AutoCAD 2018 .

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.autodesk.com/adn-devhelp
 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
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
and 2015
 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 …

Visual Studio 2012/ 2015

Common Language Specification

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?
Version and Culture?
• Boundary for code execution and access
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 2015

 AutoCAD 2018

 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 Guidelines
 http://www.gotdotnet.com/team/fxcop/
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 2017
C:\ObjectARX 2018\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

 CommandMethod or CommandMethodAttribute type accepts

several parameters in its constructor such as group name, global
and local names, command flags and more (Use the object
browser)
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 World")
End Function
End Class
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\R21.0\ACAD-H001:409\Applications\AcLayer]
"DESCRIPTION"="AutoCAD Layer Manager"
"LOADER"="C:\\Program Files\\AutoCAD 2017\\aclayer.dll"
"LOADCTRLS"=dword:0000000e
"MANAGED"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R21.0\ACAD-
H001:409\Applications\AcLayer\Commands]
"LAYER"="LAYER“
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R21.0\ACAD-H001:409\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
Autodesk .1: 2014
R20.0: 2015
AutoCAD R20.1:2016
R21.0:2017
R22.0 R22.0:2018
409: English
X000: Civil3D 416: Portuguese
ACAD-B001:409 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
Help file
 PromptCornerOptions
for the
 PromptDistanceOptions
rescue!
 PromptEntityOptions
 PromptIntegerOptions
 PromptKeywordOptions
 PromptNestedEntityOptions
 PromptSelectionOptions
 Etc.
 Dotnet 2018 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
Getting a Database Object

 Construct One
 In Memory

 Get the one currently active in AutoCAD

 HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase()
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 BlockTableRecord
and other internal and user-defined blocks
Model Space
 Each BTR contains Entities
Entity
 One type of entity for each
Line
geometric type
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 !