Batch Export Images with transparent background

[patioroofriser]

Hello! I am currently using an iLogic rule I found from some years back on this forum to batch export a large group of images. It would be ideal if these images could already have a transparent background when I export them, so I don't have to run another photoshop script to accomplish this. I know that some compression formats of .bmp support an alpha channel, but I'm not sure what all can be accomplished in Inventor, or if there's a rule to export as PNG which would make it much easier potentially. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports System.IO

Sub Main
sResultPathImage = SelFolder(ThisApplication.DesignProjectManager.ActiveDesignProject.WorkspacePath) 'oDefaultPathImage)
sResultPathBatch = SelFolder(ThisApplication.DesignProjectManager.ActiveDesignProject.WorkspacePath) 'oDefaultPathBatch)

'Dim oHolderList As String
If sResultPathBatch <> "" Then
    Dim oFiles = Directory.GetFiles(sResultPathBatch, "*.IAM")
    For Each FileName As String In oFiles
        On Error Resume Next
        oDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Open(FileName, True)
        Dim sPartNumber As String = oDoc.PropertySets("Design Tracking Properties")("Part Number").Value
        oCamera = InventorVb.Application.ActiveView.Camera
        oCamera.Fit
        oCamera.Apply
        oCamera.SaveAsBitmap(sResultPathImage & "\" & sPartNumber & ".bmp",2800,2000)
        oDoc.Close()
        oHolderList = oHolderList & sPartNumber & vbLf
    Next
End If
MessageBox.Show(oHolderList)
End Sub


Private Function SelFolder(sPath As String) As String
On Error Resume Next
    If sPath = "" Then sPath = ThisApplication.DesignProjectManager.ActiveDesignProject.WorkspacePath
    Dim FBrowserDialog As New FolderBrowserDialog
    FBrowserDialog.SelectedPath = sPath
    Dim result As DialogResult = FBrowserDialog.ShowDialog()
    SelFolder = ""
    If ( result = DialogResult.OK ) Then 'And ( FBrowserDialog.SelectedPath <> sPath ) Then
        SelFolder = FBrowserDialog.SelectedPath
    End If
End Function

[dalton98]

Edit: this doesn't work woops 

There's a transparency option when creating a color:

Dim oColor As Color
oColor = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateColor(255, 255, 255, 0)
'---
'-------
'----------
Dim oCamera As Camera
oCamera.SaveAsBitmap(sResultPathImage & "\" & sPartNumber & ".png", 2800, 2800, oColor)

[patioroofriser]

This won't export with a transparent background though because it's a 24x bitmap. only 32x bitmaps have a transparency layer.

[JelteDeJong]

If you use the function:

Camera.CreateImageWithOptions( Width As Long, Height As Long, Options As NameValueMap ) As IPictureD...

then there is an option according to the help files.

But this will not give you a picture file but just an IPictureDisp object. You can convert those objects to Bitmap objects check this post:

https://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2012/06/how-to-convert-iconbitmap-to-ipicturedisp-witho...

Maybe then it's possible to save the picture to a file. But I'm afraid this will be too much for an iLogic rule. I would suggest that you create an addin for this. You can find a tutorial for this on my blog.

http://www.hjalte.nl/60-creating-an-inventor-addin

And in the follow-up post a converter Bitmap <-> IPictureDisp is used for creating buttons.

http://www.hjalte.nl/61-adding-icons-to-your-buttons

Maybe it will help you but I guess it won't be easy and in the end I'm not sure it will work.

[Tony_Yates]

This might be helpful to you:-

'Get the active view.
    Dim oView = ThisApplication.ActiveView
'Create a new NameValueMap Object
    Dim oOptions As NameValueMap
    oOptions = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateNameValueMap '.TransientObjects.CreateNameValueMap
    oOptions.Value("TransparentBackground") = True

'save screenshot 
    Call oView.SaveAsBitmapWithOptions(CurrentFile, 0, 0, oOptions)