Hello Inventor - vb.net Visual Studio - getting started

[andrew_canfield]

Some of my previous requests relate to a grand idea to import a list of files into Inventor for further processing - printing, converting, replacing references on drawings, shrinkwrapping - a little like the task scheduler but the list can be exported from the PDM system & imported to excel & tweaked accordingly.

A VBA version to replace drawing references has been produced but VBA is 'unsupported' so a VB.net tool is being sort. (thanks: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-ilogic-and-vb-net-forum/set-drawing-scale-from-list-using-vb... )

My guess is to move data between Excel & Inventor I need a better understanding of sub, function, public & private - relating to Inventor & Excel & how the lines of code target the information - there is a lot of code available & I can have it trigger error messages.

Here is 'Hello Inventor' - just finding code to launch Inventor took some searching..

After creating a windows form this was added  in the button sub  & it works, as in it will open Inventor:

       Dim proc As New System.Diagnostics.Process()

        proc = Process.Start("C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Inventor 2018\Bin\Inventor.exe", "")

        Dim oPart As Document
        Dim oPartPath As String
        Dim Thisdoc As Inventor.Document

It was just a test to see how to open Inventor ( ideally Apprentice will be used for the finished tool).

Further testing to open specific files is throwing up errors which don't happen in iLogic because iLogic sits on Inventor & Visual Studio is outside Inventor. This project is to chop & change from file to file which (I'm advised) isn't iLogic friendly. ( also compared to iLogic efforts the VBA version is fast!).

The code between lines 18-35 was pasted in from an iLogic post with the intention it could be converted but the error messages are stumbling blocks.

Lines 33/34 are for the next test - have them opened/closed in Inventor by the form - just to test it can be done.

Great to see this tutorial:

http://www.hjalte.nl/60-creating-an-inventor-addin 

Would be ideal if a pure vb.net version could be offered ( @JelteDeJong ) ; I did read if there are other ideas out there forward them on!

Back to the search...

Regards

Andrew

Regards

Andrew

[bradeneuropeArthur]

[andrew_canfield]

Thankyou, trying to figure this out..

'<typename>' is an interface type and cannot be used as an expression
A type name occurs where an expression is required. An expression must consist of a combination of variables, constants, literals, properties, and Function procedure calls.
Error ID: BC30111

Regards

Andrew

[JelteDeJong]

As far as I know, is the entire tutorial in pure VB.net. So I'm not sure what you would like to see.

If you want to create a standalone application then you might want to have a look at the 3e part of the tutorial "Debugging without restating Inventor".

• Creating an Inventor Addin
• Adding icons to your buttons
• Debugging without restarting Inventor
• Adding a form to your addin

There I create a application that connects to Inventor and runs as a standalone application. Here are the basics for getting the Inventor object. (It will start Inventor if it is not started jet.)

Dim ThisApplication As Inventor.Application

Try
    ThisApplication = Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject("Inventor.Application")
Catch ex As Exception
    Dim oType As Type = Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Inventor.Application")
    ThisApplication = System.Activator.CreateInstance(oType)
    ThisApplication.Visible = True
End Try

Dim ThisDoc As Document = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

[andrew_canfield]

Thanks for the reply.

Think I've started off on the wrong foot (again), used a windows form & not a method?

Not 100% sure - trying again with a different template.

Misunderstood the iLogic tutorial.

Regards

Andrew

[andrew_canfield]

Many thanks for the effort that's gone into the tutorials - I have a button!

Need to figure out how to use the button now.

Working through MyDebug & not seeing ThisRule() to add as a reference - should ThisRule() have a .dll?

Progressing, slowly..

Regards

Andrew

[andrew_canfield]

Forgive my ignorance.. is the 'myiLogicAddin' designed to allow iLogic to run from VB.net?

When adding an iLogic line of code a 'Not Declared' error is returned.

Regards

Andrew

[bradeneuropeArthur]

No that will not work!

[andrew_canfield]

Thanks.