External Rule to Create Internal Rule
Absolutely, it is possible. Here is an example of one I have used in the past.
When I run this external rule, it creates a new local rule, in whichever document is active at the time, and sets the code within. However, by design, this is done in a way that doesn't cause that local rule to run immediately after it is created.
The rule being created here is a simple rule: when the parameter "CUT_LENGTH" is changed, it will instantly update the drawing, then simulate clicking the view cube's home button. This ensures the whole model is maximized in the model window, at the default view angle, immediately after changing its cut length.
Dim oRuleName As String = "Update Doc & Home View"
Dim oRuleText As String
oRuleText = _
"oDV = CUT_LENGTH" & vbCrLf &
"InventorVb.DocumentUpdate()" & vbCrLf &
"'Return view to Home View" & vbCrLf &
"ThisApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions.Item(""AppViewCubeHomeCmd"").Execute"
'oDV (above) is just a 'dummy variable', which isn't used for anything.
'It's value though is the name of a Parameter, which is local to that Document,
'so it will trigger the local rule to run any time that specific parameter changes.
'No need to add this rule to an Event Trigger to make this work.
'The document you want to put the rule into should be the active document.
Dim oDoc As Document = ThisApplication.ActiveEditDocument
Dim oRuleExists As Boolean = False
Dim iLogicAuto = iLogicVb.Automation
iLogicAuto.RulesEnabled = True
iLogicAuto.RulesOnEventsEnabled = True
Dim oRule As iLogicRule
Try
oRule = iLogicAuto.GetRule(oDoc, oRuleName)
oAns = MsgBox("A Rule named '" & oRuleName & "' already exists." & vbCrLf &
"Its Text = " & vbCrLf &
oRule.Text & vbCrLf &
"Do you want to replace its text?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion,"")
If oAns = vbNo Then Return
Catch
oRule = iLogicAuto.AddRule(oDoc, oRuleName, "")
End Try
'Setting the rule's text at this point, instead of above,
'causes the rule to not run as soon as it is created.
'If you want the rule to run as soon as it is created,
'put oRuleText where the empty quotes are in the Catch line above.
oRule.Text = oRuleText
iLogicVb.DocumentUpdate
oDoc.Save
'Dim oRegenAllRules As ControlDefinition = ThisApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions.Item("iLogic.RegenAllRules")
'oRegenAllRules.Execute2(True)
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Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Since your code is more complex than the one in my example, and has lots of quotation marks within it, I would suggest that you put your code in a text file, then read that text file into the string variable oRuleText, that way you avoid all the complicated double quote mark edits.
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Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Just in case you're not familiar with how to do that last suggestion, here is an example couple lines of code you could use for this situation:
Dim oTxtFileName As String = "C:\Temp\Rule Text.txt"
Dim oRuleText As String = IO.File.ReadAllText(oTxtFileName)So the final code would look something like this:
Dim oRuleName As String = "Update Doc & Home View"
Dim oTxtFileName As String = "C:\Temp\Rule Text.txt"
Dim oRuleText As String = IO.File.ReadAllText(oTxtFileName)
Dim oDoc As Document = ThisApplication.ActiveEditDocument
Dim oRuleExists As Boolean = False
Dim iLogicAuto = iLogicVb.Automation
iLogicAuto.RulesEnabled = True
iLogicAuto.RulesOnEventsEnabled = True
Dim oRule As iLogicRule
Try
oRule = iLogicAuto.GetRule(oDoc, oRuleName)
oAns = MsgBox("A Rule named '" & oRuleName & "' already exists." & vbCrLf &
"Its Text = " & vbCrLf &
oRule.Text & vbCrLf &
"Do you want to replace its text?", vbYesNo + vbQuestion,"")
If oAns = vbNo Then Return '(or Exit Sub)
Catch
oRule = iLogicAuto.AddRule(oDoc, oRuleName, "")
End Try
oRule.Text = oRuleText
iLogicVb.DocumentUpdate
oDoc.SaveIf this solved your problem, or answered your question, please click ACCEPT SOLUTION.
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Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Good to hear. Always glad to help out where I can.
By the way, since this is a fairly hot topic, I went ahead and created a Contribution post within my profile for this subject. I know I'm not the first, or likely the last to post about this subject, but figured it would be nice to have an organized, to the point, resource where all the variations of this scenario can be found in one place. That post also includes the VBA Macro version of this same process (the one using the text file as input).
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
