Difference in .NET Classic and .NET ARES

Owned by Ayushi Saxena
Last updated: Nov 30, 2020 by Tamara Silai
9 min read

ARES Commander supports three .NET API sets that you can use independently.

This document describes CFx. NET(.NET ARES) and lists the 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)

    Differences between .NET Classic and .NET ARES.

API

.NET Classic API

CFx .NET (.NET ARES)

API

.NET Classic API

CFx .NET (.NET ARES)

Assembly Names

TD_Mgd_x.xx_xx.dll

FxCoreMgd_x.xx_xx.dll

ArgonMGD.dll

TD_SwigCoreMgd.dll

TD_SwigDbMgd.dll

TG_SwigDbMgd.dll

TD_Mgd_x.xx_xx.dll

Nature of Plugin

In-process

In-process

Loading Mechanism

Use the NETLOAD command

Use the NETLOAD command

Compatibility

AutoCAD compatible

ARES specific, not available in other CADs

Access Document

Document document = Teigha.ApplicationServices.Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument;

CFxDocument pFxDocument = PCADGlobals.FXAPI().GetFxDocument();
or
CFxDocument pFxDocument = PCADGlobals.GetFxSystemServices().GetFxDocumentManager().GetActiveDocument();

Access Database

Database db = document.Database;

CFxDatabase pFxDatabase = pFxDocument.GetFxDatabase();

Prompting For User Input

PromptIntegerOptions op = new PromptIntegerOptions("Input a positive integer");
PromptIntegerResult res = (PromptIntegerResult)ed.DoPrompt(op);

CFxUserIO pFxUserIO = pFxDocument.GetFxUserIO();

pFxUserIO.GetInt

Lisp Function Creation

Possible to create Lisp Functions. Using
LispFunction method attribute.

Cannot create Lisp Functions.

.NET Project Type

.NET Class Library

.NET Class Library

Notifications

via Events

via Reactor classes

Commands

Using command method Attribute

Directly inherit from CFxCommand and add instance of this class to command stack or Using command method Attribute

OR

Using command method Attribute

UI Controls

Ribbon and Palettes API available

Not available

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 the following .dll:
    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 an AnyFunctionName method 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. You can also define a command directly inheriting from CFxCommand. Use the Setup method to add an instance of this class to the command 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.

Notifications(via Reactor Classes)

In .NET ARES there are Reactors

  1. CFxDocumentManagerReactor

  2. CFxDatabaseReactor

  3. CFxEditorReactor

  4. OdEdCommandStackReactor
    you can use Reactors like this: