AddNewSheet Activity

Purpose: This activity adds a new sheet to a SolidWorks drawing document. Drawing documents can contain multiple sheets, and this activity allows you to create additional sheets with custom names and dimensions. The new sheet can be used for additional views, details, or layouts.

Input Properties

DocumentId

ID of an open SolidWorks drawing document. This should be the document ID returned by activities like OpenSolidWorksFile or GetActiveDoc.

Type: string

Required: Yes

Example: "doc-12345"

SheetIndex

Index number for the new sheet (e.g., 1, 2, 3). This determines the position of the sheet in the drawing document.

Type: int

Required: Yes

Example: 2 to add a second sheet, or 3 to add a third sheet

SheetName

Optional custom name for the sheet. If empty, uses 'Sheet{SheetIndex}' as the default name.

Type: string

Required: No

Example: "Detail View" or "Assembly View" or leave empty for default name

Note: If not specified, the sheet will be named "Sheet1", "Sheet2", etc., based on the SheetIndex.

SheetWidth

Width of the sheet in drawing units. If 0, uses default A4 width (11.0).

Type: double

Default: 11.0

Example: 11.0 for A4 width, or 17.0 for larger sheets

Note: Set to 0 to use the default A4 width (11.0 inches).

SheetHeight

Height of the sheet in drawing units. If 0, uses default A4 height (8.5).

Type: double

Default: 8.5

Example: 8.5 for A4 height, or 11.0 for larger sheets

Note: Set to 0 to use the default A4 height (8.5 inches).

Output Properties

Success

True if the sheet was successfully added, false otherwise.

Type: bool

Note: Returns false if the sheet addition fails, if the document is invalid, or if an error occurs.

CreatedSheetName

Name of the created sheet. This will be the custom name if provided, or the default name (Sheet{SheetIndex}) if not specified.

Type: string

Note: Contains the actual name of the created sheet if Success is true, or an empty string if the operation failed.

ErrorMessage

Error message if the operation failed. Empty string if the operation succeeded.

Type: string

Note: Contains an error message if Success is false. Error messages may include: "Failed to add new sheet to drawing", "Error: {exception message}", or "Unexpected error: {exception message}".

Usage Example

Scenario: Add a new sheet with default settings

Configuration:
- DocumentId: "doc-12345"
- SheetIndex: 2
- SheetName: "" (empty, will use default)
- SheetWidth: 0 (will use default 11.0)
- SheetHeight: 0 (will use default 8.5)

Result:
- Success: true
- CreatedSheetName: "Sheet2"
- ErrorMessage: "" (empty string)

Scenario: Add a new sheet with custom name and dimensions

Configuration:
- DocumentId: "doc-12345"
- SheetIndex: 3
- SheetName: "Detail View"
- SheetWidth: 17.0
- SheetHeight: 11.0

Result:
- Success: true
- CreatedSheetName: "Detail View"
- ErrorMessage: "" (empty string)

Error Handling

Important: The activity handles errors gracefully:

  • If the sheet addition fails, Success will be false, CreatedSheetName will be empty, and ErrorMessage will contain: "Failed to add new sheet to drawing"
  • If InvalidOperationException occurs (e.g., document not found or invalid document type), Success will be false, CreatedSheetName will be empty, and ErrorMessage will contain: "Error: {exception message}"
  • If any other exception occurs, Success will be false, CreatedSheetName will be empty, and ErrorMessage will contain: "Unexpected error: {exception message}"

Always check the Success output and review the ErrorMessage if the operation fails. The CreatedSheetName will contain the actual name of the created sheet if successful.

Important Notes

  • The document must be a drawing document and must be open in SolidWorks
  • This activity modifies the document by adding a new sheet
  • The SheetIndex determines the position of the sheet in the drawing
  • If SheetName is not provided, the sheet will be named "Sheet1", "Sheet2", etc., based on the SheetIndex
  • If SheetWidth or SheetHeight is 0, default A4 dimensions (11.0 x 8.5) will be used
  • The new sheet becomes the active sheet after creation
  • Consider saving the document after adding sheets to preserve the changes
  • Use SetActiveSheet to switch to the newly created sheet if needed

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