Inventor document sub-types

by Vladimir Ananyev

Issue

How to determine the sub-type of Inventor documents? e.g. Whether the document is a sheet metal rather than a regular part document.

Solution

Document Subtypes are primarily intended to classify geometry as belonging to a certain type as far as its shape is concerned. For instance, an Inventor part document could have SheetMetal or Pipe geometry both of which have their own characteristics.

The value of the Document.SubType property refers to a GUID which is a unique identifier for each of the document sub-types. In order to determine the actual sub-types that these GUID’s refer to, the GUID’s have been documented in the file “DocCLSIDs.h” which you will find in like this: “……\Inventor 20xx\SDK\Include\DOCCLSIDs.h”.

This file also includes some #defines, e.g. #define CLSID_InventorPartDocument_RegGUID “{4D29B490-49B2-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}” which you could use in your program to check for the document sub-types. You should be able to include this .h file if you are using VC++(or include a copy of this file in your project) and then probably check for the document sub-types.

Please see the code section below for VB.NET, VBA and C++ samples. As far as the VBA sample is concerned, the SubType property(string) on the Document object is compared to the GUID which is in the DocCLSIDs.h file, but, for the C++ sample the pre-processor definitions are compared. The following are just code snippets, if you need the complete projects, please take a look at the attachments to this solution.

VB.NET example

Sub GetSubDocumentType()

    'access the active document
    Dim oDoc As Document = oApp.ActiveDocument

    'get the document type
    Dim eDocumentType As DocumentTypeEnum = oDoc.DocumentType

    Dim sDocumentType As String = "Unknown"
    Select Case eDocumentType
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kAssemblyDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Assembly Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kDesignElementDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "DesignElement Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kDrawingDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Drawing Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kForeignModelDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "ForeignModel Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Part Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kPresentationDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Presentation Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kSATFileDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "SATFile Document"
        Case DocumentTypeEnum.kUnknownDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Unknown Document"
    End Select

    'get the document sub-type
    Dim sDocumentSubType As String = oDoc.SubType

    Dim sReadableType As String = "Unknown"
    'part document sub-types
    'part
    Select Case sDocumentSubType
        Case "{4D29B490-49B2-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}"
            sReadableType = "part"
        'sheet metal
        Case "{9C464203-9BAE-11D3-8BAD-0060B0CE6BB4}"
            sReadableType = "sheet metal"
        'generic proxy
        Case "{92055419-B3FA-11D3-A479-00C04F6B9531}"
            sReadableType = "generic proxy"
        'compatibility proxy
        Case "{9C464204-9BAE-11D3-8BAD-0060B0CE6BB4}"
            sReadableType = "compatibility proxy"
        'catalog proxy
        Case "{9C88D3AF-C3EB-11D3-B79E-0060B0F159EF}"
            sReadableType = "catalog proxy"

        'assembly document sub-types
        Case "{E60F81E1-49B3-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}"
            sReadableType = "assembly"

        'drawing document sub-types
        Case "{BBF9FDF1-52DC-11D0-8C04-0800090BE8EC}"
            sReadableType = "drawing"

        'design element document sub-types
        Case "{62FBB030-24C7-11D3-B78D-0060B0F159EF}"
            sReadableType = "design element"

        'presentation document sub-types
        Case "{76283A80-50DD-11D3-A7E3-00C04F79D7BC}"
            sReadableType = "presentation"
    End Select

    MsgBox("Document Type: " & sDocumentType & vbNewLine & _
                               "Document SubType: " + sReadableType)
End Sub

VBA Example:

Sub GetSubDocumentType()

    'access the active document
    Dim oDoc As Document
    Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument

    'get the document type
    Dim eDocumentType As DocumentTypeEnum
    eDocumentType = oDoc.DocumentType

    Dim sDocumentType As String
    Select Case eDocumentType
        Case kAssemblyDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Assembly Document"
        Case kDesignElementDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "DesignElement Document"
        Case kDrawingDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Drawing Document"
        Case kForeignModelDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "ForeignModel Document"
        Case kPartDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Part Document"
        Case kPresentationDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Presentation Document"
        Case kSATFileDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "SATFile Document"
        Case kUnknownDocumentObject
            sDocumentType = "Unknown Document"
    End Select

    'get the document sub-type
    Dim sDocumentSubType As String
    sDocumentSubType = oDoc.SubType

    Dim sReadableType As String
    'part document sub-types
    'part
    Select Case sDocumentSubType
        Case "{4D29B490-49B2-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}"
            sReadableType = "part"
        'sheet metal
        Case "{9C464203-9BAE-11D3-8BAD-0060B0CE6BB4}"
            sReadableType = "sheet metal"
        'generic proxy
        Case "{92055419-B3FA-11D3-A479-00C04F6B9531}"
            sReadableType = "generic proxy"
        'compatibility proxy
        Case "{9C464204-9BAE-11D3-8BAD-0060B0CE6BB4}"
            sReadableType = "compatibility proxy"
        'catalog proxy
        Case "{9C88D3AF-C3EB-11D3-B79E-0060B0F159EF}"
            sReadableType = "catalog proxy"

        'assembly document sub-types
        Case "{E60F81E1-49B3-11D0-93C3-7E0706000000}"
            sReadableType = "assembly"

        'drawing document sub-types
        Case "{BBF9FDF1-52DC-11D0-8C04-0800090BE8EC}"
            sReadableType = "drawing"

        'design element document sub-types
        Case "{62FBB030-24C7-11D3-B78D-0060B0F159EF}"
            sReadableType = "design element"

        'presentation document sub-types
        Case "{76283A80-50DD-11D3-A7E3-00C04F79D7BC}"
            sReadableType = "presentation"
    End Select

    Beep
    MsgBox ("Document Type: " & sDocumentType & vbNewLine & _
                                "Document SubType: " + sReadableType)
End Sub

C++ Example:

static CString GetDocumentSubType()
{
    HRESULT Result = NOERROR;

    //text box message
    CString message;
    message.operator = ("A document has not yet been opened using Application");

    //***create and access Inventor Application object***
    //get the server ClassId from the ProgId
    CLSID ApplicationClsid;
    Result = ::CLSIDFromProgID(L"Inventor.Application", &ApplicationClsid);
    if (FAILED(Result))
        return message.operator =("Failed to get the ClassId from the ProgId");

    //declare top level Application interface object,Application
    CComPtr pAppUnk;
    CComPtr pApplication;
    //latch on to an existing Inventor session's Application object
    Result = ::GetActiveObject(ApplicationClsid, NULL, &pAppUnk);
    //if not open create a new Inventor session and get its Application object
    if (FAILED(Result)) {
        Result = ::CoCreateInstance(ApplicationClsid, NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER, __uuidof(IUnknown), (void**)&pAppUnk);
        if (FAILED(Result))
            return message.operator =("Failed to get hold of Inventor's Application object");
    }
    //QueryInterface for the actual Application object
    Result = pAppUnk->QueryInterface(__uuidof(Application), (void**)&pApplication);
    if (FAILED(Result))
        return message.operator =("Failed to get hold of Inventor's Application object");

    //if a new Inventor window is created, it is invisible by default, make it visible
    Result = pApplication->put_Visible(VARIANT_TRUE);
    if (FAILED(Result))
        return message.operator =("Failed to make Inventor window visible");
    //***open a document using Application object***

    //declare Inventor Application document,Document
    CComPtr pApplicationDoc;
    //open the document
    //get the active document
    Result = pApplication->get_ActiveDocument(&pApplicationDoc);
    if (FAILED(Result) || (!pApplicationDoc))
        return message.operator = ("Please open a document in the Inventor session");

    //***read information about the document
    //get the document type
    DocumentTypeEnum DocumentType;
    Result = pApplicationDoc->get_DocumentType(&DocumentType);
    if (FAILED(Result))
        return message.operator = ("Failed to get DocumentType property");
    //set the display messages for the text box
    char* documenttype;
    switch (DocumentType) {
        //Assembly
        case kAssemblyDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "Assembly Document";
            break;
        //DesignElement
        case kDesignElementDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "DesignElement Document";
            break;
        //Drawing
        case kDrawingDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "Drawing Document";
            break;
        //ForeignModel
        case kForeignModelDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "ForeignModel Document";
            break;
        //Part
        case kPartDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "Part Document";
            break;
        //Presentation
        case kPresentationDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "Presentation Document";
            break;
        //SATFile
        case kSATFileDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "SATFile Document";
            break;
        //Unknown
        case kUnknownDocumentObject:
            documenttype = "Unknown Document";
            break; // Added missing break statement for 'Unknown' case
    }

    //get the document subtype
    CComBSTR docsubtype;
    char* readabletype;
    Result = pApplicationDoc->get_SubType(&docsubtype);

    //part document sub-types
    //part document
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorPartDocument_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "part";
    //sheet metal
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorSheetMetalPart_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "sheet metal";
    //generic proxy
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorGenericProxyPart_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "generic proxy";
    //compatibility proxy
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorCompatibilityProxyPart_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "compatibility proxy";
    //catalog proxy
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorCatalogProxyPart_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "catalog proxy";
    //assembly document sub-types
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorAssemblyDocument_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "assembly";
    //drawing document sub-types
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorDrawingDocument_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "drawing";
    //design element document sub-types
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorDesignElementDocument_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "design element";
    //presentation document sub-types
    if (docsubtype.operator == (CLSID_InventorPresentationDocument_RegGUID))
        readabletype = "presentation";
    message.Format("Document Type: %s \r\nDocument SubType: %s", documenttype, readabletype);

    return message;
}

Download TS74121_DocumentSubType_Cpp

Download TS74121_DocumentSubType_VBNET