CATIA-VBA error: Function or interface marked restricted ... automation type not supported in Visual Basic - vba

Question

I've recorded a line creation in a VBA macro file, and it generated the following code:
Sub CATMain()
Dim partDocument1 As PartDocument
Set partDocument1 = CATIA.ActiveDocument
Dim part1 As Part
Set part1 = partDocument1.Part
Dim bodies1 As Bodies
Set bodies1 = part1.Bodies
Dim body1 As Body
Set body1 = bodies1.Item("PartBody")
Dim sketches1 As Sketches
Set sketches1 = body1.Sketches
Dim originElements1 As OriginElements
Set originElements1 = part1.OriginElements
Dim reference1 As Reference
Set reference1 = originElements1.PlaneYZ
Dim sketch1, sketch1Variant As Sketch *
Set sketch1 = sketches1.Add(reference1)
Dim arrayOfVariantOfDouble1(8)
arrayOfVariantOfDouble1(0) = 0#
...
arrayOfVariantOfDouble1(8) = 1#
Set sketch1Variant = sketch1
sketch1Variant.SetAbsoluteAxisData **
arrayOfVariantOfDouble1
part1.InWorkObject = sketch1
Dim factory2D1 As Factory2D
Set factory2D1 = sketch1.OpenEdition()
Dim geometricElements1 As GeometricElements
Set geometricElements1 = sketch1.GeometricElements
Dim axis2D1 As Axis2D
Set axis2D1 = geometricElements1.Item("AbsoluteAxis")
Dim line2D1 As Line2D
Set line2D1 = axis2D1.GetItem("HDirection")
line2D1.ReportName = 1
Dim line2D2 As Line2D
Set line2D2 = axis2D1.GetItem("VDirection")
line2D2.ReportName = 2
Dim point2D1 As Point2D
Set point2D1 = factory2D1.CreatePoint(21.285706, -30.501825)
point2D1.ReportName = 3
Dim point2D2 As Point2D
Set point2D2 = factory2D1.CreatePoint(112.826553, -68.875053)
point2D2.ReportName = 4
Dim line2D3 As Line2D
Set line2D3 = factory2D1.CreateLine(21.285706, -30.501825, 112.826553, -68.875053)
line2D3.ReportName = 5
line2D3.StartPoint = point2D1
line2D3.EndPoint = point2D2
sketch1.CloseEdition
part1.InWorkObject = body1
part1.Update
End Sub
Now
The issue is that when i run the code as is after recording I get the following error:
Error in loading dll.
Than I add sketch1Variant object at line * and run the code again.
This time I get the
"Function or interface marked restricted, or the function uses an automation type not supported in Visual Basic" error for line **.
I don't know what's wrong.
Any info is highly appreciated.
Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

The basic rule is this: When using VBA, any CATIA method which takes an array as an argument, or returns through an argument must be called on a variant object.
You have declared Sketch1Variant as Sketch. And SetAbsoluteAxisData takes an array as an argument.
What you want is this:
Dim Sketch1 as Sketch
Dim Sketch1Variant as Variant
(or just leave the "as variant" part off).
With this change you should be able to get past your problem.
In the future please do a web search first, because this is a VERY common question. coe.org is a good site to search.