Infrastructure Modeling DevBlog

AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014 and Custom Draw API

By Partha Sarkar

Custom Draw API is an extension of the AutoCAD ObjectARX (C++) API that allows us to customize the way AutoCAD Civil 3D renders objects. There is a sample application demonstrating this API which is part of the AutoCAD Civil 3D installation folder typically at <Civil 3D installation folder >\Sample\Civil 3D API\COM\VC++\CustomDraw\Lib\x64

 

In AutoCAD Civil 3D 2014 release, unfortunately the Custom Draw API lib file [ AeccCustomDraw.lib ] is missing. I am uploading this "  AeccCustomDraw Lib" file here for those of you who want to use the same in Civil 3D 2014.

Creating SampleLineGroup and SampleLine using AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API

By Partha Sarkar

In this post, let's see how to create SampleLineGroup and SampleLine using new .NET API in Civil 3D 2014 release.

Samplelines are used to cut sections across an alignment. Samplelines are lines placed along an alignment at a specified station interval (or at defined stations of interest, such as at assemblies of a corridor object), using a specified left and right swath width. SampleLine objects are contained in SampleLineGroup objects, which organize multiple related sample lines. A SampleLine is used to create a SectionView object, which displays some or all of the sections sampled at that sample line.

We can create a new SampleLineGroup object using SampleLineGroup.Create(string groupName,  ObjectId alignmentId )

And we can create new SampleLine using the SampleLine.Create() static method which has two different variants -

public static ObjectId Create(string sampleLineName, ObjectId sampleLineGroupId, double station);

   

 public static ObjectId Create(string sampleLineName, ObjectId sampleLineGroupId, Point2dCollection points);

 

C# code snippet below, shows how to add a SampleLineGroup and a SampleLine using Create(string sampleLineName, ObjectId sampleLineGroupId, Point2dCollection points) –

Alignment alignment = trans.GetObject(alignmentId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as Alignment;

 

ObjectId slgId = SampleLineGroup.Create("My SampleLineGroup", alignment.ObjectId);

SampleLineGroup sampleLineGroup = trans.GetObject(slgId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as SampleLineGroup;

 

// Creating Sample line from a selected set of Points

 

Point2dCollection points = new Point2dCollection();

Point2d samplelineVertexPoint1 = new Point2d(4528.7808,3884.1900);

points.Add(samplelineVertexPoint1);

Point2d samplelineVertexPoint2 = new Point2d(4545.6858,3859.4065);

points.Add(samplelineVertexPoint2);

ObjectId slatStationId = SampleLine.Create("SampleLineByPoints", slgId, points);

 

SampleLine sampleLine = trans.GetObject(slatStationId, OpenMode.ForWrite) as SampleLine;

sampleLine.StyleId = civilDoc.Styles.SampleLineStyles[0];

 

 

Here is the result - 

 

Demystifying CogoPoint.Latitude and CogoPoint.Longitude API

By Partha Sarkar

AutoCAD Civil 3D .NET API 2014 Reference document clearly lists the following on CogoPoint.Latitude and CogoPoint.Longitude –

CogoPoint.Longitude -> Gets or sets the longitude for a point, relative to the coordinate zone and the transformation settings specified for the drawing.

public:

property double Longitude {

            double get ();

            void set (double value);

}

 

CogoPoint.Latitude -> Gets or sets the latitude for a point, relative to the coordinate zone and the transformation settings specified for the drawing.

 

public:

property double Latitude {

            double get ();

            void set (double value);

}

Let’s explore this API returned results. First, we need to set an appropriate coordinate system to our drawing file. For this experiment, I have used CA-II CS code as shown in the screenshot below -

Now I will create a COGO Point in the drawing area and we will investigate it’s Latitude and Longitude values from API and in UI OPM.

Now let’s run our custom application using Civil 3D .NET API CogoPoint.Latitude and CogoPoint.Longitude. Here is the code snippet :

ObjectId pointId = points.Add(pointCoord, "My_Test_Point");

CogoPoint cgPoint = trans.GetObject(pointId, OpenMode.ForRead) as CogoPoint;

 

// Point Latitude and Longitude values are in Radians

ed.WriteMessage("\nPoint Lat : " + cgPoint.Latitude.ToString() + "  "

                + "Point Long : " + cgPoint.Longitude.ToString());

 

And here is the result shown :

In the result we get decimal values whereas in the Properties window we see the values are in degree-minute-second. However the values don’t seem to match!

API returned double values are in Radians. Referring the above screenshot, if we convert the Latitude value 0.654133960948817 radians to degree we get 37.4791089757124 degree and the Longitude value 2.24952166028165 radians converts to 128.8880756575156 degree.

Hope this is useful to you!

Accessing Survey Database Points using AutoCAD Civil 3D COM API

By Partha Sarkar

Using IAeccSurveyProject:: GetPointByNumber API we can access a Survey Point instance with the input point number. Once we get the specific AeccSurveyPoint object we can access its various properties and methods. Most of the properties in COM API are read only i.e. we can get the value, but can set them using API except few e.g. -

IAeccSurveyPoint:: Name Property - > Gets or sets the name of the Point.

Here is a VB.NET sample code which demonstrates how to access Survey Database Points using COM API in Civil 3D 2014 :

 

Public Sub DemoAccessSurveyPoints()

 

  '' This sample Demonstrates How to access Survey Database Points using COM API in Civil 3D 2014

  ''

  '' Created by Partha Sarkar - DevTech, Autodesk

 

  Dim ed As Editor = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor

 

  Dim oAcadApp As Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.AcadApplication = Nothing

  Dim oAeccSurveyApp As Autodesk.AECC.Interop.UiSurvey.AeccSurveyApplication = Nothing

  Dim oAeccSurveyDoc As Autodesk.AECC.Interop.UiSurvey.AeccSurveyDocument = Nothing

  Dim oAeccSurveyDB As Autodesk.AECC.Interop.Survey.AeccSurveyDatabase = Nothing

 

 

  Using trans As Transaction = HostApplicationServices.WorkingDatabase.TransactionManager.StartTransaction()

 

    Try

      If oAcadApp Is Nothing Then

        oAcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")

      End If

    Catch ex As Exception

      ed.WriteMessage(ex.Message)

    End Try

 

    Try

      ' If you are using the COM API in Civil 3D 2014

      ' you need to update the object version to 10.3

      ' http://adndevblog.typepad.com/infrastructure/2013/03/whats-new-in-autocad-civil-3d-2014-api.html

 

      oAeccSurveyApp = oAcadApp.GetInterfaceObject("AeccXUiSurvey.AeccSurveyApplication.10.3")

      oAeccSurveyDoc = oAeccSurveyApp.ActiveDocument

      oAeccSurveyDB = oAeccSurveyApp.ActiveDocument.Database

 

 

      Dim oSurveyProjects As AeccSurveyProjects = CType(oAeccSurveyDB.Projects, AeccSurveyProjects)

 

      ' get the 1st Project from the Survey Projects collection

      Dim oSurveyProject As AeccSurveyProject = oSurveyProjects.Item(0)

 

      If Not (oSurveyProject Is Nothing) Then

 

        ' Get the Project Name

          ed.WriteMessage(vbCrLf + "Projcet Name : " + " " + oSurveyProject.Name.ToString())

 

        ' IAeccSurveyProject:: GetPointByNumber

        ' Gets the Survey Point instance with the input point number.

 

        Dim oSurveyPoint As AeccSurveyPoint = oSurveyProject.GetPointByNumber(1)

 

        ' Check the Point Properties Name, Easting, Northing & Elevation

 

        ed.WriteMessage(vbCrLf + "Point Name : " + oSurveyPoint.Name.ToString() )

        ed.WriteMessage(vbCrLf + "Easting : " + oSurveyPoint.Easting.ToString() + " " +

                        "Northing : " + oSurveyPoint.Northing.ToString() + " " +

                        "Elevation : " + oSurveyPoint.Elevation.ToString())

 

      End If      

 

      trans.Commit()

    Catch ex As Exception

      ed.WriteMessage("Error : ", ex.Message & vbCrLf)

    End Try

  End Using

End Sub

 

Here is a screenshot of the result from this code snippet :

 

Hope this is useful to you!

Result of AutoCAD Civil 3D API wish-list Survey 2013

By Partha Sarkar

Recently we concluded our AUTOCAD Civil 3D API Wishlist Survey, 2013. First of all, I would like to ‘Thank You’ all, who participated in the survey and shared their valuable feedback. I am sharing some part of the result here using infographics –

 

Question: From the following list of possible Civil 3D API enhancements, please select the three areas most important to you -

 

Question: Rate the importance of the following resources -

 

Question: What are you doing with cloud technology?

Question: What are you doing with mobile technology?

Question: Have you posted your Apps to the Exchange Store?

 

Question: How many people are using your Autodesk technology integrated product(s) today?