Reading, Writing and controlling Autocad using external VBA - vba

Question

I'm using MS-Access 2010 and Autocad 2012 64bit and work in manufacturing.
I want to be able to at the very least, populate fields in a title block, better still I would like to use data in my access database to write data into a sheet set (the current system works by reading the sheet set values such as sheet title and number into my title block).
The following code is all I have at the moment and it will open autocad and write the date into the command line.
Private Sub OpenAutocad_Click()
Dim CadApp As AcadApplication
Dim CadDoc As AutoCAD.AcadDocument
On Error Resume Next
Set CadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set CadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application")
End If
On Error GoTo 0
CadApp.Visible = True
CadApp.WindowState = acMax
Set CadDoc = CadApp.ActiveDocument
CadDoc.Utility.Prompt "Hello from Access, the time is: " & TheTime
Set CadApp = Nothing
End Sub
I have no idea where to go from here. What are the commands to control the sheet set manager and change data, and can the .dst file be edited without even opening up autocad? is there a list of all available autocad vba commands and functions?

Answer 1

If you are declaring CadApp as AcadApplication you must have added a reference to AutoCAD.
That means you should be able to see the object model using your Object Browser in your VBA IDE. No?
There is also a very helpful site www.theswamp.org which has a whole section devoted to AutoCAD VBA.

Answer 2

If I understand your question correctly, you want to automate filling attributes in a drawing title blocks (such as title, drawer, part number, etc) right from MS Access.
Your code can access the Autocad command line already, but Autocad doesn't seem to have the exact command for filling drawing attribute. (command list)
So looks like you need to fill the attributes programatically using the COM API.
The following question appears to be relevant with yours and the accepted answers does provide a sample code:
Is it possible to edit block attributes in AutoCAD using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop?
Note that in that question the asker was developing a standalone application in C# .NET, where as you will be using VB Automation from MS Access. Shouldn't be too different since the Component Object Model (COM) being used is the same.
What are the commands to control the sheet set manager and change data and can the .dst file be edited without even opening up autocad?
(sorry can't post more than 2 links)
docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/files/WS1a9193826455f5ffa23ce210c4a30acaf-7470.htm
No mention about data change, though.
is there a list of all available autocad vba commands and functions?
Yes.
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\acad_aag.chm - Developer's Guide
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\acadauto.chm - Reference Guide
Online version:
help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/AutoCAD-ActiveX/files/GUID-36BF58F3-537D-4B59-BEFE-2D0FEF5A4443.htm
help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/AutoCAD-ActiveX/files/GUID-5D302758-ED3F-4062-A254-FB57BAB01C44.htm
More references here:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=1911627&siteID=123112

Answer 3

:) Half the way gone ;)
If you has a open autocad with a loaded drawing you can access the whole thing directly.
Sub block_set_attribute(blo As AcadBlockReference, tagname, tagvalue)
Dim ATTLIST As Variant
If blo Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
If blo.hasattributes Then
tagname = Trim(UCase(tagname))
ATTLIST = blo.GetAttributes
For i = LBound(ATTLIST) To UBound(ATTLIST)
If UCase(ATTLIST(i).TAGSTRING) = tagname Or UCase(Trim(ATTLIST(i).TAGSTRING)) = tagname & "_001" Then
'On Error Resume Next
ATTLIST(i).textString = "" & tagvalue
Exit Sub
End If
Next
End If
End Sub
Sub findtitleblock(TITLEBLOCKNAME As String, attributename As String,
attributevalue As String)
Dim entity As AcadEntity
Dim block As acadblcck
Dim blockref As AcadBlockReference
For Each block In ThisDrawing.BLOCKS
For Each entity In block
If InStr(LCase(entity.objectname), "blockref") > 0 Then
Set blockref = entity
If blockref.effectivename = TITLEBLOCKNAME Then
Call block_set_attribute(blockref, attributename, attributevalue)
exit for
End If
End If
End If
Next
Next
End Sub
call findtitleblock("HEADER","TITLE","Bridge column AXIS A_A")
So assume you has a title block which has the attribute TITLE then it will set the Attribute to the drawing name. it mioght also possible you has to replace the thisdrawing. with your Caddoc. I usually control Access and Excel form autocad and not vice versa ;)
consider also to use "REGEN" and "ATTSYNC" if "nothing happens"
thisdrawing.sendcommens("_attsync" 6 vblf )