PowerINSPECT automation with Visual Basic

Gripe no 000

Summary

PowerINSPECT 2.0 has support for Automation using Visual Basic. This allows you to write Visual Basic applications that programmatically control PowerINSPECT to automate repetitive tasks, for example.

Description

Project References

In Visual Basic use Project- References to refer to PowerINSPECT as shown.

ProjectRef.gif (9429 bytes)

Selecting the active PowerINSPECT document

Use the code fragment shown below.

' Create the PowerINSPECT server object
Dim objPWIApplication As PowerINSPECT.Application
Set objPWIApplication = New PowerINSPECT.Application

' Get PowerINSPECT's active document
Dim objDocument As PowerINSPECT.Document
Set objDocument = objPWIApplication.ActiveDocument

' Check that there is an active document open
If (doc Is Nothing) Then
  MsgBox "No Active Document!"
  Exit Sub
End If

Declaring and using PowerINSPECT Groups

In this code fragment the variable objGeometricGroup refers to a Geometric Group.

' Add a geometric group to the definition level of the document's sequence tree
Dim objGeometricGroup As PowerINSPECT.ISequenceGroup
Set objGeometricGroup = objDocument.SequenceItems.AddGroup(pwi_grp_GeometricGroup)

Declaring and using PowerINSPECT Sequence Items

In this code fragment a Plane is created and then used as the reference plane for the subsequent 3 circles. The variables objPlane and objCircle are defined as a PowerINSPECT Geometric Sequence Items.

' Add a plane to the geometric group
Dim objPlane As PowerINSPECT.IGeometricItem
Set objPlane = objGeometricGroup.SequenceItems.AddItem(pwi_ent_Plane_Probed_)
objPlane.Name = "Plane for Circles"

' Add circles to the geometric group, using the plane as the reference plane
Dim objCircle As PowerINSPECT.IGeometricItem
Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To 3
  Set objCircle = objGeometricGroup.SequenceItems.AddItem(pwi_ent_Feat_ProbedCircle_)
  objCircle.Name = "Circle " & i
  objCircle.Links(1) = objPlane.Features.Item(1)
Next i

Retrieving a particular Sequence Item

' Get "Circle 1" from the geometric group
Dim objSequenceItem as PowerINSPECT.ISequenceItem
Set objSequenceItem = objGeometricGroup.SequenceItems("Circle 1")

Extracting a measurement value

' Get the radius property object from the circle
Dim objRadiusProperty As PowerINSPECT.PropertyRadialDimension
Set objRadiusProperty = objCircle.Properties(2)

' Get the measured value for the master part
Dim dblRadius As Double
dblRadius = objRadiusProperty.Measured("Master part")

Circles Example

This example creates a plane and circles using the plane as the reference plane. It then creates another geometric group containing lines that join the circles together.

Private Sub cmdCreate_Click()

  ' Get the name the user has chosen for the elements
  ' we are going to create from my text box "txtName"
  Dim strName As String
  strName = txtName.Text
  
  If (strName = "") Then
    ' The user has not entered a name
    MsgBox "Please enter a name to use when creating the entities", vbExclamation
    Exit Sub
  End If
  
  ' Get the number of circles the user wants us to create from my text box "txtNumCircles"
  On Error Resume Next
  
  Dim intNumberOfCircles As Integer
  intNumberOfCircles = txtNumCircles.Text
  
  If (Err.Number <> 0) Then
    ' There was an error converting the text box content to a number
    MsgBox "Please enter the number of circles you want to create", vbExclamation
    Exit Sub
  End If
  
  On Error GoTo 0
  
  ' Create the PowerINSPECT server object
  ' NOTE: This will start PowerINSPECT if it is not already running
  Dim objPWIApplication As PowerINSPECT.Application
  Set objPWIApplication = New PowerINSPECT.Application
  
  ' If we started a new PowerINSPECT then it will start invisible - make it visible
  objPWIApplication.Visible = True
  
  ' If we made PowerINSPECT visible then PowerINSPECT will now be the
  ' front Windows application - make us the front application again
  Me.Show
  
  ' Get PowerINSPECT's active document (if it has one)
  Dim objDocument As PowerINSPECT.Document
  Set objDocument = objPWIApplication.ActiveDocument
  
  If (objDocument Is Nothing) Then
    ' There is currently no active document
    ' - ask the user if they want to create one
    Dim enmAnswer As VbMsgBoxResult
    enmAnswer = MsgBox("PowerINSPECT needs a document open to continue. Do you want to create one?", vbQuestion + vbOKCancel)
    
    If (enmAnswer <> vbOK) Then
      ' The user does not want to continue
      Exit Sub
    End If
    
    ' Create a new document
    objPWIApplication.Documents.Add
    
    ' Check that we now have an active document
    Set objDocument = objPWIApplication.ActiveDocument
    
    If (objDocument Is Nothing) Then
      MsgBox "Can not create a new document", vbCritical
      Exit Sub
    End If
  End If
  
  ' Add a geometric group to the definition level of the document's sequence tree
  Dim objCirclesGeometricGroup As PowerINSPECT.ISequenceGroup
  Set objCirclesGeometricGroup = objDocument.SequenceItems.AddGroup(pwi_grp_GeometricGroup)
  objCirclesGeometricGroup.Name = strName & " Circles"
  
  ' Add a plane to the geometric group
  Dim objPlane As PowerINSPECT.IGeometricItem
  Set objPlane = objCirclesGeometricGroup.SequenceItems.AddItem(pwi_ent_Plane_Probed_)
  objPlane.Name = "Plane for Circles"

  ' Add the circles to the geometric group, using the plane as the reference plane
  With objCirclesGeometricGroup.SequenceItems
  
    Dim objGeometricItem As PowerINSPECT.IGeometricItem
    Dim i As Integer
    For i = 1 To intNumberOfCircles
      Set objGeometricItem = .AddItem(pwi_ent_Feat_ProbedCircle_)
      With objGeometricItem
        .Name = "Circle " & i
        .Links(1) = objPlane.Features.Item(1)
      End With
    Next i
    
  End With
     
  ' Add a second geometric group to the definition level of the document's sequence tree
  Dim objLinesGeometricGroup As PowerINSPECT.ISequenceGroup
  Set objLinesGeometricGroup = objDocument.SequenceItems.AddGroup(pwi_grp_GeometricGroup)
  objLinesGeometricGroup.Name = strName & " Lines"
  
  ' Add lines to the second geometric group that join all the circles in the first geometric group
  With objLinesGeometricGroup.SequenceItems
  
    ' NOTE: We are starting from item 2 in the circles geometric
    '       group because item one will be the reference plane
    For i = 2 To (objCirclesGeometricGroup.SequenceItems.Count - 1)
      Set objGeometricItem = .AddItem(pwi_ent_Line_ThrowPoints_)
      With objGeometricItem
       .Name = "Line " & i
       .Links(1) = objCirclesGeometricGroup.SequenceItems(i)
       .Links(2) = objCirclesGeometricGroup.SequenceItems(i + 1)
      End With
    Next i
    
  End With
  
End Sub

Another Example

This example function creates a new document and adds a geometric group to it. It then adds a number spheres to the geometric group and sets their properties.

Private Sub CreatePISpheres(ByVal intNumberOfSpheres As Integer, _
                            ByVal dblSphereDiameter As Double, _
                            ByVal dblSpherePositionX As Double, _
                            ByVal dblSpherePositionY As Double, _
                            ByVal dblSpherePositionZ As Double, _
                            ByVal dblSphericity As Double)
                            
  ' Create the PowerINSPECT server object
  ' NOTE: This will start PowerINSPECT if it is not already running
  Dim objPWIApplication As PowerINSPECT.Application
  Set objPWIApplication = New PowerINSPECT.Application
    
  ' Ensure PowerINSPECT is visible to the user
  objPWIApplication.Visible = True
    
  ' Add a new document to PowerINSPECT
  Dim objDocument As PowerINSPECT.Document
  Set objDocument = objPWIApplication.Documents.Add
  
  ' Add a geometric group to the definition level of the document's sequence tree
  Dim objGeomtricGroup
  Set objGeomtricGroup = objDocument.SequenceItems.AddGroup(pwi_grp_GeometricGroup)
  objGeomtricGroup.Name = "Spheres"

  ' Add the sphere's to the geometric group
  Dim objSphere As PowerINSPECT.IGeometricItem
  Dim i As Integer
  For i = 1 To intNumberOfSpheres
    ' Add the sphere
    Set objSphere = objGeomtricGroup.SequenceItems.AddGeometricItem(pwi_ent_Feat_Sphere)
    
    With objSphere
      ' Set the name of the sphere
      .Name = "Sphere " & i
      
      ' Set the nominal diameter of the spheres
      Dim objRadialDimensionProperty As PowerINSPECT.IPropertyRadialDimension
      Set objRadialDimensionProperty = .Properties(1)
      objRadialDimensionProperty.Nominal = dblSphereDiameter
      objRadialDimensionProperty.LowerTol = -0.05
      objRadialDimensionProperty.UpperTol = 0.05
      
      ' Set the nominal coordinates for the spheres
      Dim objPointProperty As PowerINSPECT.IPropertyPoint3
      Set objPointProperty = .Properties(2)
      objPointProperty.SetNominals i * dblSpherePositionX, dblSpherePositionY, dblSpherePositionZ
      objPointProperty.SetUpperTolerances 0.01, 0.01, 0.02
      objPointProperty.SetLowerTolerances -0.01, -0.01, -0.02
      
      ' Set the nominal sphericity for the spheres
      Dim objGeometricToleranceProperty As PowerINSPECT.IPropertyGeometricTolerance
      Set objGeometricToleranceProperty = .Properties(3)
      objGeometricToleranceProperty.MaxValue = dblSphericity
    End With
  Next
  
End Sub

Problem cause

N/A

Solution/Workaround

N/A