As the industry shifts from CATIA V5 to the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, automation strategies must adapt to new architectural differences. In the session “Unlocking Efficiency: Quick Tips and Tricks Using VBA and EKL in 3DEXPERIENCE” at this spring’s COExperience, presenters Hiteshkumar Kalavadiya and Michael Berry explored practical strategies for using EKL, VBA and web services.
The session covered how to:
- Create very fast product structures using EKL
- Download engineering documents from the platform using EKL, VBA and web services
- Access hidden APIs in VBA
Why this topic matters:
“We all are moving from CATIA V5 to 3DEXPERIENCE,” Kalavadiya noted. “There are many architectural changes between them when it comes to automation. While migrating automation tools, those changes need to be addressed.”
A highlight: Downloading documents from 3DEXPERIENCE using EKL and VBA
One particularly exciting topic was how to download documents from the 3DEXPERIENCE platform using a combination of EKL, HTTP Client/Server, web services and VBA. Here's a breakdown of the process:
- Start in EKL using the HTTP Client and Server to interact with the platform.
- Use a URI to identify the document resource.
- Handle CSRF protection, as the 3DEXPERIENCE platform protects its resources from Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks. The CSRF token is part of DS Security.
- Obtain a download ticket through the platform’s web services.
- Switch to VBA, where the ADODB stream object is used to convert the binary data from the download ticket response into an actual file saved to a network directory.
Each component plays a key role:
- HTTP Client: Sends requests and receives responses from a resource identified by a URI.
- URI: Acts like an address pointing to a specific resource (e.g., a file).
- ADODB Stream (VBA): Reads, writes and manages binary data — essential for handling the file download.
This approach demonstrates how combining EKL and VBA with web services can unlock powerful automation capabilities within the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
Download the PowerPoint from this presentation here.
Hiteshkumar Kalavadiya is a senior industry automation and customization developer for Dassault Systèmes products mainly CATIA V5 and 3DEXPERIENCE. Expert in CAD/PLM solution development and project management. Delivering innovative and customized solutions for various industries including automotive, aerospace and manufacturing. He specializes in the customization using CAA based applications. Automation using BKT, VBA, EKL, CAT Script, VB Script, DOT Net, Power Copy, User Defined Features, Engineering Templates etc. Develop, modify and upgrade existing automations.