topic Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image in Inventor Programming Forum

Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Orest_iy — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 12:30:53 GMT

Hello

I have created some custom button in VB.net.I wish I can make those buttons toggling their image. For example my custom button toggles Part/Component priority or Highligt on/off and I would like the button image will change showing the current state. The background image color change will help too, or the some extra tiny mark on working sceen would help if it quite complicated to deal with ribbons. Generally I need to see the current state at glance. Please help Best regards, Orest Yavtushenko

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 13:41:31 GMT

Hi,

I guess in the button_onexecute event you can change the icon by setting the buttondefinition.LargeIcon (or StandardIcon) property to a different image.

I haven't tested this, so I'm not sure if it will work.

Best regards, Daniël

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Orest_iy — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:58:00 GMT

Once Inventor started it does not let to change a button picture. It executes the macro and required command is executed but did not change the image in the ribbon.

Regards,

Orest

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 07:30:53 GMT

I've tried it and for me it seems to work as expected. Could you maybe post your code here so I can try to figure out the problem.

Daniël

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

pball — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:12:25 GMT

djreesing I believe Orest_iy is talking about a button in the User Commands section of the ribbon bar and not a dialog which I guess you are talking about. Orest_iy if you could post a screen shot of the button you are refering to that would clear up any confusion there is.

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Orest_iy — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:27:57 GMT

Here is pic attached

I wish the Part Prority/Custom priority as well as Highlight would show the curent state somehow

Orest

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:41:18 GMT

pball, I'm also talking about the ribbon toolbar. See attached images before and after clicking the button. I've used an icon of a cd-rom and dvd for this example.

Orest_iy, please post your code here so we can figure out whats wrong.

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 11:46:47 GMT

By the way, I see you are using Inventor 2012. I've tested this with Inventor 2013, but I doubt that this functionality was added in the 2013 API.

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

pball — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:24:48 GMT

Wow I've never run across this functionality before. I've only found a few articles on using icons period. It's nice to be wrong some times.

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:29:43 GMT

It's not really rocket science . Just changing the 'LargeIcon' and/or 'StandardIcon' property of the button definition. Apparently there is no problem doing this during runtime.

Daniël

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

pball — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:12:36 GMT

Could you share some code please. I don't have a use for this currently but it's piqued my interest and I don't have a clue where/how you are doing this.

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:27:17 GMT

First of all this is done in a VB.NET add-in (Visual Basic 2010 Express).

This is the code in the activate section of the add-in (where the button is declared and put in a ribbon).

            Dim oControlDefinitions As ControlDefinitions
            Dim oUIManager As UserInterfaceManager

            oControlDefinitions = m_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions
            oUIManager = m_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager

            oTestButton = oControlDefinitions.AddButtonDefinition("Test Button", "oTestButton", CommandTypesEnum.kQueryOnlyCmdType, sClientID)

            oTestButton.LargeIcon = clsPictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(New System.Drawing.Icon(My.Resources.Compact_Disk, 32, 32))

            If firstTime = True Then

                '===Ribbon section===
                Dim oRibbon As Ribbon
                Dim oTestRibbon As RibbonTab
                Dim oTestPanel As RibbonPanel

                For Each oRibbon In oUIManager.Ribbons

                    ' Create a new tab
                    oTestRibbon = oRibbon.RibbonTabs.Add("Test Ribbon", "oTestRibbon", sClientID)

                    ' Create a new panel within the tab
                    oTestPanel = oTestRibbon.RibbonPanels.Add("Test Panel", "oTestPanel", sClientID)

                    ' Create a control within the panel
                    Call oTestPanel.CommandControls.AddButton(oTestButton, True)

                Next oRibbon

            End If

This is the code in the oTestButton_OnExecute event.

oTestButton.LargeIcon = clsPictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(New System.Drawing.Icon(My.Resources.DVD_Disk, 32, 32))

The clsPictureDispConverter is a custom class that contains a function for converting the icon to an IPictureDisp. See http://modthemachine.typepad.com/my_weblog/2012/02/bitmaps-without-vb6-icontoipicture.html for more information.

I hope you can understand how this works now.

Best regards,

Daniël

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 13:33:47 GMT

In case you're not familiar with Add-ins, please read this: http://modthemachine.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/01/how-to-write-an-inventor-add-in.html

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Orest_iy — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:01:33 GMT

Inventor 2013 gave me so much troubles with those appereances and crashes in attempt to change or create something custom so I stay the second year on 2012.

The idea of switching Large and Small icons probably could be the sollution.Did not tried it yet.

Thank you for advice.

I can test it on Monday, everything is on working machine.

Orest

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Orest_iy — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 14:46:28 GMT

Hello again,

Here is my code attached.

The whole project is zipped.

I wish my custom button would change the Large image to Standard image in the executable event.

Regards,

Orest

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:48:52 GMT

Hi,

In your case you should use the following command to set an icon or the buttondefinition.

mAsmButtonDef.LargeIcon = mIPictureDisp1

In your mAsmButtonDef_OnExecute event you don't need to set the buttondefintion again. You can simple change the icon by the above command.

Look to one of my last posts where I posted my my code. That should explain it.

Daniël

Re: Need a VB.net example to toggle the custom button image

Orest_iy — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 13:44:56 GMT

Thank you

Everything is working now

Best regards,

Orest