Find Entities
Hi @a81383. I'm not sure what you plan for this code to accomplish right now, but I do see a few things that do not look correct. The FindEntity method is looking for a String (text type value) as Input, not an Object, and returns an Object, not a String. Also, the CreateGeometryProxy method is a Sub routine, and does not 'return' any value, but instead it is meant to 'set' a value to the second input object, which will be one of the specific types of 'proxy' objects. So, to use that CreateGeometryProxy method, you first declare a variable, similar to your oProx variable, which will not have a value yet, just for use as the second input variable in that method. Then you supply that variable as the second input variable, to that method. Then when that method runs, it sets the value to that second input variable. However, that is not needed in this case, because the Constraint.EntityOne or Constraint.EntityTwo object should already be the 'proxy' type object. Then you can use that Entity.NativeObject to get the real object in the context of the part or sub assembly. So, I eliminated the FindEntity methods, and the CreateGeometryProxy methods, and laid out the code the way I assume you wanted it. But as I said before, I am not really sure what your goal with this bit code is right now, so it is not really doing anything productive yet.
Dim oADoc As AssemblyDocument = ThisDoc.Document
Dim oADef As AssemblyComponentDefinition = oADoc.ComponentDefinition
Dim oConstraints As AssemblyConstraints = oADef.Constraints
Dim oConst As AssemblyConstraint
For Each oConst In oConstraints
Dim oOcc1 As ComponentOccurrence = oConst.AffectedOccurrenceOne
Dim oOcc2 As ComponentOccurrence = oConst.AffectedOccurrenceTwo
Dim oOccDoc1 As Document = oOcc1.Definition.Document
Dim oOccDoc2 As Document = oOcc2.Definition.Document
oEntity1Proxy = oConst.EntityOne
oEntity1 = oConst.EntityOne.NativeObject
oEntity2Proxy = oConst.EntityTwo
oEntity2 = oConst.EntityTwo.NativeObject
NextWesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Hi @a81383. A proxy object is sort of like a copy of the original geometry, that gets created when put components into an assembly, and that only exists within the assembly. This copied version of the geometry object is the only geometry from the component that really exists directly within the assembly, and is sort of transformed from the component's model space to the assemblies own model space when it is copied. In an assembly, there is no original, native geometry other than things like work features (WorkAxes, WorkPlanes, WorkPoints, etc), and any sketch geometry that was created directly within the assembly itself. All 'real' geometry in an assembly belongs to the components within the assembly, not the assembly itself. So, within an assembly, any geometry you see and can click on, like a Face, Edge, or Vertex (visible geometry of components) are actually things like FaceProxy, EdgeProxy, VertexProxy, which are like copies of the original geometry objects. These proxy versions of objects only exist within the assembly, and are used for things like measurements, and constraints. Since these proxy objects all co-exist directly within the assembly's 3D space (3D coordinate system of the main assembly), they can be measured between, and constrained to each other. When you think of having a part document open and active on your screen, you know you can not measure between one of its faces and a face on another part in another part file, because the two parts are in different/separate 3D coordinate systems, and the two systems can't relate to each other. The components you put into an assembly are just copied instances (proxy) of the original geometry of the parts. Also, while in a main assembly, a component that is down within another sub-assembly, is also known as a ComponentOccurrenceProxy, instead of a regular ComponentOccurrence, because it is sort of like a copy of a copy, from the perspective of the main assembly. Most specific proxy type objects have a property called NativeObject, which will usually return the geometry object that they are a copy of (its source). If the proxy object represents the face of a top level part type component in the main assembly, then the NativeObject of that FaceProxy object will be the original Face object within the context (3d coordinate space) of the original part file. Does that make more sense now?
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
Hi @a81383. I have another iLogic rule that you may find helpful, that is along the same train of thought. It does not delete, then re-create each constraint, but it does gather information about each constraint and report its findings to you, to give you more insight about them that can help you better understand what to expect from the various specific types of constraints, and their properties. This code references and contains a custom Function that I created at some point in the past, which tests which of the more specific types of constraint it is, then returns the parameter object which controls the constraint, from the unique properties that are only exposed under those more specific types of constraint objects.
Warning: This will show a message for each constraint in your assembly, so if there are tons of them, it might take a while to get through them all.
Here is the code:
Sub Main
If ThisDoc.Document.DocumentType <> DocumentTypeEnum.kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
MsgBox("An Assembly Document must be active for this rule to work. Exiting.", vbCritical, "")
Exit Sub
End If
Dim oADoc As AssemblyDocument = ThisDoc.Document
Dim oADef As AssemblyComponentDefinition = oADoc.ComponentDefinition
Dim oOccs As ComponentOccurrences = oADef.Occurrences
Dim oConsts As AssemblyConstraints = oADef.Constraints
For Each oConst As AssemblyConstraint In oConsts
'if the constraint is suppressed, then skip to next constraint
'can't access/do much with a suppressed constraint
If oConst.Suppressed Then Continue For
Dim oOcc1 As ComponentOccurrence = oConst.OccurrenceOne
Dim oOcc2 As ComponentOccurrence = oConst.OccurrenceTwo
Dim oEnt1 As Object = oConst.EntityOne
Dim oEnt2 As Object = oConst.EntityTwo
Dim oGeom1 As Object = oConst.GeometryOne
Dim oGeom2 As Object = oConst.GeometryTwo
'some types of constraints do not return a parameter, so below may = Nothing
Dim oParam As Inventor.Parameter = GetParamFromConstraint(oConst)
Dim oParamName As String = ""
Dim oParamExp As String = ""
If oParam IsNot Nothing Then
oParamName = oParam.Name
oParamExp = oParam.Expression
End If
Dim oReport As String = "Constraint Name: " & oConst.Name
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Constraint Type: " & TypeName(oConst)
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Component 1 Name: " & oOcc1.Name
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Component 2 Name: " & oOcc2.Name
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Entity 1 Type: " & TypeName(oEnt1)
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Entity 2 Type: " & TypeName(oEnt2)
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Geometry 1 Type: " & TypeName(oGeom1)
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Geometry 2 Type: " & TypeName(oGeom2)
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Controlling Parameter Name: " & oParamName
oReport = oReport & vbCrLf & "Controlling Parameter Expression: " & oParamExp
MsgBox(oReport, vbInformation, "Constraint Information")
Next
End Sub
Function GetParamFromConstraint(oConst As AssemblyConstraint) As Inventor.Parameter
Dim oParam As Inventor.Parameter = Nothing
If TypeOf oConst Is AngleConstraint Then
Dim oAngleConstraint As AngleConstraint = oConst
oParam = oAngleConstraint.Angle
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is FlushConstraint Then
Dim oFlushConstraint As FlushConstraint = oConst
oParam = oFlushConstraint.Offset
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is InsertConstraint Then
Dim oInsertConstraint As InsertConstraint = oConst
oParam = oInsertConstraint.Distance
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is MateConstraint Then
Dim oMateConstraint As MateConstraint = oConst
oParam = oMateConstraint.Offset
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is RotateRotateConstraint Then
Dim oRotateRotateConstraint As RotateRotateConstraint = oConst
oParam = oRotateRotateConstraint.Ratio
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is RotateTranslateConstraint Then
Dim oRotateTranslateConstraint As RotateTranslateConstraint = oConst
oParam = oRotateTranslateConstraint.Distance
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is AssemblySymmetryConstraint Then
Dim oAssemblySymmetryConstraint As AssemblySymmetryConstraint = oConst
'there is no Parameter involved with this type of constraint
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is TangentConstraint Then
Dim oTangentConstraint As TangentConstraint = oConst
oParam = oTangentConstraint.Offset
ElseIf TypeOf oConst Is TransitionalConstraint Then
Dim oTransitionalConstraint As TransitionalConstraint = oConst
'there is no Parameter involved with this type of constraint
End If
Return oParam
End Function
Wesley Crihfield
(Not an Autodesk Employee)
