ExecuteCommand is now obsolete (C#)

[oransen]

I've been looking at InventorAddIn1, and at a certain point I read:

public void ExecuteCommand(int commandID)
{
    // Note:this method is now obsolete, you should use the 
    // ControlDefinition functionality for implementing commands.
}

But for the life of me I can't find any C# examples of how to add a command (and presumably a button) using ControlDefinitions. I've found fragments, but I get lost in the disjointedness of it.

So far I've got to this...

        public void Activate(Inventor.ApplicationAddInSite addInSiteObject, bool firstTime)
        {
            // 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.

            // Initialize AddIn members.
            m_inventorApplication = addInSiteObject.Application;

            var cmdMgr = m_inventorApplication.CommandManager;
 
            Icon BigIcon = new Icon("Icon1.ico");
            Icon SmallIcon = new Icon("Icon1.ico");

            m_sampleButton  = cmdMgr.ControlDefinitions.AddButtonDefinition("Command 1",
                                                                            "Command 1",
                                                                            CommandTypesEnum.kFilePropertyEditCmdType,
                                                                            Guid.NewGuid().ToString(),
                                                                            "Command 1 description",
                                                                            "Command 1 Tooltip",
                                                                            BigIcon, SmallIcon);

            // TODO: Add ApplicationAddInServer.Activate implementation.
            MessageBox.Show ("Hello from icony");
        }

...and presumably there is a way of adding the button to the ribbon and a way of associating the button to a custom command (using the mysterious ControlDefinition method).

So,

Q1) how do I add a button to the ribbon?

Q2) how to I associate my command to the button?

Help!

[JelteDeJong · Accepted solution]

Something like this?

public void Activate(Inventor.ApplicationAddInSite addInSiteObject, bool firstTime)
{
    var cmdMgr = m_inventorApplication.CommandManager;

    Icon BigIcon = new Icon("Icon1.ico");
    Icon SmallIcon = new Icon("Icon1.ico");

    ButtonDefinition buttonDef = cmdMgr.ControlDefinitions.AddButtonDefinition(
                            "Command 1",
                            "Command 1",
                            CommandTypesEnum.kFilePropertyEditCmdType,
                            Guid.NewGuid().ToString(),
                            "Command 1 description",
                            "Command 1 Tooltip",
                            BigIcon, SmallIcon);

    buttonDef.OnExecute += ButtonDef_OnExecute;


    Ribbon partRibbon = m_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons["Part"]; 
    RibbonTab toolsTab = partRibbon.RibbonTabs["id_TabTools"];
    RibbonPanel customPanel = toolsTab.RibbonPanels.Add("Sample", "MysSample", Guid.NewGuid().ToString());
    customPanel.CommandControls.AddButton(buttonDef);

}

private void ButtonDef_OnExecute(NameValueMap Context)
{
    m_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions["AppZoomallCmd"].Execute();
}

somethin

[oransen]

Thanks for that, I've got a bit further along, but my plugin is not loaded because of my call to

            stdole.IPictureDisp okIconStandard = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(new System.Drawing.Icon("PluginIcon.ico", new System.Drawing.Size(16, 16)));
            stdole.IPictureDisp okIconLarge = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(new System.Drawing.Icon("PluginIcon.ico", new System.Drawing.Size(32, 32)));
#if false 
            m_sampleButton = cmdMgr.ControlDefinitions.AddButtonDefinition("Command 1",
                                                                            "Command 1",
                                                                            CommandTypesEnum.kFilePropertyEditCmdType,
                                                                            Guid.NewGuid().ToString(),
                                                                            "Command 1 description",
                                                                            "Command 1 Tooltip",
                                                                            okIconStandard,okIconLarge);

#endif 

AddButtonDefinition. If I don't make that call the plugin gets loaded.

We really need a working wizard for all this stuff!

[oransen]

@JelteDeJong, again many thanks for your reply, after a bit of juggling I got this to work:

// Adding a button and a command into an Inventor ribbon
// 2021-10-18 : Started

using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using Inventor;
using Microsoft.Win32;

namespace InventorAddIn1
{
    /// <summary>
    /// This is the primary AddIn Server class that implements the ApplicationAddInServer interface
    /// that all Inventor AddIns are required to implement. The communication between Inventor and
    /// the AddIn is via the methods on this interface.
    /// </summary>
    [GuidAttribute("bc7a9e92-f455-431d-9378-c791092de1cc")]
    public class StandardAddInServer : Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer
    {

        #region Data Members

        // Inventor application object...
        private Inventor.Application m_inventorApplication;

        // The button I will add in...
        private ButtonDefinition m_sampleButton = null;

        #endregion

        public StandardAddInServer()
        {
        }

        #region ApplicationAddInServer Members


        // Inventor will call this if it finds a (this) DLL in the appropriate place, for example
        // C:\Users\ofr\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins\InventorAddIn1\InventorAddIn1.dll
        // We are passed Inventor application which me must hold and cherish...
        public void Activate(Inventor.ApplicationAddInSite addInSiteObject, bool firstTime)
        {

            // 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.
            m_inventorApplication = addInSiteObject.Application;

            // I use try-catch because Inventor swallows the exceptions silently and does not
            // warn you or the user that anything has gone wrong. The catch will give you a clue
            // if something does go wrong...
            try
            {
                // This was me checking that m_inventorApplication is initialized properly
                MessageBox.Show("locale=" + m_inventorApplication.Locale.ToString()) ;
                var cmdMgr = m_inventorApplication.CommandManager;

                // Create the button (without icons, icons appear to be tricky)...
                m_sampleButton = cmdMgr.ControlDefinitions.AddButtonDefinition("Command 1", // Display name
                                                                               "Command 1", // Internal name
                                                                                CommandTypesEnum.kQueryOnlyCmdType, // No changes, just looking
                                                                                Guid.NewGuid().ToString(), // Invent an id for this command
                                                                                "Command 1 description", 
                                                                                "Command 1 Tooltip"); // shows when mouse hovers

                m_sampleButton.OnExecute += ButtonDef_OnExecute; // Tell the button what it should do when clicked, see function below

#if false
                // If you want show the name of each ribbon....
                foreach (Ribbon r in m_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons)
                {
                    MessageBox.Show(r.InternalName);
                }
#endif 

                // Which of these Ribbons (lines) you choose depends on whether you plug in handles Parts or Assemblies...
                // Ribbon TheRibbon = m_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons["Part"]; // command active when a part doc is active is open
                Ribbon TheRibbon = m_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons["Assembly"]; // command active when an assembly doc is active

#if false
                // If you want show the name of each tab in the ribbon....
                foreach (RibbonTab t in partRibbon.RibbonTabs)
                {
                    MessageBox.Show(t.InternalName);
                }
#endif 

                RibbonTab toolsTab = TheRibbon.RibbonTabs["id_TabTools"]; // tools is present in both parts and assemblies
                // MessageBox.Show ("tools tab internal name = " + toolsTab.InternalName);
                RibbonPanel customPanel = toolsTab.RibbonPanels.Add("Sample", "MysSample", Guid.NewGuid().ToString());
                // MessageBox.Show("Custom panel internal name = " + customPanel.InternalName);

                customPanel.CommandControls.AddButton(m_sampleButton);
            }
            catch (Exception Err)
            {
                MessageBox.Show("Error " + Err.Message);
            }

            MessageBox.Show ("Plugin loaded");
        }


        // This is the function you added to the button a few lines above
        private void ButtonDef_OnExecute(NameValueMap Context)
        {
            // This is a test of calling a standard Inventor command...
            m_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions["AppZoomallCmd"].Execute();

            // This is my simple test of something I do...
            MessageBox.Show("My Command Called");
        }

        public void Deactivate()
        {
            // 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

            // TODO: Add ApplicationAddInServer.Deactivate implementation

            // Release objects.
            m_inventorApplication = null;

            GC.Collect();
            GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers();
        }

        public void ExecuteCommand(int commandID)
        {
            // Note:this method is now obsolete, you should use the 
            // ControlDefinition functionality for implementing commands.
        }

        public object Automation
        {
            // 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.

            get
            {
                // TODO: Add ApplicationAddInServer.Automation getter implementation
                return null;
            }
        }

#endregion

    }
}