Reading/writing to .dwg files without AutoCAD?

[Anonymous]

Is this possible?  I was trying to make a simple windows program that prompted the user to select a .dwg file and the program would list all the layers in a listbox.  But the Database.ReadDWGFile procedure doesn't appear to work outside of AutoCAD (FileNotFound Exception).  Can I have my windows program open AutoCAD in the background to achieve this?

Here's my code:

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput

Public Class Form1
    Dim myLayers As ArrayList

    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click
        Dim myDB As New Database(False, True)
        myDB.ReadDwgFile("C:\test.dwg", FileOpenMode.OpenForReadAndAllShare, True, "")

        Using myTrans As Transaction = myDB.TransactionManager.StartTransaction
            Dim myLayerTable As LayerTable = myDB.LayerTableId.GetObject(OpenMode.ForRead)
            Dim layerName As String = ""
            For Each myObjectID As ObjectId In myLayerTable
                Dim myLayer As LayerTableRecord = myObjectID.GetObject(OpenMode.ForRead)
                myLayers.Add(myLayer.Name)
            Next
            myTrans.Abort()
        End Using

        myDB.Dispose()
        For Each layerxx In myLayers
            ListBox1.Items.Add(layerxx)
        Next
    End Sub

End Class

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Is this possible?

No.

But the Database.ReadDWGFile procedure doesn't appear to work outside of AutoCAD

Yes.

You can only use ActiveX interface of AutoCAD from external application, e.g.

Autodesk.Autocad.Interop and

Autodesk.Autocad.Interop.Common

[arcticad]

You can use either AutoDesk  RealDWG

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=770257

or Teigha™.NET for .dwg files

http://www.opendesign.com/

To modify files without Autocad.

These are both pay options.

The only free options is to have Autocad Installed and use ActiveX.

[Anonymous]

Sweet.  Many thanks to both of you.