R14 AddHatchMethod Question

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Feb 2000 17:05:14 GMT

Is there a way, using VBA and R14.01, to create a *derived* associative hatch?

Example:

|
|
.--+--.
| + | |
----+---+---+----
| | + |
`--+--´
|
|

I want to create a block similar to that shown above.
In the two quadrants indicated by "+", I would like to create a solid *associative* hatch.
I would like to create the block using **only** the two center lines, the circle, and the two
hatches. Is this possible?

Is it possible to append an outer loop *without* creating an additional polyline boundary object?

IOW, if I created the block 'normally', I would draw the lines, the circle, then use the bhatch
command (set to associative), and pick inside the quadrant for each hatch. The bhatch command
evaluates which parts of the existing circle and lines form the hatch's boundary and then creates an
*associative* hatch, which can be later be modified (to some extent) by changing the size of the
circle or moving the lines.

Can the same thing be done using VBA?

Re: R14 AddHatchMethod Question

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Feb 2000 18:10:55 GMT

Nice line art David . It's "supposed" to be a target symbol, right?! Why
don't you just make a _small_ .jpg of the actual AutoCAD screen, and attach
the image to an HTML formatted post?

Sorry, I can't help on the actual question, never messed with that yet. 😞

--
R. Robert Bell, MCSE
Network Administrator (or, Modern-day Wizard)
(remove the "not." in my address for direct e-mail)

Re:

Anonymous — Fri, 11 Feb 2000 19:22:54 GMT

Hola Robert,

Yes, it's a target block. Hope it showed up ok. (I *hope* it was sent as plain text)
I just don't like attaching extra html stuff to my messages, if I can avoid it.

If this will help anyone get to the bottom of the matter, here's the VB code I've tried so far...

-----------------------------------
Sub Make_FSE_Target_Block()
' This subroutine creates an FSE_Target Block.
' Create block
Dim BlockObj As AcadBlock
Dim InsPt(0 To 2) As Double
InsPt(0) = 0#: InsPt(1) = 0#: InsPt(2) = 0#
Set BlockObj = ThisDrawing.Blocks.Add(InsPt, "FSE_Target")

' Add lines to block
Dim LineObj(0 To 1) As AcadLine
Dim LineType As AcadLineType
Dim StartPt(0 To 2) As Double
Dim EndPt(0 To 2) As Double
StartPt(0) = -12#: StartPt(1) = 0#: StartPt(2) = 0#
EndPt(0) = 12#: EndPt(1) = 0#: EndPt(2) = 0#
Set LineObj(0) = BlockObj.AddLine(StartPt, EndPt)
LineObj(0).Color = acByBlock
LineObj(0).LineType = "BYBLOCK"
LineObj(0).Layer = "0"
StartPt(0) = 0#: StartPt(1) = -12#: StartPt(2) = 0#
EndPt(0) = 0#: EndPt(1) = 12#: EndPt(2) = 0#
Set LineObj(1) = BlockObj.AddLine(StartPt, EndPt)
LineObj(1).Color = acByBlock
LineObj(1).LineType = "BYBLOCK"
LineObj(1).Layer = "0"

' Add circle to block
Dim CircleObj As AcadCircle
Dim CenterPt(0 To 2) As Double
Dim Radius As Double
CenterPt(0) = 0#: CenterPt(1) = 0#: CenterPt(2) = 0#
Radius = 6#
Set CircleObj = BlockObj.AddCircle(CenterPt, Radius)
CircleObj.Color = acByLayer
CircleObj.LineType = "BYBLOCK"
CircleObj.Layer = "0"

' Add lwplines to block
Dim LoopObj(0 To 1) As Object
Dim VertPts1(0 To 8) As Double
VertPts1(0) = 0#: VertPts1(1) = 0#: VertPts1(2) = 0#
VertPts1(3) = 0#: VertPts1(4) = 6#: VertPts1(5) = 0#
VertPts1(6) = -6#: VertPts1(7) = 0#: VertPts1(8) = 0#
Set LoopObj(0) = BlockObj.AddPolyline(VertPts1)
LoopObj(0).Color = acByLayer
LoopObj(0).LineType = "BYLAYER"
LoopObj(0).Layer = "DEFPOINTS"
' Change the bulge of the 1st segment
LoopObj(0).SetBulge 1, Sqr(2) - 1
LoopObj(0).Closed = True
LoopObj(0).Update

Dim VertPts2(0 To 8) As Double
VertPts2(0) = 0#: VertPts2(1) = 0#: VertPts2(2) = 0#
VertPts2(3) = 0#: VertPts2(4) = -6#: VertPts2(5) = 0#
VertPts2(6) = 6#: VertPts2(7) = 0#: VertPts2(8) = 0#
Set LoopObj(1) = BlockObj.AddPolyline(VertPts2)
LoopObj(1).Color = acByLayer
LoopObj(1).LineType = "BYLAYER"
LoopObj(1).Layer = "DEFPOINTS"
' Change the bulge of the 1st segment
LoopObj(1).SetBulge 1, Sqr(2) - 1
LoopObj(1).Closed = True
LoopObj(1).Update

' Add SolidHatches to block
Dim HatchObj As AcadHatch
Set HatchObj = BlockObj.AddHatch(acHatchPatternTypePreDefined, "SOLID", True)
HatchObj.AppendOuterLoop (LoopObj)
HatchObj.Color = acByLayer
HatchObj.LineType = "BYBLOCK"
HatchObj.Layer = "0"
HatchObj.Evaluate

End Sub
-----------------------------------

This makes the block OK, w/ associative hatch, even.
But it's those two loop objects I'd like to get rid of (while keeping the associative hatch)...

Here's a smaller associative hatch example (with 3 objects comprising the loop array):

-----------------------------------
Sub MakeHatch()

Dim PIdiv2
PIdiv2 = 2 * Atn(1)
Dim HatchObj1 As AcadHatch
Set HatchObj1 = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddHatch(acHatchPatternTypePreDefined, "SOLID", True)
Dim LoopObj(0 To 2) As Object
Dim CenterPt(0 To 2) As Double
CenterPt(0) = 0#: CenterPt(1) = 0#: CenterPt(2) = 0#
Dim Radius As Double
Radius = 6#
Set LoopObj(0) = ModelSpace.AddArc(CenterPt, Radius, PIdiv2, 2 * PIdiv2)
Set LoopObj(1) = ModelSpace.AddLine(LoopObj(0).EndPoint, CenterPt)
Set LoopObj(2) = ModelSpace.AddLine(CenterPt, LoopObj(0).StartPoint)
HatchObj1.AppendOuterLoop (LoopObj)
HatchObj1.Color = acByLayer
HatchObj1.LineType = "BYBLOCK"
HatchObj1.Layer = "0"
HatchObj1.Evaluate

End Sub
-----------------------------------

OK, now I'll be opening a can o' worms but...
This has been my *very* *first* serious try at using VBA (for anything worthwhile).
So, please, anyone, is it just me, or is there a better way to make any of the above code more
efficient? Having become accustomed to using AutoLISP, I must say that I'm rather dissappointed. I
mean, using object properties and methods are rather cool, but those arrays are the *pits*, IMO -
lists are sooo much nicer (and compact) for this sort of thing. Or am I missing the [dim point(0 to
2) as Double] here? Though the Subroutine text itself is still fairly small, the .dvb created from
it is ~54KB! (about twice as big at the .dwg file itself!)

My hope was to make those blocks a bit quicker and more efficiently with code, but I seem to be
going in the opposite direction here. Any suggestions?

And now a question for the Delphi programmers out there...
After much head scratching, reading, and more head scratching, I was able to *finally* get Delphi 4
to make an .exe that draws a circle in R14.01. (HURRAH!) (**Muchas gracias** for your example
pages, Tony, it was a *big* help, once I got things sorted out a bit more). I haven't done more
yet, (having had to stop, rest, and bask in the glory of it all 😉 ) but I hope to. Since I'm just
starting out here with both Delphi and VBA and this OOP AutoCAD stuff, I'm frankly not understanding
a whole lot yet.

But my Delphi question is this... Although the .pas form file itself was only 2KB, the .exe file
created from the project to draw the circle (only) was a whopping 296KB!!! 😞 Is there another way
to do this without making an .exe? (Or by using a much smaller one?) Am I correct in understanding
that the AutoCAD_TLB.pas (and Tony's AcConst.pas) need to be added to the uses clause? (I couldn't
get the .exe to work without them.) Here's the Delphi code I used:

---------------------------------
unit AcadForm;

interface

uses
Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Classes, Graphics, Controls, Forms, Dialogs,
StdCtrls, AutoCAD_TLB, AcConst;

type
TForm1 = class(TForm)
Button1: TButton;
procedure Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
private
{ Private declarations }
public
{ Public declarations }
end;

var
Form1: TForm1;

implementation

{$R *.DFM}

uses
ComObj, ActiveX;

procedure TForm1.Button1Click(Sender: TObject);
var
Acad, Circle, vPoint, Mspace : OleVariant;

begin
// Get the AutoCAD application object
Acad := GetActiveOleObject('AutoCAD.Application.14');
// Create the point array and assign values to it
vPoint := VarArrayCreate([0,2], varDouble);
vPoint[0] := 2.0;
vPoint[1] := 6.0;
vPoint[2] := 0.0;
// Get the ActiveDocument's model space object
Mspace := Acad.ActiveDocument.Modelspace;
// call the AddCircle() method to create the
// circle with a radius of 10 units:
Circle := Mspace.AddCircle(Vpoint, 10.0);
// Update the circle
Circle.Update;
end;

end.
---------------------------------

I see some arrays again , but at least its coding looks (a little) more efficient than vb.

Just am trying to get a feel for the water here. I sure wish the AutoCAD Automation Reference Help
provided more in the way of Delphi examples (my biggest obstacle to using Delphi with AutoCAD, it
appears.)

Well, sorry for the newbie rambling, but I'm just trying to get my head wrapped around this stuff.

Any responses relating to these queries would be most appreciated...

Best regards,
David Kozina

R. Robert Bell wrote in message
news:881jc8$5kn5@adesknews2.autodesk.com...
> Nice line art David . It's "supposed" to be a target symbol, right?! Why
> don't you just make a _small_ .jpg of the actual AutoCAD screen, and attach
> the image to an HTML formatted post?
>
> Sorry, I can't help on the actual question, never messed with that yet. 😞

Re:

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Feb 2000 17:56:23 GMT

So, then,

I am to assume that from the paucity of constructive criticism from those expert VB programmers out
there, my previous posted subroutine is as good as it gets in R14.01 VBA? Or is there a more
elegant VB code solution?

I must say that if the VB code I posted was elegant, then I'm purty scared.

Please, please, everyone, no shoving or crowding in line so as to answer my question.

Sorry for the sarcasm,
TPUQ "The Propounder of Unanswerable Queries"

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