DigiPara Blog

Choosing a Sheet/Viewframe by name

Sometimes it is usefull to do specific tasks (i.e. add an overwrite, move an annotative text) in a particular sheet/viewframe.  However there is no built-in function in the API to bring back a sheet/viewframe by name.

The following VB.NET snippet brings back a specific sheet by name:

[code]

Private Function BringSheet(ByRef Name As String) As LDX.LDXSheet
        For Each ldSheet As LDX.LDXSheet In Me.m_ldDoc.Sheets
            If ldSheet.ZB_DESC = Name Then
                BringSheet = ldSheet
                Return BringSheet
            End If
        Next
        BringSheet = Nothing
        Return BringSheet
    End Function

[/code]

The following VB.NET snippet brings back a specific viewframe on a specific sheet by name:

 

Private Function BringViewFrame(ByRef SheetName As String, ByRef ViewFrameName As String) As LDX.LDXSheetFrame
        For Each ldSheet As LDX.LDXSheet In Me.m_ldDoc.Sheets
            If ldSheet.ZB_DESC = SheetName Then
                For Each ldSheetFrame As LDX.LDXSheetFrame In ldSheet
                    If ldSheetFrame.DeveloperName = ViewFrameName Then
                        BringViewFrame = ldSheetFrame
                        Return BringViewFrame
                    End If
                Next
            End If
        Next
        BringViewFrame = Nothing
        Return BringViewFrame
    End Function

Programmatically add "Additional Child Objects" to LD

You probably already know about LD's functionality to let the user add user defined objects to any of the components inside the data tree. This property is called "Additional Child Objects".

 
 

Well, this is nice for people that don't want to do any kind of programming to just add some non-standard geometry to LD. But it also comes with some nice features if you add it programmatically. Here's a screenshot of the properties for a child object:

 
 

As you can see, it gives the user control over e.g. the components x/y/z position or the rotation angle. Might be handy for certain purposes.

Here's the VB.NET code snippet to do that:

   Private Enum LDF_WHAT

      LDF_WHAT_CAR_AND_DOORS = &H1         ' Car and Doors

      LDF_WHAT_GUIDES = &H2               ' Guide Rails

      LDF_WHAT_RAILBRACKETS = &H4         ' Rail Brackets

      LDF_WHAT_CARFRAME = &H8               ' Car Frame

      LDF_WHAT_MP = &H10                  ' Scaffoldings

      LDF_WHAT_GL = &H20                  ' Gear and Pulleys

      LDF_WHAT_CY_AND_BF = &H40            ' Cylinders and Buffers

      LDF_WHAT_CAR_INTERIOR = &H80         ' Car interior

      LDF_WHAT_AR = &H400                  ' Anchor Rails

      LDF_WHAT_SHAFT = &H800               ' Shaft

      LDF_WHAT_FORCES = &H1000            ' Forces

      LDF_WHAT_ROPE = &H20000               ' Ropes

      LDF_WHAT_TABLEAU = &H40000            ' Hall Buttons

      LDF_WHAT_REFUGE = &H80000            ' Refuge Space

      LDF_WHAT_MROOM = &H200000            ' Machine Room

      LDF_WHAT_ELECTRICAL = &H400000      ' Lighting, Panels, Traveling Cable, etc.

      LDF_WHAT_GOVERNOR = &H800000         ' Governor

      LDF_WHAT_DOOR_FIXING = &H1000000      ' Door Fixings

      LDF_WHAT_BEAMS = &H2000000            ' Separator Beams, MR-Beams and Sill Support

      LDF_WHAT_UNKNOWN = &H40000000         ' unknown: use if nothing else fits

   End Enum

   Private Sub Calculate_AdditionalChilds(ByRef ldDoc As LDX.LDXDocument, ByVal ldShaft As LDX.LDXShaft)

      Dim ldObj As LDX.LDXObject

      Dim ldUComp As LDX.LDXUserComp

      'Define some display options for the property grid

      Dim ldObjDisplOption As LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions = LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoAllowAdditionalChild Or _

      LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoAllowAddUserVariable Or LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoCanBeAddedToDatamodel Or _

      LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoShowAngle Or LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoShowDesc Or _

      LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoShowManufacturer Or LDX.ObjectDisplayOptions.odoShowSubDesc

      'Create main component with "Shaft0." as parent

      ldObj = ldShaft.Comp.UserChildren("MyMainComp0.")

      If ldObj Is Nothing Then

         ldObj = ldShaft.Comp.UserChildren.Add("MyMainComp0.")

      End If

      ldUComp = ldObj.LDXType()

      With ldUComp

         'From "L_UserCompTab"

         If .Comp.GetPartRID() <> 19 Then .Comp.ChangePartRID(19, 0)

         'Or directly change PG_GRP

         'If .Comp.PG_GRP <> 1 Then .Comp.ChangePGGRP(1)

         'Set some display options

         .UserDisplayOptions = ldObjDisplOption

         'Assign e.g. "Shaft" component group (Properties -> "Assigned component group")

         ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "WHAT_BIT", LDF_WHAT.LDF_WHAT_SHAFT)

         'Set insertion point relative to parent component

         'Only set here if user should not be able to change from within LD

         ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "X0", 0)

         ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "Y0", 0)

         ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "Z0", 0)

         'Anything else is just like for normal user components

      End With

      'Create two child components with "MyMainComp0." as parent

      Dim ldUCompChild As LDX.LDXUserComp

      For i As Integer = 0 To 1

         ldObj = ldUComp.Comp.UserChildren("MyChild" & i & ".")

         If ldObj Is Nothing Then

            ldObj = ldUComp.Comp.UserChildren.Add("MyChild" & i & ".")

         End If

         ldUCompChild = ldObj.LDXType()

         With ldUCompChild

            'From "L_UserCompTab"

            If .Comp.GetPartRID() <> 2 Then .Comp.ChangePartRID(2, 0)

            'Or directly change PG_GRP

            'If .Comp.PG_GRP <> 1 Then .Comp.ChangePGGRP(1)

            'Set some display options

            .UserDisplayOptions = ldObjDisplOption

            'Assign e.g. "Shaft" component group (Properties -> "Assigned component group")

            ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "WHAT_BIT", LDF_WHAT.LDF_WHAT_SHAFT)

            'Set insertion point relative to parent component

            'Only set here if user should not be able to change from within LD

            If i = 0 Then

               ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "X0", 0)

            Else

               ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "X0", ldShaft.Room.Width)

            End If

            ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "Y0", 0)

            ldDoc.SetValue(.Object.TreeName & "Z0", 0)

            'Anything else is just like for normal user components

         End With

      Next

   End Sub

Enjoy...

WorldRoot to LocalRoot Transformation

Sometimes it's necessary to transform world coordinates of one component to local coordinates relative to another component.

Let's assume you have two shafts and you want to attach a user component to the second shaft. The insertion point or local root of your user component is relative to the second shaft, because it will be a child object of the second shaft. Furthermore your user component should be located at the insertion point of the front car door of the second shaft.

This requires a transformation of the car door's world coordinates to the local coordinate system of the second shaft. The following VB.NET code snippet shows how to do this by using the (very handy for all kinds of 3D manipulations) classes and functions attached to this post: 

    Private Sub Calculate_Transformation(ByRef ldDoc As LDX.LDXDocument)

        If (ldDoc Is Nothing) OrElse (ldDoc.Shafts.Count < 2) _

        OrElse (ldDoc.Shafts(1).Car.GetDoor(1) Is Nothing) Then Return

 

        Dim csLocalMatrixShaft As dpHideCS

        Dim vLocalRootCarDoor As dpHideVec

        Dim vWorldRootCarDoor As dpHideVec

 

        csLocalMatrixShaft = New dpHideCS(ldDoc.Shafts(1).Comp.LocalMatrix)

        vWorldRootCarDoor = _

        New dpHideVec(ldDoc.Shafts(1).Car.GetDoor(1).Comp.WorldMatrix.R)

 

        vLocalRootCarDoor = _

        csLocalMatrixShaft.ReTransform(vWorldRootCarDoor)

 

        Debug.WriteLine("----- local root -----")

        Debug.WriteLine("x: " & vLocalRootCarDoor.X)

        Debug.WriteLine("y: " & vLocalRootCarDoor.Y)

        Debug.WriteLine("z: " & vLocalRootCarDoor.Z)

    End Sub

The result of the transformation is simply printed to Visual Studio's output window, but you might want to use the resulting coordinates to position your user component. Of course this also works with any other component/object that require transformation.

Download TransformationSample

Version 5.4 is in preparation

We are currently working on version 5.4.
5.4 will be a pure technology upgrade in the following main areas:
- new VS2008 compiler support;existing .NET applications compiled with VS 2005 are still working properly
- Updated DWG libaries will support Autocad 2010/2011 format
- new Infragistics UI libaries

Clients interested in testing the 5.4 Beta are requested to send me an email.
 
Thank you,
Andreas Fleischmann