Control 'break' size in drawing view using iLogic?
On Inventor 2011, look at the iLogic 2011 Samples project. In the Drawings directory there is a file named BreakView.idw. It has a rule that will adjust the width of a break in the view to maintain a constant view width. To do it, it deletes and then recreates the break. Here is the rule:
If (ActiveSheet.Name <> "Sheet:1") Then Return
Dim viewL = ActiveSheet.View("VIEW1")
Dim view = viewL.View
If (view.BreakOperations.Count > 0) Then
view.BreakOperations(1).Delete
End If
Dim xMid As Double = ActiveSheet.Sheet.Width / 2
Dim modelDocName = IO.Path.GetFileName(viewL.ModelDocument.FullFileName)
Dim modelLength As Double = Parameter(modelDocName, "Length")
If (modelLength < 12) Then Return
Dim breakWidth As Double = (modelLength - 10) * 2.54
Dim startPt = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d(xMid - breakWidth/2, 0)
Dim endPt = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d(xMid + breakWidth/2, 0)
view.BreakOperations.Add(BreakOrientationEnum.kHorizontalBreakOrientation, startPt, endPt)
Mike Deck
Software Developer
Autodesk, Inc.
Accepted solution
I think the error is caused by the breakpoint being outside of the view. I should have mentioned that these are Inventor API calls, and all API calls require coordinates and lengths in units of cm. But iLogic works in document units. It looks like your drawing units are mm. Here's some changes that should fix it:
Dim startPt = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d((xMid - breakWidth/2) * 0.1, 0)
Dim endPt = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d((xMid + breakWidth/2) * 0.1, 0)
Mike Deck
Software Developer
Autodesk, Inc.
This will do it:
For Each breakOp In view.BreakOperations breakOp.Delete Next
Mike Deck
Software Developer
Autodesk, Inc.
Hello,
When reading the posts in this subject, I was very apreciated. That while I was searching for doing the same rules for my assembly; with the same reason. (too large for drawing sheet).
When i copied the lines to my Rule in iLogic, i think i see an problem with those lines.
Especially the last 3 lines gives me errors. iLogic doesn't understand the frases.
DimstartPt=ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d(xM?id-breakWidth/2*0.1, 0)DimendPt=ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d(xM?id+breakWidth/2*0.1, 0)view.BreakOperations.Add(BreakOrientationEnum.kHor?izontalBreakOrientation, startPt, endPt)
In my iLogic, the words 'Dim' and 'ThisApplication' where known by iLogic, even the characters like /, *, + and the numbers. But words like TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d where brown, so i think iLogic doesn't understand it, isn't it?
1 error more in the last line, kHorizontalBreakOrientation was the same problem; 'kHor' is not a member of Inventor.BreakOrientationEnum, he said.
I hope someone could help me with this code, I like to use this.
Thanks in advance!
HvHelden
Hi,
The brown colour does not mean that iLogic does not understand the property - as you can see in the previously posted posts as well, which are working for others.
It seems that your code just has some organizational issues:
- the "0)" line should be ending the previous line instead of starting a new one
- remove the "?" question marks from the code
Cheers,
Adam Nagy
Autodesk Platform Services
Hi,
My guess is that your code indeed ended up with some special characters - perhaps not exactly a "?" but other ones that are not visible in the iLogic editor.
This assumption is supported by the fact that:
- when you copy pasted your code into the discussion forum, then the formatting got messed up and "?" characters appeared
- the error said "Error on Line 37: 'kHor' is not a member of 'Inventor.BreakOrientationEnum'." - i.e. there was something in between "kHor" and "izontalBreakOrientation" that prevented the iLogic interpreter from processing the complete string of "kHorizontalBreakOrientation"
- once you rewrote some of the parts they started working
I would suggest copying all your code from the iLogic editor into Notepad and see what you get (maybe by now you removed all the nasty special characters by rewriting things, but maybe not) If some funny characters show up or lines are broken up wrong, then correct those and then copy/paste back the code from Notepad into the iLogic editor.
Cheers,
Adam Nagy
Autodesk Platform Services
HvHelden,
To help us to resolve this error:
"Error on Line 49 : 'view' is ambiguous, imported from the namespaces or types 'Inventor, System.Windows.Forms'."
can you post the complete text of your rule?
To avoid formatting problems, please copy and paste the text to Notepad. Then save the file as a txt file, and attach that file to your post.
Mike Deck
Software Developer
Autodesk, Inc.
It looks like you fixed the compile error that you posted before. Here's an updated version that fixes a few other problems in the rule.
- BreakWithFactor is shared between the two Subs. It won't work if it's declared only in Main. The easiest way to do it is to declare it outside the Subs (at the VB Class level). I moved Bmaat there as well.
- IsNot does not generally work for string comparison. Use <> instead.
- Getting the midpoint of the sheet won't work unless the view is centered. It's better to use the view center. (I think we posted a simple example using the sheet center. We should have used the view center there as well.)
- The line to Add the break operation had an extra right parenthesis.
Mike Deck
Software Developer
Autodesk, Inc.
Hi Mike!
Thanks for sharing that knowledge! 
I didn't know that lines between 'subs' are also read by VB. I've copied your attachment to the iLogic rule, and it works fine! Thereafter, I was busy with figuring out how the value of breakWidth works; and the view is always between the drawing sheet.
Now, I would use not only an horizontal break on a view, but on vertical views too. (So that the length-shortening is in vertical direction). It gives me some bugs, while i changes the endPt and startPt by gives the yMid an (postive and negative, respectively) offset, and xMid where only xMid.
After that, i saw the breakstyleorientation is horizontal vs. vertical, and then it works fine!
Thank you all for helping!
HvHelden
@Manuelcamposcosta , here's a rule that might do what you want. It sets the gap. But maybe you also want to set the length of the break?
Mike Deck
Software Developer
Autodesk, Inc.