How do I deactivate and reactivate several geometrical sets and objects automatically? - vba

Question

I wrote a macro that hides everything in several geometrical sets and the objects and geometrical sets in these first sets except one specific branch. I use this for saving a defined object of a huge and complicated specification tree as a STP file. (See attached below.)
(Small complication in this “Hide_and_Save” macro: adding bodies to my hide-selection works well but for my show-selection it didn’t work the same way. Why would this happen?)
I also wrote a macro that does iterative adjustments. For the iterations I use a Do While Loop and some parameters and measurements. To update these values, I have to update the part/object in every cycle. But there are some construction elements that issue errors until the loop is successfully completed. Therefore I deactivate all the geometrical sets that I don’t need for the iterations (inclusively all children) and later I reactivate them manually.
My goal is to improve automation, so I tried to use my “Hide_and_Save” macro for deactivation and reactivation. This didn’t work. When I record the process, each object is listed in a separate line and deactivated. Since there are more than 350 elements, I would like to avoid this.
How do I deactivate all subelements in a geometrical set (preferably with children) without addressing each element individually?
Attribute VB_Name = "Hide_and_Save"
'_______________________________________________________________________________________
'Title: Hide_and_Save
'Language: catvba
'_______________________________________________________________________________________
Sub CATMain()
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Select active Part/Document
Dim myDocument As Document
Set myDocument = CATIA.ActiveDocument
Dim myPart As part
Set myPart = CATIA.ActiveDocument.part
'--------------------------------------------------------------
' Enter file path
Dim filepath As String
filepath = InputBox("Please select memory location", "Input filepath", "...")
If filepath = "" Then 'cancle, abort or empty input
MsgBox "No valid input / cancle !"
Exit Sub
End If
'--------------------------------------------------------------
' Hide/show Objects of Part/Products and save as STEP
' Update Model
CATIA.ActiveDocument.part.Update
' Deklaration of Selections and Properties
Dim selectionShow, selectionHide As Selection
Set selectionShow = myDocument.Selection
Set selectionHide = myDocument.Selection
Dim visPropertySetShow, visPropertySetHide As VisPropertySet
Set visPropertySetShow = selectionShow.VisProperties
Set visPropertySetHide = selectionHide.VisProperties
' Definition of the collection of geometric sets - HybridBodies
Dim hybridBodiesInPart, hybridBodiesInProcess As HybridBodies
Dim hybridBodiesInRS, hybridBodiesInHuelle As HybridBodies
' Definition of individual geometric sets - HybridBody
Dim hybridBodyInPart, hybridBodyProcess, hybridBodyInProcess As HybridBody
Dim hybridBodyRS, hybridBodyInRS As HybridBody
Dim hybridBodyHuelle, hybridBodyInHuelle As HybridBody
' Definition of the collection of 3D-objects - HybridShapes
Dim hybridShapesInHuelle As HybridShapes
' Definition of individual 3D-objects - HybridShape
Dim hybridShapeInHuelle, hybridShapeForm As HybridShape
' Hide objects
Set hybridBodiesInPart = myPart.HybridBodies
For Each hybridBodyInPart In hybridBodiesInPart
selectionHide.Add hybridBodyInPart
Next
Set hybridBodyProcess = hybridBodiesInPart.Item("Process")
Set hybridBodiesInProcess = hybridBodyProcess.HybridBodies
For Each hybridBodyInProcess In hybridBodiesInProcess
selectionHide.Add hybridBodyInProcess
Next
Set hybridBodyHuelle = hybridBodiesInProcess.Item("Huelle")
Set hybridBodiesInHuelle = hybridBodyHuelle.HybridBodies
For Each hybridBodyInHuelle In hybridBodiesInHuelle
selectionHide.Add hybridBodyInHuelle
Next
Set hybridShapesInHuelle = hybridBodyHuelle.HybridShapes
For Each hybridShapeInHuelle In hybridShapesInHuelle
selectionHide.Add hybridShapeInHuelle
Next
Set hybridShapeForm = hybridShapesInHuelle.Item("Form")
visPropertySetHide.SetShow 1 'hide
selectionHide.Clear
' Show objects
selectionShow.Add hybridBodyProcess
selectionShow.Add hybridBodyHuelle
selectionShow.Add hybridShapeForm
visPropertySetShow.SetShow 0 'show
selectionShow.Clear
' Data export as STP
stepAnswer = MsgBox("Should the displayed elements be saved as STEP?", 3 + 0, "Export: Form")
If stepAnswer = 6 Then
myDocument.ExportData filepath & "Form" & ".stp", "stp"
ElseIf stepAnswer = 3 Or stepAnswer = 2 Then 'cancle or abort
MsgBox "cancle !"
Exit Sub
End If
'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MsgBox "Finished !" & vbCrLf & s
End Sub
(Usually I work with Generative Shape Design and use VBA for Macros.)

Answer 1

Each feature has an "Activity" parameter aggregated to it.
Dim oShape as HybridShape
For Each oShape In oGS.HybridShapes
Dim oActivity as Parameter
Set oActivity = oPart.Parameters.SubList(oShape,False).Item("Activity")
Call oActivity.ValuateFromString("False")
Next
Let me add that screwing with Activity of features is not a best practice. I NEVER do this myself. If you have access KBE (Specifically Knowledge Advisor Workbench) you can probably do what you want with Rules/Actions/Reactions, less coding and have a more robust model in the end.