Open DWG dialog window from excel

[chrisjspower]

Is it possible?

I have got this far:

Open autocad application

Check if app is open

if not - MsgBox

Set the open document to the active document

if that returns "nothing" then

open file dialog box <<< this where I fall over 😞

Sub OpenFileCAD()

    Dim AcadApp As Object
    Dim acadDoc As Object
    Dim acadAppVar As Integer
acadAppVar = 0
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
 'Check if AutoCAD application is open. If is not opened create a new instance and make it visible.
    On Error Resume Next
        Set AcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
If AcadApp Is Nothing Then
        Set AcadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application")
        AcadApp.Visible = True
End If
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
    'Check (again) if there is an AutoCAD object.
If AcadApp Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "Message", vbCritical, "AutoCAD Error"
        Exit Sub

        Else:  acadAppVar = 1 '<<< Used later on

End If
    On Error GoTo 0
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
    'Check if there is an active drawing.
On Error Resume Next
Set acadDoc = AcadApp.ActiveDocument
On Error GoTo 0

'No active drawing found. Create a new one.
If acadDoc Is Nothing Then


' ¯\_(?)_/¯

'acadApp.Visible = True
End If
End Sub

I have spent most of today and all of yesterday trying to figure this out, I have done many a search so please forgive me if I missed something obvious.

Thanks for you time! 🙂

[Ed__Jobe]

---

@chrisjspower wrote:

Sub OpenFileCAD()

    Dim AcadApp As Object
    Dim acadDoc As Object
    Dim acadAppVar As Integer
acadAppVar = 0
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
 'Check if AutoCAD application is open. If is not opened create a new instance and make it visible.
    On Error Resume Next
        Set AcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
If AcadApp Is Nothing Then
        Set AcadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application")
        AcadApp.Visible = True
End If
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
    'Check (again) if there is an AutoCAD object.
If AcadApp Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox "Message", vbCritical, "AutoCAD Error"
        Exit Sub

        Else:  acadAppVar = 1 '<<< Used later on

End If
    On Error GoTo 0
'--------------------------------------------------------------------
    'Check if there is an active drawing.    
    If AcadApp.Documents.Count > 0 Then
        Set acadDoc = AcadApp.ActiveDocument
    Else
        Set acadDoc = AcadApp.Documents.Add("acad.dwt")
    End If

End If
End Sub

I have spent most of today and all of yesterday trying to figure this out, I have done many a search so please forgive me if I missed something obvious.

Thanks for you time! 🙂

---

Try making the changes in red.

[norman.yuan]

There is no direct, built-in way in AutoCAD COM API to show open file dialog, other than using Win32 API's Common Dialogs. Since your code runs from Excel side, you do not have to bother using Win32 API, because Excel VBA provides built-in way to show open/save file dialog with Application.FileDialog.

Go to Excel VBA editor, open "Object Browser" window, locate and select "Application" on left, fine "FileDialog" on the right and select it; then click "?" for help documentation/sample code.

HTH

[chrisjspower]

I couldn't figure out how to apply either of these suggestions, though I tried and am very grateful for the assistance.

I ended up programming the function to start a new ACAD document,

write to it's command line to open a file there,

and then close the "new" document once the opened document was the application focus.

Works pretty well and with the rest of the function without throwing any errors....yet!