iLogic Rule to Create Sketch on .idw Views, Project Geometry, then Apply Hatch

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I am working on a drawing (.idw) for an assembly. The drawing contains multiple sheets. Each sheet contains multiple views, which are generated from view representations of the assembly. Each view shows off a unique part that is used in the assembly. The parts are simple, continuous solids with several flat surfaces (no holes, no interior geometry, etc.). All the parts are similar, but not identical. I would like to implement an iLogic rule that can achieve the following.

For each view on the sheet...

1. Create a new sketch (sketch needs to be associated with the view)

2. Project all the edges of the part

3. Create a closed profile from the collection of projected edges

4. Apply a hatch pattern to the closed profile

I have written a rule that, so far, achieves steps 1 and 2 but not steps 3 and 4. Here is my code:

'Definitions
Dim oApp As Application
Dim oDD As DrawingDocument
Dim oSht As Sheet
Dim oDV As DrawingView
Dim oDS As DrawingSketch
Dim oDC As DrawingCurve
Dim oDCS As DrawingCurveSegment

oApp = ThisApplication
oDD = oApp.ActiveDocument
oSht = oDD.ActiveSheet

'Loop through all views that currently exist on the active sheet
For Each oDV In oSht.DrawingViews
	
	'Create a new sketch on the active view
	oDS = oDV.Sketches.Add
	
	'Project all edges of the part shown in the view
        For Each oDC In oDV.DrawingCurves
      	    oDS.AddByProjectingEntity(oDC)
        Next
	
	'Create a closed profile from the collection of projected edges
	'Apply a hatch pattern to the closed profile
	
Next

 I have included 2 screen shots with my post:

"OriginalViewsOnSheet.jpg"  - Shows the sheet before running the rule

"HatchedViewsOnSheet.jpg" - Shows the sheet after running the rule (what I want the rule to do)

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

jpepper

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I solved my own problem. The code works as well as it can, for the time being. Unfortunately, Inventor 2019 API currently does not support the application of a hatch pattern to a sketch profile. It only allows for a solid fill to be applied. However, I recently learned that hatching a sketch profile via iLogic was available on the now-closed beta build of Inventor 2021, which mean in future, this code can be improved to apply a real hatch pattern, not a solid fill.

Working code:

'Definitions
Dim oDoc As DrawingDocument
Dim oSht As Sheet
Dim oDV As DrawingView
Dim oSketch As DrawingSketch
Dim oDC As DrawingCurve

'Set a reference to the active document. This assumes it is a drawing document.
oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

'Set a reference to the active sheet.
oSht = oDoc.ActiveSheet

'Loop through all views that currently exist on the active sheet
For Each oDV In oSht.DrawingViews
	
       'Create a new sketch on the active view
	oSketch = oDV.Sketches.Add
	
	'Put the sketch in edit mode
	oSketch.Edit
	
	'Set a reference to the transient geometry object
	Dim oTG As TransientGeometry
	oTG = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry
	
	'Project all edges of the part shown in the view
        For Each oDC In oDV.DrawingCurves
      	     oSketch.AddByProjectingEntity(oDC)
        Next
	
	'Create a profile from the projected edges
	Dim oProfile1 As Profile
	oProfile1 = oSketch.Profiles.AddForSolid(False, oCollection1)

	'Fill the profile with a SOLID pattern
	Call oSketch.SketchFillRegions.Add(oProfile1)
	
	''Fill the profile with a HATCH pattern (available only in Inventor 2021)
	'Call oSketch.SketchHatchRegions.Add(oProfile1)
	
	'Exit the sketch
	oSketch.ExitEdit
Next

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

I found a solution to my problem. My code works now, but it doesn't apply a hatch. Instead, it applies a Solid fill. Inventor 2019 API does not support to application of a hatch pattern to a profile, only a solid fill. Apparently this feature is coming to Inventor 2021. 

See the attached images.

Working Code:

'Definitions
Dim oDoc As DrawingDocument
Dim oSht As Sheet
Dim oDV As DrawingView
Dim oSketch As DrawingSketch
Dim oDC As DrawingCurve

'Set a reference to the active document. This assumes it is a drawing document.
oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

'Set a reference to the active sheet.
oSht = oDoc.ActiveSheet

'Loop through all views that currently exist on the active sheet
For Each oDV In oSht.DrawingViews
	
	'Create a new sketch on the active view
	oSketch = oDV.Sketches.Add
	
	'Put the sketch in edit mode
	oSketch.Edit
	
	'Set a reference to the transient geometry object
	Dim oTG As TransientGeometry
	oTG = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry
	
	'Project all edges of the part shown in the view
    For Each oDC In oDV.DrawingCurves
      	oSketch.AddByProjectingEntity(oDC)
    Next
	
	'Create a profile from the projected edges
	Dim oProfile1 As Profile
	oProfile1 = oSketch.Profiles.AddForSolid(False, oCollection1)

	'Fill the profile with a SOLID pattern
	Call oSketch.SketchFillRegions.Add(oProfile1)
	
	''Fill the profile with a HATCH pattern (available only in Inventor 2021)
	'Call oSketch.SketchHatchRegions.Add(oProfile1)
	
	'Exit the sketch
	oSketch.ExitEdit
Next