topic Re: Load dxf file into standalone executable and then save as an image in .NET Forum

Load dxf file into standalone executable and then save as an image

rwemmerLHAEW — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:02:04 GMT

Hi there,

I am very new to ADN and very much trying to learn. I would like to know if it is possible, using "Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop" and "Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.Common" to load a dxf file into a stand alone C# executable (.NET 7). And then, I would like to export that drawing as an image, such as png or jpg. If so, can anyone point me towards docs to load the dxf and then docs to save the drawing as an image.

Thanks in advance,

Ryan

Re: Load dxf file into standalone executable and then save as an image

norman.yuan — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:24:11 GMT

The simple answer is "NO". The said libraries "Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop/.Common" can only be used along with running AutoCAD session. If you want to do what you said with only an EXE app, the interop libraries are useless.

However, if you use your EXE to automate AutoCAD via COM API (e.g. with the 2 interop libraries for early binding, or with late binding), you can control AutoCAD to open the files (be it DXF, or DWG file, no difference here), and plot desired portion of the content as PDF, or JPG... But, since this requires a running AutoCAD, then you might want to ask yourself: why do it from external EXE (e.g. running 2 apps to get the result), rather then simply run AutoCAD only to get things done, with VBA code, or .NET API code?

If you really want to run ONLY your app, you could send the file to AutoCAD's Platform Services (formerly Forge services) and get the PDF/JPG back. That is, your app uses a remote, service-based AutoCAD to do the job, and pretend there is no AutoCAD involved to the users.

Since you only mention using DXF, which means all the data in the file can be freely interpretated/used for whatever purpose, so, yes, you can develop your own geometry data rendering app, but expect to have a team of developers and months, if not years, of work with significant investment.

Re: Load dxf file into standalone executable and then save as an image

rwemmerLHAEW — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 14:36:31 GMT

This is part of a larger application to generate packets of parts that need to be engineered which coalesces information into a single file.

I can launch Autocad, that probably isn't an issue, but I still am not able to find code references to explain how to do the steps of loading the specific file, from my executable, and then create the output (either image or PDF)

Re: Load dxf file into standalone executable and then save as an image

norman.yuan — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 14:57:48 GMT

Have you ever done COM Automation? It is an technology of 30 years, at least. As I mentioned in previous reply, it is vey likely a not good choice since you need to run 2 apps on the desktop to get simple work done.

Since you did not provide more details of your business case and/or application type/structure, except for "a larger application", it is hard to comment more. But if you, or the users of your app, have AutoCAD installed, it would be better done within AutoCAD with LISP/VBA/.NET Plugin. Or, you can create a .NET plugin and use you app to control AutoCAD core console (to avoid COM automating the desktop AutoCAD). This approach would make it very easy for future moving the image generating process to Autodesk's cloud Platform services with minimum effort while keep your app almost unchanged.

Re: Load dxf file into standalone executable and then save as an image

daniel_cadext — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 22:19:30 GMT

Id have a look in github i.e.

https://gist.github.com/aspose-com-gists/fa9ce3c2849df7748c9043e827afecf1