B-Rep information NonParametricBaseFeature

By Wayne Brill

If you import a model from another format there should be NonParametricBaseFeature. You can use this to get B-Rep infromation. (In Inventor 2011 this was the only way to get this information from a model imported from another format.)

Here are VBA and VB.NET examples accessing the surface body of the model from the NonParametricBaseFeature. These examples print out the Brep information in the immediate window.

Sub NonParametricBaseFeatures()
    ‘get the non param feature
    Dim nonparamF As NonParametricBaseFeature
    Dim basebody As SurfaceBody
    Dim pdoc As PartDocument
    Set pdoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
   
    Set nonparamF = pdoc.ComponentDefinition. _
      Features.NonParametricBaseFeatures.Item(1)
   
    Call nonparamF.Edit
   
    Set basebody = nonparamF.BaseSolidBody
    ‘Works too in Inventor 2013
    ‘Set basebody = pdoc.ComponentDefinition _
    ‘                         .SurfaceBodies(1)
    Call AnalyseSurfaceBody(basebody)
    Call nonparamF.ExitEdit
End Sub

Sub AnalyseSurfaceBody(oSB As SurfaceBody)
    Dim I As Long
    For I = 1 To oSB.Edges.count
        Dim oEdge As Edge
        Set oEdge = oSB.Edges(I)
        If oEdge.CurveType = kCircleCurve Then
            Debug.Print oEdge.CurveType & _
                                  " -> Circle"
        ElseIf (oEdge.CurveType = kLineCurve) Then
            Debug.Print oEdge.CurveType & _
                                     " -> Line"
        Else
            Debug.Print oEdge.CurveType & _
                   " -> Other types or Unknown"
        End If
    Next I
   
    For I = 1 To oSB.Faces.count
        Dim oFace As Face
        Set oFace = oSB.Faces(I)
        If (oFace.SurfaceType = kCylinderSurface) Then
            Debug.Print oFace.SurfaceType & _
                                     " -> Cylinder"
        ElseIf (oFace.SurfaceType = kPlaneSurface) Then
            Debug.Print oFace.SurfaceType & _
                                         " -> Plane"
        Else
            Debug.Print oFace.SurfaceType & _
                        " -> Other types or Unknown"
        End If
    Next I
End Sub

VB.NET

Public Class Form1             Dim m_inventorApp As Inventor.Application _                                          = Nothing             Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As  _                                    System.Object, _                      ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _                            Handles Button1.Click                 ' Get an active instance of Inventor            Try                m_inventorApp = System.Runtime. _                       InteropServices.Marshal. _           GetActiveObject("Inventor.Application")                 Catch 'Inventor not started                System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox. _                 Show("Start an Inventor session")                Exit Sub            End Try                 'Call the Sub            NonParametricBaseFeatures()        End Sub        Sub NonParametricBaseFeatures()            'get the non param feature            Dim nonparamF As NonParametricBaseFeature            Dim basebody As SurfaceBody            Dim pdoc As PartDocument            pdoc = m_inventorApp.ActiveDocument                 nonparamF = pdoc.ComponentDefinition. _              Features.NonParametricBaseFeatures.Item(1)                 Call nonparamF.Edit()                 basebody = nonparamF.BaseSolidBody            'Works too in Inventor 2013            'Set basebody = pdoc.ComponentDefinition _            '.SurfaceBodies(1)            Call AnalyseSurfaceBody(basebody)            Call nonparamF.ExitEdit()        End Sub             Sub AnalyseSurfaceBody(oSB As SurfaceBody)            Dim I As Long            For I = 1 To oSB.Edges.count                Dim oEdge As Edge                oEdge = oSB.Edges(I)                If oEdge.CurveType = _                        CurveTypeEnum.kCircleCurve Then                    Debug.Print(oEdge.CurveType & _                                          " -> Circle")                ElseIf (oEdge.CurveType = _                         CurveTypeEnum.kLineCurve) Then                    Debug.Print(oEdge.CurveType & _                                             " -> Line")                Else                    Debug.Print(oEdge.CurveType & _                           " -> Other types or Unknown")                End If            Next I                 For I = 1 To oSB.Faces.count                Dim oFace As Face                oFace = oSB.Faces(I)                If (oFace.SurfaceType = _                   SurfaceTypeEnum.kCylinderSurface) Then                    Debug.Print(oFace.SurfaceType & _                                          " -> Cylinder")     &#1
60;          ElseIf (oFace.SurfaceType = _                      SurfaceTypeEnum.kPlaneSurface) Then                    Debug.Print(oFace.SurfaceType & _                                             " -> Plane")                Else                    Debug.Print(oFace.SurfaceType & _                            " -> Other types or Unknown")                End If            Next I        End Sub         End Class