Create title border in AutoCAD Mechanical

By Adam Nagy

There is a comprehensive .NET sample using the AutoCAD Mechanical COM API in the SDK under "acadmapi\sample\dotNet" called "netTitleBorder": http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=14952981&siteID=123112

Here is also a simpler VBA code that shows how the relevant API works:

Public Sub CreateTitleBorder()

' Requires a reference to:
' - Autodesk SymBBAuto Type Library
' - Autodesk AutoCAD Mechanical Type Library

'Get Application Object
Dim oApp As AcadmApplication
Set oApp = ThisDrawing.Application.GetInterfaceObject( _
  "AcadmAuto.AcadmApplication")

'Reference to the Symbol Manager
Dim symMgr As McadSymbolBBMgr
Set symMgr = ThisDrawing.Application.GetInterfaceObject( _
  "SymBBAuto.McadSymbolBBMgr")

'Reference to the TitleBorder Manager
Dim oTitleBMng As McadTitleBorderMgr
Set oTitleBMng = symMgr.TitleBorderMgr

'Create New Descriptor
Dim oDescriptor As McadTitleBorderDescriptor
Set oDescriptor = oTitleBMng.NewDescriptor

'Set Position
oDescriptor.Position(0) = 0
oDescriptor.Position(1) = 41.7
oDescriptor.Position(2) = 0

'Fill up Border properties
oDescriptor.Border.Name = "ANSI_C"

oDescriptor.Border.Extends(0)(0) = 1E+20
oDescriptor.Border.Extends(0)(1) = 1E+20
oDescriptor.Border.Extends(0)(2) = 1E+20

oDescriptor.Border.Extends(1)(0) = -1E+20
oDescriptor.Border.Extends(1)(1) = -1E+20
oDescriptor.Border.Extends(1)(2) = -1E+20

oDescriptor.Border.Position(0) = 0
oDescriptor.Border.Position(1) = 41.7
oDescriptor.Border.Position(2) = 0

'Fill up Title Properties
oDescriptor.Title.Name = "ANSI_TITUS"
oDescriptor.Title.Position(0) = 21.5
oDescriptor.Title.Position(1) = 42.443
oDescriptor.Title.Position(2) = 0

'Create Title Attribute Values
Dim Attributes(0 To 19, 0 To 1) As String

Attributes(0, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-APPM": Attributes(0, 1) = "My Boss"
Attributes(1, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-ISSD": Attributes(1, 1) = "02/02/2008"
Attributes(2, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-NAME": Attributes(2, 1) = _
  "Administrator"
Attributes(3, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-CTRN": Attributes(3, 1) = "12358746"
Attributes(4, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-DACT": Attributes(4, 1) = ""
Attributes(5, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-CHKD": Attributes(5, 1) = "01/01/2008"
Attributes(6, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-SCA": Attributes(6, 1) = "1'0""=1'0"""
Attributes(7, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-DES1": Attributes(7, 1) = "Title1"
Attributes(8, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-REV": Attributes(8, 1) = "rev1"
Attributes(9, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-WT": Attributes(9, 1) = "Weight"
Attributes(10, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-DES2": Attributes(10, 1) = "Subtitle1"
Attributes(11, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-SIZ": Attributes(11, 1) = "C"
Attributes(12, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-APPD": Attributes(12, 1) = "05/02/2008"
Attributes(13, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-ISSM": Attributes(13, 1) = "Johnny"
Attributes(14, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-DWG": Attributes(14, 1) = "Drawing1"
Attributes(15, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-DAT": Attributes(15, 1) = "02/12/2008"
Attributes(16, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-FSCM": Attributes(16, 1) = "-0125412"
Attributes(17, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-CHKM": Attributes(17, 1) = "Joe"
Attributes(18, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-NR": Attributes(18, 1) = "-0123654"
Attributes(19, 0) = "GEN-TITLE-SHEET": Attributes(19, 1) = "Sheet1"

oDescriptor.Title.Attributes = Attributes

'Set Scale
oDescriptor.TitleBorderScale = 1

'Create New Context
Dim oContext As McadTitleBorderContext
Set oContext = oTitleBMng.NewContext

'oContext.AutomaticPlacement = True
'oContext.BaseScale = True
'oContext.DwgDefault = True
'oContext.MoveObjects = True
'oContext.Rescale = True
'oContext.RetrieveFromAsmProp = True
'oContext.RetrieveFromPartRef = True
'oContext.ThawAllLayers = True

'Create Title Border
Dim oTitleBorder As McadTitleBorder
Set oTitleBorder = oTitleBMng.CreateTitleBorder(oDescriptor, oContext)

End Sub

The result: