AutoCAD Add-ins Using VB.NET

4h 31mIntermediate2017-11-28

Authors

Josh Modglin

Technical Consultant

Course details

Are you familiar with Autodesk products, but new to programming? If so, this course can help you get up to speed with the basics of .NET programming, and how these concepts can be applied to AutoCAD. Here, instructor Josh Modglin shows how to work with the AutoCAD .NET application program interface (API) and the Visual Basic .NET programming language to create a plugin—which is a module that loads into AutoCAD to extend its functionality. Josh also shares more detailed explanations of the underlying principles of Visual Basic .NET, and demonstrates how to further develop the functionality of your plugin.

Learning objectives
Creating a project using the Autodesk wizard
Creating classes, command routines, and functions
Manually creating projects
Basic .NET functionality
Working with database properties
Working with transactions and TableRecords
Getting a user-specified point and distance
Creating and inheriting a base class object
Creating a window interface

Skills covered

AutoCAD2D Drafting and DrawingBIMAutodesk3D ModelingVisualization and Real-TimeAECProduct and ManufacturingAnimation and IllustrationProgramming LanguagesSoftware DevelopmentDeep Dive (X:Y)

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - Exercise files

1. Working with the Microsoft Visual Studio Development Environment

03 - Visual Studio IDE overview
04 - Setting up your environment
05 - Introduction to Visual Basic

2. Creating Your First Project

06 - Create a project using the Autodesk wizard
07 - Understanding project properties
08 - Class overview
09 - Create a class
10 - Create a command routine
11 - Create a function
12 - Create a project manually

3. Basic .NET Functionality

13 - Using conditions
14 - Working with strings
15 - Collections and loops
16 - How to use error trapping

4. AutoCAD ApplicationServices Namespace

17 - Working with AutoCAD application properties
18 - Working with the DocumentCollection
19 - Working with a document's properties
20 - Creating a new drawing

5. AutoCAD DatabaseServices Namespace

21 - Working with database properties
22 - Understanding ObjectIds
23 - Working with transactions
24 - Working with TableRecords
25 - Creating a line

6. AutoCAD EditorInput Namespace

26 - Getting a user-specified point
27 - Getting a user-specified distance
28 - Getting a user-selected entity
29 - Getting a selection set
30 - Using input keywords

7. Class Object Fundamentals

31 - Creating a base class object
32 - Inheriting a base class object
33 - Using the shared keyword

8. Creating a Window Interface

34 - Introduction to WPF
35 - Create a window
36 - Binding data
37 - Bringing it all together