I read your post in the other group.
There is not VBA.NET. If your main concern is that the code you develop
something in Acad2000VBA would be used in Acad2006 later, then, as you have
already been replied, there is very little that the VBA in Acad2000 would
not work in latest Acad, unless you used some components that are
incompatible with later version of Acad/later OS.
If you use .NET (VB.NET or C#) to automate Acad, then there is little
different from what you can do with VB. People here in this group maily for
discussion of ObjectARX .NET API, a subset of API exposed to .NET
programmer, started since Acad2005. It is still in its early stage (and
would get better, maybe?). Its is only part of ObjectARX and a bit hard to
learn and code, even you are very comfortable with VB.NET or C#.
IMO, if you are confident that VBA can do what you want to, then it could be
the best approach in the regard of ROI (return of investment). I'd expect
VBA code will run in next 10 years, at least (assume MS and Acad can last
that long, But 40 year, as your Fortran?, I don't know. AutoCAD did not
exist then, did it?).
This is my opion from my instinct, without knowing exactly your system does.
OTH, if you already know .NET well and do not mind the steep learning curve
on ObjectARX .NET API, your solution may survive longer, or may be more
powerful. However, you need to get Acad2006 or later.
wrote in message news:5082754@discussion.autodesk.com...
I'm posting this question here because when I originally posted in the VBA
group I was advised that this would be a better group for this question.
My company has recently accepted a proposal I made to develop VBA routines
in AutoCAD and Excel 2003 to replace our current suite of Fortran programs.
Since we currently use AutoCAD 2000, I'm wondering whether it makes sense to
embark on such a huge programming project with an old version of AutoCAD So
my question is, are there compelling re
asons to upgrade to AutoCAD 2006 before embarking on this development?
Specifically, I'm interested in .NET related advantages.
Briefly, the Fortran programs have been with the company for about 40 years,
and they perform numerous geometrical calculations and display 2D profile
graphs for the tools we make. I've attached a copy of the sort of polylines
the program typically generates. Actually, a transition has already begun
since the generated graphs can be exported to .DXF files as
simple polylines. The most complicated graphics generated by the Fortran
programs can all be output as 2D polylines consisting of well-defined arcs
and straight-line segments. Thus the elements of the geometry are simple,
although there's a lot of relatively involved calculations involved in
finding tangent points where straigtline segments touch arcs. I've done VBA
in Excel and feel comfortable with that part.
What I envision is tying the data for all those polylines to data tables
in Excel 2003 so that manipulating, say, a cell corresponding to a certain
angle in an arc, will then change the shape of that portion of the tool.
This program is huge, having been developed and refined over 40 years, but
the basic geometry underlying it is all straight 2D AutoCAD type stuff.
While one module will be developed at a time, eventually completing the
project will likely take 2 to 5 years.
I know that Microsoft lists details about .NET has advantages over regular
VBA,
but all these details are a little hard to absorb by someone like me at
this point. II'm hoping that a more experienced AutoCAD programmer will be
able to provide advice about what issues are really important here.
Specifically, what compelling reasons are there to do this development in a
.NET framework?
Also, if I do end up upgrading and then develop a combined VBA Excel 2003
and VBA .NET AutoCAD 2006 package, does this means that users will have to
have AT LEAST Excel 2003 and Au
toCAD 2006 in order to use my routines?
Thanks in advance,
-Tony
