Create docking window / browser bar

[NachoShaw]

hi

I would like to place some functions on a docked form just like the browser bar. There is a sample in the api in vba which creates the bar but i csnt see how to add controls. In visual studio, i can create everything i would like on a control form. How can i load that onto the browser bar created?

Is this even the right method?

Thanks

Nigel

[manuel.lanthaler]

Hi,

To create a dockableWindow you can use the example from the Inventor API:

 Dim oUserInterfaceMgr As UserInterfaceManager
    Set oUserInterfaceMgr = ThisApplication.UserInterfaceManager

    ' Create a new dockable window
    Dim oWindow As DockableWindow
    Set oWindow = oUserInterfaceMgr.DockableWindows.Add("SampleClientId", "TestWindowInternalName", "Test Window")

After creating the DockableWindow you can then add WPF controls or WinForm dialog as a child by using the WindowHandle:

'Create the new UserControl
Dim MyForm As New Form1()

' Add the dialog as a child to the dockable window
oWindow.AddChild(MyForm.Handle)

if you are trying to host a WPF control in a dockable Window then you have to create an ElementHost containing the WPF UserControl and assign that elementHost as a child to your dockable Window.

Here is an example of how to embedd a WPF user control in a Dockable Window:

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2012/06/embedding-a-wpf-user-control-in-a-dockablewindow...

A specific template to create a dockable  in C# can be found here:

http://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2013/02/design-patterns-applied-to-the-inventor-api.html

hope it helps