Read dwg extents

[borut.slatinsek]

Hi!

I would like to make windows service (.NET C#), which would watch directory changes and read dwg extents, if file extension was .dwg.

Is this possible to make on machine, where autocad isn't installed?

[arcticad]

You would have to use RealDWG or OpenDesign

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=770257

http://www.opendesign.com/

[borut.slatinsek]

Is there no free alternative?

[dgorsman]

Could you elaborate on the reasoning behind this?  There may be "in drawing" solutions that could fulfull the requirements.

[borut.slatinsek]

I am working on application, which creates database with information of extents of DWG, TIF and other geolocated files.

Then user can click on some location on the map and check which files are under that location.

I solved all other formats, but not dwg. I can read DWG extents only inside autocad.

If there is no free solution to do this without AutoCAD, is this possible on machine that has AutoCAD installed without running autocad?

Thank you in advance!

[arcticad]

If you don't want to pay for a solution then you will have to create an instance of AutoCAD to be able to run your code, 

[fieldguy]

Yes.  You can search here for "out of process" or "unmanaged".  There should be several examples.  What version of acad are you targeting?

[arcticad]

I'd like to know what your referring to...

You will still have to connect to AutoCAD to run your application via ActiveX API and create an instance of AutoCAD.

You don't need to show autocad on the screen but it's still running.

[fieldguy]

Scratch that - sorry.  I was taking out-ot-process too literally.

[adadnet]

hi borut

autodesk publish dxf code references as pdf file by autocad version here:

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/item?linkID=10809853&id=12272454&siteID=123112

it's introduction says that "The DXF™ format is a tagged data representation of all the information contained in an AutoCAD® drawing file. Tagged data means that each data element in the file is preceded by an integer number that is called a group code."

so therefore i think that once you have a .dwg file saved as a .dxf file, you could write a .net application that searches this .dxf file for respective group codes and associated values; e.g. the dxf 'header variables' for drawing extents are given on p19 (i.e. from the acad2011 ref). unfortunately, i haven't done this myself, but .dxf files can be used by non-acad software.

felix