Thread Subject: Matlab to SolidWorks API

I am wondering if anyone has figured out how to provide the full set of SolidWorks API calls from within the MatLAB environment.

This would be extremely useful across a broad array of sciences as any of the Matlab toolboxes could use or generate 3d models as well as interface to a really well designed GUI for solid models. I am thinking of EM field solvers, multi-physics solvers or topology optimization using Solidworks as the modeling engine and MatLAB (of course) as the algorithm and optimization engine.

I ran across a YouTube video where a guy interfaced from Matlab to Solidworks in a clever way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-TpWUSaX8 This is very powerful because when you're done SW ends up with the model and sketches for profiles rather than just blind 3d surfaces. This could be a really great tool for parametric surfaces that end up being real 3d solid models.

And another guy, Suresh from the University of Wisconsin, that wrote a simple Matlab to SW API set: homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~suresh/ME748Website/.../SolidLabManual.pdf It's an incomplete set but he may have a good approach.

It would be really useful if someone made a set of functions that exactly matched the full set of API calls that are available from within Solidworks. That way you could do anything you wanted from a Matlab session or compiled app and have SW dance along or visa versa.

Kurt Dobson, CEO
TheraPhotonics
... shaped energy for non-invasive cancer therapies
Salt Lake City, UT

Cray CX1 Supercomputer with MatLAB R2010

Check out this product called CADLab:
<http://www.finitebusiness.net>

They also have some demo videos at:

<http://www.finitebusiness.net/solutions.php?page=solutions&pid=1>

Cheers

Arnav



"Dr. W. Kurt Dobson" wrote in message <ibdgeg$e5l$1@fred.mathworks.com>...
> I am wondering if anyone has figured out how to provide the full set of SolidWorks API calls from within the MatLAB environment.
>
> This would be extremely useful across a broad array of sciences as any of the Matlab toolboxes could use or generate 3d models as well as interface to a really well designed GUI for solid models. I am thinking of EM field solvers, multi-physics solvers or topology optimization using Solidworks as the modeling engine and MatLAB (of course) as the algorithm and optimization engine.
>
> I ran across a YouTube video where a guy interfaced from Matlab to Solidworks in a clever way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R-TpWUSaX8 This is very powerful because when you're done SW ends up with the model and sketches for profiles rather than just blind 3d surfaces. This could be a really great tool for parametric surfaces that end up being real 3d solid models.
>
> And another guy, Suresh from the University of Wisconsin, that wrote a simple Matlab to SW API set: homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~suresh/ME748Website/.../SolidLabManual.pdf It's an incomplete set but he may have a good approach.
>
> It would be really useful if someone made a set of functions that exactly matched the full set of API calls that are available from within Solidworks. That way you could do anything you wanted from a Matlab session or compiled app and have SW dance along or visa versa.
>
> Kurt Dobson, CEO
> TheraPhotonics
> ... shaped energy for non-invasive cancer therapies
> Salt Lake City, UT
>
> Cray CX1 Supercomputer with MatLAB R2010