TurboCAD VBA Macro to Make Variable-Rate Compression Springs

© 2001 Winston Mitchell

Spring.tcm is a macro written in VBA that creates variable-rate compression springs with user control of height, amount of compression, winding direction, diameter, wire size, and location. A help file is built into the user form.

This macro is intended as a replacement for the CurveLab spring tool for v7 and later users (the macro does not run on v6). The CurveLab based spring tool will remain for the benefit of v6 users.

The springs in the image below were made with the macro's default values and varying the InstalledHeight value.

Requirements:

v7: IMSIGXEX.dll must reside in v7's Program Directory

v8: GXExt80.dll must reside in v8's Program Directory

v9: GXExt90.dll must reside in v9's Program Directory

v9: GXExt10.dll must reside in v10's Program Directory

If the required file is not there, you should be able to extract it from you installation CD.

v7 users, download Spring-v7.tcm
v8 & later users, download Spring-v8.tcm

Place the macro in TurboCAD's Macros Directory
(typically ...\Program Files\IMSI\TCWPxx\Macros).

Revisions:

3/26/01

Original post

3/27/01:

Added Solid/Surface option

User form remembers settings from use to use within a session

Updated help window

Improved error handling

12/9/01

Updated for v8

3/6/03

Updated for v9

3/12/04

Updated for v10