AutoCAD DevBlog

AcadAppInfo::writeToRegistry changed in AutoCAD 2017

By Virupaksha Aithal

In AcadAppInfo::writeToRegistry, the Boolean parameters are removed in AutoCAD 2017. This is because AutoCAD is not guaranteed to run with elevated permissions always and hence writing to current machine is always problematic through API. Now writeToRegistry works like writeToRegistry(false, true) of AutoCAD 2016. (Write to current user only and in AutoCAD section).

Identify plotting during draw overrule

By Virupaksha Aithal

Recently, I received questions from couple of developers on identifying the plotting state during overrule. Though the context of questions were different (like one developer wanted to avoid doing draw overrule during plot and other wanted kind of applying plot stamp) I felt I need to make the solution as blog. To identify the plotting state, use “Context.IsPlotGeneration” as shown in below code

public override bool WorldDraw(Autodesk.AutoCAD.GraphicsInterface.Drawable drawable, 
            Autodesk.AutoCAD.GraphicsInterface.WorldDraw wd)
{
    if (wd.Context.IsPlotGeneration)
    {
        //code while ploting 
    }
    else
    {
        //code while not ploting 
    }

    return base.WorldDraw(drawable, wd);
}

Identify if the DWG is saved by Autodesk software

By Virupaksha Aithal

AcDbDatabase provides a API dwgFileWasSavedByAutodeskSoftware to identify whether the DWG file is saved by Autodesk software or not.

Detaching missing external reference files from side database

By Virupaksha Aithal

Below code shows the procedure to detach the missing external reference files from a side database

[CommandMethod("DetachXref")]
public void detach_xref()
{
    Document Doc = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
    Editor ed = Doc.Editor;
    string mainDrawingFile = @"C:\xref\RectHost.dwg";
    using(Database db = new Database(false, false))
    {
        try
        {
            db.ReadDwgFile(mainDrawingFile, System.IO.FileShare.ReadWrite, false, "");
        }
        catch (System.Exception)
        {
            ed.WriteMessage("\nUnable to read the drawingfile.");
            return;
        }
        bool saveRequired = false;
        db.ResolveXrefs(true, false);
        using (Transaction tr = db.TransactionManager.StartTransaction())
        {
            XrefGraph xg = db.GetHostDwgXrefGraph(true);
            int xrefcount = xg.NumNodes;
            for (int j = 0; j < xrefcount; j++)
            {
                XrefGraphNode xrNode = xg.GetXrefNode(j);
                String nodeName = xrNode.Name;
                if (xrNode.XrefStatus == XrefStatus.FileNotFound)
                {
                    ObjectId detachid = xrNode.BlockTableRecordId;
                    db.DetachXref(detachid);
                    saveRequired = true;
                    ed.WriteMessage("\nDetached successfully");
                    break;
                }
            }
            tr.Commit();
        }
        if (saveRequired)
            db.SaveAs(mainDrawingFile, DwgVersion.Current);
    }
}

How to make the plug-in commands not available in .NET

By Virupaksha Aithal

Question: Recently I received a question on how to avoid exposing commands in the custom plug-in when the license verification fails.
Answer: One of the procedure to achieve this requirement is to do license verification in IExtensionApplication.Initialize() and throwing an exception if license verification fails. After throwing exception, none of the commands in plug-in will be available for the user.

void IExtensionApplication.Initialize()
{
    //your check...

    //throw LoadFailed error...
    throw new Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.Exception(
        Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime.ErrorStatus.LoadFailed);
}

Quit AutoCAD

By Virupaksha Aithal

AutoCAD.NET API exposes “Application.Quit()” to exit the AutoCAD. However, “Application.Quit()” at present is unable to save all the user profile setting (like active ribbon tab ). One alternative approach for the issue is to use quit AutoCAD command through “SendStringToExecute”   

[CommandMethod("quitACAD", CommandFlags.Session)]
static public void quitACAD()
{
    //Quit AutoCAD 
    Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.SendStringToExecute("quit ", true, false, true);
} 

Debugging AutoCAD 2017 using Visual Studio 2015

By Virupaksha Aithal

At present, developers are unable to debug the .NET modules in AutoCAD 2017 with VS 2015. As explained in Kean’s article for VS 2013 http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2013/11/debugging-autocad-using-visual-studio-2013.html , the workaround for this issue is to either enable the native debugging or using the Compatibility mode in VS 2015.

1. Turn on “Use Managed Compatibility Mode” via Tools –> Options –> Debugging.
2. Turn on “Enable native code debugging” from Project –> Properties –> Debug.

Identify view change in AutoCAD

By Virupaksha Aithal

I have received an query from an ADN partner recently on identifying the view change in AutoCAD, like when user pan or zoom using mouse.
To identify the view change developers can use the editor rector viewChanged() (AcEditorReactor:: viewChanged()) in ObjectARX . However, in AutoCAD.NET API, the equivalent API is provided in document class Document::ViewChanged

[CommandMethod("ViewChnage")]
public void ViewChnage()
{
    Document doc = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;
    doc.ViewChanged += doc_ViewChanged;
}

void doc_ViewChanged(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    //
} 

AutoCAD Developer Documentation Survey

By Virupaksha Aithal

AutoCAD customization documentation team is conducting the survey on AutoCAD Developer Documentation. This survey is to collect information about your impression of the developer documentation and to determine our priorities. I hope you’ll be willing to give few minutes of your time to take the survey – the results will be used to guide the efforts of our developer documentation team.

Here is the link to the survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/QXNH7VQ. This survey will be active till 5/31/2016

Also, visit blog http://hyperpics.blogs.com/beyond_the_ui/2016/03/autocad-developer-documentation-survey-2016.html which lists the work done on previous developer documentation survey.

 

CUI and images with transparency

By Virupaksha Aithal

Till AutoCAD 2014, AutoCAD used to take only BMP format images in CUI. As BMP format doesn't work with transparency, AutoCAD used to interpret RGB color 192,192,192 as transparent. AutoCAD users had used this workaround in CUI. 

But the limitation of this approach is that the background color is fixed as 192,192,192. Any other background color will make the background visible in CUI.

From AutoCAD 2015 (and later versions), you can provide PNG images in CUI. As PNG format supports transparency, you can set the transparency for the images and hence the workaround to set the background color as 192,192,192 is not required.

If you have a BMP with specific background color (like 192,192,192) then “Bitmap.MakeTransparent” API call can convert passed color as Transparent. Refer below code which converts the BMP with 192,192,192 background color to Transparent PNG

using (Bitmap myBitmap = new Bitmap(@"C:\temp\transparent.bmp"))

{

    //assuming that first pixel will have back ground color

    Color backColor = myBitmap.GetPixel(0, 0);

    myBitmap.MakeTransparent(backColor);

    myBitmap.Save(@"C:\temp\transparent.png",

                    System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png);

}