AutoCad Dockable Container

csharp

Using the Dockable ActiveX Control Container

The documentation is updated for use with AutoCAD 2007 or newer versions.

Using the Command Line

                The application provides the “DOCKABLE_CONTAINER” command to create                 the docking ActiveX control container window. This command requires the ProgID                 or CLSID string of the ActiveX control to proceed. The ProgID is a string that                 uniquely identifies the ActiveX control.            

                For example, using the Microsoft Calendar control registered on                 your system:            

Command: DOCKABLE_CONTAINER

ProgID of control: mscal.calendar

NOTE: The ActiveX control needs to be installed and                 registered with the system.            

Using the Automation API

            

                The figure above shows the relationship between the container                 window and the ActiveX control. The container window sizes the ActiveX control                 to fit its client area minus the grip bar if docked. The container window then                 makes available an Automation interface (IAcadDockableContainer) for the                 ActiveX control to have programmatic access to its properties and methods. If an                 ActiveX control wants access to this Automation interface, then it must                 implement the IRetrieveDockableContainer interface.            

                The container window will ask the ActiveX control for its                 IRetrieveDockableContainer interface immediately after it creates the control                 but before displaying it. If the control accepts the request, then the container                 calls the SetDockContainer() method of the interface and passes in an                 IAcadDockableContainter interface. The control can then keep this interface                 around if it wants to access the containers properties / methods at a later time                 or use it for initialization and discard it.            

                Below is an example of a VB implemented IRetrieveDockableContainer:            

‘ Global variable so the interface can be used at a later time if needed.
                Dim dockContainer As AcadDockableContainer
                Implements IRetrieveDockableContainer

                Private Sub IRetrieveDockableContainer_SetDockContainer(ByVal newVal As IAcadDockableContainer)
                   ‘ Keep this interface around by assigning it to a global variable.
                   Set dockContainer = newVal

                   ‘ Allow docking only on the left and right sides of AutoCAD
                   dockContainer.EnableDockPositions = acDockLeft + acDockRight

                   ‘ We want the window to appear as a floating window the very first time.
                   ‘ The size of the floating window is specified below.
                   Dim rect(0 To 3) As Integer
                   rect(0) = 50    ' left
                   rect(1) = 50    ' top
                   rect(2) = 300   ' right
                   rect(3) = 300   ' bottom

                   dockContainer.SetPreferredDockPosition acFloating, rect
                End Sub            

                As the code sample shows, the implementation of SetDockContainer() is a                 great place to call EnableDockPositions and SetPreferredDockPosition().                 This is because it is called only once after the ActiveX control is created                 and before it is displayed for the first time.            

                Included with this application are two sample ActiveX controls (DOCKTEST.OCX)                 which were created using Visual Basic 6.0. The entire source code for these controls are also included for reference. Use REGSVR32.EXE                 if you want to sample the controls without rebuilding the OCX. The two ProgIDs                 serviced by DOCKTEST.OCX are “Docktest.TestControl” and “Docktest.Dockbars.”            

Automation API ReferenceIAcadDockableContainer

                        Used by the ActiveX control to set / get property values                         or call methods on the ActiveX control container window.            

Methods	Description
Float	Undocks the container window.
Dock	Docks the container window.
SetPreferredDockPosition	Specifies the preferred docking mode and position. Use one                                         of the following constants as the first argument: acFloating,                                         acDockLeft, acDockTop, acDockRight, or acDockBottom. The second                                         argument is optional and only used if acFloating is specified as                                         the first argument. This optional argument is of type VARIANT                                         and contains a safe array of four integers containing the                                         floating window’s rectangle. The array is read as: left, top,                                         right bottom. The preferred docking mode is ONLY used when the                                         last known docking mode, position, and size are unavailable.                                         This is equivalent to a default mode for the ActiveX control the                                         first time it is used with the dockable container on a computer.
Hide	Hides the container window.
Show	Shows the container window.
Destroy	Destroys the container window. (Use sparingly as AutoCAD                                         will not save this container window’s state.)

Properties	Description
Caption	Sets / retrieves a string value which is used as the caption                                         for the container window when it is floating.
AllowDocking	Sets / retrieves a boolean value which indicates whether the                                         container window can be docked or not.
EnableDockPositions	Sets / retrieves which sides of the container window can be                                         docked to. A value of zero means docking is disabled. The                                         constants acDockLeft, acDockTop, acDockRight, and acDockBottom                                         can be added together to specify the desired docking locations.                                         Also, constant acDockAny is available to conveniently specify                                         all sides. Do NOT use the acFloating constant with this                                         property.
IsFloating	Retrieves a boolean value of VARIANT_TRUE if the container                                         window is currently floating.
Application	Retrieves the IAcadApplication interface to the AutoCAD                                         application object.
Name	Retrieves a string value which represents the ActiveX                                         control’s CLSID.
Control	Retrieves the IDispatch of the ActiveX control being hosted.
KeepFocus	Sets / retrieves a boolean value which indicates whether to                                         allow AutoCAD to take the focus away from the control when the                                         mouse is moved outside the docking window.
Visible	Retrieves a boolean value which indicates whether to docking                                         window is currently visible or not.
Width	Retrieves the width of the docking window in pixels.
Height	Retrieves the height of the docking window in pixels.
DockedPosition	Retrieves the side of the frame window where the container                                         window is docked. The following constants can be returned:                                         acDockLeft, acDockTop, acDockRight, acDockBottom, or acFloating.
AutoHide	Sets / retrieves a boolean value which indicates whether to                                         hide and show the docking window automatically when entering and                                         leaving zero document mode.

Events	Description
OnDock	Called when the docking window is docked to AutoCAD’s frame window.
OnFloat	Called when the docking window is undocked from AutoCAD’s frame window.
OnClose	Called when the docking window’s close button (ie. “X”) is used.
OnDestroy	Called when the docking window is unloaded from memory.
OnContextMenu	Called when the context menu is being requested (opened).                                         You can dynamically add and remove items from the menu inside                                         this method call.
OnCommand	Called when a menu item in the context menu is selected.
OnDocumentActivated	Called when a document is activated. The IDispatch of the                                         AcadDocument object is passed in for convenience.

IAcadDockableMenu

Used to add and remove items from the context menu.

Methods	Description
InsertItem	Used to add a menu item to the context menu. Three arguments                                         are supplied for specifying the position, command id, and                                         caption of the new menu item.
InsertSeparator	Used to add a separator line by position to the context menu.
RemoveItem	Used to remove a menu item by position from the context menu.
EnableItem	Used to enable a menu item by position in the context menu.
DisableItem	Used to disable a menu item by position in the context menu.
CheckItem	Used to check a menu item by position in the context menu.
UncheckItem	Used to uncheck a menu item by position in the context menu.

Properties	Description
Application	Retrieves the IAcadApplication interface to the AutoCAD                                         application object.
Count	Retrieves the number of menu items in the context menu.

IRetrieveDockableContainer

                        Used to retrieve the Automation interface for the                         dockable container window. Implemented by the ActiveX Control author.                

Methods	Description
SetDockContainer	Receives one argument of type IAcadDockableContainer.

IAcadDockableContainers

                        Used by the ActiveX control to set / get property values                         or call methods on the ActiveX control container window.                 

Methods	Description
Item	Gets a specific container window from the collection. The                                         specific container window can be specified by using an index                                         number (zero based) or a string containing the CLSID or ProgID                                         of the ActiveX control. The return value is of type                                         IAcadDockableContainer2.
Add	Creates and adds a container window to the collection.                                         Receives one argument which is a string containing the CLSID or                                         ProgID of the ActiveX control. The return value is of type                                         IAcadDockableContainer2.

Properties	Description
Application	Retrieves the IAcadApplication interface to the AutoCAD                                         application object.
Count	Retrieves the number of container windows in the collection.

Constants

Name	Value	Description
acFloating	0xFFFFFFFF	Creates a floating window. Only for use with the                                         SetPreferredDockPosition method.
acDockAny	0x0000F000	Allow docking to all sides.
acDockLeft	0x00001000	Allow docking to the left side.
acDockTop	0x00002000	Allow docking along the top.
acDockRight	0x00004000	Allow docking to the right side.
acDockBottom	0x00008000	Allow docking along the bottom.

Disclaimer

                THIS PROGRAM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND WITH ALL FAULTS. YOU ASSUME ALL                 RESPONSIBILITY WITH REGARDS TO THIS PROGRAM AND SOURCE CODE BY USING IT.            

AutoCAD 2000 through 2010

                Permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute this                     software in object code form for any purpose and without fee is hereby                     granted, provided that it does not break existing users of Accont.arx, Accont16.arx,                     Accont17.arx, Accont18.arx, Accont2010.arx.                     You do this by changing the ARX and TLB file names, the                     registered command name, the registry key entries (both demand loading                     and COM support), and all the guids used.

For 2010  32bit

http://www.jrl-e.com/downloads/x86/accont2010.arx

http://www.jrl-e.com/downloads/x86/accont2010.tlb

For 2010 64bit

http://www.jrl-e.com/downloads/x64/accont2010.arx

http://www.jrl-e.com/downloads/x64/accont2010.tlb

Latest source code for AutoCAD 2010:

http://www.jrl-e.com/downloads/accont2010src.zip

Latest source code for AutoCAD 2007 and AutoCAD 2008:

http://www.jrl-e.com/downloads/accont18src.zip

csharp