topic Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo in .NET Forum

Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to import

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 02:17:50 GMT

I’m actually getting an error

System.InvalidProgramException occurred

HResult= 0x8013153A Common Language Runtime detected an invalid program.

Source=<Cannot evaluate the exception source>

StackTrace: at Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.Database.get_TransactionManager()

While running this below piece of code

Database sourceDb = new Database(false, true); //Temporary database to hold data for block we want to import

try

{

sourceDb.ReadDwgFile(dwgPath, System.IO.FileShare.Read, true, ""); //Read the DWG into a side database

ObjectIdCollection blockIds = new ObjectIdCollection(); // Create a variable to store the list of block identifiers

Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices.TransactionManager tm = sourceDb.TransactionManager; using (Transaction myT = tm.StartTransaction())

{

// Open the block table

BlockTable bt = (BlockTable)tm.GetObject(sourceDb.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead, false);

// Check each block in the block table

foreach (ObjectId btrId in bt)

{

BlockTableRecord btr = (BlockTableRecord)tm.GetObject(btrId, OpenMode.ForRead, false);

// Only add named & non-layout blocks to the copy list

if (!btr.IsAnonymous && !btr.IsLayout)

{

blockIds.Add(btrId);

}

btr.Dispose();

}

// Copy blocks from source to destination database

//IdMapping mapping = new IdMapping(); sourceDb.WblockCloneObjects(blockIds, _database.BlockTableId, mapping, DuplicateRecordCloning.Replace, false); _editor.WriteMessage("\nCopied " + blockIds.Count.ToString() + " block definitions from " + blockToImport + " to the current drawing.");

}

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

_gile — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 07:20:46 GMT

Hi,

Try like this:

            var doc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
            var db = doc.Database;
            using (var sourceDb = new Database(false, true))
            {
                sourceDb.ReadDwgFile(dwgPath, FileOpenMode.OpenForReadAndAllShare, true, null);
                using (var tr = sourceDb.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
                {
                    var bt = (BlockTable)tr.GetObject(sourceDb.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead);
                    var ids = new ObjectIdCollection();
                    foreach (ObjectId id in bt)
                    {
                        var btr = (BlockTableRecord)tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead);
                        if (!btr.IsLayout && !btr.IsAnonymous)
                        {
                            ids.Add(id);
                        }
                    }
                    var mapping = new IdMapping();
                    sourceDb.WblockCloneObjects(ids, db.BlockTableId, mapping, DuplicateRecordCloning.Replace, false);
                    tr.Commit();
                }
            }

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 05:36:29 GMT

Hi Gilles,
Thanks for your response.
What I'm trying to do is, to insert a block in a drawing without opening the Autocad application. I’m ok to run the Autocad application as a background process. I think, the code snippet that you shared will work only when we load the program in autocad using NETLOAD command and then running the [CommandMethod]. Please correct me if my understanding is correct.

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

_gile — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 07:11:57 GMT

The AutoCAD .NET API is designed to run in-process only (i.e., compiled as DLL and netloaded in AutoCAD).

Read this topic about out-of-process vs in-process applications.

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 08:48:37 GMT

I'm actually opening the autocad dwg file using "Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.Common.AxDbDocument" and able to read the data. In this case, I'm not using NETLOAD to open the dwg and read data. So, I'm looking on the same lines to insert a block or text in the drawing.

Below is the code that I'm using for opening the dwg file

                                Type acType = Type.GetTypeFromProgID(ProgID);
                                acadApp = (AcadApplication)Activator.CreateInstance(acType, true);
                                acadApp.Visible = false;
                                acadApp.Width = 1;
                                acadApp.Height = 1;

axDbDocument = acadApp.GetInterfaceObject("ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument." + version);

sourceAxDb = axDbDocument as Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.Common.AxDbDocument;
sourceAxDb.Open(txtFileName.Text);

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:15:31 GMT

Below is the error that i get when i'm executing to insert a block or text

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

_gile — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:33:30 GMT

One more time, you cannot use the AutoCAD .NET API from a standalone executable application except if you netload some .NET DLL and launch some custom command from this DLL (or expose the .NET assembly to COM which is much less trivial).

If you absoluteley want/need to use a standalone application, you can use the COM API to get or start the AutoCAD Application and still using CAM use AxDbDocument to import the block definitions from the source file.

Here's a little example, replace AutoCAD major version and the source file path to suit your needs.

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            AcadApplication acadApp = null;
            const string progId = "AutoCAD.Application.19";
            try
            {
                acadApp = (AcadApplication)Marshal.GetActiveObject(progId);
            }
            catch
            {
                try
                {
                    acadApp = (AcadApplication)Activator.CreateInstance(Type.GetTypeFromProgID(progId), true);
                }
                catch
                {
                    MessageBox.Show("Instance of 'AutoCAD.Application' could not be created.");
                    return;
                }
            }
            while (true)
            {
                try
                {
                    if (acadApp.GetAcadState().IsQuiescent)
                        break;
                }
                catch { Thread.Sleep(100); }
            }
            acadApp.Visible = false;

            AxDbDocument sourceDoc = null;
            try
            {
                sourceDoc = acadApp.GetInterfaceObject("ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument.19");
                sourceDoc.Open(@"C:\Temp\Blocks.dwg");
                dynamic blocks = sourceDoc.Blocks
                    .Cast<AcadBlock>()
                    .Where(b => !b.IsLayout)
                    .ToArray();
                sourceDoc.CopyObjects(blocks, acadApp.ActiveDocument.Blocks);
                MessageBox.Show($"Copied {blocks.Length} blocks");
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show(ex.Message + "\n" + ex.StackTrace);
            }
            finally
            {
                if (sourceDoc != null)
                    Marshal.ReleaseComObject(sourceDoc);
            }
            acadApp.Visible = true;
        }

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:44:33 GMT

Thank you for ur quick response will try this & will let u know for any further queries

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

ActivistInvestor — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 09:51:17 GMT

The code that you are showing that is causing the exception can only be used from a DLL that is loaded into AutoCAD using the NETLOAD command.

@Anonymous wrote:

Below is the error that i get when i'm executing to insert a block or text

Re: Trying to create a temporary database to hold data for block we want to impo

_gile — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 11:05:18 GMT

Another way (as suggested by @Virupaksha_aithal in this reply) would be using the Core Console to run a .NET custom command.

Here's an example of command (to be called from the Core Console it cannot use the acmgd.dll library, only the accoremgd.dll and acdbmgd.dll).

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;

namespace ImportBlocks
{
    public class Commands
    {
        [CommandMethod("IMPORTBLOCKS")]
        public static void ImportBlocks()
        {
            var db = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase;
            using (var sourceDb = new Database(false, true))
            {
                sourceDb.ReadDwgFile(@"C:\Temp\Blocks.dwg", FileOpenMode.OpenForReadAndAllShare, true, null);
                var ids = new ObjectIdCollection();
                using (var tr = new OpenCloseTransaction())
                {
                    var bt = (BlockTable)tr.GetObject(sourceDb.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForRead);
                    foreach (ObjectId id in bt)
                    {
                        var btr = (BlockTableRecord)tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead);
                        if (!btr.IsLayout && !btr.IsAnonymous)
                            ids.Add(id);
                    }
                    tr.Commit();
                }
                var mapping = new IdMapping();
                sourceDb.WblockCloneObjects(ids, db.BlockTableId, mapping, DuplicateRecordCloning.Replace, false);
            }
        }
    }
}

From a standalone executable (e.g., a Windows Form application), you can launch the Core Console, pass it a script file which NETLOAD and run the upper command.

In the following example, the script file is created 'on the fly' and deleted after used.

Change the paths and AutoCAD version to suit your needs (in this example, the ImportBlocks.dll file is supposed to be in the same directory as the executable).

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
                var scriptPath = @"C:\Temp\ImportBlocks.scr";
            try
            {
                // create the script file
                using (var writer = new StreamWriter(scriptPath))
                {
                    writer.WriteLine("(command \"NETLOAD\" \"ImportBlocks.dll\")");
                    writer.WriteLine("IMPORTBLOCKS");
                    writer.WriteLine("_SAVE \"C:\\Temp\\TestImportBlocks.dwg\"");
                    writer.WriteLine();
                }
                // run the accore console
                string accorePath = @"C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2013\accoreconsole.exe";
                string args = $"/s {scriptPath}";
                var startInfo = new ProcessStartInfo(accorePath, args);
                startInfo.WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden;
                var process = Process.Start(startInfo);
                process.WaitForExit();
                MessageBox.Show("Done");
            }
            catch(Exception ex)
            {
                MessageBox.Show($"{ex.Message}\n{ex.StackTrace}");
            }
            finally
            {
                // delete the script file
                File.Delete(scriptPath);
            }
        }