Prevent user to start other command while executing a macro

[Anonymous]

Hello All,

I have a macro that automatically creates a Detailed view on a sheet. It works on 2 input's:
- mouse click 1 (set's the target to be detailed)

- mouse click 2 (set's the location where the balloon should be)

The code works fine. But sometimes the user will start another command, or restart the same command, while it is still running. This off course gives all kinds of problems.

Is there a possibility in VBA to prevent the user to start another command while this command is running?

Or is this problem a part of the clicking itself?

Thanks,

Chris,

Here is my code: (it uses a Class Module called: clsGetPoint, see code below)

Sub AutoDetailedView()
    
On Error GoTo ErrorManagment '(error handling 2013/02/18)
    
'step 0 Create a transaction. -> for 1 undo command
    Dim oTransMgr As TransactionManager
    Set oTransMgr = ThisApplication.TransactionManager
    Dim oTrans As Transaction
    Set oTrans = oTransMgr.StartTransaction(ThisApplication.ActiveDocument, "AutoDetailedView")
    
'step 1 Select a drawingView
    'Set a reference to the drawing document.
    Dim oDrawDoc As DrawingDocument
    Set oDrawDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

    'Set a reference to the active sheet.
    Dim oSheet As Sheet
    Set oSheet = oDrawDoc.ActiveSheet
      
    ' Select a drawing view
    Dim oDrawingView As DrawingView
    Set oDrawingView = oSheet.DrawingViews.Item(1)
    
    'select the below if you want the user to choose a drawing view, else the above will select the first drawingview on the active sheet
    'Set oDrawingView = ThisApplication.CommandManager.Pick(kDrawingViewFilter, "Select a drawing view.")

'step 2 Select the center of the circular fence
    Dim getPoint As New clsGetPoint
    Dim oCenterPoint As Point2d
    Set oCenterPoint = getPoint.GetDrawingPoint("Select the area to be detailed", kLeftMouseButton, kCursorBuiltInCursorSelTrail)

'step 3 Select the place where the detailed view need to be placed
    Dim oPoint As Point2d
    Set oPoint = getPoint.GetDrawingPoint("Select the location of the detailed view", kLeftMouseButton, kCursorBuiltInPushpinCursor)
    
    ' Get any linear curve from the base view
    Dim oCurve As DrawingCurve
    For Each oCurve In oDrawingView.DrawingCurves
    If oCurve.CurveType = kLineSegmentCurve Then Exit For
    Next
    
    ' Create an intent object
    Dim oAttachPoint As Point2d
    Set oAttachPoint = oDrawingView.Center
    
'step 4 Create the detail view
    Dim oDetailView As DetailDrawingView
    Set oDetailView = oSheet.DrawingViews.AddDetailView(oDrawingView, oPoint, kShadedDrawingViewStyle, True, oCenterPoint, 0.5, , 0.25, False, " ")
    'Set breakline to smooth
    oDetailView.IsBreakLineSmooth = True
    'Show full detail boundary
    oDetailView.DisplayFullBoundary = True
    'Show connection line
    oDetailView.DisplayConnectionLine = True
    'set detailview to "Parts"
        ' this assumes that there is an detailview called "Parts", if not, delete this line
    'On Error Resume Next
    'Call oDetailView.SetDesignViewRepresentation("Parts", False)
     
'step 5 Active top level of drawing (error handling 2013/02/18)
ErrorManagment: '(error handling 2013/02/18)
    oSheet.Activate
    
'step 6 End the transaction.
    oTrans.End

End Sub

 and now the code for the clsGetPoint (Put it onder Class Modules)

Private WithEvents m_interaction As InteractionEvents
Private WithEvents m_mouse As MouseEvents
Private m_position As Point2d
Private m_button As MouseButtonEnum
Private m_continue As Boolean

Public Function GetDrawingPoint(Prompt As String, button As MouseButtonEnum, m_Cursor As CursorTypeEnum) As Point2d
    Set m_position = Nothing
    m_button = button
    
    Set m_interaction = ThisApplication.CommandManager.CreateInteractionEvents
    Set m_mouse = m_interaction.MouseEvents
    
    m_interaction.StatusBarText = Prompt
    m_interaction.SetCursor (m_Cursor)
    m_interaction.Start
    
    m_continue = True
    Do
        ThisApplication.UserInterfaceManager.DoEvents
    Loop While m_continue
    
    m_interaction.Stop
    
    Set GetDrawingPoint = m_position
End Function

Private Sub m_mouse_OnMouseClick(ByVal button As MouseButtonEnum, ByVal ShiftKeys As ShiftStateEnum, ByVal ModelPosition As Point, ByVal ViewPosition As Point2d, ByVal View As View)
    If button = m_button Then
        Set m_position = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d(ModelPosition.x, ModelPosition.Y)
    End If
    
    m_continue = False
End Sub

[Ralf_Krieg]

Hello

Take a look at the UserInteractionDisabled-Property. But be aware of the possibility to make Inventor unusable cause of an error in your code. Always enable UserInteraction after your code, even if an error occurs.

[Anonymous]

I'm starting to believe that my problem lies in the "clsGetPoint" Class Module.

Their is the command m-continu (it loops until somehting happens). And if you press something then it will trigger to get a point2d. Is there a method to check if it is a valid point 2d? And if it is not that it cancels the command or overrules the click so you can't click outside the view port?

Maybe using the UserInteractionDisabled-Property?

[Ralf_Krieg]

Hello

If you set UserInteractionDisabled=True at this point, you will not be able to select a point.

First you can set a SelectFilter. Second you can check if there's really a point2D created in OnMouseClick-Event. I think, outside the graphic window, no Point will be created and m_position is empty?!?! If no Point2D is created, clear SelectSet and don't set m_continue to false. So user think's just nothing happens if he clicks somewhere on invalid input.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I've tried the two options but I keep running into problems:

-> I can't manage to get the select filter on for a mouse event (it doesn't exist). And if I use a select event instead of a mouse event the code doesn't work properly. It doesn't fetch me the needed Point2d.

-> The check if the Point is not empty is not a problem. But it still allows users to start another event or press escape. In but situation the interaction with the sheet gets corrupted.

I believe I need to capture every user input event during the loop. Filter on left mouse clicks and let them go true. All other events should be overruled... But I have no clue how to do this 😞

[philippe.leefsma]

Hi Chris,

You're trying to break one of most the basic Inventor behavior rule with that workflow: that is whatever command is running, starting another command will terminate politely the current command and start the new one. Trying to workaround this behavior, you are going ahead of a lot more problems than you should be, why not following that basic behavior instead and try to clean up what your command started when a new command is run or your command is cancelled?

The API is making it easy for your to achieve this:

You can find several samples in the Help Files or our Inventor blogs about using the InteractionEvents. A basic rule is to take avantage of the asynchronous workflow provided by InteractionEvents: don't get stuck in a While(DoEvents) loop, rather use the various events like MouseClick to run the second part of your command or InteractionEvents.Terminate to detect user either cancelled your command or started a new one (this event will be fired automatically in both cases) and nicely clean your command state.

I hope it helps.

Regards,

Philippe.