topic Re: Entity advice in .NET Forum

Entity advice

Anonymous — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:44:24 GMT

Hi, i'm starting to develop a .NET plugin, so i'd like to have some advice from you experts 😉

I've just to draw some rectangles on a map (a 2D layer) an then set a label that show me the name and then set other "invisible" properties that describe my area.

I thought to represent this with a region and put a label on it; I'd like that these entities have a kind of relation, like move togheter etc. and finally store into this area some properties, like strings and numbers.

i have to create a custom entity with C++ or there is some other (easier) way to do this?

thanks in advance....

Bye.

Re: Entity advice

Anonymous — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:44:55 GMT

database services contain a GROUP dbobject, which can take the respective label as name and any entities you want associated with it can be appended (and removed), although they remain individually editable.

felix

Re: Entity advice

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:52:07 GMT

I don't think you have to use C++, you could use any .NET language.

Visual Basic, C++, C# and there's some others.

But if you are learning why not try Visual basic.

Have fun, the adventure has only begun

Re: Entity advice

kerry_w_brown — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:09:38 GMT

VB_Autocad_guy

>> I don't think you have to use C++, you could use any .NET language.

If the op wants custom objects c++ ARX is the option.

.NET managed does NOT create custom objects.

Regards

Re: Entity advice

dgorsman — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:27:13 GMT

C++ *is* the only way for custom objects, but there may be some other options that are easier to implement and friendlier to other users: static or dynamic (stretchable) block with attributes, grouped entities, either with XDATA or Extension Dictionaries/XRecords both come to mind.

As I always say, code is the end product, not the start. There needs to be a lot of prior planning, outlines, object model research, etc. prior to writing a single line of code.

Re: Entity advice

kerry_w_brown — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:20:46 GMT

🙂

true that !

Re: Entity advice

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:14:05 GMT

Thanks Kerry,

Custom Objects huh? So you can do that in Arx huh?

Thanks for clarification.

Re: Entity advice

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 10:28:49 GMT

Thanks guys, i think i will wait a white before try to create c++ custom object.

The "Group of Entities" solution seems to be a good choice!

So i will try to put a region and a label with the name in a group, i have just another question:

Where can i put the other properties of my object, i'd like to have a group with its (invisible)

data field like a C# class; I read i can use XData, correct?

There's a tutorial that explain how to use it?

Thanks again

Cheers.

Re: Entity advice

Anonymous — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 12:50:05 GMT

the way to create "custom objects" in .NET is the Overrule API

XData is an easy way to stick some data to entities, but it has limitations (i think there's a maximum size of the XData), it's recomended to use ExtensionDictionary, which is also quite simple

you have to create the ExtensionDicionary with DBObject.CreateExtensionDicionary() and then add some Xrecords in it

Re: Entity advice

kerry_w_brown — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 00:40:03 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
>>> the way to create "custom objects" in .NET is the Overrule API

No, words have meanings.

Re: Entity advice

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:56:15 GMT

Kerry, I'm pretty sure, your words also have some meaning. I just don't get it.