HyperPics: Beyond the UI

AutoCAD ActiveX History Reference

Do you find yourself maintaining multiple releases of AutoCAD and need to know what ActiveX functions existed in which release? Maybe you are on an older release and want to know what might have been added. A fellow read and visitor of my web site has shared with me his cross reference table of all the ActiveX Methods and Properties from AutoCAD 2000 through 2006.  Many thanks to Marc for sharing this.

Below is a linkt to the PDF file that he has posted.
AutoCAD ActiveX History (Methods and Properties)

Thanks,
  Lee

What's Changed in the ActiveX API? - AutoCAD 2004/2005

One of the readers of this blog asked if I had a list of changes in the ActiveX API for AutoCAD 2004 and AutoCAD 2005, just like I have provided for AutoCAD 2006.  Which my response was, "Yes I do".  It was a listing that I pulled together for my class that I taught at AU last year called "What's New in the ActiveX API?".  The class covered changes that dated back to AutoCAD 2004 and 2005.  So for those users of AutoCAD that are looking to upgrade this time around, here is a list of changes to the ActiveX API that you might be of interest to you.

Changes to the API for AutoCAD 2004
New Collections
AcadFileDependencies

New Classes
AcadAcCmColor
AcadFileDependency
AcadSummaryInfo
AcadSecurityParams

New Enumerators
AcColorMethod
AcGradientPatternType
AcHatchObjectType
AcShadePlot
AcadSecurityParamsConstants
AcadSecurityParamsType

Class Changes
AcadApplication
    Property - HWND

AcadDocument
    Property - FileDependencies
    Property - SummaryInfo

AcadExternalReference
    Property - EffectiveName

AcadHatch
    Property - GradientAngle
    Property - GradientCentered
    Property - GradientColor1
    Property - GradientColor2
    Property - GradientName
    Property - HatchObjectType

AcadLWPolyline
    Property - Length

AcadMtext
    Property - LineSpacingDistance

AcadMtext
    Property - RemoveHiddenLines (Removed)
    Property - ShadePlot (Replaces RemoveHiddelLines)

AcadPreferencesFiles
    Property - ColorBookPath
    Property - ToolPalettePath
    Property - LicenseServer (Removed)
    Property - ObjectARXPath (Removed)

AcadPreferencesOpenSave
    Property - SaveAsType (Constant values for AcSaveAsType changed)

AcadPreferencesUser
    Property - SCMTimeMode
    Property - SCMTimeValue

Changed Enumerators
AcSaveAsType
    ac2000_dwg
    ac2000_dxf
    ac2000_Template
    ac2004_dwg
    ac2004_dxf
    ac2004_Template
    acR18_dwg
    acR18_dxf
    acR18_Template
    acNative (value has changed to be the same as ac2004_dwg)

AcViewportScale
    acVp1and1_2in_1ft

Changes to the API for AutoCAD 2005
New Collections
N/A

New Classes
AcadOle
AcadSortentsTable
AcadTable
AcadTableStyle

New Enumerators
AcCellAlignment
AcCellEdgeMask
AcCellType
AcGridLineype
AcRowType
AcSelectType
AcTableDirection
AcTableStyleOverrides
AcOlePlotQuality
AcOleType
AcRotationAngle

Changed Collections
AcadLayers >> IAcadLayers2

Class Changes
AcadLayers
    Method - GenerateUsageData

Changed Classes
AcadLayer >> IAcadLayer2
AcadBlock >> IAcadBlock2
AcadModelSpace >> IAcadModelSpace2
AcadMText >> IAcadMText2
AcadPaperSpace >> IAcadPaperSpace2
AcadPreferencesFile >> IAcadPreferencesFile2
AcadPreferencesOutput >> IAcadPreferencesOutput2
AcadPViewport >> IAcadPViewport2
AcadText >> IAcadText2
AcadView >> IAcadView2

Class Changes
AcadDocument
    Event - BeginDocClose

AcadBlock
    Method - AddTable

AcadLayer
    Property - Description

AcadModelSpace
    Method - AddTable

AcadMText
    Property - BackgroundFill
    Method - FieldCode

AcadPaperSpace
    Method - AddTable

AcadPreferencesFile
    Property - PageSetupOverridesTemplateFile
    Property - PlotLogFilePath
    Property - QNewTemplatePath

AcadPreferencesOutput
    Property - AutomaticPlotLog
    Property - ContinuousPlotLog

AcadPViewport
    Property - HasSheetView
    Property - LabelBlockId
    Property - ModelView
    Property - SheetView
    Method - SyncModelView

AcadText
    Method - FieldCode

AcadView
    Property - CategoryName
    Property - HasVpAssociation
    Property - LayerState
    Property - LayoutId

Changed Enumerators
AcEntityName
    acTable

Sincerely,
  Lee

What's Changed in the ActiveX API? - AutoCAD 2006

I have compiled a list of all the changes to the ActiveX API that I could find in the latest Beta of AutoCAD 2006 that I have.  I will publish a final copy of ther changes once AutoCAD 2006 has started shipping to customers.  Below is a high level view of the changes though.  I will post some specifics over the next couple of days/weeks, but make note that some of these items are open to change yet since they are based on a Beta version of the software.

New Classes
AcadDimArcLength
AcadDimRadialLarge
AcadDynamicBlockReferenceProperty

New Enumerators
AcBlockScaling
AcDimArcLengthSymbol
AcDynamicBlockReferencePropertyUnitsType
AcMLineJustification

Changed Classes
AcadAttribute >> IAcadAttribute2
AcadAttributeReference >> IAcadAttributeReference2
AcadBlock >> IAcadBlock3
AcadBlockReference >> IAcadBlockReference2
AcadExternalReference >> IAcadExternalReference2
AcadHatch >> IAcadHatch2
AcadMInsertBlock >> IAcadMInsertBlock2
AcadMLine >> IAcadMLine2
AcadModelSpace >> IAcadModelSpace3
AcadPaperSpace >> IAcadPaperSpace3
AcadTable >> IAcadTable2
AcadUtility >> IAcadUtility2

Changed Enumerators
AcEntityName
AcViewportScale

Sincerely,
  Lee

VBA Book Project in Progress

I have been working on and off for some time on whether or not to release a VBA book that covers in great depth from what I have ventured down the path in the past.  I am proud to announce that I will be going forward with this project and if anyone out there has any feedback to what they would like to see I am open to listening to them.  Below is a summary of the chapter titles that will be included in the VBA for AutoCAD book.  The book once completed should be some where in the neighborhood of 26 chapters and over 450 pages.  I am hoping to have it completed in the next couple of months.

Chapters
Introduction
1. AutoCAD Commands for VBA
2. Visual Basic Editor
3. Components of a VBA Project
4. Error Handling and Debugging Code
5. Conditional and Looping Statements
6. Basic VBA Functions
7. Object Browser and Getting Help
8. AutoCAD Entities - Part 1
9. AutoCAD Entities - Part 2
10. AutoCAD Document
11. Application Object
12. User Input Outside of a UserForm
13. Storing & Retrieving Data for Future Use
14. Modifying Objects in the Drawing
15. Formatting with Colors, Linetypes, Lineweights and Layers
16. Annotation - Text, Tables and Dimensions
17. Blocks and Xrefs
18. Selection Sets
18. Views and Zooming
19. Layouts and Plotting
20. Manipulating the AutoCAD UI (Menu bar and Toolbars)
21. Responding to Events
22. Accessing Files and Folders
23. Working with the Internet
24. Accessing Other Applications from AutoCAD
25. Odds and Ends
Appendixes, Glossary and Index

I have read many different VBA books throughout the years and some just seem to be way to intense or just not very basic for the beginner.  I hope to be able to bring a blend of content that will help those that are new and familiar to VBA programming in AutoCAD.  I have been using VBA with AutoCAD since R14 so I have been using it since the beginning.  I hope to show a variety of samples that some might have never seen before.  Like I mentioned earlier I would like to hear what people would be looking for in a book that they might be interested in purchasing on VBA for AutoCAD.

Sincerely,
  Lee

AutoCAD Customization/ProgrammingTraining

I am proud to announce that  I have partnered up with Virtual Partners to offer AutoCAD training in the areas of both General and Customization/Programming.  The schedule will change with demands on classes, but we have slotted classes from January through February.  These classes range from customizing AutoCAD, using AutoLISP and VBA to great automation and improving work flow to general AutoCAD upgrade classes.  If you have any questions please contact James Murphy at murph@virtualpartners.com or myself at lee_ambrosius@hyperpics.com.

Class schedule and information can be found on the Virtual Partners website.  Contact us today to learn how to unlock the secrets and benefits of customizing AutoCAD; education is a great tool so start the New Year off on the right foot.

Sincerely,
  Lee

Mini Guide for Intro to VBA for AutoCAD

   For sometime now I have had some people asking about whether or not I would do an eBook on VBA for AutoCAD.  I have had one for a while, but until recently it wasn't up to date.  A new version has been created that is a total of 17 Chapters and 169 pages.  Typically people want to see a copy of it before buying it which is understandable.  So What I have decided to do instead was publish a Mini Guide which contains certain sections of the full version.  Below are two links to a scaled down version of the eBook that is titled "Introduction to VBA for AutoCAD".

  If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the full version just e-mail me, otherwise enjoy the Mini Guide to VBA for AutoCAD without any strings attached.  Hope you enjoy the Mini Guide on VBA to AutoCAD.

Click here to access the eBook Introduction to VBA for AutoCAD (Mini Guide)

Sincerely,
  Lee

The Future of C++

Many would have predicted the death of C++ with the birth of C# and VB .NET. This is not true and Microsoft is showing support of this with new features in the next IDE. Along with Microsoft the C++ standards are being revised to include many of the new features used today with in programs like XML and Regular Expressions.

Microsoft Watch: What's Ahead for C++?
Revving The Engine on C++
Grok The New Features in Standard C++

I prefer using C++ over C#, but then again that might change in the future...

Sincerely,
  Lee