topic Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010 in .NET Forum

AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:12:10 GMT

Recently I managed to connect to AutoCAD 2012 through vb.net 2010 and send simple commands like this:

Dim acaddoc As AcadDocument = acApp.ActiveDocument

Dim pt1(2) As Double
Dim pt2(2) As Double

pt1(0) = 3
pt1(1) = 6
pt1(2) = 0

pt2(0) = 1
pt2(1) = 5
pt2(2) = 0

acaddoc.ModelSpace.AddLine(pt1, pt2)

I need to use more commands to create a new layer, set a specific layer as active, select a layer's color, select current drawing color,use hatch, select linetype and lineweight. is there a way to perform the previous operations using a code that is similar to the one above?

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

chiefbraincloud — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 21:40:03 GMT

Short answer, yes.

to create the Hatch, you just call AddHatch the same way you called AddLine.

The AcadHatch object returned from that has Layer, Linetype, Lineweight properties (among others).

You access the collection of layers with acaddoc.Database.Layers which returns an object of AcadLayers, which has an Add method.

acaddoc.GetVariable/SetVariable will get or set the value of AutoCAD system variables, such as CLAYER for the name of the current layer, or CECOLOR is the Current Entity Color.

Chew that up and spit it out, then come back if you have more questions.

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 17:09:06 GMT

Sorry for being late but I've been busy the last couple of days, but I have a aquestion

the acaddoc.SetVariable function takes two parameters: Name as string, Value as object

how to use those parameters to perform tasks such as setting a layer as active or changing the layer's color?

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 15:42:31 GMT

I tried to use GetVariable func tion like this:

Dim acdoc As AcadDocument = acApp.ActiveDocument
MsgBox(acaddoc.GetVariable("CECOLOR"))

And the result is a message box saying: BYLAYER

so I tried reversing this by trying the following:

acaddoc.SetVariable("CECOLOR", Common.AcColor.acByLayer)

the result is an exception saying: "Error setting system variable"

and I tried many other AutoCAD variables, the getvariable works but the setvariable doesn't. what is wrong?

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Mike.Wohletz — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:18:14 GMT

The acByLayer is the same as 256 and the help says that you can use 1 to 255. You can set this with a string and make things simple by using "YELLOW", "BLUE", BLACK", "BYLAYER", "BYBLOCK", etc.

Try this:

acaddoc.SetVariable("CECOLOR", "BYLAYER")

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 17:30:44 GMT

It worked! thank you so much, I have another question please: How to change the layer's color after adding it? because I don't want to change the CEColor each time I change the current layer.

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

kerry_w_brown — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 03:28:30 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi
It worked! thank you so much, I have another question please: How to change the layer's color after adding it? because I don't want to change the CEColor each time I change the current layer.

You may need to re-state the question.

I'm not sure that you will want to change the color of the layer, because that will affect everything that is drawn on that layer that is not explicitly by color ... do you mean 'change the color of the entity' instead,

Regards,

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 04:58:07 GMT

No, I want to change the color of the layer itself, I need this for specific layers, not all of them.

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:36:12 GMT

He here a function :

Public Function CreationCalque(ByVal NomCalque As String, Optional ByVal CB As Integer = 256, _
                                                      Optional ByVal CR As Integer = 256, _
                                                      Optional ByVal CV As Integer = 256) As String
        Dim strReturn As String = ""
        Dim db As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase

        Dim LayerT As LayerTable 'coll des Def des calques
        Dim Layer As LayerTableRecord
        Dim tr As Transaction = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()


        Try
            LayerT = tr.GetObject(db.LayerTableId, OpenMode.ForRead)

            If LayerT.Has(NomCalque) = False Then
                Layer = New LayerTableRecord
                Layer.Name = NomCalque
                Layer.Color = Color.FromRgb(CR, CV, CB)
                'OpenMode.Write
                LayerT.UpgradeOpen()
                'ajout à la base des layers
                LayerT.Add(Layer)
                'transaction
                tr.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(Layer, True)
            Else
                Layer = tr.GetObject(LayerT.Item(NomCalque), OpenMode.ForWrite)
                'maJ Color
                Layer.Color = Color.FromRgb(CR, CV, CB)
            End If
            strReturn = Layer.Name
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.ToString, vbOKOnly, "Error CreationCalque")
        Finally
            tr.Commit()
            tr.Dispose()
        End Try

        Return strReturn
    End Function

This function check if the name Layer is found otherwise it create a layer with the name pass in the function.

You need : A name of layer + code color example :

if CreationCalque("NameCalque",255,0,0) <> "" then

' calc Ok and Color applied"

' ....

end if.

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:41:25 GMT

This image tells what happened

so is there any missing imports?

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

arcticad — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:46:54 GMT

Add these lines to the top of the class

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Colors

and add the reference to

acdbmgr.dll

acmgd.dll

and set copy local to false.

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Mike.Wohletz — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:47:06 GMT

What namespaces have you imported? Is this a standalone EXE application?

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

arcticad — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 17:50:09 GMT

the above code won't work for a stand alone exe.

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:13:08 GMT

I have the following imports:

Imports System
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop

And yes this is a standalone EXE Application

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 18:14:10 GMT

I have the following imports:

Imports System
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop

And yes this is a standalone EXE application

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Mike.Wohletz — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:04:34 GMT

Try something like this to set the layer colors:

    Private Sub WorkingWithAutoCAD()
        ' we can set the color of one layer or current by:
        acSetLayerColor(AcColor.acYellow)
        'or
        'set them all to green
        For Each oLayer As AcadLayer In ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.Layers
            acSetLayerColor(AcColor.acGreen, oLayer)
        Next
        ' or set the OB layer to red and see if it happened calling by name
        Dim Rval As Boolean = acSetLayerColorByName(AcColor.acRed, "OB")

    End Sub

    Private Function acSetLayerColor(ByVal oColor As AcColor, Optional ByVal oLayer As AcadLayer = Nothing) As Boolean
        Try
            If oLayer Is Nothing Then 'we will look at the current layer
                oLayer = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.ActiveLayer
            End If
            oLayer.color = oColor
            Return True
        Catch ex As Exception
            Return False
        End Try
    End Function

    Private Function acSetLayerColorByName(ByVal oColor As AcColor, ByVal oLayerName As String) As Boolean
        Try
            Dim oLayer As AcadLayer = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.Layers.Item(oLayerName)
            oLayer.color = oColor
            Return True
        Catch ex As Exception
            Return False
        End Try
    End Function

Re: AutoCAD Commands from vb.net 2010

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:01:01 GMT

Your suggestions worked after I added a reference to acdbmgd.dll and acdmgd.dll and imported these namespaces:

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Colors

Thank you all for your help.

Best regards