Autodesk Inventor Customization

[#1]

Hi,

I'm writing an automatic ballooning program from out the partlist inside a vb.net 2010 addin. (INV 2013)

I'm nearly there but have just one problem.

When starting the routine a form with only a label (message) in it is showed. Just to inform the user!

Then the ballooning command is started. The user can cancel this piece of ballooning by clicking ESC.

But the problem is that the user first must click anywhere in the screen to activate inventor before he can click ESC

Why is that? Has the form still have the focus? How can I solve this problem.

Geert

Here is a snipset of my code:

Public Sub AutomaticBallooning() 

Try

Dim frmPartlistRowMessage AsNewfrmMessage

Dim strPartlistRowText AsString = "TEST  -> press [ESC] to cancel ballooning and for other options!"

frmPartlistRowMessage.Show()

frmPartlistRowMessage.labMessage.Text = strPartlistRowText

modGeneral.AlwaysOnTop(frmPartlistRowMessage, True)

'call balloon commando and wait till it's done

Dim oControlDef As Inventor.ControlDefinition

oControlDef = m_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions.Item(

"DrawingBalloonCmd")

Try

      oControlDef.Execute()

Catch ex AsException

EndTry

DoWhile m_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ActiveCommand = "DrawingBalloonCmd"Or m_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ActiveCommand = "InteractionEvents"

                m_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.DoEvents()

Loop

Catch ex AsException

EndTry

end sub

PublicSub AlwaysOnTop(ByVal frmobject As System.Windows.Forms.Form, ByRef Status AsBoolean)

Try

If Status = TrueThen

       frmobject.TopMost = True

Else

        frmobject.TopMost = False

EndIf

Catch ex AsException

EndTry

EndSub

[#2]

Hi There,

Setting the owner of form as Inventor frame window should solve this problem.

frmPartlistRowMessage.Show(New WindowWrapper(m_inventorApplicationMainFrameHWND))

The WindowWrapper class is given below.

Public Class WindowWrapper
    Implements System.Windows.Forms.IWin32Window
    Public Sub New(ByVal handle As IntPtr)
        _hwnd = handle
    End Sub
    Public ReadOnly Property Handle() As IntPtr _
    Implements System.Windows.Forms.IWin32Window.Handle
        Get
            Return _hwnd
        End Get
    End Property
    Private _hwnd As IntPtr
End Class

-Ishwar

[#3]

Hi Ishwar,

thanks for your reply.

I already had tried setting owner with this code with no result:

Dim owner AsNew System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow

owner.AssignHandle(m_inventorApplication.MainFrameHWND)

oFormMessage.Show(owner)

I tried your way with the WindowWrapper class but unfortunately also with no result!

It seems that showing a form inactivates Inventor till user clicks into the screen.

other suggestions?

Geert

[#4 · Accepted solution]

Sometimes the solution is right in front of you but you don't see it.

Just put -> AppActivate(m_inventorApplication.Caption) to it and there you go.

Problem solved!

Geert