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How to extend the functionality of SolidWorks with OLE Objects Object Linking and Embedded (OLE) objects can be used to insert a document from another application - Microsoft® Excel spreadsheets and Word documents – into a different application. The functionality of an OLE object can be used to add functionality to any OLE-compliant application and insert the object into a SolidWorks® document. Or, an OLE-compliant application can also open a SolidWorks document. An example of this would be to insert a SolidWorks exploded assembly drawing into a Microsoft Word document for technical illustration. OLE objects can be embedded or linked to a document. An embedded document's information resides inside the SolidWorks document. A linked object resides outside of SolidWorks and any changes to the external document are reflected in the linked object. An OLE object created within SolidWorks is embedded by default. When inserting an OLE object, the user has the choice of an embedded or linked OLE object. The user chooses whether to maintain (link) or break (embed) the connection to the external file. The advantage to linking the OLE object is that the SolidWorks document size remains smaller than the embedded version. The embedded version must retain all the information contained within the OLE object. The disadvantage to linking the file is that anyone can edit, move, or rename the spreadsheet without realizing that the existing link is being changed. OLE Object applications include:
When inserting or editing an OLE document within SolidWorks or a SolidWorks document within another application, the menus will change from the host program to the object's application interface. For example, when opening a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet within a SolidWorks document, the icons and pull-down menus change to the Microsoft Excel user interface. This is also true when editing a Microsoft Word document that has a linked or embedded SolidWorks document. The user interface will change from Word to SolidWorks. The Windows® Registry determines the type of OLE objects available. When an OLE-compliant application is installed on the system, the application should alter the registry values to identify the file type to the system. The OLE object can be displayed in a number of ways: as an icon, as a full image, or resized to fit within an area. To change an OLE object from an icon, select the object and select Display Content from the Edit/Object menu. To display an OLE object as an icon, select the object and select Display as Icon from the Edit/Object menu. To reset an OLE object that has been resized, select the object and select Reset Size from the Edit/Object menu. A linked OLE object is updated when the target document is opened. The change can be made to a linked document without SolidWorks being open. Then the change will be updated when the SolidWorks document is opened.
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