alt-text Exercise 4 - Export / Import a document using STL format

Updated : 26 November 2024

In this exercise, you will learn how to export and import a document using a specific file format.

Note

After downloading the Automation_SelfLearning solution from GitHub, you will find the whole example code for this exercise in the Exercise_4 project.

  • Set up your environment.
    • Launch Visual Studio
    • Open the project Automation_SelfLearning project to begin coding your own application. This project should contain your work from first three exercises. If not, you can get code directly from Exercise_3 project.

  • Design the Application Interface

    • Open the design form of your application. This interface already contains a TextBox and three Buttons.

    • Add two Buttons to the form as shown below:

      alt-text

  • For each button, add a Button Click Event
    • Double-click the button on the form to generate a click event handler.
    • Implement the click event method to create an assembly into an assembly document.
Important

To achieve this exercise, you will need more information about Elements and about Document Handling

  • Coding Steps

    • Ensure the following functionalities are included in your method:
    • Find or create target project (cf. Exercise 1)
    • Create a shape (cf. Exercise 2)
    • Create an assembly (cf. Exercise 3)

    • Export the assembly document to STL format:

      Tip

      For this part of the exercise, you need to use IDocuments interface

      Do not forget to check if target exporter is available.

    • Import the file created as a new Document, using options, by using method TopSolidHost.Documents.ImportWithOptions

      Important

      Try to set the option "CREATION_MODE" to "SolidShape" : 

      List<KeyValue> inOptions = new List<KeyValue>();
inOptions.Add(new KeyValue("CREATION_MODE", "SolidShape"))
      Tip

      You can use an OpenFileDialog to allow file selection on the go:

      System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog openFileDialog = new System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog();
openFileDialog.AddExtension = false;
openFileDialog.Filter = "STL Files (*.stl)| *.stl";
openFileDialog.CheckFileExists = true;
openFileDialog.ShowDialog();

      Just as before, do not forget to check if target importer is available.

  • Test your application:
    • From the Debug menu, select Start Debugging to run your project.
    • Click the button on your form to execute the functionality
Self-Learning exercises table of content: