Author Topic: Lets write a complete real world add-in  (Read 16488 times)

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vegbruiser

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #15 on: July 11, 2012, 04:40:55 AM »
Here's a little something I just knocked up:

http://www.mindmeister.com/184561892 (password = th3Sw4mp) - if you don't have an account with them, you'll need to register in order to edit it; when you do so there's a (not-immediately-obvious) basic option that's at the bottom of the page which is free to use for up to 3 mind maps.

Add to it as you see fit.


MexicanCustard

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #16 on: July 11, 2012, 07:01:13 AM »
I'm in to help if we can stick with .NET 4.0+.  I just can't go backwards :wink:
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BlackBox

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #17 on: July 11, 2012, 10:52:22 AM »
I like the idea of a more diverse Tab Add-on.

Although I do VB not C# I would like to help.

So did I, when I started this thread:

Custom Drawing Tabs Interface... Where to Begin?

... However, as you'll see by reading the thread, this must be done in C++/ObjectARX.  :| *kicks dirt*

"How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

LE3

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #18 on: July 11, 2012, 11:13:11 AM »
have seen so many intentions to write an app or whatever - hope this time you guys get together and put a team to work on this... all the best and luck!!!!!!!

57gmc

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #19 on: July 11, 2012, 12:01:33 PM »
How about a bunch of text utilities? I've got a bunch of vba routines I've been meaning to port to .NET. Stuff like aligning text lines by decimal point and editing a bunch of text items at once in one dialog.

mohnston

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #20 on: July 11, 2012, 12:10:07 PM »
... However, as you'll see by reading the thread, this must be done in C++/ObjectARX.  :| *kicks dirt*
So what if we did it in a palette instead of tabs?
Think of the Layers palette but simpler . . . and with drawing files not layers obviously. :)
It's amazing what you can do when you don't know what you can't do.
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BlackBox

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #21 on: July 11, 2012, 12:28:43 PM »
... However, as you'll see by reading the thread, this must be done in C++/ObjectARX.  :| *kicks dirt*
So what if we did it in a palette instead of tabs?
Think of the Layers palette but simpler . . . and with drawing files not layers obviously. :)

I am certainly not the one who is deciding anything here, but my $0.02:

While hosting a WPF user control within an AutoCAD Tool Palette is perfectly feasible, a Tool Palette for this sort of functionality may not be the best 'vehicle', as it would require that the user either leave it open (Auto-hide off), or Docked in order to benefit from any sort of 'heads-up' information.

Perhaps, a merging a Ribbon Panel into the user's active Ribbon Tab on the Ribbon Tool Palette would prove useful... But again, this too requires that the user actually enable the Ribbon Tool Palette.

I'd love to see a new, or enhanced version of 'Drawing Tab' interface, but I'm not seeing something in that scope for this initiative. That sort of development effort requires organization, and coordination that I just don't see happening here. Call me pessimistic.
"How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

MexicanCustard

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2012, 07:36:43 AM »
What's the deadline to decide on what to write?  If we don't set some goals this will be another one of those posts that fades into cyberspace. 
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BlackBox

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2012, 08:43:55 AM »
Not sure if this is something others here would be interested in, but I came across this thread over at AUGI, and thought I'd share here given the intent to develop something that can be used across platforms, and used by many.

Basically, DWGPROPS are useful for storing easy to access information within a drawing, but as stated in the thread linked above, often times users in other departments, etc. need to view/consume this information via Windows Explorer.

In my limited testing, only the Summary Tab's Author Property is viewable in Windows Explorer, and not in the Author Column, only when hovering the cursor over a drawing. Not exactly intuitive, if you're trying to make things like 'Revision' etc. viewable.

I know (from Googling the topic) that Tony developed something for this some time ago, however, this initiative (if it's accepted/voted for) would support WinXP, Win7 (, and Win8? Ok, maybe later) in 32 & 64bit, and as I understand it having only given this some thought, and frankly being new to .NET in general... would need to include an Event Monitor that would sync the DWGPROPS fields with those of the Extended File Properties, no?

This could be a great learning experience for what I'd imagine is a relatively small task, in terms of complexity. Document has changes, check for DWGPROPS, if they exist, sync to Extended Properties prior to Close (and/or Save).

Just an idea, as I was contemplating if I could tackle this on my own, and thought others may enjoy the challenge too. Refinement(s), and other suggestions welcome!

"How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

BlackBox

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2012, 12:42:54 PM »
... Scratch that; JTB's been there, and done that:

http://www.jtbworld.com/DwgInfoTip.htm

:|
"How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

BlackBox

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #25 on: July 12, 2012, 02:09:39 PM »
*Bump*

So... does anyone else have any other suggestions?  :?
"How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

flowerrobot

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #26 on: July 12, 2012, 06:45:56 PM »
The ability to write custom properties with out the need to open AutoCAD ??

BlackBox

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #27 on: July 12, 2012, 08:38:38 PM »
The ability to write custom properties with out the need to open AutoCAD ??

Yep, like I said before.
"How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

Kerry

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #28 on: July 12, 2012, 10:36:52 PM »
This should test the juices.

Rescale a Template drawing. ( assume the drawing is current active doc.)

Will deal with dims, linetypes and LinetypeScales, TextStyles, Units, Metric(etc)


The routine should work an a 'used' drawing too ..
Any existing displayed entitys should NOT change in size or location.  ....


.. just a thought.



and the next step :
a startup routine to set user settings.

:)

« Last Edit: July 12, 2012, 10:42:47 PM by Kerry »
kdub, kdub_nz in other timelines.
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flowerrobot

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Re: Lets write a complete real world add-in
« Reply #29 on: July 13, 2012, 12:38:40 AM »
The ability to write custom properties with out the need to open AutoCAD ??

Yep, like I said before.

The app that you linked reads the properties, There is no write ability of custom properties with out opening autocad or truedwg.