Custom Functions

[NachoShaw]

Question

I have seen various functions that people have made that use built in features but are obviously custom to suit their tool. when the feature is entered to the browser, it has their custom icon etc and when right clicked and edit selected, it brings back up the custom tool instead of the feature it used to complete the task.

how can I do that? do I need to register the tool somehow or is there something different I need to do?

right now, my tool does its thing bit when I edit it in the browser, it just brings up the built in feature...

thanks

nacho 

[bradeneuropeArthur]

you need to use the  add in template and configure this....

Are you familiar with programming in VBA or Vb.net?

Regards,

Autodesk Software: Inventor Professional 2018 | Vault Professional 2018 | Autocad Mechanical 2018
Programming Skills: Vba | Vb.net (Add ins Vault / Inventor, Applications) | I-logic
Dimension Component! | Partlist Export! | Derive I-properties! | Vault Prompts Via API! | Vault Handbook/Manual!
Drawing Toggle Sheets! | Vault Defer Update!

! For administrative reasons, please mark a "Solution as solved" when the issue is solved !

[NachoShaw]

Hi Bradeneurope

yes i am familiar in both VB.Net & VBA. I use the spiderinnet2 Inventor addin tool to create my base addin. 

Thanks

[bradeneuropeArthur]

Better use the templates provided with the Inventor SDK.

Regards,

[NachoShaw]

Easier said than done.... I have VS 2017 installed and when i try to install the SDK files, i get an error message saying Visual Studio cannot be found...

 On the basis that i can somehow get the SDK to magically install, what elements should i be looking for the set up what my original question was asking about?

Thanks

[bradeneuropeArthur]

What version of inventor are you using?

Please also check this about the developerTools of inventor, they need to be installed also.

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-customization/inventor-add-in-templates-for-2015/td-p/523576...

Regards,

Autodesk Software: Inventor Professional 2018 | Vault Professional 2018 | Autocad Mechanical 2018
Programming Skills: Vba | Vb.net (Add ins Vault / Inventor, Applications) | I-logic
Dimension Component! | Partlist Export! | Derive I-properties! | Vault Prompts Via API! | Vault Handbook/Manual!
Drawing Toggle Sheets! | Vault Defer Update!

! For administrative reasons, please mark a "Solution as solved" when the issue is solved !

[NachoShaw]

Hi

I am using Inventor 2018 (soon to be 2019) and VS 2017

Tried extracting the msi, no suck luck im afraid, all i got was a bunch of file that are of no use (until installed correctly i expect). Are you able to zip and post on the of the templates or maybe post the class / module / code that handles what i am asking about? I dont see why it has to be so cryptic. I can paste the code into my existing project...

Thanks

[JamieVJohnson2]

I understand your issue.  Inventor SDK is reliant on the version of Visual studio they used when it was compiled.  In 2018 there was an issue with installing the SDK that prevented complete installation, and it would roll back.  When complete the goods are placed here (2019 is what I'm currently using).  

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Autodesk\Inventor 2019\SDK

In addition it properly installed the Visual Studio project Template for the inventor Add-in.  With the 2019 version being compatible with VS 2017, I am now able to actually use the Add-in template to create this empty project.

[NachoShaw]

Thanks for that. Back to my original question then, how do i get my custom tool to invoke when the features have been added to the tree? What part of the addin do i need to be looking at to get this to work?

For example:

My custom tool uses the thicken feature to add laminate edges. Once i have used my tool to add edges and then i want to make a change, i would like to right click the feature in the tree and instead of the standard thicken command opening, i would like to open my edging tool instead.

Thanks

[NachoShaw]

Hi

Re-bumping this. Now that i have the autodesk addin template, what part of this do i need to focus on for getting my addin to popup when i right click the feature in the tree? furthermore, is there any documentation for this? I would like to add my own icon for the addin as it appears on the tree like this

as you can see, the 'Dress up Panel1' is the feature with an icon. This feature has various Inventor features within it to allow it to make the process but they are not accessible from the browser tree. 

Also

when the browser feature is double clicked, it invokes the tool

How can i do this?

Thanks

[JamieVJohnson2]

After creating your own code, you define a command that runs that code (aka CommandManager.ControlDefinitions.ControlDefinition).  With that command, you would need to modify the 'marking menu' (not just the ribbon) to use your command (customize user interface) during certain events.  

look into InteractionEvents.MiniToolbar and UserInterfaceManager.Environments.Environment.RadialMarkingMenus.RadialMarkingMenu if you want to control these via code.

Disclaimer, I am only looking at the Inventor API Object Model pdf (from 2019) so some features may be newer than 2017 (but none of these controls are that new).

[NachoShaw]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. Is that the case then for the custom feature to hide all of the built in features within the browser node? Lets face it, we cant create features so we have to use features and manipulate them for own own specific use. Currently for me, they appear in the browser as a standard feature and i would like to show my own custom feature with the standards hidden away (like the image)

i looked at the api and it was very vague. It can obviously be done because it has been done

Thanks

[JamieVJohnson2]

If you have your add-in running, can you do a user test to see if the command you created appears in the list of commands (such as when altering a keyboard shortcut).  If you see your command there, then you should be able to hop over to the marking menu and swap your command for any other existing command.  Do this by hand first, then write code to imitate that process.  One other thought, don't give your commands the same name as any built in command (may already be blocked from doing that), but we need to ensure nothing is being 'overwritten'.

[NachoShaw]

Hi

Are there any examples that you could point me to? without the risk of sounding stupid, im more of a visual learning guy. If i see it, can can work it out real quick but cryptic messages are just white noise 🙂

appreciate it if you have anything to point me towards

Thanks

Nacho

[clutsa]

So I've never made what you're talking about before but I would start by digging around "BrowserPanes.CreateBrowserNodeDefinition" and "OnBrowserNodeActivate" objects

[clutsa]

Or according to this https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-customization/custom-browser-node/m-p/3092698 maybe a ClientFeature is more what you're looking at.