If anyone is looking for something like this:
Sub ShowFilePreview()
Dim FileName As String
Dim ChosenFile As String
'Declare the Apprentice object
Dim oApprentice As New ApprenticeServerComponent
' Open a document using Apprentice
Dim oApprenticeDoc As ApprenticeServerDocument
'Dim Filename As String
ChosenFile = Cells(ActiveCell.Row, ActiveCell.Column).Value
'enter YOUR working folder here, and filename masks as necessary
FileName = Dir("c:\InventorWork\" & Cells(ActiveCell.Row, ActiveCell.Column).Value & "*.*")
If Len(FileName) > 0 Then
Set oApprenticeDoc = oApprentice.Open("c:\InventorWork\" & FileName)
FilePreview.Image1.Picture = oApprenticeDoc.PropertySets.Item("Inventor Summary Information").ItemByPropId(kThumbnailSummaryInformation).Value
FilePreview.Caption = "Preview: " & FileName
FilePreview.Show
End If
oApprentice.Close
Set oApprenticeDoc = Nothing
Set oApprentice = Nothing
End Sub
You'll also need a form called "FilePreview", with an image sized to suit you, called image1. I set the onclick of the image to "unload me", and created a cancel button, as well as an "open button", with code:
Private Sub OpenPreviewedFile_Click()
Dim FileName As String
FileName = "C:\InventorWork\" & mid(FilePreview.Caption, 10,100)
Unload Me
OpenInvFile (FileName)
End Sub
Hope this helps someone out there.
(works on IV9, not tested beyond that... ie not 10, not 11, not 2008 or 2009... We're well behind, hey?)
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