AutoCAD 2023 .

NET API
Developer Technical Services
Developer Technical Services
Worldwide Workgroup
Over 25 Specialists World Wide
Virtually 24 hour support, 5 days a week

Americas Team
US (CA, AZ, WA), Canada, Brazil

European Team
Switzerland, United Kingdom, France, Russia

APac Team
China, Japan, India
Getting Support
http://www.adn.autodesk.io
Provides access to
On-line knowledge base
Call submission
Newsgroups

Calls are logged automatically

1-3 day turnaround
Callbacks as needed

Answers to frequently asked questions are posted in our on-line

knowledge base
Getting Support (continued)
AutoCAD forums:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/autocad/ct-p/8
Course Objective
It is to understand:
the fundamentals of the AutoCAD .NET API
how to teach yourself the AutoCAD .NET API
where to get help afterwards

What it is not:
Teach you .NET framework or C# , VB programming language
Give you complete coverage of all API functions
Class Agenda
Lectures with Labs
Slides give an abstract overview
Labs and discussion give a practical perspective

Lectures
Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements (Non CUI related)
Class Schedule

Time 9:30 - 5:30

Lunch 12:00 - 1:00

Day 1
Overview of .NET
Visual Studio Project Settings – Lab 1
User Input – Lab 2
Creating Entity, Block definition and Block References – Lab 3
UI Design – Win form Dialogs, Palettes and Event Handling – Lab 4

Day 2
Dictionaries – Lab 5
Point Monitor – Lab 6
Jigs - Lab 7
Non-CUI related UI elements – Lab 8
.NET Overview

 What is .NET?

 Benefits of programming in .NET

 Important Concepts
.NET Overview

What is .NET?

Components of .NET

The .NET Framework used for building and running all kinds of
software, including Web-based applications, smart client applications,
and XML Web Services
Developer tools such as Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 / 2012 ,2015,
2017 and 2019 (latest)
A set of servers that integrate, run, operate, and manage Web
services and Web-based applications
Client software that helps developers deliver a deep and compelling
user experience across a family of devices and existing products.
.NET Framework
VB C++ C# JScript …

Common Language Specification

Visual Studio 2017

ASP.NET Windows Forms

Data and XML

Base Class Library

Common Language Runtime

.NET Overview
What is .NET?

NET Framework
Common Language Runtime (CLR)
Object-Oriented programming environment
Common execution environment for .NET applications
-Similar to Java VM – but with much stronger interoperability

Framework Class Library (FCL)

Object Oriented Collection of re-usable types

(Source: MSDN)
.NET Overview
CLR Execution Model
Source code
VB C# C++

Compiler vbc.exe csc.exe cc.exe

Managed Assembly Assembly Assembly

Code IL Code IL Code IL Code
(dll or exe)

Common Language Runtime

JIT Compiler

Native Code

Operating System Services

What is Microsoft .NET?
What we know from our experience so far…

Intelligent symbolic representation

Mature language constructs
Collections, Events, Delegates
Common programming pitfalls addressed
Memory management, consistent Exception handling, unified strings

Source and binary inter-module communication

goes beyond C++ and COM
Meta data allows design- and run-time object usage and extension

Programming style
Multiple supported languages – Choose your weapons
.NET Overview

 What is .NET?

 Benefits of programming in .NET

 Important Concepts
 .NET Overview
Benefits of programming in .NET

Consistent Object Oriented Development platform

Automatic memory management – Garbage collection

Support for multiple languages

(Source: MSDN)
.NET Overview
Consistent Object Oriented Development platform
Everything you see can be treated as an Object!
Dim myLine As New Line()
myLine.StartPoint = New Point3d(0, 0, 0)
myLine.EndPoint = New Point3d(10, 10, 0)
myLine.GetClosestPointTo(New Point3d(5, 5.1, 0), False)

Dim x as Interger = 7
Dim s as String = x.ToString()

Objects are instances of a Type or Class (for example myLine

is an object and Line is a type)

Objects have properties such as StartPoint, and methods such

as GetClosestPointTo()
 .NET Overview

Consistent Object Oriented Development platform

Mature API Constructs

What’s wrong with this function?

int acedSSGet(const char * str,

const void * pt1,
const void * pt2,
const struct resbuf * filter,
ads_name ss);
 .NET Overview
Consistent Object Oriented Development platform
Mature API Constructs
Some 6 new classes defined to encapsulate acedSSGet()
Dim values(2) As TypedValue
‘Define the selection criteria
values(0) = New TypedValue(DxfCode.Start, “Circle”)
values(1) = New TypedValue(DxfCode.Color, 1)
Dim selFilter As New SelectionFilter(values)
Dim selOpts As New PromptSelectionOptions()
selOpts.AllowDuplicates = True
‘Run the selection
Dim res As PromptSelectionResult = Editor.GetSelection(selOpts, selFilter)
 .NET Overview

Benefits of programming in .NET

Consistent Object Oriented Development platform

Automatic memory management (Garbage

collection)
and consistent exception handling

Support for multiple languages

(Source: MSDN)
.NET Overview

Benefits of programming in .NET

Automatic memory management
 Old Way (C++) - Potential for memory leaks!

char *pName=(char*)malloc(128);
strcpy(pName,"Hello");
//...
free(pName);
 New Way - .NET

 C++ - String *pName=new String("Hello")

 VB - Dim Name As String = "Hello"
 C# - String Name=“Hello”;
 // Garbage collection handles deallocation; no ‘delete’!0
.NET Overview
Benefits of programming in .NET

Consistent exception handling

Old Way – VB: Can be very confusing and problematic!
On Error GoTo UnexpectedError
Dim x As Double=10/0 ‘…error!
UnexpectedError:
MsgBox Str$(Err.Number)

New – VB .NET
Try
Dim x As Double=10/0 ‘…error which throws exception
Catch
‘…what happened? Division by Zero!
Finally
‘…cleanup - do this either way
End Try
.NET Overview

Benefits of programming in .NET

Consistent Object Oriented Development platform

Automatic memory management (Garbage collection)

and consistent exception handling

Support for multiple languages

(Source: MSDN)
.NET Overview

Benefits of programming in .NET

Support for multiple languages

C#, VB most commonly used

Can interop between code written in different languages. For

example, a class written in C# can be inherited from a class
written in VB! In fact, AutoCAD’s managed assemblies are
written using managed C++ which you will access from VB.NET.

No significant difference in performance as all languages

compile to IL (Intermediate Language) executed by the CLR
.NET Overview

 What is .NET?

 Benefits of programming in .NET

 Important Concepts
 .NET Overview

Important Concepts
Assembly
Assemblies

• Fundamental unit of deployment and Manifest

execution in .NET Name?

•Contains a manifest that describes the What files make up the assembly?
assembly Dependent assemblies?

• Boundary for code execution and access Version and Culture?

permission

netmodule Dlls Bmp

(Source: MSDN)
Class Agenda
Lectures and Labs
Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - Simple User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
Database Fundamentals – Dictionaries, XRecords, Table
Traversal
More User Interaction – Advanced Prompts
User Interface design - WinForm Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET.
AutoCAD .NET API Documentation
How do I get started?

ObjectARX SDK Includes:

SDK Samples!
ObjectARX Developer’s Guide
Managed Reference Guide
Arxmgd.chm

ADN website
DevNotes
DevHelp Online

Visual Studio Class Browser

Development Environment

Microsoft Visual Studio 2019

AutoCAD 2023

Microsoft Windows 8
Microsoft Windows 7
Microsoft Windows 10
.NET Debugging Tools

Reflector
Browse .NET assemblies,
disassemble, decompile
http://sharptoolbox.madgeek.com
Ildasm
Disassemble .NET assemblies
Visual Studio Tools
Fuslogv
Diagnose load time problems
Visual Studio Tools
FxCop
Check conformance with Design
Snoop Tools (for AutoCAD’s database)

ArxDbg (C++) ObjectARX SDK

MgdDbg(C#) ADN
Visual Studio project settings– Hello World!

Start with a Class Library application type with DLL

output.

Add references to AutoCAD’s managed assemblies

acdbmgd.dll
Database services and DWG file manipulation
(like ObjectDBX)
acmgd.dll
AutoCAD Application specific
accoremgd.dll
AutoCAD core logic
Find them in the AutoCAD install
folder
(set COPY LOCAL = FALSE)
C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2023
C:\ObjectARX 2023\inc
 How does a plugin for AutoCAD work ?

Reference to AutoCAD
DLLs. Use it from
Code witten in ObjectARX INC folder
Visual Basic .NET

Project VB.NET

Compile

Load inside AutoCAD

with NETLOAD
Assembly
(.dll)
Visual Studio project settings– Hello World!

Reference namespaces you will use in your project

In VB.NET Use Imports keyword:

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Access to the AutoCAD application
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput
Access to the AutoCAD editor
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Command registration
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Access to the AutoCAD Database and Entities
Visual Studio project settings– Hello World!

Add a simple command – HelloWorld

Make a function an AutoCAD command by adding an attribute

Public Class Class1

<CommandMethod("HelloWorld")>
_
Public Function HelloWorld()
End Function
End Class
The attribute is added to the metadata for that function
Visual Studio project settings– Hello World!

To print a string to command line

Get the editor object for the active document

Dim ed As Editor =
Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor

Call the editor’s WriteMessage method

Public Class Class1

<CommandMethod("HelloWorld")>
_
Public Function HelloWorld()
ed.WriteMessage("Hello
Loading .NET assembly
NETLOAD command
AUTOLOADER
Startup
On command invocation
Demand Load (Registry)
Startup
On command invocation
On request
From another application
On proxy detection
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R23.1\ACAD-2001\Applications\AcLayer]
"DESCRIPTION"="AutoCAD Layer Manager"
"LOADER"="C:\\Program Files\\AutoCAD 2020\\aclayer.dll"
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0000000e
"MANAGED"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R2310\ACAD-2001\Applications\AcLayer\
Commands]
"LAYER"="LAYER“
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R23.1\ACAD-2001\Applications\AcLayer\Groups]
"ACLAYER_CMDS"="ACLAYER_CMDS“

Use Installers to set these keys!

AutoLoader
AutoCAD loads “bundles” from
%appdata%\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins
Each bundle has “PackageContents.xml”
 NETLOAD or Registry Keys
HKEY_CURRENT_USER For all users
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE For a specific user only

SOFTWARE
R19.0: 2013
.1: 2014
Autodesk R20.0: 2015
R20.1:2016
AutoCAD R21.0:2017
R22.0:2018
R23.0:2019
R23.0 409: English
R23.1:2020
X000: Civil3D 416: Portuguese
ACAD-2001 X001: AutoCAD 040A: Spanish
"DESCRIPTION"="Custom App Name"
Applications
"LOADER"="C:\\folder\\appName.dll"
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0000000e
YourAppName "MANAGED"=dword:00000001
Lab 1 – Hello World!
Class Agenda
Lectures and Labs
Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
Prompting for User Input

Use PromptXXXOptions to set the parameters for prompting

XXX is the value type we want to prompt, such as Angle, String,
Distance, Corner etc.
Use Message and Keywords properties to set the prompt string and
list of keywords
Use AllowYYY to set conditions for prompting. For e.g.,
AllowNegative

To prompt, use Editor’s GetXXX functions

Examples - GetAngle, GetString, GetDistance, GetCorner etc
Pass PromptXXXOptions into GetXXX

Result of prompting stored in PromptResult or derived types

Examples – PromptDoubleResult, PromptIntegerResult etc.
 Prompt for a point on screen

Config the options to select a point on screen

Dim pointOptions As New PromptPointOptions("Select a point: ")

Ask the user to select the point and store the selection
result

Dim pointResult As PromptPointResult = ed.GetPoint(pointOptions)

Create a Point3d variable to store the selected point
Requires an additional imports for Point3d: Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry

Dim selectedPoint As Point3d = pointResult.Value

Write the point coordinates (XYZ)

ed.WriteMessage(selectedPoint.ToString())
More User Interaction
PromptsXXXOptions is used to control prompting such as

Set the Message

Enter Number of Sides:

Set Keywords
Enter Number of Sides [Triangle/Square/Pentagon] :

Set Defaults
Enter Number of Sides [Triangle/Square/Pentagon] <3>:

Set Allowed values

Enter Number of Sides [Triangle/Square/Pentagon] <3>: -5
Value must be positive and nonzero.

PromptXXXResult is used to obtain result of prompting

Additional prompts
Types:
PromptPointOptions
PromptStringOptions
PromptDoubleOptions
PromptAngleOptions
PromptCornerOptions Help file
PromptDistanceOptions
PromptEntityOptions for the
PromptIntegerOptions rescue!
PromptKeywordOptions
PromptNestedEntityOptions
PromptSelectionOptions
Etc.
 Dotnet 2023 Wizards
AppWizard – Templates for a VB.NET or C# application
Lab 2 –User Input
Class Agenda
Lectures and Labs

Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
 AutoCAD Drawing Database
In-Memory representation of the Dwg File
Objects are stored hierarchically in the database - Db Structure
All objects have identities – ObjectId, like Primary Key in a relational
database
Objects are always accessed in a transaction
The transaction defines the boundary of database operations
Objects have to be opened first in a transaction before they can be used

Objects can refer to other objects – such as a line having a reference to a

layer

DWG
 Database Structure: Overview

Database

BlockTable LayerTable Other tabels DBDictionary

TextStyleTable Materials
DimStyleTable Visual Styles
BlockTableRecord LayerTableRecord UcsTable Others
Model Space 0 (Custom)
LineTypeTable
Paper Space 0 Other layers ViewTable
Paper Space 1 ViewportTable
Other blocks RegAppTable
 Database Components
Symbol Tables
Examples Layer Table, Linetype Table, Textstyle Table etc.
Containers to store Symbol Table Records
Example LayerTableRecord, LinetypeTableRecord etc
All Symbol Tables have common methods of a container
such as
Add – to add a record
Item – to lookup an entry with a search string
Has – To know if an entry exists
Is enumerable
Each symbol table can hold only records of a specific type
For example, a LayerTable can hold only
LayerTableRecords

Use SnoopDb to see where the Layers reside

Getting a Database Object

Construct One
In Memory

Get the one currently active in AutoCAD

HostApplicationServices.WorkingData
base()
Object Identity - ObjectID

All Objects that exist in the database have an

ObjectId

Is unique per session (or instance) of AutoCAD

Is generated automatically for an object when it is added to
the database
Non-database resident objects do not have an ObjectId set
Can be cached to open an object later

Get it using ObjectId property

Transactions

Transactions
Sets the boundary for database operations

Handles exception cleanly

Operates with a single Undo filer

Can be
committed – All database
operations are saved
rolled back – All database
operations are aborted
Can be nested
Nesting Transactions

1 2 3 4
Transaction 2 obj2 obj3

Transaction 1 obj1 obj2

obj1 obj3
obj2
Database

1. Client starts Trans1 and gets Obj1 & Obj2

2. Client starts Trans2 and gets Obj2 & Obj3
3. Client commits Trans2
Trans2 changes are committed
4a. Client commits Trans1
Trans1 changes are committed
4b. Client aborts Trans1 instead
Trans1 (and Trans2) changes are rolled back
Transactions
Standard db access with Transactions
Public Function MyFunc()
‘Get the database current in AutoCAD
Dim db As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase()
‘Start a transaction using the database transaction manager
Dim trans As Transaction = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()
Try
‘Do all database operations here
‘Lets get the block table from the database
‘Drill into the database and obtain a reference to the BlockTable
Dim bt As BlockTable = trans.GetObject(db.BlockTableId,
OpenMode.ForWrite)
‘Everything successful, so commit the transaction
trans.commit()
Catch
trans.Abort()
Finally
‘All ok. Call Dispose explicitly before exiting
trans.dispose()
End Try
End Function
Recommended Transaction Use
Standard DB access with Transactions

Public Function MyFunc()

‘Get the database current in AutoCAD
Dim db As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase()

‘Start a transaction using the database transaction manager

Using trans As Transaction =
db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()

‘Do all database operations here

‘Lets get the block table from the database
‘Drill into the database and obtain a reference to the BlockTable

Dim bt As BlockTable = trans.GetObject(db.BlockTableId,

OpenMode.ForWrite)
‘Everything successful, so commit the transaction
trans.commit()
End Using
End Function
Transaction - Opening an Object
• Use transaction’s GetObject to open an object
The first parameter is the ObjectId
Second parameter is the open mode
ForRead – Access but not Modify
ForWrite – Modify and Access
ForNotify – When the object is notifying

Dim bt As BlockTable = trans.GetObject( _

db.BlockTableId, _
OpenMode.ForWrite _
)
Adding an Object to the database
Find the right owner to add a newly created object to
All objects have exactly one owner

For example, newly created LayerTableRecord can only be added to the

Layer Table, its owner, or a newly created entity can be only added to a
block table record

Use Add method for adding Symbol Table Records to add to Symbol
Table

Use AppendXXX to add add other kinds of objects to its owners For
example
AppendEntity to add to BlockTableRecord

Once an object is added to an owner, always let the transaction know!

For example :
newBtr.AppendEntity(circle) ‘Add our circle to its owner the BTR
trans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(circle, True)
 Database Structure: Model Space

Under BlockTable Database

Model Space is a BlockTableRecord BlockTable

(BTR)
This concept also applies to Paper Spaces and BlockTableRecord
other internal and user-defined blocks
Model Space
Each BTR contains Entities
Entity
One type of entity for each
geometric type Line
Polyline
Is enumerable – Iterate with ‘For
MText
Each’
Circle
Many others...
 Append an Entity to Model Space

Dim db As Database = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Database

Using trans As Transaction = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction

'open the current space (can be any BTR, usually model space)
Dim mSpace As BlockTableRecord = trans.GetObject(db.CurrentSpaceId, _
OpenMode.ForWrite)

'Create and configure a new line Open the current space for write.
Dim newLine As New Line Can be any other BTR.
newLine.StartPoint = New Point3d(0, 0, 0)
newLine.EndPoint = New Point3d(10, 10, 0) Create and configure a new
line (in-memory)
'Append to model space Append to the current space, now the
mSpace.AppendEntity(newLine) line it is database resident
'Inform the transaction
trans.AddNewlyCreatedDBObject(newLine, True)
trans.commit()
End Using 'Dispose the transaction
 Object memory management

Note managed objects wrap an unmanaged C++ object!

So we create them with New, Do they need to be disposed?

No - garbage collection disposes the object when it wants to reclaim memory
If the object is not in the database –– this deletes the underlying
unmanaged object
If the object is in the database – this Closes the underlying unmanaged
object
If opened in a transaction, disposing or committing the
transaction closes it automatically! – Clean memory
management.

Manual Dispose is required in a few cases, e.g. Transaction

(Using)
Object Model Overview
classmap.dwg
in ObjectARX distribution
Important Managed Classes
Lab 3

Create Entity, Block and Block Reference

Class Agenda

Lectures and Labs

Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
Forms and UI Basics

Win Form API basics

How create a form

Common used controls

Respond to user actions

Using the form

Windows® OS is based on windows

Everything on screen is some type of window

You move focus across windows

The window with focus is usually “highlighted” and will receive
keyboard input

Forms are specialized windows

Can host other windows, in this case controls
Forms with WinForms API

Require reference to System.Windows.dll

Namespace System.Windows.Forms

Main features

Forms
Controls for forms (button, textbox, combobox)
Ready to use forms (dialogs to open, save, folder)
Others (menus, ribbon, tooltip)
Creating my first Form

Add a Windows Form

Add controls for the form

Controls are variable too
Each control is a variable – rename for further use

Current variable name and type

Select a control, mouse right-click

Change the name here

Properties
Do something when the user click!

For some controls we need execute something when the user

interacts with it
Example: when the user clicks on a button

Select “Events”

Select a button, mouse

right-click, “Properties”

Select “Click”, then mouse

Or just double-click on the double-click to create the
button, same result method button1_click
Create the control events

TIP
User Interface Design
AutoCAD Defined
Menus – Application level menu, Context menu
Dialogs
AutoCAD’s Enhanced Secondary Windows ( Palettes )
Color, Linetype, Lineweight, OpenFile dialogs
Tabbed Dialog Extensions (to Options Dialog)
Status Bar
Tray
Drag-Drop
And more. Explore Autodesk.AutoCAD.Windows namespace

Windows Defined
Windows Forms (Winform)
Host of other controls defined in CLR
Using a form inside AutoCAD

Modal forms
Application.ShowModalDialog

Modeless forms (consider Palette instead)

Application.ShowModelessDialog

Persists size and position automatically

Palette in AutoCAD

Create a user control

Create a PaletteSet

Add the user control to the palette using Add method.

Set the Visible property of the paletteset

Handling Events
Event
message sent by an object to notify something has happened
message is received in a function call by one or more listeners
event sender only requires function pointer to dispatch a message
any interested party can implement the function and receive the
event
function must have a specific signature that the sender requires
Use .NET delegates to ‘wire’ sender and receiver

Delegates
Like a class (can be instantiated) but with a signature
Holds references to functions having same signature
Like ‘Type-Safe’ function pointer
Can encapsulate any method which matches the specific signature
Using Delegates
Delegates in AutoCAD’s .NET API usually have ‘EventHandler’ suffix
Lookup the signature of the delegate in the object browser

Implement a function with same signature

Instantiate the delegate passing address of the function into its
constructor
Add the delegate instance to sender’s list of listeners
C#, use += operator
VB, use AddHandler

Delegate myDelegate = new Delegate(address of myFunction);

EventSender.Event += myDelegate;

myFunction(delegate signature)
{
}
‘Don’t forget to remove the listener!
Event Handling - Example
Create the event handler (callback)
Sub objAppended(ByVal o As Object, ByVal e As ObjectEventArgs)
MessageBox.Show("ObjectAppended!")
‘Do something here
‘Do something else, etc.
End Sub

Associate the event handler with an event

Dim db As Database
db = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase()
AddHandler db.ObjectAppended, New
ObjectEventHandler(AddressOf objAppended)

Disconnect the event handler

RemoveHandler db.ObjectAppended, AddressOf objAppended
Lab 4

PaletteSet and DB Events

Class Agenda
Lectures and Labs
Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
Dictionaries and XRecords
Dictionaries (Type DbDictionary)
Containers to hold data only
Holds other Dictionaries
Holds non-graphical Objects (derived from DbObject but not DbEntity!)
Is enumerable
Each item has a string key
Items searchable with a string key using GetAt() or Item

Two Root dictionaries

Named Objects Dictionary (NOD)
Owned by the database
Available by default
Used to store database level data
Extension Dictionary
Owned by an Entity
Created by the user only when needed
Used to store entity level data

Use SnoopDb to look where the dictionaries are stored

Dictionaries and XRecords
XRecord

Data containers

Holds data in a Resbuf chain (Result Buffer)

Resbuf – Linked List of TypedValues (DataType–Value pair)

No “Key” to search values within a Resbuf.

Should know the order data is stored in the list

XRecords can be added to Dictionaries

If stored in NOD –database level
data
If stored in Extension Dictionary –
entity-level data
Get NOD

To get the NOD for the database

Dim db = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase

Dim NOD As DBDictionary =

trans.GetObject(db.NamedObjectsDictionaryId,
OpenMode.ForWrite, False)

To create an ExtensionDictionary for an entity

myEntity.CreateExtensionDictionary()
 Dictionary Hierarchy

Named Object Dictionary

Extension Dictionary

DBDictionary
One DBDictionary can contain others.
Good to organize the structure.
SetAt GetAt DBDictionary
Also avoid conflict with other apps.

SetAt GetAt Xrecord

New
Data ResultBuffer Array of
AsArray TypeValues
Iterating Through Containers
Objects that are enumerable

Symbol Tables
Block Table Records
Dictionaries
Polylines
PolyFaceMesh & PolygonMesh
ACIS Solids
Called traversers
BlockReferences (Inserts)
Only useful when attributes are present
Symbol Table Traversal
Start with a database pointer
HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase – Get used to this one!

Iterate down into each sub-table from there…

Dim db As Database = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase()

Dim bt As BlockTable = trans.GetObject(db.BlockTableId, OpenMode.ForWrite)

Dim id As ObjectId
For Each id In bt
Dim btr As BlockTableRecord = trans.GetObject(id, OpenMode.ForRead)
Next
Lab 5

Adding Custom Data

Class Agenda
Lectures and Labs
Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
Input Point Monitor

Allows us to monitor relevant input in AutoCAD

Provides relevant data to the input received – Osnap, Draw context, various
computed points, Entities underneath aperture etc.

Allows you to draw temporary graphics, and to easily implement tooltips.

Created with the PointMonitor event of the editor

The delegate is a PointMonitorEventHandler
 Input Point Monitor

AppendToolTipText

Context
GetPickedEntities
FullSubentityPath

DrawContext
Geometry.Draw
Lab 6

PointMonitor
Class Agenda

Lectures and Labs

Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
Jigs

Allows you to graphically manipulate and form an

Entity in real time.

Two types of Jig available

EntityJig – Controls only one entity
DrawJig – Controls one or more.

Need to use a Class that inherits from EntityJig or DrawJig

Jigs

The constructor for this class takes

the entity being jigged.

Use the Editor Drag function to start

the Jig
Pass in the Jig
Jig Functions

Two functions that must be overridden

Sampler
Used to get input from the user

Update
Used to update the entity that is being jigged.
Jig Function - Sampler

One Argument Passed into this function

JigPrompts
AcquirePoint, AcquireDistance

Returns SamplerStatus
NoChange
OK
Jig Function - Update

Change the Properties of the Entity

Use a Select Case

To Get multiple inputs
Lab 7

Jigs
Class Agenda

Lectures and Labs

Overview of .NET.
AutoCAD .NET Visual Studio project settings – Hello World!
User Interaction - User Input and Entity Selection
Database Fundamentals – Symbol tables, Transactions
User Interface design – Win Form Dialogs and Palettes
Event handling – Reacting to AutoCAD Events in .NET. Database
Dictionaries, XRecords, Table Traversal
Point Monitor
Jigs
Additional User Interface Elements
Context menu

Application Level
Application.AddDefaultContextMenuExtension

Object Level
Application. AddObjectContextMenuExtension –per
RXClass
 Tabbed Dialog Extensions
Create a new tab inside Options dialog

Create a user control

Hook to Application.DisplayingOptionDialog event

Add the tab (user control) in the event handler

private void TabHandler(object sender, TabbedDialogEventArgs e)

{
myCustomTab myCustomTab = new myCustomTab();

TabbedDialogAction tabbedDialogAct = new TabbedDialogAction(myCustomTab.OnOk);

TabbedDialogExtension tabbedDialogExt = new

TabbedDialogExtension(myCustomTab, tabbedDialogAct);

e.AddTab("My Custom Tab", tabbedDialogExt);

}
 Drag and Drop

Handle MouseMove

Create an instance of your DropTarget class

Call Application.DoDragDrop

Application.DoDragDrop ( this, this, Forms.DragDropEffects.All,

new MyDropTarget() );

public class MyDropTarget : Autodesk.AutoCAD.Windows.DropTarget

{
public override void OnDrop(System.Windows.Forms.DragEventArgs e)
{
}
}
Lab 8
Additional User Interface Elements
(Non CUI based)
 More API Resources
Blogs
Through the Interface (AutoCAD.NET)
http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/

AutoCAD DevBlog
http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/
Developer Center : http://www.autodesk.com/developautocad
API Training Classes : www.autodesk.com/apitraining

Discussion Groups : http://forums.autodesk.com

Thank You !