Microstation V8i get tag element crashes Excel macro

Hi,

I have been trying to write an Excel VBA macro which:

1. opens all .dgn files from selected location

2.scans for all cell elements in active model

3. builds an array with found cells

4. checks if cells have tags

5. if 4 true then builds arrays with tag elements for each cell

The code below works fine until I try to access any array with tag elements. Any operation like reading or writing of any tag element array causes Excel crash every time. Excel stops working and restarts with any other error message. The tag element arrays are created correctly because I can see them in watch window while I stop program before the "crashing" program line. There are some suspicious value in the tag element array like "Subtype- attempting to perform a non-graphical operation on graphical element". Any help would be appreciated.

Option Explicit
Dim directory As String, fileName As String

Sub ImportStart_Click() 'PROGRAM START
  ExportTexts
End Sub

Sub ExportTexts()
'On Error Resume Next
directory = GetFolder("c:\") & "\"
fileName = Dir(directory & "*.dgn")
Do While fileName <> ""
    obslugaDGN (directory & fileName)
    fileName = Dir
Loop
MsgBox "Done", vbOKOnly
End Sub

Sub obslugaDGN(plik As String)
Dim myDGN As DesignFile
Dim oAL As ApplicationObjectConnector
Set oAL = New MicroStationDGN.ApplicationObjectConnector
Set myDGN = oAL.Application.OpenDesignFile(plik, False)
Dim ee As ElementEnumerator
Dim es As ElementScanCriteria
Dim elArray() As element
Dim i, j As Integer

Set es = New ElementScanCriteria
es.ExcludeAllTypes
es.IncludeType msdElementTypeCellHeader
es.IncludeType msdElementTypeSharedCell
Set ee = ActiveModelReference.Scan(es)

elArray = ee.BuildArrayFromContents

For i = LBound(elArray) To UBound(elArray)
    If (elArray(i).HasAnyTags) Then
        Dim oTags() As TagElement
        oTags = elArray(i).GetTags()
        For j = LBound(oTags) To UBound(oTags)
            If oTags(j).TagDefinitionName = "TAG" Then  'here Excel stops working and restarts
                'procedure....
            End If
        Next j
    End If
Next i
myDGN.Close
Set myDGN = Nothing
Set ee = Nothing
End Sub


Function GetFolder(strPath As String) As String ' function gets folder picked by user
Dim fldr As FileDialog
Dim sItem As String
Set fldr = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
With fldr
    .Title = "Select a Folder"
    .AllowMultiSelect = False
    .InitialFileName = strPath
    If .Show <> -1 Then GoTo NextCode
    sItem = .SelectedItems(1)
End With
NextCode:
GetFolder = sItem
Set fldr = Nothing
End Function

Thanks,

Darius

  • Try changing Dim oTags() As TagElement to Dim oTags() As Variant

  • "Can't assign to array" Compile error

    Thanks,

    Darius

  • I can't speak for others but I have never had success using GetTags(). Instead I prefer not to scan for specific host elements (in your case, Normal and shared cells) but instead target the tag elements themselves i.e. instead of:

    es.IncludeType msdElementTypeCellHeader
    es.IncludeType msdElementTypeSharedCell

    try using:

    es.IncludeType msdElementTypeTag

    This will unlikely work with your existing code as is so you will probably need to edit your loop code suit the new scan element type.

  • Yes, I could use msdElementTypeTag but I do not know how to group all tags by cell they are attached to. There is the parent parameter but it seems to be empty. Please note that one drawing may have 2 or more the same cells with the same tag set attached. The goal is to update all tags of the tagset if the value of one tag meets my criteria.

  • Unknown said:
    Dim oTags() As TagElement to Dim oTags() As Variant

    No! It makes the code worse and dirty. It's defined that GetTags method returns TagElement(), so if there is an error, it will be not caused by correctly declared variable.

    To use Variant is (with a couple of exceptions) seriously bad practice and always lead to worse code.

    Unknown said:
    I can't speak for others but I have never had success using GetTags().

    I recall I used it several times in the past, both in VBA and C#, and it works fine.

    Unknown said:
    Instead I prefer not to scan for specific host elements (in your case, Normal and shared cells) but instead target the tag elements themselves

    It's different approach that provides different results (existing elements vs. existing tags) and it depends on a local conditions and requirements what is better.

    Unknown said:
    Any help would be appreciated.

    Are you sure the tag is attached to cell header? I assume it's attached to a graphics element inside the cell. Can you provide an example of the file?

    One more question, not related to the discussed issue: Is there any reason to use .BuildArrayFromContents? It increases memory requirements a lot.

    With regards,

      Jan

  • >>I assume it's attached to a graphics element inside the cell

    You are right. I found those criteria online and I am not sure they are correct.

    >>Is there any reason to use .BuildArrayFromContents?

    No there is no particular reason. As well I found it online. I tried also regular Do While oEnumerator.MoveNext with the same devastating result. As I said both arrays with cells and their tag elements are created correctly since I can look into them if I interrupt the program. I am an amateur programmer and all suggestions how to alter the program are appreciated

    Thanks

    Darius

  • good morning
    a small example of my tag update if useful

    update_tag.zip

    Ciao

    Massimo Callegher
  • Unknown said:
    You are right. I found those criteria online and I am not sure they are correct.

    The criteria itself is correct, but the next step not. You have to iterate through elements inside cell to find element(s) with tag(s). The cell header is not graphical element, so GetTags returns I guess nothing, but

    An example how your cells with tags look like would be helpful.

    Is there always one element with tag inside cell or there can be more?

    Unknown said:
    No there is no particular reason.

    In such case don't use it. To build an array upfront requires substantial more memory, is slower and is necessary only when elements during the iteration are modified in such way they have to be rewritten to the end of file. Which I suppose is not this case.

    Unknown said:
    As I said both arrays with cells and their tag elements are created correctly since

    In such case there is a contradiction, because it means the tags are attached to cell headers. not inside the cell. But if you are sure this part of the code works, it's fine.

    Unknown said:
    all suggestions how to alter the program are appreciated

    You code highly depends on the data and its structure, but you have not shared any file example, so it's hard to provide any guess why it does not work.

    Regards,

      Jan

  • Unknown said:
    The code below works fine until I try to access any array with tag elements

    I suggest that you move your code into a MicroStation VBA macro.  See if it works there, before attempting to control MicroStation from Excel.  If it doesn't work in MicroStation VBA, it definitely won't work in Excel VBA.

     
    Regards, Jon Summers
    LA Solutions

  • Jon, Jan,

    After stripping out the code (.filedialog doesn't work with MS anyway) and running it with already open dgn, it works fine. I will upload tomorrow the library with questionable cell.

    Option Explicit
    Dim directory As String, fileName As String
    
    Sub ImportStart_Click() 'PROGRAM START
      obslugaDGN
    End Sub
    
    'Sub ExportTexts()
    ''On Error Resume Next
    '
    ''directory = GetFolder("c:\") & "\"
    'fileName = Dir(directory & "*.dgn")
    'Do While fileName <> ""
    '    obslugaDGN (directory & fileName)
    '    fileName = Dir
    'Loop
    'MsgBox "Done", vbOKOnly
    'End Sub
    
    Sub obslugaDGN()
    'Dim myDGN As DesignFile
    'Dim oAL As ApplicationObjectConnector
    'Set oAL = New MicroStationDGN.ApplicationObjectConnector
    'Set myDGN = oAL.Application.OpenDesignFile(plik, False)
    Dim ee As ElementEnumerator
    Dim es As ElementScanCriteria
    Dim elArray() As Element
    Dim i, j As Integer
    
    Set es = New ElementScanCriteria
    es.ExcludeAllTypes
    es.IncludeType msdElementTypeCellHeader
    es.IncludeType msdElementTypeSharedCell
    Set ee = ActiveModelReference.Scan(es)
    
    elArray = ee.BuildArrayFromContents
    
    For i = LBound(elArray) To UBound(elArray)
        If (elArray(i).HasAnyTags) Then
            
            Dim oTags() As TagElement
            oTags = elArray(i).GetTags()
            For j = LBound(oTags) To UBound(oTags)
                If oTags(j).TagDefinitionName = "TAG" Then  'here Excel stops working and restarts
                    MsgBox "yes" 'procedure....
                End If
            Next j
        End If
    Next i
    'myDGN.Close
    'Set myDGN = Nothing
    Set ee = Nothing
    End Sub
    
    
    'Function GetFolder(strPath As String) As String ' function gets folder picked by user
    'Dim fldr As FileDialog
    'Dim sItem As String
    'Set fldr = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFolderPicker)
    'Set fldr = Application.fo
    'With fldr
    '    .Title = "Select a Folder"
    '    .AllowMultiSelect = False
    '    .InitialFileName = strPath
    '    If .Show <> -1 Then GoTo NextCode
    '    sItem = .SelectedItems(1)
    'End With
    'NextCode:
    'GetFolder = sItem
    'Set fldr = Nothing
    'End Function
    

    Thanks Jon and Jan for all your input. If you have any suggestion how to find and hold tag sets by value of one tag, please let me know