AlibrePDMObjectModel 1.0.3

AlibrePDMObjectModel (.NET library)

AlibrePDMObjectModel wraps the Alibre PDM vault API (safes, projects, libraries, folders, files, properties, classes, version history) in a VBA-style object model. PDMApplication is the entry point. Call it from VB.NET or C#.

Requirements

• Windows x64.
• Alibre Design 29.x with Alibre PDM, installed. The library drives PDM over COM. It does not redistribute AlibreX.dll; it loads that at runtime from your licensed Alibre install.
• A reachable Alibre PDM vault.

Installation

dotnet add package AlibrePDMObjectModel

Or add a PackageReference:

<PackageReference Include="AlibrePDMObjectModel" Version="1.0.3" />

Getting started

Connect with credentials, or reuse a PDM Browser session you already signed into:

Dim app As New PDMApplication()
app.Connect("http://localhost:8099/", "MYDOMAIN", "user", "password")
' Or reuse the Alibre UI's connection:
' app.UseActiveConnection()

For Each safe In app.Safes
    Console.WriteLine(safe.Name)
Next

Browse a safe and read file metadata:

Dim safe = app.GetSafe("Alibre Safe")
Dim proj = safe.Projects("bore")

For Each f As PDMFile In proj.Files
    Console.WriteLine($"{f.FullName}  v{f.CurrentVersion}")
    For Each p As PDMProperty In f.Properties
        Console.WriteLine($"  {p.DisplayName} = {p.ValueText}")
    Next
Next

C# reads the same way:

var app = new PDMApplication();
app.UseActiveConnection();
var safe = app.GetSafe("Alibre Safe");
foreach (PDMFile f in safe.Projects["bore"].Files)
    Console.WriteLine($"{f.FullName} v{f.CurrentVersion}");

Object model

• PDMApplication: entry point. Connect / UseActiveConnection / Disconnect, Safes, GetSafe(name).
• PDMSafe: Projects, Libraries, Classes, PropertyDefinitions.
• PDMFolder: Folders, Files, create / upload / check-in.
• PDMFile: Properties, History, Lock / Unlock, CheckIn, Rename, SetPropertyValue.
• PDMProperty / PDMPropertyDefinition: metadata values and the definitions behind them.
• PDMClass / PDMClassDataItem: vault classes and their data items.

Every call throws a PDMException on failure, with a friendly message. PDMApplication.LastError holds the most recent one.

Not implemented in this build

PDMFile.CheckIn and PDMFolder.UploadFiles throw NotImplementedException. The asynchronous PDM upload/check-in hangs when driven over a reused Alibre Design connection, because the completion callback never reaches the calling thread. Check in and upload from the Alibre PDM Browser instead.

Everything else is verified against a live vault: create, copy, move, rename, delete, lock, unlock, property get and set, revisions, and the full read and browse surface.

PDMFile.Copy returns Nothing: the copied file materializes asynchronously. Wait, then look the file up by name in the destination folder.

Notes

One client at a time holds the active PDM connection. A second concurrent client gets "another client instance is already accessing the Server."

© 2026 Stephen S. Mitchell. Released under the MIT License.