Using Application programming interface to integrate reverse engineering methodologies into solidworks

摘要

In this paper the authors present an application of Visual Basic ApplicationudProgramming Interface (API) to develop numerical and procedural algorithm into CADudsoftware. The paper focuses on Reverse Engineering embedded into Solidworks. In many REudapplications there is the need to remodel the tessellated surface into an editable solid feature,udto analyze it and to manipulate it. For this purpose they can be programmed numericaludprocedures which interact with native geometrical entities in order to improve the modellingudcapability using automation protocols.udThe presented example of API and Solidworks interaction is about the acquisition andudprocessing of surfaces acquired by 3d laser scanner. The problem is to acquire the tessellatedudgeometry, build up a parametric editable feature, perform topological analysis and manipulateudmore fragments to reconstruct an unique entity. The proposed methodology is based on theudintegration between native geometrical entities in Solidworks and advanced mathematicsudalgorithms about nonlinear optimization. Both of them can be accessed and manipulated byudthe user using simple graphic windows. In the paper the authors describe how to implementudthe interaction among these entities, discussing the role of API focusing on limits andudcapabilities and presenting the proposed algorithms underling the critical points.