[CONNECT Update 10 MDL] - Need help migrating MDL to connect edition, its not working

Shyam Lama said:

Output used to look like this pic

Take a look at MicroStation Text Fields.  You may be able to achieve your requirements without any programming.

Here's an example DGN file:

TextFieldFileExample.dgn

Hi Shyam Lama,

When migrating to CONNECT Edition there are a number of considerations, workflows, and paths that may be taken.  So, first I agree with Jon Summers that "Option 1: MicroStation CONNECT can effectively replace this prior customization need/feature/functionality" - directly with MicroStation Text Fields (a powerful new feature to explore and leverage), here are a few Text Field Wikis that may help you get started.

For any/all New or Existing/Advanced users, I completely recommend reviewing information we are organizing in this (one single entry point) blog post: Advancing to CONNECT Edition.  We will continuously editing and improving this link for all New and Existing/Advanced users to make all their options and information current and helpful as possible.

HTH,
Bob

Robert Hook said:

here are a few Text Field Wikis

Sift the Wikis that discuss Text Fields from those about Data Fields.  The terminology is similar but the semantics are different. Data Fields are 20^th century technology and have nothing to do with Text Fields.

Hi Robert & Jon,

Thank you for your reply. Much appreciated

I was testing today with Text Fields and I will test it further if it can fix my issue.

One thing I noticed with Text fields that the texts with field are highlighted with grey color background, is there anyway I can remove that background highlight please? Thanks

Regards,

Shyam

Shyam Lama said:

One thing I noticed with Text fields that the texts with field are highlighted with grey color background, is there anyway I can remove that background highlight please?

In Preferences dialog, go to Text category and switch on Hide Field Background option.

Regards,

  Jan

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your reply and apologies for a very late response.

Although I found a way to create the same output via TEXT FIELDS. It wasn't the best option for my workplace since we have 1000's of drawings already with the File+Date stamp I have shown above and everytime someone was modifying those drawings, they needed a button to simply update the current file path and current date/time.

So I went back to VBA again and found a way to have it working same way as we used to have in our v8i version with MDL application.

Here's a code I have written in VBA connect edition.

Modules: PlaceDateStamp

Public Function GetDgnFilename(ByVal modelRef As ModelReference) As String
    GetDgnFilename = vbNullString
    GetDgnFilename = modelRef.DesignFile.FullName
End Function

Sub PlaceDateStamp()
   CommandState.StartPrimitive New clsStampPlacer                               'calls class module named clsStampPlacer
End Sub



Sub UpdateDateStamp()
         
        Dim txt As TextElement
        Dim oELScan As New ElementScanCriteria
        oELScan.ExcludeAllTypes
        oELScan.IncludeType msdElementTypeText
         
        Dim oTextEnum As ElementEnumerator
        Set oTextEnum = ActiveModelReference.Scan(oELScan)
         
        Dim FilePathUpdateCounter As Integer
        Dim DateUpdateCounter As Integer
         
        FilePathUpdateCounter = 0
        DateUpdateCounter = 0
         
         Do While oTextEnum.MoveNext
            Set txt = oTextEnum.Current
            
            If Left(txt.Text, 6) = "FILE: " Then                    ' scans for all texts in a file that starts with first 6 string as "FILE: "
                Dim Path        As String
                Dim CustomPath  As String
                Path = GetDgnFilename(ActiveModelReference)
                CustomPath = "FILE: " & Path
         
                Dim text1 As String
                text1 = CustomPath
                
                Debug.Print text1
                
                txt.Text = text1                                    'texts that has "FILE: " will be replaced by current active model design filename
                txt.Redraw msdDrawingModeNormal
                txt.Rewrite
                
                FilePathUpdateCounter = FilePathUpdateCounter + 1
            End If
            
            
            If Left(txt.Text, 5) = "DATE:" Then                     ' scans for all texts in a file that starts with first 5 string as "DATE: "
                Dim oDate       As Date
                Dim CustomDate  As String
                oDate = Now()
                CustomDate = Format(oDate, "Medium Date")
        
                Dim oTime
                Dim CusomTime As String
                CustomTime = Format(Time, "hh:mm")
         
                Dim CustomDateTime  As String
                CustomDateTime = "DATE: " & CustomDate & " " & CustomTime
         
                Dim text2 As String
                text2 = CustomDateTime
         
                Debug.Print text2
                
                txt.Text = text2                                     ' texts that has "DATE: " will be replaced by current system date and time.
                txt.Redraw msdDrawingModeNormal
                txt.Rewrite
                
                 DateUpdateCounter = DateUpdateCounter + 1
            End If
            
            ShowCommand "Update Date Stamp"
            ShowPrompt "Updated Date Stamp"
        Loop
        
        'Check if there are any date stamps in a file, if there are none then prompt user if they want to place Date Stamp first?
        Debug.Print FilePathUpdateCounter
        Debug.Print DateUpdateCounter
        
        If FilePathUpdateCounter = 0 Then
            If DateUpdateCounter = 0 Then
                If MsgBox("There is no Date Stamp in this Drawing." & vbNewLine & vbNewLine & "Do you want to place Date Stamp First?", vbYesNo, "Update Date Stamp") = vbYes Then
                    'CadInputQueue.SendKeyin "vba run [ProjectDateStamp]placedatestamp"
                    PlaceDateStamp
                End If
            End If
        End If
        
End Sub

Class Modules: clsStampPlacer

' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
'   Stamp Placer class
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Implements IPrimitiveCommandEvents


' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub IPrimitiveCommandEvents_Cleanup()

End Sub
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'DropTextNode
'Drops Text Node created in CreateStamp sub to two seperate texts before placing Date stamp.
'----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub DropTextNode(ByVal TxdNd As TextNodeElement)
    Dim oTexts As ElementEnumerator
    Set oTexts = TxdNd.Drop
    Do While oTexts.MoveNext
        Dim oElement As TextElement
        Set oElement = oTexts.Current
        ActiveModelReference.AddElement oElement
    Loop
    ShowPrompt "Placed Date Stamp"
End Sub
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'CreateStamp
'Creates a date stamp with active model file path and current system date & time
'------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub CreateStamp(ByRef point As Point3d, ByVal drawMode As MsdDrawingMode)
         Dim Path        As String
         Dim CustomPath  As String
         Path = GetDgnFilename(ActiveModelReference)
         CustomPath = "FILE: " & Path
         
         Dim oDate       As Date
         Dim CustomDate  As String
         oDate = Now()
         CustomDate = Format(oDate, "Medium Date")   ' or "Short Date" or "Long Date" or your own custom date format
        
         Dim oTime
         Dim CusomTime As String
         CustomTime = Format(Time, "hh:mm")
         
         Dim CustomDateTime  As String
         CustomDateTime = "DATE: " & CustomDate & " " & CustomTime
         
         Dim text1, text2 As String
         text1 = CustomPath
         text2 = CustomDateTime
         
         Debug.Print text1
         Debug.Print text2
         
         '
         '
         ' Now Combining 2 lines of texts to one text as textnode
         '
         '
         '
         '
         Dim TxtNd As TextNodeElement
         Dim oTextEnum As ElementEnumerator
         Dim txt As TextElement
         
         CadInputQueue.SendKeyin "active tnj lt;CO=3;textstyle active AN18"
         
         Set TxtNd = CreateTextNodeElement1(Nothing, point, Matrix3dIdentity)
         TxtNd.AddTextLine text1
         TxtNd.AddTextLine text2
         
         If drawMode = msdDrawingModeNormal Then
            DropTextNode TxtNd 'call function DropTextNode to drop text node to two seperate texts
         Else
            TxtNd.Redraw drawMode
         End If
             
End Sub
    
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub IPrimitiveCommandEvents_DataPoint(point As Point3d, ByVal View As View)
    CreateStamp point, msdDrawingModeNormal
End Sub
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub IPrimitiveCommandEvents_Dynamics(point As Point3d, ByVal View As View, ByVal drawMode As MsdDrawingMode)
    CreateStamp point, drawMode
End Sub
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub IPrimitiveCommandEvents_Keyin(ByVal Keyin As String)

End Sub

Private Sub IPrimitiveCommandEvents_Reset()
     CommandState.StopDynamics
     CommandState.StartDefaultCommand
End Sub


Private Sub IPrimitiveCommandEvents_Start()
    CommandState.CommandName = "Date Stamp Placement"    'ShowCommand CommandState.CommandName
    ShowPrompt "Place Date Stamp"
    CommandState.StartDynamics
End Sub
' ---------------------------------------------------------------------

If anyone finds it helpful, they can reuse the code.

As of now, the code is working perfectly fine for us. Only thing I'd like to add to this coding is, if I can have the scale option similar to when you are placing a cell - you have an option to scale up your cell before placing your cell. If anyone can guide me on how I can achieve that, that will be great. Thanks

Hi Jon Summers,

FYI. I updated Text Field Wikis to split Text Field links from Data Field links.

Thank you,
Bob

Hi Jon Summers,

FYI. I updated Text Field Wikis to split Text Field links from Data Field links.

Thank you,
Bob