[OPM CE Update 9 C#] : ElementPropertiesSetter is not updating the value

Hi Varsha,

Varsha Reddy said:

However this C# code does not changes the value of the Weight property, and does not generates any error either.

I see several issues in your code:

• It is not clear what element is passed to the method. GetChildren() works with some element types only, otherwise it returns null. So when e.g. LineElement is passed to the method, I guess nothing nothing happens, because the code works with element in complex elements only.
• You commented out .AddToModel() method, so the change is not written back to DGN file.
• When cell content should be modified, it likely not work because of bug in API. See e.g. this discussion about this issue (to use Interop or C++/CLI is recommended workaround now).

With regards,

  Jan

Jan Šlegr said:

You commented out .AddToModel() method, so the change is not written back to DGN file.

childElement.AddToModel(); // <= Is incorrect regardless, you'd want to "replace" not "add" the outermost complex header.

Jan Šlegr said:

You commented out .AddToModel() method, so the change is not written back to DGN file.

childElement.AddToModel(); // <= Is incorrect regardless, you'd want to "replace" not "add" the outermost complex header.

.AddToModel actually writes back the element as well and distorts the cell element, however Apply should ensure the edit by the support document but that does not happen and .ReplaceToModel (Element replace) actually replaces the element with the current one. 

public bool Apply(Element editElement)

I am currently looking at EditElementProperties

public static bool EditElementProperties (Element editElement, EditProperties editObject) in PropertyContext class

PropertyContext.EditElementProperties(Element editElement, EditProperties editObject)

but EditProperties is an abstract class need to inherit and override its methods. Any experience of this.

Tried something like this, considering the nested cell elements but no change in the properties.

 private void ApplyWeightSymbology(Element element, uint weight)
        {
            IEnumerator<Element> childElements = element.GetChildren().GetEnumerator();

            if (!childElements.MoveNext()) return;

            do
            {
                Element currentElement = childElements.Current;

                if (currentElement is CellHeaderElement)
                {
                    ApplyWeightSymbology(currentElement, weight);
                    continue;
                }

                ElementPropertiesGetter propertiesGetter = new ElementPropertiesGetter(currentElement);
                int styleId = propertiesGetter.LineStyleId;

                if (styleId != 4)
                {
                    //EditProperties properties = null;
                    //PropertyContext.EditElementProperties(currentElement, properties);
                    ElementPropertiesSetter propertiesSetter = new ElementPropertiesSetter();
                    propertiesSetter.SetWeight(weight);
                    propertiesSetter.Apply(currentElement);
                    //currentElement.AddToModel();
                }

            } while (childElements.MoveNext());
           
        }

You need to rewrite the outermost header of the cell or complex element after making the modifications. propertiesSetter.Apply() modifies the current child element but doesn't persist the change.

Varsha Reddy said:

ElementPropertiesSetter.Apply should ensure the edit by the support document but that does not happen

You've misunderstood the admittedly terse documentation.  That method edits an Element but doesn't rewrite it.  Use this idiom to rewrite an Element...

void RewriteElementExample (Element elToModify)
{
  DgnModel model = Session.Instance.GetActiveDgnModel();
  Element original = model.FindElementById (elToModify.ElementId);
  ... do some work with elToModify
  elToModify.ReplaceInModel (original);
}

Hi Jon,

Upon the suggested, the code worked as follows for me, when I made the changes directly on the element.

                uint WEIGHT_ZERO = 0, WEIGHT_THREE = 3;
                uint sweight = 1000;
                int materialByOther = 0;
                
                IntPtr elementRef = element.GetNativeElementRef();
                Element originalelement = Element.GetFromElementRef(elementRef);

                ElementPropertiesGetter propertiesGetter = new ElementPropertiesGetter(element);
                LevelId levelId = propertiesGetter.Level;

                LevelCache cache = Session.Instance.GetActiveDgnModel().GetLevelCache();
                string name = cache.GetLevel(levelId).DisplayName;

                if (string.Equals(Global.Properties.MATERIAL_BY_OTHER, name))
                {
                    materialByOther = 1;
                }

                if (string.Equals(Global.Properties.ZERO_STRING, materialByOther.ToString()))
                {
                    if (!string.Equals(Global.Properties.STATE_VALUE_EXISTING, state))
                    {
                        sweight = WEIGHT_ZERO;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        sweight = WEIGHT_THREE;
                    }
                }

                int styleId = propertiesGetter.LineStyleId;

                if (styleId != 4)
                {
                    ElementPropertiesSetter propertiesSetter = new ElementPropertiesSetter();
                    propertiesSetter.SetWeight(sweight);
                    propertiesSetter.Apply(element);
                }

                element.ReplaceInModel(originalelement);

However i want to update the symbology of certain element of the cell header, not for all, so I am updating with below code, but OPM crashes at ReplaceInModel() function. What I am missing here?

//Function Caller
private void UpdateSelective(){
IntPtr elementRef = element.GetNativeElementRef();
Element originalelement = Element.GetFromElementRef(elementRef);

ApplyStyleSymbology(elementRef, 2);

// Crashing Here
element.ReplaceInModel(originalelement);
}

// Function Callee
private void ApplyStyleSymbology(IntPtr elementRef, int style)
        {
            Element element = Element.GetFromElementRef(elementRef);
            IEnumerator<Element> childElements = element.GetChildren().GetEnumerator();

            //if (!childElements.MoveNext()) return;

            while (childElements.MoveNext())
            {
                Element currentElement = childElements.Current;

                if (currentElement.ElementType != MSElementType.CellHeader)
                {
                    ElementPropertiesGetter propertiesGetter = new ElementPropertiesGetter(currentElement);
                    int styleId = propertiesGetter.LineStyleId;
                    LineStyleParameters parameters = propertiesGetter.LineStyle;
                    MSElementType type = currentElement.ElementType;

                    if (!(type == MSElementType.BsplineCurve || type == MSElementType.BsplineKnot ||
                         type == MSElementType.BsplinePole || type == MSElementType.Curve))
                        if (styleId != 4)
                        {
                            ElementPropertiesSetter propertiesSetter = new ElementPropertiesSetter();
                            propertiesSetter.SetLinestyle(style, parameters);
                            propertiesSetter.Apply(currentElement);
                        }
                }

                if (currentElement.ElementType == MSElementType.CellHeader)
                {
                    IntPtr currentElementRef = currentElement.GetNativeElementRef();
                    ApplyStyleSymbology(currentElementRef, style);
                }
            } 
        }

 Regards,

Varsha

Varsha Reddy said:

OPM crashes at ReplaceInModel()

private void UpdateSelective()
{
	IntPtr elementRef = element.GetNativeElementRef();
	Element originalelement = Element.GetFromElementRef(elementRef);

	ApplyStyleSymbology(elementRef, 2);

	// Crashing Here
	element.ReplaceInModel(originalelement);
}

1. Why do you cross language boundaries to get a native pointer to an element?  I've already shown how to get the original element using its ID with C#.
2. Where does variable element come from? 

Oh... I missed the parameter

private void UpdateSelective(Element element)

{

     ...........

}

I tried that by getting element from element id but that did not worked, so have to do this. Let me check one more time by getting element from element id, and applying the same code for update.

Will soon update here.

Varsha Reddy said:

the symbology of certain element of the cell header

It sounds like nonsense (but I guess it's only "lost in translation" issue: cell header is element itself, and other elements, representing the cell content, follow.

Varsha Reddy said:

What I am missing here?

I am not sure, but I think you are missing to read my answers and linked discussion carefully (plus to do at least basic search for cell + replace keywords). It is well known long term bug in NET API.

Regards,

  Jan