Modeling/Annotator Communication: Dialog Generation

Table of Contents

• General overview
• Selection of Annotator objects
• Receiving a raw pick

General overview

Writing dialogs for the Annotation module is almost as easy as writing dialogs for the core product.

There are just a few things to take care of.

• Selection of Annotator objects
• Receiving a raw pick

Selection of Annotator objects

• Syntax
• Result

Syntax

Annotator objects can be selected using the keywords

:selection

requires a list of select foci.

:select-attribute

is an optional keyword and can be set to

• :docu-calc-geo-only
  Annotator objects created by Creo Elements/Direct Modeling when projecting a 3D model to a view plane can be selected only.
• :docu-user-geo-only
  Annotator objects created by the user can be selected only. These could be dimensions, symbols, texts and geometry.

Result

The result returned after having picked into the viewport can be used to inquire

• the coordinate of the object selected.
  The coordinate can be inquired using sd-get-annotator-position.
• the id of the object selected.
  The id can be inquired using sd-get-annotator-reference.

Example

Task: "Write a dialog to delete lines and circles created by the user"

Solution 1: using sd-get-annotator-position:

;; this is Creo Elements/Direct Modeling LISP code
(in-package :oli)
(sd-defdialog 'sd-delete-user-line-circle
  :dialog-control :sequential-loop
  :variables '(
      (delete-start
        :selection
            (*sd-anno-line-seltype* *sd-anno-circle-seltype*)
        :select-attribute
            :docu-user-geo-only
        :prompt-text
            ("Pick lines/circles to be deleted" 1)
        :after-input
            (sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd
              (format nil
                "DELETE SELECT GLOBAL ~A CONFIRM END"
                (sd-get-annotator-position
                  :object delete-start)
              ))
      )
    )
  )

Solution 2: using sd-get-annotator-reference

;; this is Creo Elements/Direct Modeling LISP code
(in-package :oli)
(sd-defdialog 'sd-delete-user-line-circle
  :dialog-control :sequential-loop
  :variables '(
      (delete-start
        :selection
            (*sd-anno-line-seltype* *sd-anno-circle-seltype*)
        :select-attribute
            :docu-user-geo-only
        :prompt-text
            ("Pick lines/circles to be deleted" 1)
        :after-input
            (sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd
              (format nil
                "DELETE SELECT GLOBAL POINTER ~A CONFIRM END"
                (sd-get-annotator-reference
                  :object delete-start)
              ))
      )
    )
  )

Receiving a raw pick

Sometimes it is required not to select an existing Annotator object but to simply get a certain position in 2D space by picking into empty space. Creating a polygon of lines is a typical task requiring this functionality.
To get a point simply set the value type

:docupntcnp

The LISP object returned is of type GPNTDOCU.

GPNTDOCU [structure]

(gpntdocu_x gpntdocu)
(gpntdocu_y gpntdocu)

Description:

The structure used to represent the x,y coordinates of a 2d point in the Annotation view port.

Slots:

x {LONG-FLOAT [0.0]} - the x coordinate of the 2d point

y {LONG-FLOAT [0.0]} - the y coordinate of the 2d point

Example

Task: "Write a dialog to create rectangles"

;; this is Creo Elements/Direct Modeling LISP code
(in-package :oli)
(sd-defdialog 'sd-am_geo_rectangle
  :dialog-control :sequential-loop
  :variables '(
      (rectangle-start
        :value-type :docupntcnp
        :prompt-text ("Indicate corner of rectangle" 1)
        :after-input (sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd
                       (format nil "LINE ASSIST RECTANGLE ~A,~A"
                                   (gpntdocu_x rectangle-start)
                                   (gpntdocu_y rectangle-start)))
      )
      (rectangle-end
        :value-type :docupntcnp
        :prompt-text ("Indicate opposite corner of rectangle" 2)
        :after-input (sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd
                       (format nil "~A,~A"
                                   (gpntdocu_x rectangle-end)
                                   (gpntdocu_y rectangle-end)))
        :next-variable rectangle-start
      )
    )
  :ok-action '(sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd "end")
  :cancel-action '(sd-execute-annotator-command :cmd "end")
  )