Auto-dimension support.md

By Josh Loy

Automatic dimension support

Graphic Legends have provisions for automatic dimensioning which is especially useful for doors and windows but it can be included with almost any plug-in object.

The different types of auto-dimensions are identified by a universal name, Vectorworks provides some predefined types in the following string file: Vectorworks/Strings/AutoDimensionIdentifiers.vwstrings

Developers can implement some, none, or all of the predefined types or provide their own custom types. Auto-dimensions may be restricted to be visible in certain views or orientations, and they may also be stacked.

To support auto-dimensioning your plug-in should implement the following event sync functions:

• OnAutoDimMessage_GetLocalizedTypeName - Has the universal name as the input parameter and the developer will output the translated long name/description. Most time you would just look for the universal name in the vwstrings file above and return the long string.
• OnAutoDimMessage_GetSupportedTypes - Has the "view" as in input and the developer will output an array of TAutoDimensionTypeInfo which contains the universal names for dimension types supported for that view along with the orientation/location of its supported dimensions.
• OnAutoDimMessage_GetDimensionDefinitions - Has the "view", universal name, and orientation as input parameters and the developer will output an array of TAutoDimensionDefinition which contains 3D points to place the dimensions along with an "offset" parameter. The "offset" parameter (1,2,3...) is used to control the stacking of dimensions, usually defaulted to 0, adding 1 will make the dimensions stack on 0 dimensions, 2 will stack on 1, etc.

Sample SDK code

To implement auto-dimensioning by modifying Plug-Ins\Samples\TesterModule\Source\Advanced:

ExtObjAdvComplex.h

class CObjAdvComplex_EventSink : public VWParametric_EventSink
{
public:
	// ...existing code...
	virtual bool OnAutoDimMessage_GetLocalizedTypeName(const TXString& instrDimID_UniversalName, TXString& outstrDimID_LocalizedName);
	virtual bool OnAutoDimMessage_GetSupportedTypes(EViewTypes inView, std::vector<VectorWorks::Extension::TAutoDimensionTypeInfo>& outvecTypes);
	virtual bool OnAutoDimMessage_GetDimensionDefinitions(EViewTypes inView, const TXString& instrDimID_UniversalName, 
		VectorWorks::Extension::EAutoDimensionPlacement inPlace, 
		std::vector<VectorWorks::Extension::TAutoDimensionDefinition>& outvecDimensions);
};

ExtObjAdvComplex.cpp

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Auto Dimension handler
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Universal Names in "AutoDimensionIdentifiers.vwstrings"
enum EDimIDIndex { kUnit, kUnitBottomSash, kPIOCustom, kNumDimIDs};
const TXString karrstrDimIDUniversal[kNumDimIDs] = { "Unit", "UnitBottomAndSash", "ThisPluginCustom" };
const TXString kThisPluginCustomDimName = "Custom PIO Dimension";

// ...existing code...

bool CObjAdvComplex_EventSink::OnAutoDimMessage_GetLocalizedTypeName(const TXString& instrDimID_UniversalName, TXString& outstrDimID_LocalizedName)
{
	// ...existing code...
}

bool CObjAdvComplex_EventSink::OnAutoDimMessage_GetSupportedTypes(EViewTypes inView, std::vector<VectorWorks::Extension::TAutoDimensionTypeInfo>& outvecADTI)
{
	// ...existing code...
}

bool CObjAdvComplex_EventSink::OnAutoDimMessage_GetDimensionDefinitions(EViewTypes inView, const TXString& instrDimID_UniversalName, 
	VectorWorks::Extension::EAutoDimensionPlacement inPlace, 
	std::vector<VectorWorks::Extension::TAutoDimensionDefinition>& outvecDimensions)
{
	// ...existing code...
}

Sample VS code

To implement auto-dimensioning:

PROCEDURE EventWrapper;
CONST
	// ...existing code...

VAR
	// ...existing code...

BEGIN { EventWrapper }
	vsoGetEventInfo( theEvent, stateMessage );
	isObjOK := SetUpObject( gPluginName, gPluginH, recordH, wallH, saveClass, noneClass );
	
	CASE theEvent OF
		kObjOnInitXProperties:
		BEGIN
		END;

		kADP_GetCategoryName:
		BEGIN
			// ...existing code...
		END;

		kADP_GetLocTypeName:
		BEGIN
			// ...existing code...
		END;

		kADP_GetSupportedTypes:
		BEGIN
			// ...existing code...
		END;

		kADP_GetDefinitions:
		BEGIN
			// ...existing code...
		END;

		kResetEventID:
		BEGIN
			DoorLikeObject;
		END;
	END;
END;

RUN (EventWrapper);