Running a command with a Ribbon

[Anonymous]

I am trying to build a simple plugin for AutoCAD 2020 using .NET.

I would like to run the HelloWorld() command by clicking on a ribbon on a custom tab. The command is the following:

        [CommandMethod("HelloWorld")]
        public void HelloWorld()
        {
            Document doc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
            Editor ed = doc.Editor;
            ed.WriteMessage("Hello!");
        }

I have the following code to create a new tab and a ribbon to run the command:

[CommandMethod("testmyRibbon", CommandFlags.Transparent)]
        public void Testme()
        {
            RibbonControl ribbon = ComponentManager.Ribbon;
            if (ribbon != null)
            {
                RibbonTab rtab = ribbon.FindTab("TESTME");
                if (rtab != null)
                {
                    ribbon.Tabs.Remove(rtab);
                }
                rtab = new RibbonTab();
                rtab.Title = "TEST  ME";
                rtab.Id = "Testing";
                //Add the Tab
                ribbon.Tabs.Add(rtab);
                addContent(rtab);
            }
        }

        static void addContent(RibbonTab rtab)
        {
            rtab.Panels.Add(AddOnePanel());
        }

        static RibbonPanel AddOnePanel()
        {
            RibbonCommandButton rb;
            RibbonPanelSource rps = new RibbonPanelSource();
            rps.Title = "Test One";
            RibbonPanel rp = new RibbonPanel();
            rp.Source = rps;

            //Create a Command Item that the Dialog Launcher can use,
            // for this test it is just a place holder.
            RibbonButton rci = new RibbonButton();
            rci.Name = "TestCommand";

            //assign the Command Item to the DialgLauncher which auto-enables
            // the little button at the lower right of a Panel
            rps.DialogLauncher = rci;

            rb = new RibbonCommandButton();
            rb.Name = "Hello World";
            rb.ShowText = true;
            rb.Text = "Hello World";
            rb.Macro = "^C^CHELLOWORLD";
            //Add the Button to the Tab
            rps.Items.Add(rb);
            return rp;
        }

Running HELLOWORLD on the command line works. And after running TESTMYRIBBON, a new tab called "TEST ME" is created, and a button with the text "Hello World" appears on the "Test One" tab group. However, once I click the button, nothing happens. No message appears on the editor. Am I using RibbonCommandButton wrong? Is there another easy way for this?

I have read answers from a few years ago, but most of them do not use the RibbonCommandButton and resort to creating Macros, which I would like to avoid.

Thank you!

[christian.hestnes · Accepted solution]

You could try to use a button with a commandhandler instead of a macro.

RibbonButton bt = new RibbonButton();
            bt.Size = RibbonItemSize.Large;
            bt.Text = "VA_Layout";
            bt.Orientation = System.Windows.Controls.Orientation.Vertical;
            
            bt.ShowText = true;
            bt.CommandParameter = "NyVALayout "; //REMEMBER: space after commandname
            bt.CommandHandler = new AdskCommandHandler();
            ribPanelSource.Items.Add(bt);

class AdskCommandHandler : System.Windows.Input.ICommand
    {
        public bool CanExecute(object parameter)
        {
            return true;
        }
        public event EventHandler CanExecuteChanged;
        public void Execute(object parameter)
        {
            //is from Ribbon Button
            RibbonButton ribBtn = parameter as RibbonButton;
            if (ribBtn != null)
            {
                //execute the command 
                acApp.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
                .SendStringToExecute(
                   (string)ribBtn.CommandParameter, true, false, true);
            }
        }
    }

[Anonymous]

Hello Christian. Your solution worked well, thank you very much. I'll stick to your solution instead of `RibbonCommandButton`.

Still, I could not understand why my code wouldn't work. I created a "Run Script..." button on my CUI and it works with "^C^Chelloworld", but for some reason `RibbonCommandButton` doesn't. It would be nice if Autodesk had some examples of this being used, because I feel that I am missing some step.

Thanks again Christian!