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Modify Ribbon

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by

Adam Nagy
in

By Adam Nagy

I would like to modify the Ribbon content – add/remove panels, etc. How could I do it?

Solution

This is only available through the .NET API's.

There are two sets of functionalities:

1) Ribbon Runtime API – provided by AdWindows.dll under Autodesk.Windows namespace

Enables you to edit the Ribbon, but the changes will not be persisted in the CUIx file, so if AutoCAD is restarted, or even if the current workspace is changed (WSCURRENT system variable) or the menu file is reloaded then the changes will be gone and you need to redo them.

Here is a small sample that toggle's the visiblity of the Home tab:

[CommandMethod("HideShowHomeTab")]
static public void HideShowHomeTab()
{
  Autodesk.Windows.RibbonControl rc = 
    Autodesk.Windows.ComponentManager.Ribbon;
 
  Autodesk.Windows.RibbonTab tab =
    rc.FindTab("ACAD.ID_TabHome3D"); 
 
  if (tab != null)
    tab.IsVisible = !tab.IsVisible;
}

2) CUI API – provided by AcCui.dll under Autodesk.AutoCAD.Customization namespace

You can use this to modify the user interface by modifying the CUIx file the same way as through the CUI Dialog and these changes will be persisted.

This sample as well toggles the visibility of the Home tab, but using the CUI API:

using acApp = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application;
 
[CommandMethod("HideShowHomeTabInCurrentWorkspace")]
static public void HideShowHomeTabInCurrentWorkspace()
{
  string menuName = 
    (string)acApp.GetSystemVariable("MENUNAME");
 
  string curWorkspace =
    (string)acApp.GetSystemVariable("WSCURRENT");
 
  Autodesk.AutoCAD.Customization.CustomizationSection cs =
    new Autodesk.AutoCAD.Customization.CustomizationSection(
      menuName + ".cuix");
 
  Autodesk.AutoCAD.Customization.WSRibbonRoot rr = 
    cs.getWorkspace(curWorkspace).WorkspaceRibbonRoot;
 
  Autodesk.AutoCAD.Customization.WSRibbonTabSourceReference tab = 
    rr.FindTabReference("ACAD", "ID_TabHome3D");
 
  if (tab != null)
    tab.Show = !tab.Show;
 
  if (cs.IsModified)
  {
    cs.Save();
 
    // Reload to see the changes
    acApp.ReloadAllMenus();
  }
}

Note: The above samples only work without modification in case of using vanilla AutoCAD (where the menu group is ACAD) and inside 3D Modeling workspace (where the Home tab's id is ID_TabHome3D)

Comments

16 responses to “Modify Ribbon”

  1. dryman@poczta.onet.pl Avatar
    dryman@poczta.onet.pl

    How can I do the same in VC++ ObjectARX2012??

    Reply
  2. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    Hi there,
    You need to use the .NET API for that. It has no equivalent in ARX.
    Perhaps you could make your ARX mixed managed, so that it can use both the C++ ARX and the .NET API functions.
    Cheers,
    Adam

    Reply
  3. BlackBox Avatar
    BlackBox

    Adam,
    How does one successfully add a RibbonTab to Main CUI via Initialize(), so that it (the custom RibbonTab) is available prior to partial CUIx being loaded via Autoloader?
    Multiple Autoloader plug-ins with partial CUIx targeting the same custom Alias, if the custom RibbonTab has not been added to Main CUI first, then each partial CUIx displays it’s own RibbonTab instead of adding to custom RibbonTab in Main CUI.
    Please advise.

    Reply
  4. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    Hey BlackBox,
    you should not modify the Ribbon from initialize()… that function is called too early in the startup if called to load on startup.
    Best is to use the StartupCommand attribute on the Command element… This will call your own initialize command when AutoCAD has fully initialized. e.g.

    Reply
  5. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    removing the less than and greater than signs (sigh)
    Components Description=”Any CPU DLLs”
    RuntimeRequirements OS=”Win32|Win64″ Platform=”AutoCAD|AutoCAD*” SeriesMin=”R19.0″ SeriesMax=”R19.0″ /
    ComponentEntry AppName=”MyDotNetApp” Version=”1.0.0″ ModuleName=”./Contents/Windows/R19.0/MyApp.dll”
    Commands
    Command Local=”_MyAppStartupCmd” Global=”MyAppStartupCmd” StartupCommand=”True” /
    /Commands
    /ComponentEntry

    Reply
  6. Fenton Webb Avatar
    Fenton Webb

    this is better
    http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2013/04/autoloader-example-for-invoking-a-startup-command-in-autocad.html

    Reply
  7. BlackBox Avatar
    BlackBox

    Thanks for the response, Fenton.
    I’m aware that one cannot actually modify the Ribbon on Initialize()… In practice I use Initialize() to hook Application.Idle (not sure why I neglected that above, but still).
    In any event, essentially (if I am understanding you correctly), Autoloader is incapable of successfully allowing for a plug-in to modify Main CUI prior to the loading of a given .bundle’s CUIx partial(s) so that RibbonTab’s with matching Alias can properly be merged into single tab… AutoCAD has no work around for the Main CUI dependency… And instead, I need to delay the loading of my plug-in’s UI components to call SendStringToExecute (effectively, if not literally), just to get my custom ComandMethod to modify Main CUI prior to programmatically loading my .bundle’s CUIx partial(s).
    … Any insight on when that mess… And the ‘residue’ duplication of .bundle CUIx files being replicated to each-and-every-installation’s ..\Support\ folder… Are going to be addressed?
    Cheers

    Reply
  8. rohan hirave Avatar
    rohan hirave

    hi, can any1 upload the sample code for ribbon customization please. I am a newbie in autocad customization and i want to add a new ribbon in autocad.

    Reply
  9. Balaji Avatar
    Balaji

    Hi Rohan,
    These blog post should provide samples to get started.
    Using the ribbon runtime API is easier.
    http://through-the-interface.typepad.com/through_the_interface/2008/04/the-new-ribbonb.html
    http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2014/01/how-to-ensure-your-ribbon-runtime-items-remain-visible.html
    The other way could be to create a partial CUIX directly using AutoCAD CUI dialog and load the partial cuix using code.
    Regards,
    Balaji

    Reply
  10. Luigi Avatar
    Luigi

    After running the code shown above, in order to make “MyTab” visible I must switch to AutoCAD Classic display style and then switch back in a ribbon display style (3D or 3D Modeling Basics) because the tab becomes visible, otherwise the tab (“MyTab”) remains invisible.
    I can not understand the reason for this behavior.
    Autocad 2014, W7 x64
    Thank you in advance.
    Luigi

    Reply
  11. Luigi Avatar
    Luigi

    Hello all,
    I apologize for the wrong post a few minutes ago, so:
    I’m trying to display “MyTab” on the ribbon with the following instructions:
    [the same code listed above]
    Autodesk.AutoCAD.Customization.WSRibbonTabSourceReference MyTab =
    rr.FindTabReference(“MyGroup”, “MyTab”);
    MyTab.Show = True
    [the same code listed above]
    After running the code shown above, in order to make “MyTab” visible I must switch to AutoCAD Classic display style and then switch back in a ribbon display style (3D or 3D Modeling Basics) because the tab becomes visible, otherwise the tab (“MyTab”) remains invisible.
    I cannot understand the reason for this behavior.
    Autocad 2014, W7 x64
    Thank you in advance.
    Luigi

    Reply
  12. Balaji Avatar
    Balaji

    Hi Luigi,
    Yes, this is a known behavior and for any cui related changes to take effect, we either need to reload the cuix. I have also seen in the past that changing WSCURRENT also helps.
    Please try the “savecui” method from this blog post and see if that helps without having to change the current workspace.
    http://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2015/10/docking-toolbars-in-rows-using-cui-api.html
    Regards,
    Balaji

    Reply
  13. Luigi Avatar
    Luigi

    Balaji, thankyou for the support,
    in the meanwhile I tried the following (.net):
    Dim curWorkspace As String = _ DirectCast(Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application. _
    GetSystemVariable(“WSCURRENT”), String)
    Dim cs As CustomizationSection = New CustomizationSection(DirectCast(Autodesk.AutoCAD. _
    ApplicationServices.Application.GetSystemVariable(“MENUNAME”), String))
    cs.Save()
    Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.ReloadAllMenus()
    And seems work fine.
    The crux of the problem seems to be: Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.ReloadAllMenus()

    Reply
  14. Adam Nagy Avatar
    Adam Nagy

    Hi Luigi,
    It sounds like you omitted the acApp.ReloadAllMenus() call and that caused the problem.
    I assume that the problem is that I missed out the “using acApp = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application;” statement (because that was at the top of my file) and that caused the confusion.
    I’ll add it to the code to make things clear.
    Cheers,
    Adam

    Reply
  15. Albert Weber Avatar
    Albert Weber

    Hi there,
    does anyone have an example to access the customization of a partial cuix?
    I tried several methods of the original post, which are working perfect for the main cuix, but always get returned null, e.g. searching the tab of my partial menu, or the QAT, or a ribbon panel.
    Thanks,
    Albert

    Reply
  16. Madhukar Moogala Avatar
    Madhukar Moogala

    Hi Albert,
    Can you please refer this blog, https://adndevblog.typepad.com/autocad/2014/08/using-cuix-resource-dll-with-image-transparency.html
    This has a very good sample on partial CUI, download the zip file at the end of the article

    Reply

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