Comparisons with PowerSolutionOLE OCX

PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.DLL v PowerSolutionOLE.OCX

The notes below are intended to help with the transition from using PowerSolutionOLE ActiveX in VB6 to the PowerSolutionDOTNETOle DLL in VB.NET. The principals are the same if using C#.NET.

Note that the list below is only related to existing functionality in the ActiveX control. Check out the Class Library Documentation installed with the DLL for a full list of functionality available.

VB6 VB.NET

Adding the Reference From the menus...
Project -> Components -> BROWSE
Select the PowerSolutionOLE.OCX file and ensure it is checked in the Available References list.

The objects are then added to the toolbox.
From the menus...

Project -> Add Reference -> Browse

Browse for and select the DLL (usually installed to C:\Program Files\Delcam PLC\PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE API Classes\PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.dll)

Creating Objects In VB6, the OLE links are Objects which you add to a form. The difficulty with this method, is that if you have multiple forms requiring OLE links to products, you have to add the object to multiple forms. Each object working independantly.

Once you have added an object to your form you can access the methods within that object.
The DLL consists of a number of classes which you can access directly from code. There is no need to create an instance of a particular class since the classes for linking to PowerSHAPE, PowerMILL and CopyCAD contained SHARED (or STATIC) mehods.

This means you can use the classes from any form or class in your application directly, and you are always using the same OLE connection.

So you can these shared classes directly using for example...

PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.clsPowerSHAPEOLE

So for example to connect to PowerSHAPE, you use...

PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Connect

Because its a shared class, you can now directly use the methods in this class from any other form without have to use Connect.

To reduce the amount of typing, you can declare a reference to the class in your code, e.g.

Dim PS As PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.clsPowerSHAPEOLE

Note you don't create a NEW object, its just a quick link to the main class, e.g. you can now use...

PS.Connect

Also to give quicker access to the classes, you can add to the top of your code...

Imports PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE

Then you can use for example...

clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Connect

or

Dim PS As clsPowerSHAPEOLE

Connecting PSHAPE.Connect
clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Connect

clsPowerMILLOLE.Connect

clsPowerMILLOLE.ConnectToNew

clsPowerMILLOLE.StartAndConnectToPowerMILL

Executing Commands PSHAPE.Execute
clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Execute

Executing Multiple Commands
Only available for PowerSHAPE, you use...

PSHAPE.AddBatchCommand

PSHAPE.ProcessBatch

Now available for PowerSHAPE, PowerMILL and CopyCAD. You use the same Execute method, except you can add multiple commands separated by a comma, e.g.

clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Execute("CREATE LINE SINGLE", "0 0 0", "10 0 0", "SELECT")

Checking Connection Use the Connectedfunction.
For PowerSHAPE, use the IsPSConnected function
For PowerMILL and CopyCAD, use the IsConnectedfunction.

Turn off Popup dialogs Use the Dialogs function.
For PowerSHAPE, use the SetDialogMode.
For PowerMILL and CopyCAD, use the DialogsOff and DialogsOnfunctions.

Getting information PSHAPE.Evaluate
PMILL.ExecuteEx
clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Evaluate
clsPowerMILLOLE.ExecuteEx
clsCopyCADOLE.ExecuteAndReturnCMDLine

For PowerSHAPE, you can also use the clsEntityType class to readily get object information, e.g.
Dim a as New clsEntityType("1", enum_EntityType.Surface)
Dim NumLats As Integer = a.GetObjectInfo("NLATS")

Getting PowerMILL information
PMILL.BlockDefined
PMILL.BlockSize
PMILL.GetPatternList
PMILL.GetWorkplaneList
PMILL.GetToolpathList
PMILL.IsModelLoaded
PMILL.ModelSize
PMILL.SizeToolpath
PMILL.StoreBlock
PMILL.StoreModel
PMILL.Units

Many of these functions have been consolidated into general functions...

Entity Lists - use clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntityList passing in the required entity type, e.g.

Dim Num As Integer, List() As String, Active As String clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntityList(clsPowerMILLOLE.enumPowerMILLEntityType.pmTool, Num, List, Active)

Get active entity name - clsPowerMILLOLE.GetActiveGetActiveEntityName passing in the required entity type.

You can use the clsPowerMILLOLE.GetLastCreatedEntityName function to find the last entity name in the list quickly.

Get entity size - clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntitySize passing in the required entity type. This function will return the sizes, or False if the entity does not exist. So you also use this function to determine if an entity exists, e.g. the block or model.

Get full list of entity parameter information...
use the clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntityParameterInfo function. This returns an array of parameters.

You can then search for specific settings within this array by using the clsPowerMILLOLE.ParseParameterInfoForSetting method, e.g. This will get the tolerance and tool diameter used for a toolpath...

Dim Params() As String = PM.GetEntityParameterInfo(clsPowerMILLOLE.enumPowerMILLEntityType.pmToolpath, "1")
Dim Tol As Double = PM.ParseParameterInfoForSetting(Params, ":dmkMcParFinCommon", "TOLERANCE", clsPowerMILLOLE.enumEntitySettingDataType.parDouble)
Dim Dia As Double = PM.ParseParameterInfoForSetting(Params, ":dmkMcParTool", "DIAMETER", clsPowerMILLOLE.enumEntitySettingDataType.parDouble) txtToolDia.Text = Dia.ToString("0.####")

Check out the PowerMILL_Example1 sample for more ways to extract entity information and parameters.

Getting PowerSHAPE information PSHAPE.GetCreatedEntities
PSHAPE.GetFilteredSelection
PSHAPE.GetModifiedEntities
PSHAPE.GetSelectedEntities
PSHAPE.ItemsCretedCount
PSHAPE.ItemsModifiedCount
PSHAPE.ItemsSelectedCount
The extraction of information from PowerSHAPE has been simplified and is based on the clsEntityType class. Check out the Class Library Documentation for the full list of available methods in this class.

To extract list of entities in various lists...
clspowershapeole.GetCreatedEntities

clspowershapeole.GetSelectedEntities - you optionally add specific entity types to extract from the list.

e.g. to get the names of all entities selected, you can use...

Dim a() As clsEntityType
a = clsPowerSHAPEOLE.GetSelectedEntities()
If a Is Nothing Then
   Msgbox("Nothing selected")
Else
   Dim i As Integer
   For i = 0 To a.Length-1
      Msgbox a(i).Name
   Next
End If

	VB6	VB.NET
Adding the Reference	From the menus... Project -> Components -> BROWSE Select the PowerSolutionOLE.OCX file and ensure it is checked in the Available References list. The objects are then added to the toolbox.	From the menus... Project -> Add Reference -> Browse Browse for and select the DLL (usually installed to C:\Program Files\Delcam PLC\PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE API Classes\PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.dll)
Creating Objects	In VB6, the OLE links are Objects which you add to a form. The difficulty with this method, is that if you have multiple forms requiring OLE links to products, you have to add the object to multiple forms. Each object working independantly. Once you have added an object to your form you can access the methods within that object.	The DLL consists of a number of classes which you can access directly from code. There is no need to create an instance of a particular class since the classes for linking to PowerSHAPE, PowerMILL and CopyCAD contained SHARED (or STATIC) mehods. This means you can use the classes from any form or class in your application directly, and you are always using the same OLE connection. So you can these shared classes directly using for example... PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.clsPowerSHAPEOLE So for example to connect to PowerSHAPE, you use... PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Connect Because its a shared class, you can now directly use the methods in this class from any other form without have to use Connect. To reduce the amount of typing, you can declare a reference to the class in your code, e.g. Dim PS As PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE.clsPowerSHAPEOLE Note you don't create a NEW object, its just a quick link to the main class, e.g. you can now use... PS.Connect Also to give quicker access to the classes, you can add to the top of your code... Imports PowerSolutionDOTNetOLE Then you can use for example... clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Connect or Dim PS As clsPowerSHAPEOLE
Connecting	PSHAPE.Connect	clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Connect clsPowerMILLOLE.Connect clsPowerMILLOLE.ConnectToNew clsPowerMILLOLE.StartAndConnectToPowerMILL
Executing Commands	PSHAPE.Execute	clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Execute
Executing Multiple Commands	Only available for PowerSHAPE, you use... PSHAPE.AddBatchCommand PSHAPE.ProcessBatch	Now available for PowerSHAPE, PowerMILL and CopyCAD. You use the same Execute method, except you can add multiple commands separated by a comma, e.g. clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Execute("CREATE LINE SINGLE", "0 0 0", "10 0 0", "SELECT")
Checking Connection	Use the Connectedfunction.	For PowerSHAPE, use the IsPSConnected function For PowerMILL and CopyCAD, use the IsConnectedfunction.
Turn off Popup dialogs	Use the Dialogs function.	For PowerSHAPE, use the SetDialogMode. For PowerMILL and CopyCAD, use the DialogsOff and DialogsOnfunctions.
Getting information	PSHAPE.Evaluate PMILL.ExecuteEx	clsPowerSHAPEOLE.Evaluate clsPowerMILLOLE.ExecuteEx clsCopyCADOLE.ExecuteAndReturnCMDLine For PowerSHAPE, you can also use the clsEntityType class to readily get object information, e.g. Dim a as New clsEntityType("1", enum_EntityType.Surface) Dim NumLats As Integer = a.GetObjectInfo("NLATS")
Getting PowerMILL information	PMILL.BlockDefined PMILL.BlockSize PMILL.GetPatternList PMILL.GetWorkplaneList PMILL.GetToolpathList PMILL.IsModelLoaded PMILL.ModelSize PMILL.SizeToolpath PMILL.StoreBlock PMILL.StoreModel PMILL.Units	Many of these functions have been consolidated into general functions... Entity Lists - use clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntityList passing in the required entity type, e.g. Dim Num As Integer, List() As String, Active As String clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntityList(clsPowerMILLOLE.enumPowerMILLEntityType.pmTool, Num, List, Active) Get active entity name - clsPowerMILLOLE.GetActiveGetActiveEntityName passing in the required entity type. You can use the clsPowerMILLOLE.GetLastCreatedEntityName function to find the last entity name in the list quickly. Get entity size - clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntitySize passing in the required entity type. This function will return the sizes, or False if the entity does not exist. So you also use this function to determine if an entity exists, e.g. the block or model. Get full list of entity parameter information... use the clsPowerMILLOLE.GetEntityParameterInfo function. This returns an array of parameters. You can then search for specific settings within this array by using the clsPowerMILLOLE.ParseParameterInfoForSetting method, e.g. This will get the tolerance and tool diameter used for a toolpath... Dim Params() As String = PM.GetEntityParameterInfo(clsPowerMILLOLE.enumPowerMILLEntityType.pmToolpath, "1") Dim Tol As Double = PM.ParseParameterInfoForSetting(Params, ":dmkMcParFinCommon", "TOLERANCE", clsPowerMILLOLE.enumEntitySettingDataType.parDouble) Dim Dia As Double = PM.ParseParameterInfoForSetting(Params, ":dmkMcParTool", "DIAMETER", clsPowerMILLOLE.enumEntitySettingDataType.parDouble) txtToolDia.Text = Dia.ToString("0.####") Check out the PowerMILL_Example1 sample for more ways to extract entity information and parameters.
Getting PowerSHAPE information	PSHAPE.GetCreatedEntities PSHAPE.GetFilteredSelection PSHAPE.GetModifiedEntities PSHAPE.GetSelectedEntities PSHAPE.ItemsCretedCount PSHAPE.ItemsModifiedCount PSHAPE.ItemsSelectedCount	The extraction of information from PowerSHAPE has been simplified and is based on the clsEntityType class. Check out the Class Library Documentation for the full list of available methods in this class. To extract list of entities in various lists... clspowershapeole.GetCreatedEntities clspowershapeole.GetSelectedEntities - you optionally add specific entity types to extract from the list. e.g. to get the names of all entities selected, you can use... Dim a() As clsEntityType a = clsPowerSHAPEOLE.GetSelectedEntities() If a Is Nothing Then Msgbox("Nothing selected") Else Dim i As Integer For i = 0 To a.Length-1 Msgbox a(i).Name Next End If