Re: autocad and VB - COM Discussion Boards

27-Mar-05 4:40

Hello,
is there someone who knows something about making a drawing in autocad with a programming language like VB or Java? (With dxf-files or activeX ,...)
Tnanks for all help!

mlatimer29-Mar-05 8:38

mlatimer

29-Mar-05 8:38

Hi
You need to have AutoCAD installed on the system.
Then you are able to use either the built-in VBA or load the TLB into the VB enviroment to start programming.

There are many ways to start a new (empty) drawing, or load an existing file & modify it. It all depends on your requirements.

everzwijn230-Mar-05 6:34

30-Mar-05 6:34

Hello

actually I want to make a program in VB (or java) so Autocad don't have to be open necessarely (but of course installed however).
If I understand well, I have to load something in "visual studio or visual basic 6.0" ?
I want to draw a rectangle in a new autocad drawing. The dimensions of the rectangle are given by the user of the program into the GUI.
Finally I want to print this drawing by clicking on a print-button.

Thank you very much!

mlatimer30-Mar-05 18:53

mlatimer

30-Mar-05 18:53

Using VB 6:

Start a new EXE project.
From project menu, select references.
Tick AutoCAD 2xxx Type Library.
Create your UI.

The rectangle is probably to be made up of 4 seperate lines.
The code will need to connect to AutoCAD (or open/start it if it is not already started).
Get the current drawing database.
Create the lines.

To connect to AutoCAD, somthing like:

Sub Ch2_ConnectToAcad()
Dim acadApp As AcadApplication
On Error Resume Next

Set acadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application.16")
If Err Then
Err.Clear
Set acadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application.16")
If Err Then
MsgBox Err.Description
Exit Sub
End If
End If
MsgBox "Now running " + acadApp.Name +
" version " + acadApp.Version
End Sub

Next, set the document variable to the Document object in the AutoCAD application. The Document object is returned by the ActiveDocument property of the Application object.

Dim acadDoc as AcadDocument
Set acadDoc = acadApp.ActiveDocument

Then draw..

' Define and create the line
Dim lineObj As AcadLine
Dim startPoint(0 To 2) As Double
Dim endPoint(0 To 2) As Double
startPoint(0) = 0
startPoint(1) = 0
startPoint(2) = 0
endPoint(0) = 1
endPoint(1) = 1
endPoint(2) = 1
Set lineObj = acadDoc .ModelSpace. _
AddLine(startPoint, endPoint)
lineObj.Update

Happy drawing! Big Grin | :-D

everzwijn231-Mar-05 10:10

31-Mar-05 10:10

Hi I did everything you said, but I get a error "activX component can't create object" in runtime
Does I have to add a component (menu->project->components) on my form?
The reference is already added, so that isn't the problem.
Thanks in advance! Wink | ;)

mlatimer31-Mar-05 10:14

mlatimer

31-Mar-05 10:14

Which version of AutoCAD do you have installed?
LT does not support VB.

everzwijn231-Mar-05 10:22

31-Mar-05 10:22

It works!
(I had to write "CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application")" )
Thank you!

everzwijn231-Mar-05 10:47

31-Mar-05 10:47

Do you know what's happening when autocad is closed en there is not a active document?
When I try it, nothing happened. And when I open autocad later, my program doesn't draw anything Sigh | :sigh:

everzwijn231-Mar-05 11:05

31-Mar-05 11:05

When I save the drawing, I see my drawing where I saved it. Autocad is opened, but I can't see it. I have to end the task, and then I openened my saved drawing, and then I see it.
And there is also something strange,

MsgBox "now the document"
Dim acadDoc As AcadDocument
Set acadDoc = acadApp.ActiveDocument
MsgBox "the active document is: " + acadApp.ActiveDocument

I see the first messagebox , but the second doesn't appears. There is now error...
Thank you for your help

everzwijn231-Mar-05 11:11

31-Mar-05 11:11

Sorry!
It's ok now, I had to close the document and quit the acadapplication.
Cool | :cool:

everzwijn21-Apr-05 7:06

1-Apr-05 7:06

Another question:
do you know some good information/documentation about the ActiveX objects (acaddocument and all the functions,...)
Thanks

Event Threading

zx2c426-Mar-05 16:30

Explorer Tree view events

26-Mar-05 16:30

Currently, I have a COM event which I've created a sink for and all of that jazz. It receives events at the Invoke method of course. Then i use dispIdMember to figure out which event was called. The only problem is that the event is fired from a different thread as the rest of my program, which poses a huge problem. Is there a way that I can call a function on threadA from threadB?

khan++25-Mar-05 19:55

khan++

25-Mar-05 19:55

Has anyone tried to intercept Windows Explorer (drive/directory) tree view events capture?
I want my extension dll to know when the user expands a folder in the tree view of explorer.
Is there any way of doing that?

Thanks in advance.

Re: Explorer Tree view events

khan++28-Mar-05 18:48

khan++

28-Mar-05 18:48

I found the solution.
Create an atl com project. Insert "Internet Explorer Object".
Do the usual stuff for a BHO.
Implement two methods:
Invoke() and SetSite().
Then in Invoke, capture the DISPID_NAVIGATECOMPLETE2 event.
This runs when user has just changed from one location to another. Find the new location. If it is a local drive etc, then we have it. It does not catch the folder expand, but does catch the event when a folder is opened even in the tree view of explorer.

Thanks for reading.

iTunes COM SDK

zx2c425-Mar-05 13:58

25-Mar-05 13:58

I am currently writing a program in C++ which uses the iTunes COM interfaces from the iTunes COM SDK (http://developer.apple.com/sdk/itunescomsdk.html). I have found it easy to use IiTunes (CoInitialize(NULL); CoCreateInstance(CLSID_iTunesApp, NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER, IID_IiTunes, (PVOID *)&iITunes);), but using _IiTunesEvents poses some adversity. I would like the OnAboutToPromptUserToQuitEvent to call a function where I can run some cleanup code. How can I implement _IiTunesEvents? I am used to C# where I can use += easily, but it is my understanding that COM requires sinks and things of that sort.

I want to have something like this:
IiTunes *iITunes = NULL;
//make object bla bla bla
??????????(OnAboutToPromptUserToQuitEvent);

.....

HRESULT OnAboutToPromptUserToQuitEvent()
{
.....
}

Thanks,
Jason A. Donenfeld
ZX2C4 Software

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/en-us/com/htm/events_27cd.asp?frame=true[^]

Gerald Schwab25-Mar-05 14:30

Gerald Schwab

25-Mar-05 14:30

zx2c425-Mar-05 15:05

25-Mar-05 15:05

thanks so much. ill read through that.

any sample code?

zx2c426-Mar-05 6:35

26-Mar-05 6:35

This is what I have currently:

HRESULT hres;
DWORD d;
IConnectionPoint * icp;
IConnectionPointContainer * icpc;
hres = iITunes->QueryInterface(IID_IConnectionPointContainer,(PVOID *)&icpc);
hres = icpc->FindConnectionPoint(DIID__IiTunesEvents,&icp);
eventSink = new ITunesEventSink();
hres = icp->Advise((IUnknown*)&eventSink,&d);

and then
class ITunesEventSink:public _IiTunesEvents
{
public:
HRESULT OnAboutToPromptUserToQuitEvent();
};

The only problem is that "error C2259: 'ITunesEventSink' : cannot instantiate abstract class" Well duh, I need to impliment all of the virtual functions, but does that mean looking at the header files containing IDispatch and IUnknown and then copying in all of those function names and then giving functionality to them? If so, what is the best way to go about implimenting the functions?

zx2c426-Mar-05 16:27