topic Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes in .NET Forum

Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 11:17:29 GMT

Dear Community,

Overview:

I would like to explode or burst all blocks using VB.net (Visual Studio 2015) in either AutoCAD 2014 or AutoCAD 2015.

At the moment the "explode" command reverts all the text elements to their tag names and any repositioning of elements within a block, after it was inserted, is lost.

Effectively it gives you current saved block definition and you lose all the custom attributes entered when you insert the block. The "burst" command does not appear to be available as a method from vb.net although it may be possible through the "SendCommand" and performing a "BURST" on the current selected object.

But this would mean selecting the object in the drawing and this I cannot get to work.

A minor issue with the "BURST" command is it seems to default some of the "Line Types" to layer 0.

I have looked at "SelectionSets" for a document, but it is not clear how you add an object to a selection set.

Questions:

Is there a method of doing a "BURST" using vb.net and retain all the attributes?
Can a selection set be used by the "SendCommand" function?

Many thanks for any help you can offer.

Sample Code :

Imports AutoCAD
Module Module1
Dim AcadApp As AcadApplication
Dim acadDoc As AcadDocument
Dim acadDb As AcadDatabase
Dim acadEditor As AcadObject
Dim acadPref As AcadPreferences
Dim acadxref As AcadBlockReference
Dim objEntity As AcadEntity
Dim objLayer As AcadLayer
Dim objText As AcadText
Dim objNewLayer As Object
Dim txtSearch As String
Dim intTextEntities As Integer
Dim intMatch As Integer
Dim blnFound As Boolean

Public Sub convert()

On Error Resume Next

Debug.Print("Start: " & Date.Now())
AcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")

If Err().Number Then
AcadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application", vbNullString)
End If

acadPref = AcadApp.Preferences
AcadApp.Documents.Open("C:\temp\BlockTest.dwg", False)

AcadApp.Visible = True
acadDoc = AcadApp.ActiveDocument
acadDb = acadDoc.Database

Debug.Print("Blocks: " & acadDb.Blocks.Count)

For Each acadBlocks In acadDb.Blocks

Debug.Print("Block Name: " & acadBlocks.Name())
Next

Debug.Print("Objects in ModelSpace: " & acadDb.ModelSpace.Count())
For Each mspaceObj In acadDb.ModelSpace
If TypeOf (mspaceObj) Is AcadBlockReference Then
'burstObject(mspaceObj)
End If
Next

acadDoc.SaveAs("C:\temp\BlockTest_burst.dwg")
acadDoc.Close()
AcadApp.Quit()
AcadApp = Nothing

End Sub

End Module

'Dim ss As AcadSelectionSet

'With acadDoc.SelectionSets
' While .Count > 0
' .Item(0).Delete()
' End While
' ss = .Add("$DynBlocks$")
'End With

'If TypeOf (mspaceObj) Is AcadBlockReference Then
'If mspaceObj.HasAttributes = True Then
'Debug.Print(mspaceObj.Name)
'Debug.Print("====================")
'varAttributes = mspaceObj.GetAttributes
'For n = 0 To UBound(varAttributes)
'If checkProperty(varAttributes(n), "Invisible") Then
'If varAttributes(n).Invisible = False Then
'varAttributes(n).TagString = ""
'End If
'End If
'Debug.Print(varAttributes(n).TagString & " - " &
'varAttributes(n).TextString & " - " &
'varAttributes(n).Invisible)
'Next
''sset = acadDoc.SelectionSets.Add("SS1")
''Set sset = ThisDrawing.SelectionSets.Add("SS1")
''sset.AddItems(mspaceObj)
'' Prompt the user to select objects
'' and add them to the selection set.
'' To finish selecting, press ENTER.
''sset.SelectOnScreen()
''mspaceObj.Selected()
''acadDoc.SendCommand("BURST " & vbCr)
'explodedObjects = mspaceObj.Explode()
''mspaceObj.Delete()
'For n = UBound(explodedObjects) To 0 Step -1
'ObjDel = False
'If explodedObjects(n).EntityName = "AcDbAttributeDefinition" Then
'If explodedObjects(n).Invisible = True Or explodedObjects(n).TextString = "" Then
'explodedObjects(n).Delete()
'ObjDel = True
'End If
'End If
'If ObjDel = False Then
'If explodedObjects(n).Layer = 0 Then
'explodedObjects(n).Layer = mspaceObj.Layer.ToString
'End If
'End If
'Next
'mspaceObj.Delete()
'End If

'End If

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

wispoxy — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 13:46:27 GMT

you can use the _BURST command from the express-tools, that explodes block-insertions and creates text-objects from the attribute-values.

But keep in mind: exploding block-insertions destroys the structure in your drawing, you will lose a lot of possibilities like BOM-lists (using DATAEXTRACTION) and a lot more! -Alfred.NESWADBA-

Use BURST, don't use EXPLODE.

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Jan 2016 14:24:56 GMT

Hi Simon,

Thank you for the quick reply.

We need to convert a large number of drawings and remove block intelligence, so we need to use a program like vb.Net

When you say to use "_BURST" from the express tools does this mean it can be done from within .Net code?

The best I can do so far is to use the Send command and burst "ALL" blocks - see below.

But I would prefer to burst the blocks one at a time.

How would I select an object in VB.Net using selection sets?

Sample Code:

Imports AutoCAD
Module Module1

Public Sub convert()
Dim AcadApp As AcadApplication
Dim acadDoc As AcadDocument
Dim acadDb As AcadDatabase
Dim dwgName As String
dwgName = "C:\temp\BlockTest.dwg"
Debug.Print("Start: " & Date.Now())

Try
AcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
Catch ex As Exception
AcadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application", vbNullString)
End Try

Try
AcadApp.Documents.Open(dwgName, False)
Catch ex As Exception
MsgBox("Drawing not found: " & dwgName)
Exit Sub
End Try

AcadApp.Visible = True
acadDoc = AcadApp.ActiveDocument
acadDb = acadDoc.Database
acadDoc.SendCommand("cmddia 0" & vbCr)
acadDoc.SendCommand("filedia 0" & vbCr)
acadDoc.SendCommand("_BURST ALL" & vbCr & vbCr)

acadDoc.SaveAs("C:\temp\BlockTest_Burst.dwg")
acadDoc.Close()
AcadApp.Quit()
AcadApp = Nothing

End Sub
End Module

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

SENL1362 — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 08:13:38 GMT

a long time ago i used this to connect VBA objects to the SendComman. Maybe it works for VB.NET as well.

SymSelect = "(handent """ & Symbol.Handle & """)"
ThisDrawing.SendCommand "rotate" & vbCr & SymSelect & vbCr & vbCr & Symbol.InsertionPoint(0) & "," & Symbol.InsertionPoint(1) & vbCr

Call Thisdrawing.SendCommand("(setvar ""users1"" (cdr (assoc 5 (entget (cdr (assoc 340 (entget (handent """ & vp.Handle & """)))))))) ")
set vpClipObj= Thisdrawing.HandleToObject(Thisdrawing.GetVariable("users1"))

This C# example from my mentor Balaji Ramamoorthy, shows you how BURST is done the proper way.

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2015/06/programmatically-mimic-the-burst-command.html

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

wispoxy — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 14:06:50 GMT

I'm not advanced enough yet to recommend anything for .NET You should speak to @Alfred.NESWADBA or @_gile they are higher on the top solutions list for .NET

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

Alfred.NESWADBA — Thu, 07 Jan 2016 15:52:35 GMT

Hi,

there are some code samples already available out in the www, >>>this one<<< might be the point to start (search for "Programmatically mimic the Burst command" on that site).

- alfred -

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

Anonymous — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 10:38:41 GMT

Hi Alfred,

Thank you for the link to the code.

The example appears to be C#.Net, which is OK, because I can convert the statements to VB.Net.

However, I am having an issue with some of the methods and types not being available.

Transaction (type)

TransactionManager.StartTransaction (method for AutoCAD database)

I have used a standard VB.Net template for a Microsoft WPF application - as I do not have any AutoCAD templates.

The target framework is set to .Net 4.5

In the references I have specified "Interop.AutoCAD.dll" and in the imports:

Imports AutoCAD

I did try to add the following references via the "Browse" option:

■ acdbmgd.dll

■ acmgd.dll

But when I do this, the program fails to find them when I debug the application.

An exception of type 'System.IO.FileNotFoundException' occurred in WpfAutoCAD.exe but was not handled in user code

Additional information: Could not load file or assembly 'Acdbmgd.dll' or one of its dependencies. The specified module could not be found.

It might be I need to include another DLL.

Can you point me to a VB.Net template for AutoCAD 2014?

Many thanks

Rob

Re: Burst or explode a block in vb.net and retain text attributes

Alfred.NESWADBA — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 12:17:09 GMT

Hi,

>> An exception of type 'System.IO.FileNotFoundException' occurred in WpfAutoCAD.exe

What is "WpfAutoCAD.exe"? Is that your .NET project and you are creating an EXE which controls AutoCAD from outside?

Then sorry, the code from the link will not work, this was designed to run in the managed environment within AutoCAD (loaded managed DLL), not from outside of AutoCAD.

Outside of AutoCAD you are limited to ActiveX/COM or your EXE loads a DLL and starts it's code.

- alfred -