Save extra data in Inventor file – 1

By Xiaodong Liang

There are three different mechanisms that allow you to store information in a file that is not directly accessible by the end user.
1. iProperties
2. Attribute
3. IStorage & IStream

The first of these and probably the simplest to use are document properties. iProperties is at document level for all kinds of document. There are the standard properties that are visible to the user through the iProperties command (dialog), but you can also create your own property sets and properties. These are not visible through Inventor’s user interface.

Many materials are available for iProperties. I’d recommend  one blog and one video course.

Access IProperty
Introductory Inventor API_Module 2 – Document

iProperties is accessible (read/write) by Inventor API or Apprentice.Following is a small sample which adds a custom property set with some properties. It also shows how to read the information.

VBA

Sub AddCustomProperty()

    ‘ open a document invisble
    Dim oDoc As Document
    Set oDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Open("c:testpart.ipt", False)

    ‘ name of new property set
    Dim oNameOfNewPS As String
    oNameOfNewPS = "myNewSet"
    ‘ new property set
    Dim oNewPS As PropertySet
    If oDoc.PropertySets.PropertySetExists("myNewSet") Then
       ‘ if the set exists aleady
       Set oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets("myNewSet")
       ‘ you can clean up the existing properties
    Else
        ‘ add a new one with a GUID
         Set oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets.Add("myNewSet",
                              "{3FDB7763-80DB-4269-83E4-7F43BC8E9EA7}")
         End If

 <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; 'the values of the properties       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Dim oIntProV As Integer       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; oIntProV = 100       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Dim oBoolProV As Boolean       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; oBoolProV = False       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Dim oDoubleProV As Double       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; oDoubleProV = 3.1415926       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Dim oDateProV As Date       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; oDateProV = &quot;2013-3-1 15:25&quot;       <br />      <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; ' add these properties with the meaningful name       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; ' assume they do not exist in the property set       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Call oNewPS.Add(oIntProV, &quot;ModelCount&quot;)       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Call oNewPS.Add(oBoolProV, &quot;ModelUpdateToDate&quot;)       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Call oNewPS.Add(oDoubleProV, &quot;ModelBasicLength&quot;)       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; Call oNewPS.Add(oDateProV, &quot;ModelUpdateDate&quot;)       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; oDoc.Save       <br />&#160;&#160;&#160; oDoc.Close       <br />End Sub 

Sub ReadCustomProperty()

      ‘ open a document invisble
    Dim oDoc As Document
    Set oDoc = ThisApplication.Documents.Open("c:testpart.ipt", False)
    ‘ name of new property set
    Dim oNameOfNewPS As String
    oNameOfNewPS = "myNewSet"
    ‘ new property set
    Dim oNewPS As PropertySet
    If oDoc.PropertySets.PropertySetExists("myNewSet") Then
       ‘ if the set exists aleady
       Set oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets("myNewSet")
       ‘ you can clean up the existing properties
    Else        
        MsgBox "no property named myNewSet"
        Exit Sub      
    End If
    Dim oShowStr As String
    oShowStr = ""

    ‘iterate the properties
    Dim oEachP As Property
    For Each oEachP In oNewPS
       oShowStr = oShowStr & " [Property Name]  " & oEachP.Name
       oShowStr = oShowStr & " [Property Value]  " & oEachP.Value & vbCr
    Next
    MsgBox oShowStr
    oDoc.Close
End Sub

VB.NET

Sub AddCustomProperty()                 Dim m_inventorApp As Inventor.Application = Nothing            m_inventorApp = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.GetActiveObject("Inventor.Application")                 ' open a document invisble            Dim oDoc As Document            oDoc = m_inventorApp.Documents.Open("c:testpart.ipt", False
)                 ' name of new property set            Dim oNameOfNewPS As String            oNameOfNewPS = "myNewSet"            ' new property set            Dim oNewPS As PropertySet            If oDoc.PropertySets.PropertySetExists("myNewSet") Then                ' if the set exists aleady                oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets("myNewSet")                ' you can clean up the existing properties            Else                ' add a new one with a GUID                oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets.Add("myNewSet",                                               "{3FDB7763-80DB-4269-83E4-7F43BC8E9EA7}")            End If                  'the values of the properties            Dim oIntProV As Integer            oIntProV = 100            Dim oBoolProV As Boolean            oBoolProV = False            Dim oDoubleProV As Double            oDoubleProV = 3.1415926000000001            Dim oDateProV As Date            oDateProV = "2013-3-1 15:25"           ' add these properties with the meaningful name            ' assume they do not exist in the property set            oNewPS.Add(oIntProV, "ModelCount")            oNewPS.Add(oBoolProV, "ModelUpdateToDate")            oNewPS.Add(oDoubleProV, "ModelBasicLength")            oNewPS.Add(oDateProV, "ModelUpdateDate")                 oDoc.Save()            oDoc.Close()        End Sub             Sub ReadCustomProperty()                  Dim m_inventorApp As                     Inventor.Application = Nothing            m_inventorApp = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.        GetActiveObject("Inventor.Application")                 ' open a document invisble            Dim oDoc As Document            oDoc = m_inventorApp.Documents.Open("c:testpart.ipt", False)            ' name of new property set            Dim oNameOfNewPS As String            oNameOfNewPS = "myNewSet"            ' new property set            Dim oNewPS As PropertySet = Nothing            If oDoc.PropertySets.PropertySetExists("myNewSet") Then                ' if the set exists aleady                oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets("myNewSet")                ' you can clean up the existing properties            Else                MsgBox("no property named myNewSet")                Exit Sub            End If                 Dim oShowStr As String            oShowStr = ""                 'iterate the properties            Dim oEachP As [Property]            For Each oEachP In oNewPS             oShowStr &= " [Property Name]  " &                                       oEachP.Name                oShowStr &= " [Property Value]  " &                &#16
0;                oEachP.Value & vbCr            Next                            MessageBox.Show(oShowStr)            oDoc.Close()        End Sub

Apprentice

Sub AddCustomProperty_Apprentice()                 Dim m_ApprenticeApp As Inventor.ApprenticeServerComponent =                New Inventor.ApprenticeServerComponent()                 ' open a document            Dim oDoc As ApprenticeServerDocument            oDoc = m_ApprenticeApp.Open("c:testpart.ipt")                 ' name of new property set            Dim oNameOfNewPS As String            oNameOfNewPS = "myNewSet"            ' new property set            Dim oNewPS As PropertySet            If oDoc.PropertySets.PropertySetExists("myNewSet") Then                ' if the set exists aleady                oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets("myNewSet")                ' you can clean up the existing properties            Else                ' add a new one with a GUID                oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets.Add("myNewSet",                                               "{3FDB7763-80DB-4269-83E4-7F43BC8E9EA7}")            End If                      'the values of the properties            Dim oIntProV As Integer            oIntProV = 100            Dim oBoolProV As Boolean            oBoolProV = False            Dim oDoubleProV As Double            oDoubleProV = 3.1415926000000001            Dim oDateProV As Date            oDateProV = "2013-3-1 15:25"         ' add these properties with the meaningful name            ' assume they do not exist in the property set            oNewPS.Add(oIntProV, "ModelCount")            oNewPS.Add(oBoolProV, "ModelUpdateToDate")            oNewPS.Add(oDoubleProV, "ModelBasicLength")            oNewPS.Add(oDateProV, "ModelUpdateDate")                 ' flush the modification. Apprentice requires            oDoc.PropertySets.FlushToFile()                 m_ApprenticeApp.FileSaveAs.AddFileToSave(oDoc, oDoc.FullDocumentName)            m_ApprenticeApp.FileSaveAs.ExecuteSave()             End Sub             Sub ReadCustomProperty_Apprentice()                 Dim m_ApprenticeApp As Inventor.ApprenticeServerComponent =                 New Inventor.ApprenticeServerComponent()                 ' open a document invisble            ' open a document            Dim oDoc As ApprenticeServerDocument            oDoc = m_ApprenticeApp.Open("c:testpart.ipt")                 ' name of new property set            Dim oNameOfNewPS As String            oNameOfNewPS = "myNewSet"            ' new property set            Dim oNewPS As PropertySet = Nothing            If oDoc.PropertySets.PropertySetExists("myNewSet") Then                ' if the set exists aleady                oNewPS = oDoc.PropertySets("myNewSet")           &#
160;    ' you can clean up the existing properties            Else                MsgBox("no property named myNewSet")                Exit Sub            End If                 Dim oShowStr As String            oShowStr = ""                 'iterate the properties            Dim oEachP As [Property]            For Each oEachP In oNewPS                oShowStr &= " [Property Name]  " &                                 oEachP.Name                oShowStr &= " [Property Value]  " &                               oEachP.Value & vbCr            Next            MessageBox.Show(oShowStr)            oDoc.Close()        End Sub

In the next post, we will introduce the second way: Attribute.