How to add a WPF window to an Add-In

[piotrekdoro94]

Hi, I'm trying to convert my plugins to proper add-ins with limited success. I have problems trying to add a WPF window as a UI and attaching some code to it.

For example: I have a simple code snippet that creates a work point in the center of mass. It works while the code is executed by a click event of a button I've added to my ribbon, which is fine for a simple feature like this.

For more complex add-ins I want the click event of a button on the ribbon to open a WPF window which contains its own set of buttons and controls which will execute my code.

Here is a code snippet that shows what happens when a MyButton (that's the button added to the ribbon) is clicked. This implementation works

Private Sub MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap)
    Try
       Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
       Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition

       oPartDoc = _inventor.ActiveDocument
       oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

       Dim oCenterOfMass As Point
       Dim oWorkPoint As WorkPoint

       oCenterOfMass = oPartCompDef.MassProperties.CenterOfMass
       oWorkPoint = oPartCompDef.WorkPoints.AddFixed(oCenterOfMass)

       Catch ex As Exception
       MsgBox("Center of mass property could not be found")
       End Try
End Sub

Now I've changed MyButton so that clicking it shows a WPF window called Window1:

 Private Sub MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap)
     Dim window As New Window1
     window.Show()
 End Sub

That window contains just one button which should put a work point in the center of mass. The Window1 code looks like this:

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Inventor

Public Class Window1
    Private Sub Button_Click(sender As Object, e As RoutedEventArgs)
        Try
            Dim _inventor As Inventor.Application
            Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
            Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition

            oPartDoc = _inventor.ActiveDocument
            oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

            Dim oCenterOfMass As Point
            Dim oWorkPoint As WorkPoint

            oCenterOfMass = oPartCompDef.MassProperties.CenterOfMass
            oWorkPoint = oPartCompDef.WorkPoints.AddFixed(oCenterOfMass)

        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox("Center of mass property could not be found")
        End Try
    End Sub
End Class

Now there is some bug on line 11. I can't get a reference to active document but I don't know how to fix it. I'm no developer and I already find add-in creation pretty arcane.

 I've created my add-in following a tutorial at: Jelte de Jong (hjalte.nl).

The entire visual studio project in its broken state is in the attachments ("CenterOfMass - project files.zip")

I've also added a compiled, working version that doesn't use a WPF window. It should appear in Part environment in 3d model tab in work features panel ("CenterOfMass - compiled and working.zip"). 

The project contains:

- a CenterOfMass

[JelteDeJong]

in your file Window1.xaml.vb I'm missing the constructor. I guess that you need to add this:

Private ReadOnly _inventor As Inventor.Application

Public Sub New(inventor As Inventor.Application)

    ' This call is required by the designer.
    InitializeComponent()

    _inventor = inventor

End Sub

That will break your button class. You have to change the sub "MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap)" (in file MyButton.vb) to this:

Private Sub MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap)

    Dim window As New Window1(_inventor)
    window.ShowDialog()

End Sub

[piotrekdoro94]

Thank you for help, your tutorials were very useful.

Unfortunately, I can't get CenterOfMass add-in to work. It keeps throwing in the same place. After suggested modifications MyButton.vb looks like this:

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Inventor
Public Class MyButton
    Private _inventor As Inventor.Application
    Private _settingsButton As ButtonDefinition
    Public Sub New(inventor As Inventor.Application)
        _inventor = inventor

        SetupButtonDefinition()
        AddButtonDefinitionToRibbon()
    End Sub

    Private Sub SetupButtonDefinition()

        Dim conDefs As ControlDefinitions = _inventor.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions
        _settingsButton = conDefs.AddButtonDefinition(
            "Center of Mass",
            "Center of Mass",
            CommandTypesEnum.kEditMaskCmdType,
            Guid.NewGuid().ToString(),
            "Command creates a work point in the center of mass coordinates. Works in Part environment and is part of CenterOfMass add-in",
            "Create point in center of mass")
        AddHandler _settingsButton.OnExecute, AddressOf MyButton_OnExecute

    End Sub

    Private Sub AddButtonDefinitionToRibbon()

        Dim ribbon As Ribbon = _inventor.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons.Item("Part")
        Dim ribbonTab As RibbonTab = ribbon.RibbonTabs.Item("id_TabModel")
        Dim ribbonPanel As RibbonPanel = ribbonTab.RibbonPanels.Item("id_PanelA_ModelWorkFeatures")
        ribbonPanel.CommandControls.AddButton(_settingsButton)

    End Sub

    Private Sub MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap) 
        Dim window As New Window1(_inventor)
        window.ShowDialog()
    End Sub
End Class

And the Window1.xaml.vb looks like this:

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Inventor

Public Class Window1

    Private ReadOnly _inventor As Inventor.Application

    Public Sub New(inventor As Inventor.Application)

        ' This call is required by the designer.
        InitializeComponent()

        _inventor = inventor

    End Sub

    Private Sub Button_Click(sender As Object, e As RoutedEventArgs)

        Try
            Dim _inventor As Inventor.Application
            Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
            Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition

            oPartDoc = _inventor.ActiveDocument
            oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition

            Dim oCenterOfMass As Point
            Dim oWorkPoint As WorkPoint

            oCenterOfMass = oPartCompDef.MassProperties.CenterOfMass
            oWorkPoint = oPartCompDef.WorkPoints.AddFixed(oCenterOfMass)


        Catch ex As Exception

            MsgBox("Center of mass property could not be found")

        End Try
    End Sub
End Class

I don't think I understand what the code snippets you've provided do. As I understand it:

- in MyButton.vb

Private Sub MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap)

    Dim window As New Window1(_inventor) 'Here I'm passing a field of a MyButton instace to the Window1 constructor. _inventor=inventor means that _inventor is an Inventor application object 
    window.ShowDialog() 'Here I'm switching from modal Show() to non-modal Showdialog(). I'm not sure if it means something

End Sub

 In Window1.xlam.vb:

Private ReadOnly _inventor As Inventor.Application 'I'm declaring a field _inventor which is an Inventor application object

Public Sub New(inventor As Inventor.Application) 'This is a constructor for Window one which is called from MyButton.vb 

    ' This call is required by the designer.
    InitializeComponent() 'I'm not sure why this is necessary. From quick googling it seems that Visual Studio adds this to a Sub New automatically

    _inventor = inventor

End Sub

[piotrekdoro94]

I've managed to cobble together something resembling a solution but it's pretty ugly and I would gladly use something else.

I've deleted my WPF window (Window1) from my project folder. Then I've rewritten the "CenterOfMass" as a separate winforms app and compiled it. The winform has a button with an onClick event that looks like this:

Imports Inventor
Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports System.Text.RegularExpressions
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Xml.Serialization
Imports System.Security.Cryptography
Imports System.Diagnostics.Contracts

Public Class Form1
    Private Sub Button1_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click


        Dim InventorApp As Inventor.Application
        Dim oPartDoc As PartDocument
        Dim oPartCompDef As PartComponentDefinition

        InventorApp = Marshal.GetActiveObject("Inventor.Application")
        oPartDoc = InventorApp.ActiveDocument
        oPartCompDef = oPartDoc.ComponentDefinition
        oPartDoc.Activate()

        Try
            InventorApp = Marshal.GetActiveObject("Inventor.Application")
            MessageBox.Show("Connected To Inventor session")

        Catch ex As Exception
            MessageBox.Show("Failed to connect to inventor session")
        End Try


        Dim oCenterOfMass As Point
        Dim oWorkPoint As WorkPoint

        Try
            oCenterOfMass = oPartCompDef.MassProperties.CenterOfMass
            oWorkPoint = oPartCompDef.WorkPoints.AddFixed(oCenterOfMass)
        Catch
            MsgBox("No center of mass detected")
        End Try

    End Sub
End Class

Now I use the ribbon button to run a compiled version of the winforms app shown above. The ribbbon button executes the following code when clicked:

 Private Sub MyButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap)
     Process.Start("C:\Users\Piotrekdoro\Desktop\InventorVBA\Center of mass 1\bin\Debug\WindowsApp1.exe")
 End Sub

There are two big downsides with this approach that might emerge as far as I can predict:

• Problems with debugging - if there is a bug in the separate executable then debugger will not find it
• Add-in as a process is lumped with the main Inventor process. When I use it to launch a separate executable I create a separate process, which means that the add-in can't directly talk with UI. It also means that the code in the separate program won't be able to use Inventor specific events. I don't need this functionality at the moment, but I think that both of these issues could be solved by handling events within the add-in and creating intermediary "input.txt" and "output.txt" files which would be used for the addin and UI to communicate with each other