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CAD-e-Shack
in reply to: dgreatice

The code necessary is included in Philippes example which I've linked to in the original post.
I've included what is necessary that I use to create the custom tab:

Imports Inventor
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Microsoft.Win32
Imports Autodesk.Windows

Namespace Inspection
    <ProgIdAttribute("Inspection.StandardAddInServer"),
    GuidAttribute("5df622b8-f73c-4238-91d0-97e2b5739f0c")>
    Public Class StandardAddInServer
        Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer
        Dim dgvDimValues As Windows.Forms.DataGridView
        Dim oUserIntrerfaceMgr As UserInterfaceManager
        Dim oWindowValue_Table As DockableWindow
        Dim oWindowCharacteristics As DockableWindow
        Dim WithEvents m_AppEvents As ApplicationEvents
        Private WithEvents m_uiEvents As UserInterfaceEvents
        Private WithEvents m_AddNew As ButtonDefinition
        Private WithEvents m_Show As ButtonDefinition
        Private WithEvents m_Hide As ButtonDefinition
        Private WithEvents oInteraction As InteractionEvents
        Private WithEvents oSelect As SelectEvents
#Region "ApplicationAddInServer Members"
        ' This method is called by Inventor when it loads the AddIn. The AddInSiteObject provides access  
        ' to the Inventor Application object. The FirstTime flag indicates if the AddIn is loaded for
        ' the first time. However, with the introduction of the ribbon this argument is always true.
        Public Sub Activate(ByVal addInSiteObject As Inventor.ApplicationAddInSite, ByVal firstTime As Boolean) Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.Activate
            ' Initialize AddIn members.
            g_inventorApplication = addInSiteObject.Application
            ' Connect to the user-interface events to handle a ribbon reset.
            m_uiEvents = g_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.UserInterfaceEvents

            ' TODO: Add button definitions.

            ' Sample to illustrate creating a button definition.
            ' Dim largeIcon As stdole.IPictureDisp = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimlarge)
            Dim smallIcon As stdole.IPictureDisp = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimsmall)
            Dim controlDefs As Inventor.ControlDefinitions = g_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions
            m_AddNew = controlDefs.AddButtonDefinition(
                "Insp Dim",
                "Inspection Dimension",
                CommandTypesEnum.kShapeEditCmdType,
                AddInClientID,
                "Insp Dim",
                "Insp Dim",
                PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimsmall),
                PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimlarge),
                ButtonDisplayEnum.kDisplayTextInLearningMode)
            m_Show = controlDefs.AddButtonDefinition(
                "Show",
                "Show Details",
                CommandTypesEnum.kShapeEditCmdType,
                AddInClientID,
                "Show",
                "Show",
                PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimsmall),
                PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimlarge),
                ButtonDisplayEnum.kDisplayTextInLearningMode)
            m_Hide = controlDefs.AddButtonDefinition(
                "Hide",
                "Hide Details",
                CommandTypesEnum.kShapeEditCmdType,
                AddInClientID,
                "Hide",
                "Hide",
                PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimsmall),
                PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.inspdimlarge),
                ButtonDisplayEnum.kDisplayTextInLearningMode)
            ' Add to the user interface, if it's the first time.
            If firstTime Then
                AddToUserInterface()
            End If
            AddHandler Autodesk.Windows.ComponentManager.ItemInitialized, AddressOf Me.ComponentManager_ItemInitialized
        End Sub

        ' This method is called by Inventor when the AddIn is unloaded. The AddIn will be
        ' unloaded either manually by the user or when the Inventor session is terminated.
        Public Sub Deactivate() Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.Deactivate

            ' TODO:  Add ApplicationAddInServer.Deactivate implementation

            ' Release objects.
            m_uiEvents = Nothing
            g_inventorApplication = Nothing

            System.GC.Collect()
            System.GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
        End Sub

        ' This property is provided to allow the AddIn to expose an API of its own to other 
        ' programs. Typically, this  would be done by implementing the AddIn's API
        ' interface in a class and returning that class object through this property.
        Public ReadOnly Property Automation() As Object Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.Automation
            Get
                Return Nothing
            End Get
        End Property

        ' Note:this method is now obsolete, you should use the 
        ' ControlDefinition functionality for implementing commands.
        Public Sub ExecuteCommand(ByVal commandID As Integer) Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.ExecuteCommand
        End Sub

#End Region

#Region "User interface definition"
        Private CharacteristicsForm As Settings
        Private Value_TableForm As Value_Table
        ' Sub where the user-interface creation is done.  This is called when
        ' the add-in loaded and also if the user interface is reset.
        Private Sub AddToUserInterface()
            ' This is where you'll add code to add buttons to the ribbon.

            '** Sample to illustrate creating a button on a new panel of the Tools tab of the Part ribbon.

            ' Get the part ribbon.
            Dim partRibbon As Ribbon = g_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons.Item("Drawing")
            Dim InspectionTab As Inventor.RibbonTab
            ' Get the "Inspection" tab.

            InspectionTab = partRibbon.RibbonTabs.Add("Inspection", "TAB_Inspection", Guid.NewGuid().ToString)
            For Each Tab As Autodesk.Windows.RibbonTab In Autodesk.Windows.ComponentManager.Ribbon.Tabs
                If (Tab.Id = "id_Inspection") Then
                    AddHandler Tab.Activated, AddressOf Me.Tab_Activated
                End If
            Next
            ' Create a new panel.
            Dim AddNew As Inventor.RibbonPanel = InspectionTab.RibbonPanels.Add("Add New", "Insp_Add_New", Guid.NewGuid().ToString)

            ' Add a button.
            AddNew.CommandControls.AddButton(m_AddNew, True, True)
            AddNew.CommandControls.AddButton(m_Show, False, True)
            AddNew.CommandControls.AddButton(m_Hide, False, True)
        End Sub
        Private Sub m_uiEvents_OnResetRibbonInterface(Context As NameValueMap) Handles m_uiEvents.OnResetRibbonInterface
            ' The ribbon was reset, so add back the add-ins user-interface.
            AddToUserInterface()
        End Sub
        Private Sub ComponentManager_ItemInitialized(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RibbonItemEventArgs)
            'now one Ribbon item is initialized, but the Ribbon control
            'may not be available yet, so check before
            If (Not (Autodesk.Windows.ComponentManager.Ribbon) Is Nothing) Then
                For Each Tab As Autodesk.Windows.RibbonTab In Autodesk.Windows.ComponentManager.Ribbon.Tabs
                    If (Tab.Id = "id_TabTools") Then 'id_Inspection") Then
                        AddHandler Tab.Activated, AddressOf Me.Tab_Activated
                    End If

                Next
                'and remove the event handler
                RemoveHandler Autodesk.Windows.ComponentManager.ItemInitialized, AddressOf Me.ComponentManager_ItemInitialized
            End If

        End Sub

        Private Sub Tab_Activated(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
            System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(("Tab " _
                        + (ComponentManager.Ribbon.ActiveTab.Id + " Activated!")))
        End Sub

#End Region

    End Class
End Namespace


Public Module Globals
    ' Inventor application object.
    Public g_inventorApplication As Inventor.Application

#Region "Function to get the add-in client ID."
    ' This function uses reflection to get the GuidAttribute associated with the add-in.
    Public Function AddInClientID() As String
        Dim guid As String = ""
        Try
            Dim t As Type = GetType(Inspection.StandardAddInServer)
            Dim customAttributes() As Object = t.GetCustomAttributes(GetType(GuidAttribute), False)
            Dim guidAttribute As GuidAttribute = CType(customAttributes(0), GuidAttribute)
            guid = "{" + guidAttribute.Value.ToString() + "}"
        Catch
        End Try

        Return guid
    End Function
#End Region

#Region "Image Converter"
    ' Class used to convert bitmaps and icons from their .Net native types into
    ' an IPictureDisp object which is what the Inventor API requires. A typical
    ' usage is shown below where MyIcon is a bitmap or icon that's available
    ' as a resource of the project.
    '
    ' Dim smallIcon As stdole.IPictureDisp = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.MyIcon)

    Public NotInheritable Class PictureDispConverter
        <DllImport("OleAut32.dll", EntryPoint:="OleCreatePictureIndirect", ExactSpelling:=True, PreserveSig:=False)>
        Private Shared Function OleCreatePictureIndirect(
            <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.AsAny)> ByVal picdesc As Object,
            ByRef iid As Guid,
            <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)> ByVal fOwn As Boolean) As stdole.IPictureDisp
        End Function

        Shared iPictureDispGuid As Guid = GetType(stdole.IPictureDisp).GUID

        Private NotInheritable Class PICTDESC
            Private Sub New()
            End Sub

            'Picture Types
            Public Const PICTYPE_BITMAP As Short = 1
            Public Const PICTYPE_ICON As Short = 3

            <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>
            Public Class Icon
                Friend cbSizeOfStruct As Integer = Marshal.SizeOf(GetType(PICTDESC.Icon))
                Friend picType As Integer = PICTDESC.PICTYPE_ICON
                Friend hicon As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
                Friend unused1 As Integer
                Friend unused2 As Integer

                Friend Sub New(ByVal icon As System.Drawing.Icon)
                    Me.hicon = icon.ToBitmap().GetHicon()
                End Sub
            End Class

            <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)>
            Public Class Bitmap
                Friend cbSizeOfStruct As Integer = Marshal.SizeOf(GetType(PICTDESC.Bitmap))
                Friend picType As Integer = PICTDESC.PICTYPE_BITMAP
                Friend hbitmap As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
                Friend hpal As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
                Friend unused As Integer

                Friend Sub New(ByVal bitmap As System.Drawing.Bitmap)
                    Me.hbitmap = bitmap.GetHbitmap()
                End Sub
            End Class
        End Class

        Public Shared Function ToIPictureDisp(ByVal icon As System.Drawing.Icon) As stdole.IPictureDisp
            Dim pictIcon As New PICTDESC.Icon(icon)
            Return OleCreatePictureIndirect(pictIcon, iPictureDispGuid, True)
        End Function

        Public Shared Function ToIPictureDisp(ByVal bmp As System.Drawing.Bitmap) As stdole.IPictureDisp
            Dim pictBmp As New PICTDESC.Bitmap(bmp)
            Return OleCreatePictureIndirect(pictBmp, iPictureDispGuid, True)
        End Function
    End Class
#End Region
End Module