By Wayne Brill
ClientGraphics in the Inventor API allow you to draw your own graphics through some basic primitive. (other ways are available too). The following VBA and VB.NET examples create a circle or a cone with the ClientGraphics API. (Open a part and run TestProcCG)
This Mod the Machine post on client graphics may also be of interest.
VBA
‘A small utility method that will compute
‘a normal vector to the one in input
Public Function GetNormalVector _
(oVector As Vector) As UnitVector
Dim oOutput As UnitVector
If oVector.X <> 0 Then
Set oOutput = ThisApplication. _
TransientGeometry.CreateUnitVector _
(-(oVector.Y + oVector.Z) / oVector.X, 0, 1)
Set GetNormalVector = oOutput
Else
Set oOutput = ThisApplication. _
TransientGeometry. _
CreateUnitVector(1, 0, 0)
Set GetNormalVector = oOutput
End If
End Function
Public Sub DrawCone(oDataSets As GraphicsDataSets, _
oClientGraphics As ClientGraphics, _
Center As point, _
Height As Double, _
Normal As Vector, _
Radius As Double, _
NbTriangles As Long, _
oStyle As RenderStyle)
Dim oTG As TransientGeometry
Set oTG = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry
Dim oCoordSet As GraphicsCoordinateSet
Set oCoordSet = oDataSets. _
CreateCoordinateSet(oDataSets.count + 1)
‘Normalize direction
Dim NormalUnit As UnitVector
Set NormalUnit = Normal.AsUnitVector
‘Get a normal vector to the direction
Dim DirUnit As UnitVector
Set DirUnit = GetNormalVector(Normal)
‘Angle of rotation
Dim AngleRad As Double
AngleRad = _
Math.Atn(1) * 8 / NbTriangles
‘ = 2 * Pi / NbTriangles
‘Create a rotation matrix to compute
‘triangle points
Dim oRotMatrix As Matrix
Set oRotMatrix = oTG.CreateMatrix
Call oRotMatrix.SetToRotation _
(AngleRad, Normal, Center)
Dim oPointCoords() As Double
ReDim oPointCoords _
(1 To 3 * (2 + NbTriangles))
‘First point is the center
oPointCoords(1) = _
Center.X + Height * NormalUnit.X
oPointCoords(2) = _
Center.Y + Height * NormalUnit.Y
oPointCoords(3) = _
Center.Z + Height * NormalUnit.Z
‘Other points are the base points
‘of the triangles
Dim index As Long
For index = 1 To NbTriangles
Dim oBasePoint As point
Set oBasePoint = oTG.CreatePoint( _
Center.X + DirUnit.X * Radius, _
Center.Y + DirUnit.Y * Radius, _
Center.Z + DirUnit.Z * Radius)
Call DirUnit.TransformBy(oRotMatrix)
oPointCoords(3 * index + 1) = oBasePoint.X
oPointCoords(3 * index + 2) = oBasePoint.Y
oPointCoords(3 * index + 3) = oBasePoint.Z
Next
Call oCoordSet.PutCoordinates(oPointCoords)
Dim oGraphicNode As GraphicsNode
Set oGraphicNode = oClientGraphics.AddNode _
(oClientGraphics.count + 1)
Dim oTriangleSet As TriangleFanGraphics
Set oTriangleSet = oGraphicNode. _
AddTriangleFanGraphics
Dim oIndex As GraphicsIndexSet
Set oIndex = oDataSets.CreateIndexSet _
(oDataSets.count + 1)
For index = 1 To (NbTriangles + 1)
Call oIndex.Add(index, index)
Next
‘Last triangle join the last and first point
Call oIndex
.Add(NbTriangles + 2, 2)
oGraphicNode.RenderStyle = oStyle
oTriangleSet.CoordinateSet = oCoordSet
oTriangleSet.CoordinateIndexSet = oIndex
End Sub
Public Sub TestProcCG()
Dim oDoc As Document
Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oTG As TransientGeometry
Set oTG = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry
Dim oCompDef As ComponentDefinition
Set oCompDef = oDoc.ComponentDefinition
On Error Resume Next
Dim oDataSets As GraphicsDataSets
Set oDataSets = oDoc. _
GraphicsDataSetsCollection.Add("TestCG")
If Err Then
Set oDataSets = _
oDoc.GraphicsDataSetsCollection("TestCG")
End If
Dim oClientGraphics As ClientGraphics
Set oClientGraphics = oCompDef. _
ClientGraphicsCollection.Add("TestCG")
If Err Then
Set oClientGraphics = _
oCompDef.ClientGraphicsCollection("TestCG")
End If
Call DrawCone(oDataSets, oClientGraphics, _
oTG.CreatePoint(0, 0, 0), 10, _
oTG.CreateVector(0, 1, 0), _
5, 10, _
oDoc.RenderStyles.Item("Glass (Limo Tint)"))
Call DrawCone(oDataSets, oClientGraphics, _
oTG.CreatePoint(15, 0, 0), 10, _
oTG.CreateVector(0, 1, 0), _
5, 100, _
oDoc.RenderStyles.Item("Glass (Limo Tint)"))
Call DrawCone(oDataSets, oClientGraphics, _
oTG.CreatePoint(30, 0, 0), 0, _
oTG.CreateVector(0, 1, 0), _
5, 100, _
oDoc.RenderStyles.Item("Glass (Limo Tint)"))
ThisApplication.ActiveView.Update
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 TestProcCG() End Sub Public Sub TestProcCG() Dim oDoc As Document oDoc = m_inventorApp.ActiveDocument Dim oTG As TransientGeometry oTG = m_inventorApp.TransientGeometry Dim oCompDef As ComponentDefinition oCompDef = oDoc.ComponentDefinition Dim oDataSets As GraphicsDataSets Try oDataSets = oDoc. _ GraphicsDataSetsCollection.Add("TestCG") Try oDataSets = oDoc. _ GraphicsDataSetsCollection("TestCG") Dim oClientGraphics As ClientGraphics oClientGraphics = oCompDef. _ ClientGraphicsCollection.Add("TestCG") Try oClientGraphics = oCompDef. _ ClientGraphicsCollection("TestCG") DrawCone(oDataSets, _ oClientGraphics, _ oTG.CreatePoint(0, 0, 0), 10, _ oTG.CreateVector(0, 1, 0), _ 5, 10, _ oDoc.RenderStyles.Item("Glass (Limo Tint)")) DrawCone(oDataSets, _ oClientGraphics, _ oTG.CreatePoint(15, 0, 0), 10, _ oTG.CreateVector(0, 1, 0), _ 5, 100, _ oDoc.RenderStyles.Item("Glass (Limo Tint)")) DrawCone(oDataSets, _ oClientGraphics, _ oTG.CreatePoint(30, 0, 0), 0, _ oTG.CreateVector(0, 1, 0), _ 5, 100, _ oDoc.RenderStyles.Item("Glass (Limo Tint)")) m_inventorApp.ActiveView.Update() Catch ex As Exception End Try Catch ex As Exception End Try Catch ex As Exception End Try End Sub 'A small utility method that will 'compute a normal vector to the 'one in input Public Function GetNormalVector _ (ByVal oVector As Vector) As _ UnitVector Dim oOutput As UnitVector If oVector.X 0 Then oOutput = m_inventorApp. _ TransientGeometry.CreateUnitVector _ (-(oVector.Y + oVector.Z) / _ oVector.X, 0, 1) GetNormalVector = oOutput Else oOutput = m_inventorApp. _ TransientGeometry. _ CreateUnitVector(1, 0, 0) GetNormalVector = oOutput End If End Function Public Sub DrawCone(ByVal oDataSets _ As GraphicsDataSets, _ ByVal oClientGraphics As ClientGraphics, _ ByVal Center As Point, _ ByVal Height As Double, _ ByVal Normal As Vector, _ ByVal Radius As Double, _ ByVal NbTriangles As Long, _ ByVal oStyle As RenderStyle) Dim oTG As TransientGeometry oTG = m_inventorApp. _ TransientGeometry Dim oCoordSet As _ GraphicsCoordinateSet oCoordSet = oDataSets. _ CreateCoordinateSet _ (oDataSets.Count + 1) 'Normalize direction Dim NormalUnit As UnitVector NormalUnit = Normal.AsUnitVector 'Get a normal vector to 'the direction Dim DirUnit As UnitVector DirUnit = GetNormalVector(Normal) 'Angle of rotation Dim AngleRad As Double AngleRad = _ Math.Atan(1) * 8 / NbTriangles ' = 2 * Pi / NbTriangles 'Create a rotation matrix to 'compute triangle points Dim oRotMatrix As Matrix oRotMatrix = oTG.CreateMatrix Call oRotMatrix.SetToRotation _ (AngleRad, Normal, Center) Dim oPointCoords() As Double ReDim oPointCoords _ (0 To 3 * (2 + NbTriangles)) 'First point is the center oPointCoords(1) = _ Center.X + Height * NormalUnit.X oPointCoords(2) = _ Center.Y + Height * NormalUnit.Y oPointCoords(3) = _ Center.Z + Height * NormalUnit.Z 'Other points are the base 'points of the triangles Dim index As Long For index = 1 To NbTriangles Dim oBasePoint As Point oBasePoint = oTG.CreatePoint( _ Center.X + DirUnit.X * Radius, _ Center.Y + DirUnit.Y * Radius, _ Center.Z + DirUnit.Z * Radius) Call DirUnit.TransformBy _ (oRotMatrix) oPointCoords(3 * index + 1) = _ oBasePoint.X oPointCoords(3 * index + 2) = _ oBasePoint.Y oPointCoords(3 * index + 3) = _ oBasePoint.Z Next Call oCoordSet.PutCoordinates _ (oPointCoords) Dim oGraphicNode As GraphicsNode oGraphicNode = oClientGraphics. _ AddNode(oClientGraphics.Count + 1) Dim oTriangleSet As _ TriangleFanGraphics oTriangleSet = oGraphicNode. _ AddTriangleFanGraphics Dim oIndex As GraphicsIndexSet oIndex = oDataSets.CreateIndexSet _ (oDataSets.Count + 1) For index = 1 To (NbTriangles + 1) Call oIndex.Add(index, index) Next 'Last triangle join the last ' and first point Call oIndex.Add(NbTriangles + 2, 2) oGraphicNode.RenderStyle = oStyle oTriangleSet.CoordinateSet = oCoordSet oTriangleSet.CoordinateIndexSet = oIndex End Sub End Class
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