topic Re: Re : How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position in .NET Forum

How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 20:30:29 GMT

I have an AutoCAD and I am in Model space, how to loop through a model to extract all TEXT and MTEXT string + position?

This is my first VB.NET program with AutoCAD, I tried to use a code posted on the forum but it did not return anything (no error even when I remove Try-Catch

    Dim acDocEd As Editor
        Dim acTypValAr(3) As TypedValue
        Dim acSelFtr As SelectionFilter
        Dim acSSPrompt As PromptSelectionResult
        Dim acSSet As SelectionSet
        Dim selObj As SelectedObject

        acDocEd = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor

        acSelFtr = New SelectionFilter(acTypValAr)
        acSSPrompt = acDocEd.SelectAll(acSelFtr)

        If acSSPrompt.Status = PromptStatus.OK Then
            acSSet = acSSPrompt.Value

            Using trans As Transaction = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase.TransactionManager.StartTransaction

                Try
                    For Each selObj In acSSet
                        Select Case selObj.ObjectId.ObjectClass.Name
                            Case "AcDbText"
                                Dim textObj As DBText = trans.GetObject(selObj.ObjectId, OpenMode.ForRead, False, True)
                                MsgBox("Text = " & textObj.TextString)
                                textObj.Dispose()
                            Case "AcDbMText"
                                Dim mtextObj As MText = trans.GetObject(selObj.ObjectId, OpenMode.ForRead, False, True)
                                MsgBox("Text = " & mtextObj.Contents)
                                mtextObj.Dispose()
                        End Select
                    Next selObj
                Catch ex As Exception
                Finally
                    trans.Commit()
                End Try
            End Using

        End If
    End Sub

Re: How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

BKSpurgeon — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 13:00:40 GMT

Two things that immediately come to mind:

Your selection filter: are you actually creating one? Where is the code which filters in only text and Mtext?
Second is to be sure that the name of the Objects as strings actually come out as "AcDbText" and "AcDbMtext" - you gotta make sure it is exact.

I don't know VB.NET but if i was using c# I simply do something like this:

case selObj.ObjectId.ObjectClass == RXClass.GetClass(typeof(Mtext))

You need something like this:

    Dim acTypValAr(3) As TypedValue
    acTypValAr.SetValue(New TypedValue(DxfCode.Operator, "<or"), 0)
    acTypValAr.SetValue(New TypedValue(DxfCode.Start, "MTEXT"), 1)
    acTypValAr.SetValue(New TypedValue(DxfCode.Start, "DBTEXT"), 2)    
    acTypValAr.SetValue(New TypedValue(DxfCode.Operator, "or>"), 3)

    Dim acSelFtr As SelectionFilter = New SelectionFilter(acTypValAr)

untested code warning: there may be typos etc.

Re : How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

_gile — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 14:26:43 GMT

Hi,

You can either use a selection filter and Editor.SelectAll() or iterate through the model space enities.

Using a selection filter

   public class Commands
    {
        [CommandMethod("Test1")]
        public void Test1()
        {
            Document doc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
            Database db = doc.Database;
            Editor ed = doc.Editor;

            TypedValue[] tvs = new[] 
            {
                new TypedValue(0, "TEXT,MTEXT"), // only DBText or MText
                new TypedValue(410, "Model")     // in model space
            };
            SelectionFilter filter = new SelectionFilter(tvs);
            PromptSelectionResult selection = ed.SelectAll(filter);
            if (selection.Status != PromptStatus.OK)
                return;

            using (Transaction tr = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
            {
                foreach (SelectedObject obj in selection.Value)
                {
                    ObjectId id = obj.ObjectId;
                    if (id.ObjectClass.DxfName == "TEXT")
                    {
                        DBText text = (DBText)tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead);
                        ed.WriteMessage("\nText = {0} ({1})", text.TextString, text.Position);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        MText mtext = (MText)tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForWrite);
                        ed.WriteMessage("\nText = {0} ({1})", mtext.Text, mtext.Location);
                    }
                }
                tr.Commit();
            }
        }

VB (with the help of Telerik code converter)

        <CommandMethod("Test1")>
        Public Sub Test1()
            Dim doc As Document = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
            Dim db As Database = doc.Database
            Dim ed As Editor = doc.Editor

            Dim tvs As TypedValue() = New TypedValue() _
            {
                New TypedValue(0, "TEXT,MTEXT"), ' only DBText or MText
                New TypedValue(410, "Model")     ' in model space
            }
            Dim filter As New SelectionFilter(tvs)
            Dim selection As PromptSelectionResult = ed.SelectAll(filter)
            If selection.Status <> PromptStatus.OK Then
                Return
            End If

            Using tr As Transaction = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()
                For Each obj As SelectedObject In selection.Value
                    Dim id As ObjectId = obj.ObjectId
                    If id.ObjectClass.DxfName = "TEXT" Then
                        Dim text As DBText = DirectCast(tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead), DBText)
                        ed.WriteMessage(vbLf & "Text = {0} ({1})", text.TextString, text.Position)
                    Else
                        Dim mtext As MText = DirectCast(tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForWrite), MText)
                        ed.WriteMessage(vbLf & "Text = {0} ({1})", mtext.Text, mtext.Location)
                    End If
                Next
                tr.Commit()
            End Using
        End Sub

Iterating through all model space entities (this may be a little faster than using a selection set)

        [CommandMethod("Test2")]
        public void Test2()
        {
            var doc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
            var db = doc.Database;
            var ed = doc.Editor;

            using (var tr = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
            {
                var model = (BlockTableRecord)tr.GetObject(
                    SymbolUtilityServices.GetBlockModelSpaceId(db), OpenMode.ForRead);
                foreach (ObjectId id in model)
                {
                    switch (id.ObjectClass.DxfName)
                    {
                        case "TEXT":
                            var text = (DBText)tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead);
                            ed.WriteMessage($"\nText = {text.TextString} ({text.Position})");
                            break;
                        case "MTEXT":
                            var mtext = (MText)tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForWrite);
                            ed.WriteMessage($"\nText = {mtext.Text} ({mtext.Location})");
                            break;
                        default:
                            break;
                    }
                }
                tr.Commit();
            }
        }

        <CommandMethod("Test2")>
        Public Sub Test2()
            Dim doc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
            Dim db = doc.Database
            Dim ed = doc.Editor

            Using tr = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()
                Dim model = DirectCast(tr.GetObject(
                    SymbolUtilityServices.GetBlockModelSpaceId(db), OpenMode.ForRead), BlockTableRecord)
                For Each id As ObjectId In model
                    Select Case id.ObjectClass.DxfName
                        Case "TEXT"
                            Dim text = DirectCast(tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead), DBText)
                            ed.WriteMessage(vbLf & "Text = {0} ({1})", text.TextString, text.Position)
                            Exit Select
                        Case "MTEXT"
                            Dim mtext = DirectCast(tr.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForWrite), MText)
                            ed.WriteMessage(vbLf & "Text = {0} ({1})", mtext.Text, mtext.Location)
                            Exit Select
                        Case Else
                            Exit Select
                    End Select
                Next
                tr.Commit()
            End Using
        End Sub

Re : How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:52:16 GMT

Thanks, the last VB code works well

Re: How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

Anonymous — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:53:59 GMT

Thanks - this is my first AutoCAD code so I am lacks of basic knowledge. The bad thing is that I could only find 1 book on AutoCAD .NET but I could not place the order.

Re: Re : How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

Anonymous — Thu, 10 May 2018 06:41:52 GMT

Hi,

The code above works perfectly for MTEXT but when I am trying to extract TEXT, although I do find 38 TEXT objects in my drawing, when I try to read it using TextString, all I find is blanks. Could you please help me that? Why is this happening?

Looking forward to your reply

Re: Re : How to loop through a model to extract TEXT and MTEXT string + position

paul_bachner — Sun, 24 Jun 2018 19:51:56 GMT

Because someone edited the text and backed spaced all the text away instead of erasing the object.