IN-Screenshot Free Addin for Autodesk Inventor

This post is for all Autodesk Inventor Users. How many times have you felt the need to take a screenshot of your Inventor file (assembly, part, drawing etc) and send it across to people who do not have Inventor or even upload the image online. You would have to follow one of the following two options

Option A: File > Save As> Save Copy As> and then select .jpg or .png as extension and save the file.

Option B: Use “Print Screen” key on your keyboard, go to MS Paint or other image editing software, paste the copied image and then save it.

At AR-CAD, we have developed a simple addin for Autodesk Inventor which lets you take screenshot or capture the current view of Inventor and save it as a jpg / png / gif or bmp image. And the best part about this addin is that its for FREE !!!. The addin developed is pretty simple and we just wanted to help Inventor users. We have developed the addin using Visual C#. Below images show an overview of IN-Screenshot usage in Inventor 2009 and Inventor 2010 (which has a Ribbon User Interface). To know more details and download IN-Screenshot addin, check out AR-CAD website.

It presently works on Inventor 2009 and 2010 versions and should also be able work on 2011, when it would be released. We have tested it to work on both 32 and 64 bit OS of Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.

You are free to try the addin and let us know your valuable feedback.

Disclaimer: Some days ago, I had come across a blog post pointing to ADN Addin of the month being awarded to a similar Inventor addin which saves the active view as an image. I had developed IN-Screenshot atleast an year ago and have no link with the other addin.

ZedGraph C# Graph Data Export to CSV Using a Custom Context Menu

In continuation of my earlier post on ZedGraph example which plots a sinosoidal graph, I have extended it further to:

Add a new custom menu item in context menu(which appears on right click on the graph)

Export Graph plot data to CSV (coma separated values) file. Which can be opened by spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel and Open Office calc.

For the custom context menu, the code has been derived from ZedGraph Wikipage. The following is the code of the Windows Form which has the ZedGraph control.

[sourcecode language=’c#’]
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Data;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using ZedGraph;
using System.IO;

namespace ZedGraphTest
{
public partial class Form1 : Form
{
private PointPairList m_pointPairList;
//CSV Writer
private StreamWriter m_CSVWriter;

public Form1()
{
InitializeComponent();
CreateGraph();
SetSize();

//csv
zedGraphControl.ContextMenuBuilder +=
new ZedGraphControl.ContextMenuBuilderEventHandler(MyContextMenuBuilder);
}

private void CreateGraph()
{
GraphPane myPane = zedGraphControl.GraphPane;

// Set the titles and axis labels
myPane.Title.Text = “ZedGraph Test”;
myPane.XAxis.Title.Text = “theta (angle)”;
myPane.YAxis.Title.Text = “Sin (theta)”;

// Make up some data points from the Sine function
m_pointPairList = new PointPairList();
for (double x = 0; x <= 360; x += 10) { double y = Math.Sin(x * Math.PI / 180.0); m_pointPairList.Add(x, y); } // Generate a blue curve with Plus symbols, LineItem _myCurve1 = myPane.AddCurve("Sin (theta)", m_pointPairList, Color.Blue, SymbolType.Plus); // Fill the pane background with a color gradient myPane.Fill = new Fill(Color.White, Color.FromArgb(220, 220, 255), 45F); //Make the MajorGrids of Axes visible myPane.XAxis.MajorGrid.IsVisible = true; myPane.YAxis.MajorGrid.IsVisible = true; // Calculate the Axis Scale Ranges zedGraphControl.AxisChange(); } private void Form1_Resize(object sender, EventArgs e) { SetSize(); } private void SetSize() { zedGraphControl.Location = new Point(10, 10); // Leave a small margin around the outside of the control zedGraphControl.Size = new Size(this.ClientRectangle.Width - 20, this.ClientRectangle.Height - 20); } private void MyContextMenuBuilder(ZedGraphControl control, ContextMenuStrip menuStrip, Point mousePt, ZedGraphControl.ContextMenuObjectState objState) { // create a new menu item ToolStripMenuItem _item = new ToolStripMenuItem(); // This is the user-defined Tag so you can find this menu item later if necessary _item.Name = "Export Data as CSV"; _item.Tag = "export_data_csv"; // This is the text that will show up in the menu _item.Text = "Export Data as CSV"; // Add a handler that will respond when that menu item is selected _item.Click += new System.EventHandler(ShowSaveAsForExportCSV); // Add the menu item to the menu,as 3rd Item menuStrip.Items.Insert(2, _item); } private void ShowSaveAsForExportCSV(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { try { //show saveAs CmdDlg saveFileDialog1.Filter = "CSV files (*.csv)|*.csv"; saveFileDialog1.ShowDialog(); m_CSVWriter = new StreamWriter(saveFileDialog1.FileName); WriteCSVToStream(); m_CSVWriter.Close(); MessageBox.Show("CSV File Saved", " ZedGraph ", MessageBoxButtons.OK); } catch (Exception ex) { m_CSVWriter.Close(); MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString()); } } private void WriteCSVToStream() { //First line is for Headers., X and Y Axis string _xAxisHeader = CheckCSVString(zedGraphControl.GraphPane.XAxis.Title.Text); string _yAxisHeader = CheckCSVString(zedGraphControl.GraphPane.YAxis.Title.Text); m_CSVWriter.Write(_xAxisHeader + "," + _yAxisHeader + "n"); //subsequent lines are having data for (int i = 0; i < m_pointPairList.Count; i++) { m_CSVWriter.Write(m_pointPairList[i].X + "," + m_pointPairList[i].Y + "n"); } } private string CheckCSVString(string _string) {//Check to see if there are any characters that can disturb the CSV delimeters. string _returnString = _string; if (_string.IndexOfAny("",x0Ax0D".ToCharArray()) > -1)
{
_returnString = “”” + _string.Replace(“””, “”””) + “””;
}
return _returnString;
}

}
}

[/sourcecode]

Zedgraph C# Graph Plot Example Application

Update : Check out ZedGraph C# Graph Data Export to CSV Using a Custom Context Menu , It has code to make a custom context menu item and also export the graph plot data as CSV.

Zedgraph is a very good opensource C# graph plotting library. Check out more details at my earlier post on Zedgraph. I have gone a step forward and made availabe source code and exe of a sample Zedgraph application which lets you have Line Plot, Bar Graph and Pie Chart.

Download Source Code (Visual Studio 2005 project in C#)

Download EXE

Below are the Screenshots of the Window Application. Copy and paste 2 columns of data from your favorite spreadsheet(eg MS Excel, Open Office Calc etc). NewLine and Tab delimiters are identified and the data is sorted accordingly, and added to graph plots. The Zedgraph plot library is so easy to use, implement and extend that it just took an afternoon to come up with this Windows application, when I was trying to convince my cousin to use ZedGraph in his college project.

ZedGraph is also being used to plot graphs in IN-Motion, a Motion Simulation Addin for Autodesk Inventor which I am co-developing along with my mentor. We are using ZedGraph to plot Postition-Velocity-Acceleration data, and intend to use it further more in Force-Torque graphs etc. Thanks to ZedGraph team for such a wonderful effort 🙂

Figure 1: ZedGraph Sample Window Application

Figure 2: The plot data for Line Plot and BarGraph are copied from a spreadsheat (eg MS Excel) and pasted in the text area. The code then uses tab and newLine delimiters to arrange data for plotting.

Figure 3: Line Plot for the above data. Notice the Titles of the X and Y axes.

Figure 4: Bargraph for the above data.

Figure 5: Data for Pie Chart. Paste 2 columns from spreadsheet. You may also use normal textbox to get the data from the user.

Figure 6: Pie Chart for the above data.

Download Source Code (Visual Studio 2005 project in C#)

Download EXE

Minimize forms along with Parent Application or Form in C#

How to minimize forms that belong to a particular application, when the parent application (In my case Autodesk Inventor) is minimized ? When you create software or addins, you would want the forms/dialogs to be minimized and not floating around when parent application is minimized.

For that we need to deal with hWnd of parent application. “hWnd” stands for Window Handle, which is the API call to the window(parent application). Since we come across this too often in Inventor customization to make addins, I have created a Class and a couple of methods for better clarity. Before I go into details, lets see what are the different types of Forms/Dialogs you would deal while developing Windows based software.

1)Modal Forms or Dialog Box

Modal Form

The modal forms are used when you want the user to enter some values and unless the form/dialog is closed, he/she cannot interact with other controls in the application. All the MessageBox’s are of modal types. The image on the left is also an example of Modal forms. Here, the user has to enter/select details of Graph plots in our addin IN-Motion.


2. Modeless Form

The modeless forms are used when user can enter values into the form and also can interact with other controls in application, even when the form is not minimized. The image on the left is the Simulation playback deck in IN-Motion.


Coming back to our problem of minimizing forms with parent application, below is the code. If the user minimizes Inventor application(parent form), its child forms are also minimized.
[sourcecode language=’c#’]
//
//Declare and set..here m_inventorApplication is the application
//MainFrameHWND returns its handle.
//WindowsWrapperForForm is a Class, defined at the bottom
WindowsWrapperForForm m_windowsWrapperForForm = new
WindowsWrapperForForm((IntPtr)m_inventorApplication.MainFrameHWND);

//Declare and set a form .. ModalCmdDlg is our modal form
ModalCmdDlg m_modalCmdDlg = new ModalCmdDlg();

//Declare and set a form .. ModelessCmdDlg is our modeless form
ModelessCmdDlg m_modelessCmdDlg = new ModelessCmdDlg();

//Show Modal form
ShowModalForm(m_modalCmdDlg);

//Show Modeless form
ShowModelessForm(m_modelessCmdDlg);

//Methods
private void ShowModalForm(Form _modalCmdDlg)
{
_modalCmdDlg.Activate();
_modalCmdDlg.ShowInTaskbar = false;
//ShowDialog is used..for Modal forms
_modalCmdDlg.ShowDialog(m_windowsWrapperForForm);
}

private void ShowModelessForm(Form _modelessCmdDlg)
{
_modelessCmdDlg.Activate();
_modelessCmdDlg.ShowInTaskbar = false;
//Show is used..for Modeless forms
_modelessCmdDlg.Show(m_windowsWrapperForForm);
}

//Below is the code for Class WindowsWrapperForForm
//****************Class***************

class WindowsWrapperForForm : System.Windows.Forms.IWin32Window

{
private IntPtr m_hwnd;
public WindowsWrapperForForm(IntPtr handle)
{
m_hwnd = handle;
}
#region IWin32Window Members
public IntPtr Handle
{
get { return m_hwnd; }
}
#endregion
}
//****************EndClass*******************

[/sourcecode]

Opensource C# Graph Plot Library – ZedGraph

Update: Check out Zedgraph C# Graph Plot Example Application , I have an example ZedGraph Application (with sourcecode) to draw Line Plot, Bar Graph and Pie Chart.

Update 2: Check out ZedGraph C# Graph Data Export to CSV Using a Custom Context Menu , It has code to make a custom context menu item and also export the graph plot data as CSV.

ZedGraph C# Graph Library

I was searching for an opensource(hence free) Graph plotting library in C# (or VB.NET), so that it could be used in our IN-Motion addin for Autodesk Inventor. After some googling, I found 2 suitable open source libraries namely ZedGraph and NPlot. When both websites(read wiki) were compared, I found ZedGraph recently updated and also had great documentation to take off immediately. I readily downloaded the latest version of ZedGraph dll from its SourceForge project and followed the instructions on ZedGraph wiki.

Within no time, I was ready with ZedGraphTest example, whose screenshot is above. It is so simple that, without even exploring, I could accomplish basic graph plotting. Some of the plus points I see in ZedGraph are:

  • Not much tweaking of source-code is required for basic tasks.
  • All the plot elements (line, curve, panel, axes, plot-markers etc) can be set different colors. Even gradients can be set to have crazy as well as good looking Graphs
  • Different types of graphs (line,bar,pie etc) are possible with ease.
  • Using left click on the plot panel, the graph can be zoomed
  • Middle button can be used to pan the plot
  • Upon right click over the plot, a context menu appears which, out of the box has a lot of useful features such as saving the image, toggle the on-hover highligthing etc
The code for my ZedGraphTest is below. I have changed only CreateGraph() method, and the remaining code is same as in the example.
[sourcecode language=’c#’]
private void CreateGraph(ZedGraphControl zgc)
{
GraphPane myPane = zgc.GraphPane;

// Set the titles and axis labels
myPane.Title.Text = “ZedGraph Test”;
myPane.XAxis.Title.Text = “theta (angle)”;
myPane.YAxis.Title.Text = “Sin (theta)”;

// Make up some data points from the Sine function
PointPairList _list1 = new PointPairList();
for (double x = 0; x <= 360; x += 10) { double y = Math.Sin(x * Math.PI / 180.0); _list1.Add(x, y); } // Generate a blue curve with Plus symbols, LineItem _myCurve1 = myPane.AddCurve("Sin (theta)", _list1, Color.Blue,SymbolType.Plus); // Fill the pane background with a color gradient myPane.Fill = new Fill(Color.White, Color.FromArgb(220, 220, 255), 45F); //Make the MajorGrids of Axes visible myPane.XAxis.MajorGrid.IsVisible = true; myPane.YAxis.MajorGrid.IsVisible = true; // Calculate the Axis Scale Ranges zgc.AxisChange(); } [/sourcecode] So far, this library has been a boon to me as I dont have to reinvent the wheel again. Thanks a ton to ZedGraph guys 🙂

Develop Autodesk Inventor Addin Using C# – Part 5


Watch High Resolution Video at AR-CAD

Summary: How to Add extra buttons to already existing Addin Command Bar.

This is in continuation of my earlier posts on Developing Inventor Addins using C# Part1, Part2, Part3 and Part4. In our last screencast, I had explained how to replicate assembly tree view inside our addin command dialog. We go a step further and interact with the opened Assembly document / file.

In this ScreenCast, we mainly deal with How to add another button to our existing addin command bar. By clicking on that button, a form would show up. We use SelectSet method of Inventor to capture user Selections. In screencasts to follow, we would try to explore how InteractionEvents can be used in place of SelectSet.

Upon selecting an ocurrence (Part/ Sub-assembly), the label in our Form is changed to its Display Name. Its not a big deal though, but atleast we are heading in the right direction.

Would love to hear any feedback in the form of comments.

Develop Autodesk Inventor Addin using C# – Part 4


Watch High Resolution Video on AR-CAD

This is in continuation of my earlier posts on Developing Addins for Autodesk Inventor using C# Part1, Part2 and Part3. In this screencast, I have introduced a TreeView component in our Custom Form, which gets displayed upon clicking on our Addin Button. I have also introduced concept of ImageList briefly and how it was coupled together with our TreeView.

We also added a new set of methods/ functions in AssemblyTreeCmdDlg.cs file. The major part of the code has been taken from AssemblyTree Apprentice Server example, that gets shipped with Inventor SDK.

Upon clicking on Submit button (on our Form), Inventor quickly produces a TreeView with all the Parts, Sub-Assemblies in the active assembly file, and also shows the Constraints that each of these parts / sub-assemblies have.

Develop Autodesk Inventor Addin using C# – Part 3


Watch High Resolution Video on AR-CAD

This post is in continuation of my earlier posts on Developing Addins for Inventor using C# part1 and part2. In this screencast / video tutorial, we go a step forward and show a Form / Command Dialog when our Custom Button is clicked in Inventor. The form created is very much basic. Ideally the form should minimize along with Inventor if Inventor is minimized. That part is not taken care of in this screencast. It would be done in coming tutorials.

When our Custom Button is clicked (OnExecute), a form is displayed with a label and a Submit Button. Upon clicking Submit Button, the file name of the active document (opened file) is retrieved from Inventor Application object and updated in the Form.

Develop Autodesk Inventor Addin using C# – Part 2

Part 2a:

Watch High Resolution video of Part2a videos on AR-CAD


Part 2b:

 

Watch High Resolution video of Part2b videos on AR-CAD


Part 2c:

 

Watch High Resolution video of Part2c videos on AR-CAD


This video tutorial is in continuation of my earlier post on Developing Autodesk Inventor Addin using C# – part 1. In this session, we go a step further and create Command Button(s), that is added into a Custom Command Bar, which in turn gets added into Panel Bar of Assembly Files.

 

We start with a project that gets formed when we use Inventor Addins Template for C# language. We then add a couple of references and use most of the code from SimpleAddin that gets shipped along with Inventor in its SDK kit. We use the Button class from SimpleAddin as it is, and then append code to StandardAddInServer.cs file as explained in the video.

Some of the main points discussed in the video are as follows:

  1. How to deal with User Interface Event
  2. How to deal with Event Handler for Command Bars and Environments on Reset
  3. How to use ‘try & catch’ loop to handle errors effectively
  4. How to extend Button base class. Each ButtonCommand (AssemblyTreeButton) will have a Class which implements Button class
  5. How to load Image icons (.ico) for User Interface items
  6. How to create Buttons (CommandButtons)
  7. How to create Command Category
  8. How to add Button to Command Category
  9. How to create a custom command bar (toolbar), only the first time the addin loads up
  10. How to add a custom command bar to an available Environment (again only first time)
  11. How to Restore CommandBars and Environments and clean up the custom CommandBars and Environment changes done by activate method
  12. How to run a command when a button is clicked
  13. How to Build a Solution from Visual Studio 2005
  14. How to register and unregister an Addin using RegAsm.exe (easier way)
  15. How to check whether you addin has been loaded in the Inventor when it is started

I hope a lot of basics of a Command Button are covered in this video tutorial. In the coming ones, I would try to work on “Debugging an Addin from Visual Studio” and more complex addins which actually do something other than just showing some messages.

Please comment below if there is anything that is not clear. To view high resolution Videos of the above screencasts, check them out at AR-CAD at part2a, part2b, part2c.

Update: Looks like the install.bat and uninstall.bat files content are not very clear in the video, here are they in text

Install.bat

@echo off

C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv2.0.50727RegAsm.exe /codebase AR-CADInventorAddIn4.dll

PAUSE

Uninstall.bat

@echo off

C:WINDOWSMicrosoft.NETFrameworkv2.0.50727RegAsm.exe /unregister AR-CADInventorAddIn4.dll

PAUSE

Develop Autodesk Inventor Addin using C# – Part 1

Part 1a

Part 1b

Watch High Resolution video of both above videos on AR-CAD

I hope you have gone through my earlier video tutorial and post, as they provide a good (if not great) foundation for basic concepts of Autodesk Inventor API and how it Inventor can be customized using Visual C#. In the previous posts, we had connected to Inventor as an external exe file, which runs out 0f process with respect to Inventor and hence can be considered slow. To make the addins work faster and to give the end user a better work-flow and experience, we have to make an addin which is internal to Inventor and which runs in-process with respect to Inventor.

In the above videos ( they have been broken into part 1a and 1b as youtube couldn’t upload the whole video, which is 12 mins long), basic introduction is given to “How to develop an addin to Inventor using C#”. Please go through it and I hope the explanation in it is good enough to get you started. In Next versions of this tutorial, I shall try to increase the complexities. If there are any doubts/ clarifications / suggestions, I would love to hear from you as comments to this post. Watch High Resolution video of both above videos on AR-CAD