Topic: Autocad MEP - VBScript - get Normal of an Object

[Keith Brown]

I am working in Autocad MEP and I am trying to get the Normal of an object by using Property Sets and vbscript.  I am not sure if it is even possible.  I found this article on the Autodesk website.

http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=6057466&linkID=9240657  that describes how to add a property that is not an automatic property of the object and showed this vbscript code.

Code: [Select]

RESULT="--"
On Error Resume Next
Set AcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
Set Obj = AcadApp.Activedocument.Objectidtoobject("xxxxx")
RESULT= Obj.area

I modified Obj.area to instead be obj.normal but the property set only displays --.  I know the code works because i changed obj.normal to obj.rotation and it gave the rotation of the fitting.

Does anyone have any idea on how to grab the normal of an object inside of a property set in Autocad MEP or Autocad Architecture?  I need it so I can see if a duct fitting has been rotated around its centerline.  The rotation parameter only returns rotation in the XY plane.  I need a rotation in the XZ plane or ZY plane which can be determined from the Normal of the fitting.

I did use the VBA to inspect an AecbDuctFitting's properties and Normal was one of them that was available.

Thank you for any help.

[Keith Brown]

I really thought that something like this should work but it just returns the default string for RESULT which means that obj.normal throws an error somewhere.

Code: [Select]

RESULT="Fitting Orientation Correct"
On Error Resume Next
Set AcadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
Set Obj = AcadApp.Activedocument.Objectidtoobject("[ObjectID]")
Normal = obj.normal
If Normal(2) = -1 Then
   RESULT = "UpsideDown Fitting"
End If


[fixo]

Take a look at this topic, probably it will helps
http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/AutoCAD-Architecture/Can-this-be-done-with-VBScript/td-p/3058092

[Keith Brown]

Thank you very much Fixo!  I was able to get what I wanted from the examples provided in the posts.  Below is the working code that allows me to get the normal of an object in a property set.

Code - Visual Basic: [Select]

1.  On Error Resume Next
2. Set acadApp = GetObject(,"AutoCAD.Application")
3.  
4. 'ACADVER values:
5. 'ACA 2010 = "18.0s (LMS Tech)"
6. 'ACA 2011 = "18.1s (LMS Tech)"
7. 'ACA 2012 = "18.2s (LMS Tech)"
8. 'ACA 2013 = "19.0s (LMS Tech)"
9. 'ACA 2014 = "19.1s (LMS Tech)"
10.  
11.  
12. acadVerString = acadApp.ActiveDocument.GetVariable("ACADVER")
13.  
14. 'Set ACA application string, based on version running:
15. Select Case acadVerString
16.  
17.        Case "18.0s (LMS Tech)"  'ACA-2010
18.               aecBaseVer = "AecX.AecBaseApplication.6.0"
19.  
20.        Case "18.1s (LMS Tech)"  'ACA-2011
21.               aecBaseVer = "AecX.AecBaseApplication.6.5"
22.  
23.        Case "18.2s (LMS Tech)"  'ACA-2012
24.               aecBaseVer = "AecX.AecBaseApplication.6.7"
25.  
26.        Case "19.0s (LMS Tech)"  'ACA-2013
27.               aecBaseVer = "AecX.AecBaseApplication.7.0"
28.  
29.        Case "19.1s (LMS Tech)"  'ACA-2014
30.               aecBaseVer = "AecX.AecBaseApplication.7.5"
31.  
32.        Case Else
33.                aecBaseVer = "Unknown"
34.  
35. End Select
36.  
37. If aecBaseVer = "Unknown" Then
38.        RESULT = "Unknown Version"
39.  
40. Else
41.  
42.        ' Get a utility object to convert the Vector3D to an Array
43.       Set aecBase = acadApp.GetInterfaceObject(aecBaseVer)
44.        aecBase.Init acadApp
45.        Set DuctFittingObject = acadApp.ActiveDocument.ObjectIDToObject([ObjectID])
46.        Set UtilityObject = aecBase.ActiveDocument.Utility
47.  
48.        ' Get the Normal of the Object and break down into individual X, Y, and Z parts
49.       DuctFittingObjectNormal = UtilityObject.ConvertToVariantArray(DuctFittingObject.Normal)
50.        NormalX = DuctFittingObjectNormal(0)
51.        NormalY = DuctFittingObjectNormal(1)
52.        NormalZ = DuctFittingObjectNormal(2)
53.  
54.        'Return the results
55.       RESULT = CStr(NormalX & ":" & NormalY & ":" & NormalZ)
56.  
57. End If
58.  

By getting this information in the property set I can develop a display theme that will highlight any fittings that are upside down all through the user interface provided by Autocad Architecture and Autocad MEP.  Thanks again!

[fixo]

Glad you got it to work
Cheers