Include sketches from sub-assemblies in a DrawingView using a sketch proxy

Issue

In the User Interface I can right click on a sub assembly in the browser and select "Get Model Sketches" to include a sketch from the sub-assembly. I need to achieve the same thing programmatically. Is there a way to do this?

Solution

To include / exclude entities for a Drawing View the "SetVisibility" method can be used. The ability to include a sketch from an assembly became available in the 2009 release. In prior versions only part sketches can be included using SetVisibility.

When dealing with a sketch contained in a sub-level assembly, you need to create a proxy for the sketch in the top-level assembly context, because the "SetVisibility" method can only handle objects that exist in the assembly that is represented in the view.

This VBA and VB.NET example iterates through the occurrences of the top-level assembly which is referenced by the view and for every assembly occurrence, it creates a SketchProxy object and includes it. The method can be extended to include sketches in deeper level sub-occurrences.

Public Sub SetAssemblySketchesVisibility()
 
        Dim oDrawingDoc As DrawingDocument
        If ThisApplication.ActiveDocument.DocumentType 
           kDrawingDocumentObject Then
            MsgBox("need to make a drawing the active document")
            End
        End If
 
        oDrawingDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
 
        Dim oView As DrawingView
        If oDrawingDoc.ActiveSheet.DrawingViews.Count < 1 Then
            MsgBox("Add a view to the drawing")
            End
        End If
 
        oView = oDrawingDoc.ActiveSheet.DrawingViews(1)
 
        Dim oDoc As Document
        oDoc = oView.ReferencedDocumentDescriptor.ReferencedDocument
 
        If oDoc.DocumentType  kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
            MsgBox("View's Referenced doc needs to be an assembly")
            End
        End If
 
        Dim oAssy As AssemblyDocument
        oAssy = oView.ReferencedDocumentDescriptor.ReferencedDocument
 
        Dim oSubOcc As ComponentOccurrence
        For Each oSubOcc In oAssy.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences
 
            If oSubOcc.DefinitionDocumentType =
               kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
 
                Dim oSubAssyDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
                oSubAssyDef = oSubOcc.Definition
 
                Dim oSketch As PlanarSketch
                Debug.Print(oSubAssyDef.Sketches.Count)
                For Each oSketch In oSubAssyDef.Sketches
 
                    Dim oSketchProxy As PlanarSketchProxy
                    Call oSubOcc.CreateGeometryProxy(oSketch,
                                                     oSketchProxy)
 
                    'Set Visibility of the Proxy Object DOES NOT
                    ‘support AssemblySketches with release prior
                    ‘to 2009
                    Call oView.SetVisibility(oSketchProxy, True)
                Next
            End If
        Next
    End Sub
 
This VB.NET example is from a button on a form in a stand alone exe that access Inventor from out of process.

Imports Inventor
    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
            Try ' Try to get an active instance of Inventor
 
                Try
                    m_inventorApp = 
               System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject
                ("Inventor.Application")
 
                Catch ' If not active, create a new Inventor session
 
                    Dim inventorAppType As Type = 
                System.Type.GetTypeFromProgID("Inventor.Application")
 
                    m_inventorApp = System.Activator.CreateInstance
                      (inventorAppType)
 
                    'Must be set visible explicitly
                    m_inventorApp.Visible = True
 
                End Try
 
            Catch
                System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(
                 "Error: couldn't create Inventor instance")
            End Try
 
 
            SetAssemblySketchesVisibility()
 
        End Sub
 
        Public Sub SetAssemblySketchesVisibility()
 
            Dim oDrawingDoc As DrawingDocument
            If m_inventorApp.ActiveDocument.DocumentType  
               DocumentTypeEnum.kDrawingDocumentObject Then
                MsgBox("need to make a drawing the active document")
                End
            End If
 
            oDrawingDoc = m_inventorApp.ActiveDocument
 
            Dim oView As DrawingView
            If oDrawingDoc.ActiveSheet.DrawingViews.Count < 1 Then
                MsgBox("Add a view to the drawing")
                End
            End If
 
            oView = oDrawingDoc.ActiveSheet.DrawingViews(1)
 
            Dim oDoc As Document
            oDoc = 
               oView.ReferencedDocumentDescriptor.ReferencedDocument
 
            If oDoc.DocumentType  
            DocumentTypeEnum.kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
              MsgBox("View's Referenced doc needs to be an assembly")
              End
            End If
 
            Dim oAssy As AssemblyDocument
            oAssy =
              oView.ReferencedDocumentDescriptor.ReferencedDocument
 
            Dim oSubOcc As ComponentOccurrence
            For Each oSubOcc In oAssy.ComponentDefinition.Occurrences
 
                If oSubOcc.DefinitionDocumentType = 
                DocumentTypeEnum.kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
 
                    Dim oSubAssyDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
                    oSubAssyDef = oSubOcc.Definition
 
                    Dim oSketch As PlanarSketch
                    Debug.Print(oSubAssyDef.Sketches.Count)
                    For Each oSketch In oSubAssyDef.Sketches
 
                        Dim oSketchProxy As PlanarSketchProxy =
                          Nothing
                        Call oSubOcc.CreateGeometryProxy(oSketch, 
                                                       oSketchProxy)
 
                        'Set Visibility of the Proxy Object DOES NOT
                        ‘support AssemblySketches with release prior
                        ‘to 2009
                        Call oView.SetVisibility(oSketchProxy, True)
                    Next
                End If
            Next
        End Sub
    End Class