Difference in .NET Classic and .NET ARES

ARES Commander supports three .NET API sets that you can use independently. Now here we’ll going to discuss about CFx. NET(.NET ARES) and listed it’s differences with .NET Classic API's coding.

1. .NET Classic API

2. ARES COM API

3. CFx .NET (SWIG generated .NET API version of ARES C++ SDK)
   
   Here We differentiate between .NET Classic and .NET ARES.

Creating a CFx .NET or .NET ARES Plugin:

1. Create a new .NET ARES project using the Visual Studio project creation Wizard(  **minimum requirement .NET Framework v4.5)
   

   

2. From Solution Explore, add references of 
   ArgonMGD.dll
   TD_SwigCoreMgd.dll

   TD_SwigDbMgd.dll

   TG_SwigDbMgd.dll

   TD_Mgd_x.xx_xx.dll from the ARES Commander installation folder.
   

   

   
   

   

   You can see all available NameSpaces, Classes, Methods, and Properties in each assembly in the Object Browser.

   

              

3. Rename Class1.cs to PluginCommands.cs. This changes the class Class1 to class PluginCommands, as in the following example.
   

   

4. Defining a command uses Teigha.Runtime namespace to access CommandMethod method attribute and adds a method, such as AnyFunctionName that has this attribute. The following example defines the MySampleCommand command which you can run later in ARES Commander, from the command prompt.
   You can define all types of in-process plugin using a similar procedure.
   

   

5. There is another way to define a command, Directly inherit from CFxCommand and add instance of this class to command stack by using Setup method it adds the command into the stack.
   

   namespace SamplePlugin
   {
       public class PluginCommands : CFxCommand
       {
           public bool m_bExecuted;
           public PluginCommands()
           {
               m_bExecuted = false;
           }
           public override string globalName()
           {
               return "SampleCMD";
           }
           public override int Execute(CFxCommandContext pFxCmdCtx)
           {
               m_bExecuted = true;
               CFxDocument pFxDoc = PCADGlobals.FXAPI().GetFxDocument();
               if (pFxDoc == null)
                   return PCADGlobals.RTCAN;
               CFxCommandContext ctx = pFxDoc.GetFxCommandContext();
               if (ctx == null)
                   return PCADGlobals.RTCAN;
               PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n SampleCMD Command Executed"));
               return PCADGlobals.RTNORM;
           }
   
           class CFxCommandTest : IExtensionApplication
           {
               DocumentReactor docReactor;
   
               PluginCommands m_test;
               public CFxCommandTest()
               {
                   docReactor = new DocumentReactor();
               }
               public void Initialize()
               {
                   m_test = new PluginCommands();
                   Globals.odedRegCmds().addCommand(m_test);
                   PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().GetFxDocumentManager().AddReactor(docReactor);
               }
               public void Terminate()
               {
                   Globals.odedRegCmds().removeCmd(m_test.groupName(), m_test.globalName());
                   PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().GetFxDocumentManager().RemoveReactor(docReactor);
               }
           }
       }
   }

6. Build the sample project to generate PluginCommands.dll or <YourProjectName.dll>.

7. Start ARES Commander and type NETLOAD at the command prompt. Next, browse and load the plugin dll (PluginCommands.dll).
   The command window displays a confirmation message.

8. Run MySampleCommand, which executes the AnyFunctionName method. 

Accessing Documents

You can access the Document Manager from the application object.

The Document Manager provides properties and methods that let you perform the following:

• Access the active document
  

  CFxDocument doc = PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().GetFxDocumentManager().GetActiveDocument();

• Add a new document
  

  CFxString templateStr = new CFxString("newTemplate");
  CFxDocument doc = PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().GetFxDocumentManager().NewDocument(templateStr);

Open existing drawings.

Prompting for User Input 

The CFxUserIO class controls the user input. All related classes for prompting on the command window are available in PCAD_DOT_NET.CFxUserIO namespace.

CFxDocument Doc = PCADGlobals.FXAPI().GetFxDocument();
            CFxDatabase pDB = Doc.GetFxDatabase();

            CFxUserIO UserIO = Doc.GetFxUserIO();

            if (UserIO == null)
                return;
            
            CFxString prompt = UserIO.GetPrompt(new CFxString("Specify center point for circle or"));

            OdGePoint3d centerPoint = new OdGePoint3d();
            double radius = 5.0;

            int iResult = UserIO.GetPoint(prompt, new OdGePoint3d(), null, centerPoint);

            if (iResult == PCADGlobals.RTNORM)
            {
                using (OdDbCircle circle = OdDbCircle.createObject())
                {
                    circle.setDatabaseDefaults(pDB, true);
                    circle.setThickness(pDB.getTHICKNESS());
                    circle.setCenter(centerPoint);
                    circle.setRadius(radius);
                    
                    OdDbBlockTableRecord pBTR = (OdDbBlockTableRecord)pDB.GetActiveBlockId().openObject(Teigha.TD.OpenMode.kForWrite);
                    pBTR.appendOdDbEntity(circle);
                }
            }

Notifications(via Reactor Classes)

In .NET ARES there are Reactors

1. CFxDocumentManagerReactor

2. CFxDatabaseReactor

3. CFxEditorReactor

4. OdEdCommandStackReactor
   you can use Reactors like this:

class DocumentReactor : CFxDocumentManagerReactor
    {
        public override void DocumentActivated(CFxDocument pActivatedDoc)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentActivated Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentActivationModified(bool bActivation)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentActivationModified Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentBecameCurrent(CFxDocument pDoc)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentBecameCurrent Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentCreateCanceled(CFxDocument pDocCreateCancelled)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentCreateCanceled Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentCreated(CFxDocument pDocCreating)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentCreated Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentCreateStarted(CFxDocument pDocCreating)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentCreateStarted Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentDestroyed(CFxDocument pDocToDestroyed, CFxString strFileName)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentDestroyed Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentPreOpen(CFxDocument pDoc, CFxString strFileName, int codePage, int openFlags)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentPreOpen Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentToBeActivated(CFxDocument pActivatingDoc)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentToBeActivated Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentToBeDeactivated(CFxDocument pDeActivatedDoc)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentToBeDeactivated Fired"));
        }
        public override void DocumentToBeDestroyed(CFxDocument pDocToDestroy)
        {
            PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().WriteLine(new CFxString("\n Event DocumentToBeDestroyed Fired"));
        }
    }