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Change help file and topic associated to a given command

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by

Adam Nagy
in

By Adam Nagy

When the user hovers over a ribbon button then the tooltip that pops up says "Press F1 for more help". I would like to change the help file and topic that is shown when the user presses F1 while the tooltip is displayed.

Solution

You can use acedSetFunHelp() from ARX or P/Invoke it from .NET:

// In case of AutoCAD 2013 and above // replace "acad.exe" with "accore.dll"
[DllImport("acad.exe", CharSet = CharSet.Auto, 
    CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl, 
    EntryPoint = "acedSetFunHelp")]
private static extern int acedSetFunHelp(
    string functionName, 
    string helpFile, 
    string helpTopic, 
    int cmd);
 
[CommandMethod("AEN1Cmd1")]
static public void Cmd1()
{
    acedSetFunHelp("C:LINE", "acad_acg.chm", "ACG.01.008", 0);
}

This only has effect for the current AutoCAD session and is not persisted in the CUIx file.

This and other ToolTip related settings cannot be changed at the moment using the CUI API for AutoCAD.Customization.Macro.ToolTip is internal.

Comments

16 responses to “Change help file and topic associated to a given command”

  1. Yuji Suzuki Avatar
    Yuji Suzuki

    This code works on AutoCAD 2012, but it does not work on 2013.
    Something was changed on 2013 ?

    Reply
  2. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    Hi Adam.
    Data:
    Windows XP SP3 x86,
    AutoCAD 2013 x86 Enu.
    Error message:
    System.EntryPointNotFoundException
    Message: Unable to find an entry point named ‘acedSetFunHelp’ in DLL ‘acad.exe’.

    Reply
  3. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    Now I wrote for AutoCAD 2009 x86 SP3. Now I don’t get errors when I run AEN1Cmd1 and Line commands. But if I press F1, when Line command in process, then I don’t get my help. Was opened standard help file, with info about Line command. Why my help file was not open?
    My code sampe such:
    [CommandMethod(“AEN1Cmd1”)]
    static public void Cmd1() {
    acedSetFunHelp(“C:LINE”, @”C:\Documents and Settings\developer\Рабочий стол\myHelp.chm”, “plotting_layouts”, 0);
    }

    Reply
  4. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    “sample” to read like “example”. :)

    Reply
  5. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    Hi guys,
    Thank you for the comments.
    I’ve updated the code comments to take AutoCAD 2013 into consideration :)
    Cheers,
    Adam

    Reply
  6. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    What about my post at 09/06/2012 at 12:08 AM, for AutoCAD 2009?

    Reply
  7. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    Hi Andrey,
    One thing I started wondering about was the cyrillic characters in the folder name. I created a folder named “C:\Рабочий стол”, copied the acadauto.chm file there from “C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2009\Help” folder and tried to use that, and then I could reproduce the problem that it was not taken into account and still the old help file popped up when I pressed F1 while the tooltip was showing.
    However, even if I just double-click on the chm file in Explorer it comes up with the error message:
    “Cannot open file: C:\??????? ????\acadauto.chm”
    So the error does not seem specific to AutoCAD but has to do with the help file (*.chm file) you are using.
    If I copied the access.chm file from “C:\Windows\Help” to this other folder I created, then both double-clicking it in Explorer worked fine and also using it in acedSetFunHelp worked fine:
    acedSetFunHelp(“C:LINE”, @”C:\Рабочий стол\access.chm”, “AccessOptions_ct”, 0);
    So you would need to find out how to make your chm file work in a folder with cyrillic (or I guess any other non-latin) characters in it, and then you could use that in acedSetFunHelp as well.
    I hope this helps.
    Cheers,
    Adam

    Reply
  8. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    AutoCAD 2013.
    Adam, which page must to open your code?
    acedSetFunHelp(“C:LINE”, “acad_acg.chm”, “ACG.01.008”, 0);
    Alwais opened usual help page for Line command. Even if instead of “acad_acg.chm”, to “ACG.01.008” to specify another.

    Reply
  9. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    Thank you for answer.
    I thought about it problem and I have tried other variant:
    I copied myHelp.chm into “C:\Program Files\AutoCAD 2009\Help” but it ain’t working (was opened standard help info for Line command). I wrote it:
    acedSetFunHelp(“C:LINE”, “myHelp.chm”, “plotting_layouts”, 0);
    :(((

    Reply
  10. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    I tried to use “native” CHM files by AutoCAD:
    acedSetFunHelp(“C:LINE”, “acad_acr.chm”, “WS1a9193826455f5ffa23ce210c4a30acaf-4a8b-reference”, 0);
    It ain’t working too. :(

    Reply
  11. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    acad_acg.chm does not seem to be part of “C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2013\Help” so just select another chm file that does exist in the help folder. Or if it exists in another folder then provide the full path.

    Reply
  12. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    I’m really sorry Andrey but now I’m running low on ideas. :(
    Could you please post this issue on the AutoCAD API forum?
    I hope someone already has run into this issue and can help you solve it.
    Good luck!

    Reply
  13. Andrey Avatar
    Andrey

    Ok, thank you. :)

    Reply
  14. Denica Avatar
    Denica

    Hi Adam,
    thank you for the post, its really helpful! I have tried it and it works great when the command is running or when the mouse is hovering over a ribbon button.
    I was wondering, is there a way to do the same for the toolbar buttons?

    Reply
  15. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    Hi Denica,
    It seems to be working for toolbar buttons as well as long as they are c:xxx type commands: http://docs.autodesk.com/ACDMAC/2011/ENU/ObjectARX%20Reference/acedSetFunHelp@ACHAR_@ACHAR_@ACHAR_@int.html
    Here is a video I made: http://www.screencast.com/t/c3KHYDaEjyhw
    If you cannot figure out the problem then you could post some more info on the AutoCAD customization forum.
    Cheers,
    Adam

    Reply
  16. Alexander Rivilis Avatar
    Alexander Rivilis

    Hi, Adam!
    What about that LINE is not Autolisp-definded command and so you have to use not “C:LINE”, but “LINE” in your’s code?

    Reply

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