponding sketch contours, sketch segments, and annotations for a specific ihttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/api-programming-contest-2-winners/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/api-programming-contest-2-winners/Mon, 06 Jul 2015 12:00:00 GMTThis year's SolidWorks API programming contest, sponsored by CADSharp, brought in five fascinating submissions. This may seem like a low number, but I quite pleased considering thehttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-programming-contest-2/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-programming-contest-2/Thu, 11 Jun 2015 12:00:00 GMTI am pleased to announce the second CADSharp.com SolidWorks API programming contest! (See results of first contest here.) In this edition, we're going to test your skills involvinghttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2015-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2015-api/Mon, 20 Oct 2014 12:00:00 GMTThe SolidWorks 2015 API contains quite a few enhancements that I am excited to share with you. Here are some of the most significant: Access scenes. Insert a table-driven pattern fhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/find-and-organize-solidworks-api-code/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/find-and-organize-solidworks-api-code/Wed, 09 Jul 2014 12:00:00 GMTIf you're even the least bit serious about SolidWorks API programming, then you need to have a game plan for efficiently doing each of these: Finding code for use in a macro you arhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/macro-vs-add-in-vs-stand-alone/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/macro-vs-add-in-vs-stand-alone/Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:00:00 GMTIf you're interested in automating some or all of your company's workflow on your own or with the help of CADSharp's automation services, you need to answer this very important quehttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/cadsharp-solidworks-world-2014-api-presentations/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/cadsharp-solidworks-world-2014-api-presentations/Wed, 12 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMTThe presentations I delivered at SolidWorks World 2014 ("SolidWorks API for Total Beginners" and "Using Microsoft Excel with the SolidWorks API") are now available for public viewihttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-world-2014-api-presentations/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-world-2014-api-presentations/Thu, 02 Jan 2014 12:00:00 GMTSan Diego is, in my opinion, one of the best locations for SolidWorks World, between the beautiful convention center, great weather, and fun Tuesday night special event. Combine thhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/left-hand-mirror-part/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/left-hand-mirror-part/Thu, 07 Nov 2013 12:00:00 GMTOwing to the popularity of our post titled Write A Powerful Macro From Scratch I decided to create another free video along the same lines. Unlike my beginner-level videos, this sehttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2014-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2014-api/Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:00:00 GMTIt's that time of year again. The latest major release of SolidWorks is upon us, and with it comes a delightful assortment of awesome new enhancements to the SolidWorks API. New APhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/equation-triggered-macros/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/equation-triggered-macros/Tue, 17 Sep 2013 12:00:00 GMTThis video summarizes the contents of this post and demonstrates the examples listed below. Ever wanted a macro so tightly integrated with a part or assembly that 1) the macro alwahttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/using-microsoft-excel-with-the-solidworks-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/using-microsoft-excel-with-the-solidworks-api/Wed, 03 Jul 2013 12:00:00 GMTGiven the ubiquity of Microsoft Excel in engineering departments worldwide, it is no surprise that our "Using Microsoft Excel with the SolidWorks API" tutorial, freely available inhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-macro-compatible-64-vba7/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-macro-compatible-64-vba7/Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:00:00 GMTIn a hurry? Just watch the video above. It covers the most important points. If your scenario isn't covered in the video, then I probably cover it in this article. Overview SolidWohttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-compile-error-cant-find-project-or-library/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-compile-error-cant-find-project-or-library/Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:00:00 GMTYour browser does not support video playback. You've written your first "serious" SolidWorks API macro. You're ready to share with your co-workers. You fire up your email, attach thttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-world-2013-api-presentations/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-world-2013-api-presentations/Wed, 16 Jan 2013 12:00:00 GMTSolidWorks World 2013, hosted at Disney World in Orlando, is right around the corner. This year in particular looks like a great year for SolidWorks API learners and enthusiasts. Ihttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/video-copy-clean-and-use-api-help-example/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/video-copy-clean-and-use-api-help-example/Mon, 17 Dec 2012 12:00:00 GMTI received a great question from one of my newer customers the other day: "Why can't I ever seem to get an API Help example to work right after copying and pasting it into the Visuhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/delete-fastener-balloons/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/delete-fastener-balloons/Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:00:00 GMTThe time has come for another free video tutorial! In this tutorial, novice SolidWorks API programmers learn just how easy it is to create a powerful macro from scratch in under a https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2013-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/whats-new-in-the-solidworks-2013-api/Tue, 25 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMTUnless you're a die-hard SolidWorks enthusiast that gobbles up the first beta release, chances are you haven't seen SolidWorks 2013 or are just beginning to explore your freshly dohttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/interview-api-expert-jeff-sweeney/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/interview-api-expert-jeff-sweeney/Wed, 12 Sep 2012 12:00:00 GMTHow do long-time SolidWorks API experts use their skills within the engineering industry? In an effort to answer that question, I am pleased to introduce Jeff Sweeney of 3DVision Thttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/cadsharp-com-api-programming-contest-winners/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/cadsharp-com-api-programming-contest-winners/Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMTCADSharp.com's first-ever SolidWorks API programming contest has come to a close. Some of the finest API programmers out there stepped up to the challenge described in our last poshttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-programming-contest-1/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-programming-contest-1/Thu, 09 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMTThink you're a crack API programmer? We'll find out! CADSharp.com is excited to announce its first SolidWorks API programming contest. Here's how to enter and win one of three gifthttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/runcommand-the-swiss-army-knife-of-the-solidworks-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/runcommand-the-swiss-army-knife-of-the-solidworks-api/Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMTISldWorks::RunCommand is probably the most powerful call in the entire SolidWorks API. Using this single, easy-to-use API call you can execute over 3,000 individual SolidWorks commhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/password-protect-vba-macros-other-vb-editor-tricks/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/password-protect-vba-macros-other-vb-editor-tricks/Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMTThe lowly Visual Basic Editor is sometimes looked down upon in comparison to the feature-robust design-environment available with .NET macros and add-ins. Its true, the VB Editor ihttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/run-solidworks-macros-using-task-scheduler/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/run-solidworks-macros-using-task-scheduler/Wed, 04 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMTHave a macro that you'd like to run on all models in a directory while out of the office? Enter the Task Scheduler. Located in the SolidWorks Tools directory in your Start Menu, thhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/4-ways-to-run-solidworks-api-macro-without-run-button/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/4-ways-to-run-solidworks-api-macro-without-run-button/Tue, 05 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMTHow do you run your macros right now? Tools-->Macro-->Run? By clicking Run on the macro toolbar? If macros are even a small part of your workflow, you can do much better. In this phttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/advanced-api-storing-data-in-models-using-attributes/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/advanced-api-storing-data-in-models-using-attributes/Wed, 30 May 2012 12:00:00 GMTAn attribute is a container of user-defined data that a SolidWorks API programmer can store on a SolidWorks model or entity. Like custom properties, they are saved with the model. https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/workgroup-pdm-api-resources/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/workgroup-pdm-api-resources/Mon, 21 May 2012 12:00:00 GMTEnterprise PDM is, no doubt, SolidWorks Corp's flagship PDM package. This has been the case already for a few years. That being said, Workgroup PDM is not dead and remains a great https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/free-solidworks-api-training-webinars-in-june/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/free-solidworks-api-training-webinars-in-june/Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 GMTCADSharp.com is proud to announce its upcoming SolidWorks API training webinars for the month of June, 2012, covering a range of important API topics. Please note that these times https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/7-mistakes-new-solidworks-api-programmers-make/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/7-mistakes-new-solidworks-api-programmers-make/Thu, 10 May 2012 12:00:00 GMTFor those who don't know, SolidSmack.com, the largest CAD/CAM blog in the world, recently ran an article on CADSharp.com in which I answered three questions about the SolidWorks APhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-mating-automation-techniques/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-mating-automation-techniques/Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMTYou can't talk about assemblies long without talking about mating. Consequently, if we're going to automate assembly creation then we better have a darn good strategy for automatinhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/video-the-99-must-know-members-of-the-solidworks-api/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/video-the-99-must-know-members-of-the-solidworks-api/Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMTDid you know that there are probably over 10,000 API calls available in SolidWorks? Yet less than 1% of them are necessary for creating even very complicated automation macros and https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/the-solidworks-api-crown-jewel-macro-features/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/the-solidworks-api-crown-jewel-macro-features/Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:00:00 GMTDid you know that you can create completely custom features that behave just like regular SolidWorks features? This is possible with macro features. Just like a standard SolidWorkshttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-getting-pointers-persistent-ids/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-getting-pointers-persistent-ids/Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMTFundamental to writing macros and add-ins with the SolidWorks API is knowing how to get the pointer to a particular object. In some cases, this is a simple. If you need a selected https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-vba-debugging-tips/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/solidworks-api-vba-debugging-tips/Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:00:00 GMTDownload the free PDF here If you've done any significant amount of programming with the SolidWorks API, no doubt you've run into compile or run-time errors. In my thousands of houhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/how-to-create-bodies-without-using-features/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/how-to-create-bodies-without-using-features/Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMTYes, it's true. You can create bodies "on-demand" without using features---using the SolidWorks API, of course. How does this magic happen? Enter in a rarely used but very powerfulhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/video-learn-api-basics-in-just-one-hour/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/video-learn-api-basics-in-just-one-hour/Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMTAt SolidWorks World 2012, I taught 30 API novices the following in a single hands-on session: How to use the macro recorder How to edit and clean up the recorded code How to declarhttps://www.cadsharp.com/blog/sww-2012-summary-add-in-developer-poll-results-20-off-coupon/https://www.cadsharp.com/blog/sww-2012-summary-add-in-developer-poll-results-20-off-coupon/Tue, 21 Feb 2012 12:00:00 GMTAnother SolidWorks World, come and gone.My first was in Anaheim two years ago. I think the first one is always a bit overwhelming. Last year was overwhelming because it was the fir