SolidWorks Dyanamic Add-in Setup

boostrap the app.md

See http://superuser.com/questions/210824/creating-a-symbolic-link-to-mapped-network-drive-in-windows

to make a symlink to the scrip in development

installer notes

Using NSIS and regasm


http://christian-fries.de/blog/files/2012-03-wow6432node.html


http://nsis.sourceforge.net/Get_directory_of_installed_.NET_runtime

LauncherInFocus.md

http://www.dotnetthoughts.net/setting-an-application-on-top-other-windows-using-c/

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2027536/setting-a-windows-form-to-be-bottommost

http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/bf3117f8-d83d-4b00-8e4f-7398b559a2dd/c-bring-windows-form-to-front?forum=winforms

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms633545(v=vs.85).aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms633499(VS.85).aspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms633539(VS.85).aspx

Check if the process is running (and bring to front if it is)

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/1742787/check-if-a-specific-exe-file-is-running

PluginCall.md

Constructor gets the list of plugins as a List<Dictionary<String, String>>

Private method build_container that uses the plugins list to dynamically create instance methods based on the command for each plugin and a prefix.

See CodeGenerator class in the post on the help forums: https://forum.solidworks.com/thread/34702

Splash.cs

Simple splash screen while in wait-loop for socket connection

http://www.codersource.net/2010/01/31/creating-a-splash-screen-in-c/

// quick worker thread
ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem((x) =>
{
    while(condition){
      System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(10);
    }
});

SwIntegration.md

• Load config XML as a dictionary list

• Create the callback handler object as an instance of the PluginCall class

• assign the PluginCall instance to the callback handler

• Use the plugins list to setup menus and buttons for the command manager

• See http://www.angelsix.com/cms/products/tutorials/64-solidworks/74-solidworks-menus-a-toolbasr

• COM register and Unregister hooks. See article: http://www.angelsix.com/cms/products/tutorials/64-solidworks/67-creating-a-solidworks-add-in-from-scratch

• Create and install a service to run the launcher on startup

http://stackoverflow.com/a/569630

• Connect to active sldworks instance http://www.linkedin.com/groups/Create-simple-SolidWorks-StandAlone-Application-4961405.S.235214502?qid=9f3c4481-89f9-4ce4-8486-8f4459e25df5&trk=groups_items_see_more-0-b-ttl " General – “SldWorks.Application” – corresponds to last run version of SolidWorks (if several versions installed on the same machine) Version Specific – “SldWorks.Application.”. For example SolidWorks 2012 revision number is 20. In order to connect to SolidWorks 2012 if several versions available the specific class id should be “SldWorks.Application.20”.

  In order to initialize the SolidWorks application:

  For VB.NET applications use the GetObject/CreateObject/Activator::CreateInstance functions For C# applications use the Activator::CreateInstance function For C++ application use the ::CoCreateInstance function "