plugin problem in vb .net

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone

I want to make plugin for AutoCAD but i have some problems. 

I want to make plugin that connect to server, send there current image and then server do something with it and send back results.

So I am actualy making 2 plugins. One on server side, other on client side.

Server side code: 

Imports System.Net.Sockets
Imports System.Text
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports System.Net
Imports System.Threading
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput

Namespace serverACDrendering

    Public Class Commands
        Dim close As Boolean = False
        Dim MAX_CLIENTS As Integer = 5
        Dim queue(MAX_CLIENTS) As ClientWrapper
        Dim currentClient As Integer = 0

        <CommandMethod("StartServer")>
        Public Sub StartServer()
            For i As Integer = 0 To MAX_CLIENTS
                queue(i) = Nothing
            Next
            Dim receiverThread As Thread = New Thread(AddressOf receiver)
            Dim transmitterThread As Thread = New Thread(AddressOf transmitter)
            receiverThread.Start()
            Dim ed As Editor = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor
            ed.WriteMessage("\nreceiver thread started\n}")
            transmitterThread.Start()
            ed.WriteMessage("\ntransmitter thread Started\n")
            While (Not close)
                ed.WriteMessage("\nCreated both threads... Time to rock ...\n")
            End While
        End Sub

 <CommandMethod("StopServer")>
        Public Sub StopServer()
            close = False
        End Sub
    End Class

So i have two more threads receiver thread and transmitter thread. First is getting  clients and get file from them, second send results back to them. 

The problem 

 While (Not close)
          ed.WriteMessage("\nCreated both threads... Time to rock ...\n")
 End While

 In this while loop i shold take one client and do something with it.

When this loop starts i cant stop it from autocad with StopServer command (I think because autocad is busy). 

I can't do this in seperate thread because autoCAD don't do multithreading.

What can i do to put this work in background ?

Regards Domen

[Anonymous]

According to AutoCAD Help, CVPORT is the identification number of the current viewport. It's 1 for all paper spaces, 2 for model space (first main viewport), 3 and so on for next viewports if you split the screen (see the below screenshot).

Kean Walmsley has some useful links about rendering in AutoCAD, start from here: http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2007/04/taking_a_snapsh.html

Based on his links, I added some comments for you to easily understand:

Using doc
	' Get AutoCAD working database, it's not the current MDI document database
	Dim workDb As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase
	' Set the open drawing as a working database
	HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase = doc.Database

	filePath = ServerFolder + imageFileName

	' Get the identification number of the current viewport
	' 1 for all paper spaces
	' 2 for 1st viewport in model space
	' 3 for 2nd viewport in model space
	' n for (n-1)th viewport in model space
	Dim viewportNumber As Integer = System.Convert.ToInt32(Application.GetSystemVariable("CVPORT"))
	' Get AutoCAD's GS view for this viewport
	Dim gsv As GraphicsSystem.View = doc.GraphicsManager.GetGsView(viewportNumber, True)
	' Clone this view for the actual snapshot
	Using view As GraphicsSystem.View = gsv.Clone(True, True)
		' Specify the viewport number held in CVPORT
		doc.GraphicsManager.SetViewFromViewport(view, viewportNumber)
		Using dev As Device = doc.GraphicsManager.CreateAutoCADOffScreenDevice()
			' Set the render type
			dev.DeviceRenderType = RendererType.FullRender
			' Add the view to the device
			dev.Add(view)
			' Render the view to an image
			Dim bitmap As Bitmap = view.RenderToImage()
			Using bitmap
				bitmap.Save(filePath)
				fileStream = File.OpenRead(filePath)
				_client.Result = fileStream
			End Using
		End Using
	End Using
	' Restore the previous working database back
	HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase = workDb
End Using

The server now renders the view on the top position, regardless of the 3D view sending from the client. I will have it fixed.

-Khoa

[Anonymous]

Thanks for reply

I was trying to repair code because after this code runs once the AutoCAD crash. 

Is it posible that we are doing domething wrong after opening file and it crash and render as resoult of that bug?

i was running code without part bellow  and on server side it opened dwg file as it should. (if i use whole function it opens two windows one with dwg file, second with my dwg file in top position-probably one that is later rendered)

Using doc
	' Get AutoCAD working database, it's not the current MDI document database
	Dim workDb As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase
	' Set the open drawing as a working database
	HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase = doc.Database

	filePath = ServerFolder + imageFileName

End Using
	' Restore the previous working database back
	HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase = workDb
End Using

I also put line for getting CVPORT and it is ok it returns 2, but when i put line where we make gsv view i crash.

I hope it will help you

[Anonymous]

I could not fix the problem of rendering at the top position regardless of current 3D view. So I put my question to the code author Kean Walmsley at his blog link. He will help us out.

The problem is the code GraphicsSystem.View gsv = doc.GraphicsManager.GetGsView(viewportNumber, true) does not get the current 3D view, the method RenderToImage() does render on the top view.

If I test to add the code gsv.Orbit(1, 1) to change the orbit view, the rendering image will be in 3D view. So we still are missing code to set 3D view before RenderToImage method. I hope someone or Kean will come for help.

-Khoa

[Anonymous]

Hi Khoa

ths weekend i was searching for some other method to do this rendering. Maybe i was to much complicating things.

what if i just open file, then i send to autocad command RENDER and i take picture rendered and send it back.

I will try to put idea to code today and then posted here

[Anonymous]

       Private Sub Render(dwgFileName As String, imageFileName As String)
            Try
                Dim filePath As String = ServerFolder + dwgFileName
                Dim responseStream As MemoryStream = _client.File
                If Not Directory.Exists(ServerFolder) Then
                    Directory.CreateDirectory(ServerFolder)
                End If
                If File.Exists(filePath) Then
                    File.Delete(filePath)
                End If
                If File.Exists(ServerFolder + imageFileName) Then
                    File.Delete(ServerFolder + imageFileName)
                End If
                Dim fileStream As FileStream = File.OpenWrite(filePath)
                responseStream.WriteTo(fileStream)
                fileStream.Close()

                ' Open the new saved drawing in AutoCAD 2013

                Dim docCol As DocumentCollection = Application.DocumentManager
                Dim doc As Document = DocumentCollectionExtension.Open(docCol, filePath)

                'PROBLEM
                '' need to set render to file on and path to c:\ServerFolder\Picture.png

                doc.SendStringToExecute("RENDER ", True, False, True)

            Catch ex As System.Exception
                _editor.WriteMessage(ex.Message + vbLf + ex.StackTrace)
            End Try
        End Sub

 here is some code. The only problem is how to set right path for saving rendered pictures.

if somehow I can say on server side save output to C:\ServerFolder\Picture.pngi am saved.

if it is possible i could do this also like rendernig with command but so far i dodn't find solution how to set in command propt.

[Balaji_Ram]

Hi dj-nemo,

I replied to your other post. Pasting the same here for completeness.

Have you tried using the command line version of the Render command. This will provide you the option to specify the path for the render image.

Try "-Render" inside AutoCAD. You can then pass the same parameters using code.

Hope this helps.