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

Comments

[ibif]

how can i run automaticaly a script file in autocad via visual basic

[Lee]

To run a script from VB or VBA you will need to use the SendCommand method which allows you to run commands directly from the command line. While this is not really a preferred method due to the commands not being executed right a way, it can be done though. When sending commands to AutoCAD using this method, AutoCAD might not run the commands until the remainder of the code is done running. So you will want to make sure that the script is as close to the end of the procedure as possible.