Code SnippetAutomation2026-03-10

Batch Export Drawings to PDF

Iterate through a folder of SolidWorks drawing files (.slddrw) and export each as a PDF, preserving sheet sizes and custom properties.

csharp

public void BatchExportPdf(string folderPath)
{
    var swApp = (SldWorks)Marshal.GetActiveObject("SldWorks.Application");
    foreach (var file in Directory.GetFiles(folderPath, "*.slddrw"))
    {
        int errors = 0, warnings = 0;
        var doc = swApp.OpenDoc6(file,
            (int)swDocumentTypes_e.swDocDRAWING,
            (int)swOpenDocOptions_e.swOpenDocOptions_Silent,
            "", ref errors, ref warnings);
        var pdfPath = Path.ChangeExtension(file, ".pdf");
        doc.Extension.SaveAs3(pdfPath,
            (int)swSaveAsVersion_e.swSaveAsCurrentVersion,
            (int)swSaveAsOptions_e.swSaveAsOptions_Silent,
            null, ref errors, ref warnings);
        swApp.CloseDoc(doc.GetTitle());
    }
}

How It Works

This method connects to a running SolidWorks instance, scans a folder for drawing files, and exports each one to PDF:

Connects to SolidWorks via COM using Marshal.GetActiveObject
Opens each .slddrw file silently (no UI prompts)
Saves as PDF using the SaveAs3 method with silent options
Closes the document to free memory before processing the next file

When to Use This

Release packages: Generating PDF drawing sets for manufacturing or client delivery
Nightly builds: Running as a scheduled task to keep PDFs in sync with latest drawing revisions
ECN processing: Bulk-exporting affected drawings after an engineering change notice

Tips

Add error handling around OpenDoc6 — files may fail to open if references are missing
Use swExportPdfData for advanced PDF options (page range, DPI, watermarks)
For multi-sheet drawings, all sheets export by default — use the Sheet API to control which sheets are included
Consider running SolidWorks in background mode for better performance on large batches

SolidWorks APIC#PDFBatch