GstarCAD 2023 .NET Programming Guide

Contents

• #1. Introduction
• #2. Programming Environment
• #3. Install GstarCAD SDK
• #4. Visual Studio 2017 C# .NET Programming Sample
  • #4.1. Create .NET Project
    • #4.1.1. Run Microsoft® Visual Studio 2017
    • #4.1.2. Input Project Save Path and Project Name
    • #4.1.3. Finish Creating New Project
  • #4.2. Set Reference Library
    • #4.2.1. Add Reference
    • #4.2.2. Choose and Add Reference File
  • #4.3. Add Code
  • #4.4. Compile Program
  • #4.5. Run Program
• #5. Visual Studio 2017 VB .NET Programming Sample
  • #5.1. Create .NET Project
    • #5.1.1. Run Microsoft® Visual Studio 2017
    • #5.1.2. Input Project Save Path and Project Name
    • #5.1.3. Finish Creating New Project
  • #5.2. Set Reference Library
    • #5.2.1. Add Reference
    • #5.2.2. Choose and Add Reference File
  • #5.3. Add Code
  • #5.4. Compile Program
  • #5.5. Run Program
• #6. Special Usage of GstarCAD .NET Programming
  • #6.1. How to Use 'using'
  • #6.2. How to Use 'ResultBuffer'
  • #6.3. Alternative Method of Importing Unmanaged ARX Function
  • #6.4. C# .NET and VB .NET Namespace Modification
• #7. Copyright

1. Introduction

GstarCAD .NET API provides a series of Managed Wrapper Class, Object-oriented development environment and API on the basic of .NET. Developers can use the languages which support .NET language, such as VB .NET, C# to develop application on GstarCAD.

2. Programming Environment

• Microsoft® Visual Studio Enterprise 2017 (Version 15.9.17)

• Windows SDK 10.0.17763.0

• CPU:

Basic: 1.6 GHz CUP

Recommended: 3.0 GHz CPU and above

• RAM:

Basic: 2 GB

Recommended: 8 GB and above

• Operation System (OS)

Windows 11

Windows 10 (version 1507 and above):

Home, Professional, Education and Enterprise (not support LTSC and Windows 10 S)

Windows 8.1 (with 2919355 update):

Core, Professional and Enterprise

Windows 7 SP1 (with the latest update):

Home, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate

• Monitor Resolution:

1028x800 and above true color display, including 4K (3840x2160) display

• GstarCAD SDK 2023

• GstarCAD 2023

• .NET Framework 4.8 and above

3. Install GstarCAD SDK

Download GstarCAD SDK (' GRXSDK.ZIP ' file) from GstarCAD website:

https://www.gstarcad.net/download/

Unzip GRXSDK.ZIP file to the local disk (e.g. 'C:\grxsdk' ) and there will be 5 directories generated (in 'C:\grxsdk' ) which are: arx , inc , inc-x64 , lib-x64 and utils .

arx contains the header files, library files and sample programs used for porting ARX programs to GRX

programs. It contains the following directories:

• Inc: Header files used for porting from ARX to GRX

• inc-x64 : Files used by COM and .NET (for 64-bit)

• lib-x64 : GRX libraries (for 64-bit)

• Samples : Sample projects, including Dotnet, fact_dg, HelloADS, HelloA and SimplePalette.

• Dotnet : .NET programming samples

• 1. Addline : .NET programming sample of adding solid lines
• 2. Hello : .NET programming sample of outputting prompt information
• 3. Vbhello : Sample of .NET programming with VB .NET

• fact_dg : Sample of LISP function definition

• HelloADS : Sample of ADS programming

• HelloARX : Sample of GRX programming

• SimplePalette : Programming sample of how to create a set Palette windows

• Utils : Directory contains sub-directories of GRX extended applications, including APIs for extended

function development, e.g. BREP for boundary representation.

• inc-x64 : Files used by COM and .NET (for 64-bit)

• lib-x64 : GRX libraries (for 64-bit)

• Utils : Directory contains subdirectories of GRX extended applications, including APIs for extended

function development, e.g. BREP for boundary representation.

4. Visual Studio 2017 C# .NET Programming Sample

The following is an example of how to create a project called ' Hello ', assuming that the GstarCAD SDK is installed in the ' C:\grxsdk '.

4.1. Create .NET Project

4.1.1. Run Microsoft® Visual Studio 2017

Click File → New → Project to launch the New Project dialog window. Select Visual C# in the Installed on the left side and click Class Library (.NET Framework) in the middle window.

4.1.2. Input Project Save Path and Project Name

Input 'Hello' at the Name field in the New Project dialog window and choose .NET Framework 4.8 at the Framework field, as shown below:

4.1.3. Finish Creating New Project

Click OK button to finish creating the new project ' Hello '.

4.2. Set Reference Library

4.2.1. Add Reference

In Visual Studio 2017, find the ' Hello ' project in the Solution Explorer , right-click on it and select Add → Reference .

After the Reference Manager dialog window pops out, click Browse as shown below.

4.2.2. Choose and Add Reference File

From the GstarCAD SDK installation directory, e.g. ' C:\grxsdk ', select ' gmap.dll ' and ' gmdb.dll ' in ' \arx\inc ' and 'GrxCAD.Interop.dll '(or ' acax.tlb ') in ' \arx\inc-x64 ', and add them by clicking Add button.

After adding the files, right-click added ' gmap.dll ' and ' gmdb.dll ' files one by one and select Properties at the context menu, the Reference Properties palette pops up. Set the value of Copy Local property to False . The following screenshot shows how to change Copy Local property of ' gmap.dll '.

• ' gmap.dll ' includes the following namespaces:

• ' gmdb.dll ' includes the following namespaces:

• ' GrxCAD.Interop.dll ' shows the corresponding .NET APIs of COM.

4.3. Add Code

Add the following codes to 'Class1.cs':

using System;

using GrxCAD.Runtime;
using GrxCAD.ApplicationServices;

[assembly: CommandClass(typeof(hello.HelloCmd))]

namespace hello
{
public class HelloCmd
  {
[CommandMethod("Hello")]
static public void DoIt()
    {

try
      {
Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor.WriteMessage("Hello dotnet");
      }
catch (System.Exception ex)
      {
String str = ex.ToString();
      }
    }
  }
}

4.4. Compile Program

In Visual Studio 2017, click Build → Build Solution to generate 'Hello.dll ' file.

4.5. Run Program

Run GstarCAD and input ' netload ' at command line to launch Select .Net Assembly dialog window, select the 'Hello.dll ' and click Open button to load it.

Input 'hello ' at command line, there will be a message 'Hello dotnet ' displayed in the command line.

5. Visual Studio 2017 VB .NET Programming Sample

The following is an example of how to create a project called ' Hello ', assuming that the GstarCAD SDK is installed in the ' C:\grxsdk '.

5.1. Create .NET Project

5.1.1. Run Microsoft® Visual Studio 2017

Click File → New → Project to launch the New Project dialog window. Select Visual Basic in the Installed on the left side and click Class Library (.NET Framework) in the middle window.

5.1.2. Input Project Save Path and Project Name

Input 'Hello' at the Name field in the New Project dialog window and choose .NET Framework 4.8 at the Framework field, as shown below:

5.1.3. Finish Creating New Project

Click OK button to finish creating the new project ' Hello '.

5.2. Set Reference Library

5.2.1. Add Reference

In Visual Studio 2017, find the ' Hello ' project in the Solution Explorer , right-click on it and select

Add → Reference .

After the Reference Manager dialog window pops out, click Browse as shown below.

5.2.2. Choose and Add Reference File

From the GstarCAD SDK installation directory, e.g. ' C:\grxsdk ', select ' gmap.dll ' and ' gmdb.dll ' in ' \arx\inc ' and

'GrxCAD.Interop.dll ' (or ' acax.tlb ') in ' \arx\inc-x64 ', and add them by clicking Add button.

After adding the files, right-click added ' gmap.dll ' and ' gmdb.dll ' files one by one and select Properties at the context menu, the Reference Properties palette pops up. Set the value of Copy Local property to False . The following screenshot shows how to change Copy Local property of ' gmap.dll '.

• ' gmap.dll ' includes the following namespaces:

• ' gmdb.dll ' includes the following namespaces:

• ' GrxCAD.Interop.dll ' shows the corresponding .NET APIs of COM.

5.3. Add Code

Add the following codes in 'Class1.vb':

Imports System
Imports GrxCAD

Imports GrxCAD.Runtime

Imports GrxCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports GrxCAD.Geometry

Imports GrxCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports GrxCAD.EditorInput

' This line is not mandatory, but improves loading performances
<Assembly: CommandClass(GetType(GRXTest.MyCommands))>

Namespace GRXTest
Public Class MyCommands

<CommandMethod("vbhello", CommandFlags.Modal)> _
Public Sub RunMRLCommand() ' This method can have any name
Dim doc As GrxCAD.ApplicationServices.Document
doc = GrxCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument
doc.Editor.WriteMessage("hello vb.NET")
End Sub

End Class
End Namespace

5.4. Compile Program

In Visual Studio 2017, click Build → Build Solution to generate 'Hello.dll ' file.

5.5. Run Program

Run GstarCAD and input ' netload ' at command line to launch Select .Net Assembly dialog window, select the

'Hello.dll ' and click Open button to load it.

Input 'vbhello ' at command line, there will be a message 'hello vb.NET ' displayed in the command line.

6. Special Usage of GstarCAD .NET Programming

The following describes the differences between GstarCAD .NET programming and AutoCAD® .NET

programming:

6.1. How to Use 'using'

Codes like 'var mapping = new IdMapping()' need to add 'using' function first, e.g.:

using( var mapping = new IdMapping())
{
    ...
}

6.2. How to Use 'ResultBuffer'

Use 'ResultBuffer.ResbufObject' to replace 'ResultBuffer.UnmanagedObject';

Type of ResultBuffer.UnmanagedObject is OdDbResbuf;

Type of ResultBuffer.ResbufObject is resbuf;

Use 'ResultBuffer.Create(IntPtr,bool)' to replace 'ResultBuffer(IntPtr,bool)'

6.3. Alternative Method of Importing Unmanaged ARX Function

Use 'GrxCAD.EditorInput.Editor.Command(params object[])' to replace the unmanaged ARX functions acedCmd

and acedCommand.

6.4. C# .NET and VB .NET Namespace Modification

• VB .NET:

Change 'Autodesk.AutoCAD' to 'GrxCAD' after the 'Imports'

C# .NET: -

Change 'Autodesk.AutoCAD' to 'GrxCAD' after the 'using'

COM With VB .NET: -

Add 'Imports GcadVbaLib' and delete 'Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.Common'

• COM With C# .NET:

Add 'using GcadVbaLib' and delete 'Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop.Common'

For the COM object name in the codes, such as AcadLWPolyline, it is needed to change the prefix 'Acad' to

' Gcad' , e.g. 'AcadLWPolyline ' should be change to 'GcadLWPolyline '.

If it's not sure a COM object exists or not, then first check it from the object browser, e.g. for ACAD_COLOR , check whether there is corresponding GCAD_COLOR first from the browser. Then change ' ACAD_COLOR' to ' GCAD_COLOR' if GCAD_COLOR is found.

7. Copyright

Copyright reserved: Gstarsoft Co.,Ltd

Copying and referencing any part of this document is allowed. No part of this document may be changed without permission. Please keep this statement when copying or referencing this document.