My first addin failure 2021

[snappyjazz]

Hello,

I was following along with a tutorial on making addins. When it came time to run the addin, his worked and mine didn't. He was setting his up for 2020 vs my 2021; that's about the only difference. The premise is to add a button to the part ribbon and when you click the button a dialog box appears to verify the button was pushed. When I start the debugger the button doesn't appear where it should. There are some XAML Binding Failures that occur during debugging. Being new to developing addins these errors are new to me. I don't know what they mean; or what a XAML Binding is. Can you tell me what's wrong? Can you regurgitate everything in layman's terms to me?

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports Inventor
Imports Microsoft.Win32

Namespace InventorAddIn_AVA_2020_09_10
    <ProgIdAttribute("InventorAddIn_AVA_2020_09_10.StandardAddInServer"), _
    GuidAttribute("42dd46d7-7c56-46ed-9d55-f0267339dc6f")> _
    Public Class StandardAddInServer
        Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer

        Private WithEvents m_uiEvents As UserInterfaceEvents
        Private WithEvents m_sampleButton As ButtonDefinition

#Region "ApplicationAddInServer Members"

        ' This method is called by Inventor when it loads the AddIn. The AddInSiteObject provides access  
        ' to the Inventor Application object. The FirstTime flag indicates if the AddIn is loaded for
        ' the first time. However, with the introduction of the ribbon this argument is always true.
        Public Sub Activate(ByVal addInSiteObject As Inventor.ApplicationAddInSite, ByVal firstTime As Boolean) Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.Activate
            ' Initialize AddIn members.
            g_inventorApplication = addInSiteObject.Application

            ' Connect to the user-interface events to handle a ribbon reset.
            m_uiEvents = g_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.UserInterfaceEvents

            ' TODO: Add button definitions.

            ' Sample to illustrate creating a button definition.
            'Dim largeIcon As stdole.IPictureDisp = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.YourBigImage)
            'Dim smallIcon As stdole.IPictureDisp = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.YourSmallImage)
            Dim controlDefs As Inventor.ControlDefinitions = g_inventorApplication.CommandManager.ControlDefinitions
            m_sampleButton = controlDefs.AddButtonDefinition("First Test", "FirstTest", CommandTypesEnum.kShapeEditCmdType, AddInClientID)

            ' Add to the user interface, if it's the first time.
            If firstTime Then
                AddToUserInterface()
            End If
        End Sub

        ' This method is called by Inventor when the AddIn is unloaded. The AddIn will be
        ' unloaded either manually by the user or when the Inventor session is terminated.
        Public Sub Deactivate() Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.Deactivate

            ' TODO:  Add ApplicationAddInServer.Deactivate implementation

            ' Release objects.
            m_uiEvents = Nothing
            g_inventorApplication = Nothing

            System.GC.Collect()
            System.GC.WaitForPendingFinalizers()
        End Sub

        ' This property is provided to allow the AddIn to expose an API of its own to other 
        ' programs. Typically, this  would be done by implementing the AddIn's API
        ' interface in a class and returning that class object through this property.
        Public ReadOnly Property Automation() As Object Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.Automation
            Get
                Return Nothing
            End Get
        End Property

        ' Note:this method is now obsolete, you should use the 
        ' ControlDefinition functionality for implementing commands.
        Public Sub ExecuteCommand(ByVal commandID As Integer) Implements Inventor.ApplicationAddInServer.ExecuteCommand
        End Sub

#End Region

#Region "User interface definition"
        ' Sub where the user-interface creation is done.  This is called when
        ' the add-in loaded and also if the user interface is reset.
        Private Sub AddToUserInterface()
            ' This is where you'll add code to add buttons to the ribbon.

            '** Sample to illustrate creating a button on a new panel of the Tools tab of the Part ribbon.

            '' Get the part ribbon.
            Dim partRibbon As Ribbon = g_inventorApplication.UserInterfaceManager.Ribbons.Item("Part")

            '' Get the "Tools" tab.
            Dim toolsTab As RibbonTab = partRibbon.RibbonTabs.Item("id_TabTools")

            '' Create a new panel.
            Dim customPanel As RibbonPanel = toolsTab.RibbonPanels.Add("First Test", "FirstTest", AddInClientID)

            '' Add a button.
            customPanel.CommandControls.AddButton(m_sampleButton)
        End Sub

        Private Sub m_uiEvents_OnResetRibbonInterface(Context As NameValueMap) Handles m_uiEvents.OnResetRibbonInterface
            ' The ribbon was reset, so add back the add-ins user-interface.
            AddToUserInterface()
        End Sub

        ' Sample handler for the button.
        Private Sub m_sampleButton_OnExecute(Context As NameValueMap) Handles m_sampleButton.OnExecute
            MsgBox("Button was clicked. 01/06/2021!")
        End Sub
#End Region

    End Class
End Namespace


Public Module Globals
    ' Inventor application object.
    Public g_inventorApplication As Inventor.Application

#Region "Function to get the add-in client ID."
    ' This function uses reflection to get the GuidAttribute associated with the add-in.
    Public Function AddInClientID() As String
        Dim guid As String = ""
        Try
            Dim t As Type = GetType(InventorAddIn_AVA_2020_09_10.StandardAddInServer)
            Dim customAttributes() As Object = t.GetCustomAttributes(GetType(GuidAttribute), False)
            Dim guidAttribute As GuidAttribute = CType(customAttributes(0), GuidAttribute)
            guid = "{" + guidAttribute.Value.ToString() + "}"
        Catch
        End Try

        Return guid
    End Function
#End Region

#Region "hWnd Wrapper Class"
    ' This class is used to wrap a Win32 hWnd as a .Net IWind32Window class.
    ' This is primarily used for parenting a dialog to the Inventor window.
    '
    ' For example:
    ' myForm.Show(New WindowWrapper(g_inventorApplication.MainFrameHWND))
    '
    Public Class WindowWrapper
        Implements System.Windows.Forms.IWin32Window
        Public Sub New(ByVal handle As IntPtr)
            _hwnd = handle
        End Sub

        Public ReadOnly Property Handle() As IntPtr _
          Implements System.Windows.Forms.IWin32Window.Handle
            Get
                Return _hwnd
            End Get
        End Property

        Private _hwnd As IntPtr
    End Class
#End Region

#Region "Image Converter"
    ' Class used to convert bitmaps and icons from their .Net native types into
    ' an IPictureDisp object which is what the Inventor API requires. A typical
    ' usage is shown below where MyIcon is a bitmap or icon that's available
    ' as a resource of the project.
    '
    ' Dim smallIcon As stdole.IPictureDisp = PictureDispConverter.ToIPictureDisp(My.Resources.MyIcon)

    Public NotInheritable Class PictureDispConverter
        <DllImport("OleAut32.dll", EntryPoint:="OleCreatePictureIndirect", ExactSpelling:=True, PreserveSig:=False)> _
        Private Shared Function OleCreatePictureIndirect( _
            <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.AsAny)> ByVal picdesc As Object, _
            ByRef iid As Guid, _
            <MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)> ByVal fOwn As Boolean) As stdole.IPictureDisp
        End Function

        Shared iPictureDispGuid As Guid = GetType(stdole.IPictureDisp).GUID

        Private NotInheritable Class PICTDESC
            Private Sub New()
            End Sub

            'Picture Types
            Public Const PICTYPE_BITMAP As Short = 1
            Public Const PICTYPE_ICON As Short = 3

            <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)> _
            Public Class Icon
                Friend cbSizeOfStruct As Integer = Marshal.SizeOf(GetType(PICTDESC.Icon))
                Friend picType As Integer = PICTDESC.PICTYPE_ICON
                Friend hicon As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
                Friend unused1 As Integer
                Friend unused2 As Integer

                Friend Sub New(ByVal icon As System.Drawing.Icon)
                    Me.hicon = icon.ToBitmap().GetHicon()
                End Sub
            End Class

            <StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)> _
            Public Class Bitmap
                Friend cbSizeOfStruct As Integer = Marshal.SizeOf(GetType(PICTDESC.Bitmap))
                Friend picType As Integer = PICTDESC.PICTYPE_BITMAP
                Friend hbitmap As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
                Friend hpal As IntPtr = IntPtr.Zero
                Friend unused As Integer

                Friend Sub New(ByVal bitmap As System.Drawing.Bitmap)
                    Me.hbitmap = bitmap.GetHbitmap()
                End Sub
            End Class
        End Class

        Public Shared Function ToIPictureDisp(ByVal icon As System.Drawing.Icon) As stdole.IPictureDisp
            Dim pictIcon As New PICTDESC.Icon(icon)
            Return OleCreatePictureIndirect(pictIcon, iPictureDispGuid, True)
        End Function

        Public Shared Function ToIPictureDisp(ByVal bmp As System.Drawing.Bitmap) As stdole.IPictureDisp
            Dim pictBmp As New PICTDESC.Bitmap(bmp)
            Return OleCreatePictureIndirect(pictBmp, iPictureDispGuid, True)
        End Function
    End Class
#End Region

End Module

[bradeneuropeArthur]

Is the add in loaded in inventor or is this also not the case?

[snappyjazz]

Yes, it is loaded.

[bradeneuropeArthur]

Can you upload a screenshot of the .addin file. I need to check if this is set correctly?

[bradeneuropeArthur]

Have you a part active, since the button only for parts?

You put your button in the tools Tab. Have you activated that Toolsbar?

[bradeneuropeArthur]

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/inventor-customization/registry-free-addin-won-t-load/td-p/3488178 

[snappyjazz]

@bradeneuropeArthur 

Thanks for all the help so far. I am submitting a screen shot of the .addin file and a screenshot of an activated part with the tools tab showing. I have also attached a screen shot of the properties verifying the .net framework. Do you see where I went wrong?

[bradeneuropeArthur]

What is actually the problem?

Can you please explain what should have been in the Ribbon?

[bradeneuropeArthur]

Button is not fully defined so nothing visible!

[bradeneuropeArthur · Accepted solution]

There are differences.

How are your dll called?

Like the assembly name or like the namespace? 

[snappyjazz]

I filled out the rest of that button definition and unfortunately it still didn't work.

[snappyjazz]

That did it! I changed the hyphen to underscores and it works. I still have quite a few of these XAML Binding Failures. Since the addin works, do these matter?

[bradeneuropeArthur]

Change your framework-version till they disappears!

[bradeneuropeArthur]

https://ekinssolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/CreatingInventorAddIns-AU2018.pdf 

[snappyjazz]

I can't confirm that this setting is giving me the xaml binding failures because I'm the only one at my company who writes addins. It does make them go away for me. If you do not have the xaml binding failures above can you see if this setting is checked/unchecked?

[j.haggenjos]

Setting is checked for me and I don't have all those failure.

As suggested by @bradeneuropeArthur link in his last post, I would suggest to start over with the AddIn template (and guide) from Brian Ekins. Here is his Autodesk University demo.