AlibrePDMObjectModel 1.0.4

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="1.0.4" />

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, PDMFolder.UploadFiles and PDMFile.Move 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. PDMFile.Move reports success but the file leaves the source folder without arriving in the destination. Check in, upload and move from the Alibre PDM Browser instead.

Everything else is verified against a live vault: create, copy, 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.