Managing Create Datum Mode

Mechanical Modeler		Managing Create Datum Mode Using CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt
Use Case

Abstract

This article shows to use the CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt interface to control yourself the datum mode [1] when creating a mechanical feature.

What You Will Learn With This Use Case
The CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Use Case
Step-by-Step
In Short
References

What You Will Learn With This Use Case

This use case, an interactive command, is intended to show you how to use the CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt to manage the CreateDatum mode

To change or Retrieve the current mode
To be informed when the current mode is modified by another command

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The CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Use Case

CAAMmrCreateDatumMode is a use case of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework that illustrates MecModInterfaces framework capabilities.

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What Does CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Do

The use case is functionaly similar to the CreateDatum Setting command, that you can retrieve in Generative Shape Design application .

The scenario to reach the command is the following:

Launch CATIA
Start , Shape , Generative Shape Design
Create a new Part
Retrieve the "Use Create Datum Mode" toolbar (Addin Access)
Launch the CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Command [Fig.1]

The following dialog box is opened

Fig.2 CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Dialog Box

First line: On the right top, you have the current value of the datum mode

Second line: a combo to select the new mode, and a push button (Apply) to modify the current mode. Push Apply button modify the editor just above.

Close the dialog box to end the command

Now some scenarios to understand the meaning of each type of datum mode.

Retrieve the CreateDatum Setting command- check that the icon is like that:
Create three points
Open the CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Dialog box
Choose the "NoDatumCreation" mode
- The icon of CreateDatum Setting is still :
Create a line - the line is an associative feature - Modify the position of one point, it will imply a line's modification.
- After the line creation, the icon of CreateDatum Setting is still :
Choose the "DatumCreationTemporary" mode, and Push the Apply button
- The icon of CreateDatum Setting is now :
Create a line - the line is no more an associative feature - Modify the position of one point, the line is not modified
- After the line creation, the icon of CreateDatum Setting is now : - and the Current state in the dialog is NoDatumCreation
Choose the "DatumCreationPermanent" mode, and Push the Apply button
- The icon of CreateDatum Setting is now :
Create a line - the line is no more an associative feature - Modify the position of one point, the line is not modified
- After the line creation, the icon of CreateDatum Setting is still now : - and the Current state in the dialog is still DatumCreationPermanent
Push the CreateDatum Setting button, the icon is now
- In the dialog box, the name of the current mode is NoDatumCreation
Push the CreateDatum Setting button, the icon is now
- In the dialog box, the name of the current mode is DatumCreationTemporary

This scenario shows that the datum mode is kept by a setting (data model), and whatever can get or set the value kept by the data model. In case of modification, the model sends an event, and whatever has set callback can be informed of the model's modification.

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How to Launch CAAMmrCreateDatumMode

To launch CAAMmrCreateDatumMode, you will need to set up the build time environment, then compile CAAMmrCreateDatumMode along with its prerequisites, set up the run time environment, and then execute the use case .

See the What Does CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Do Section for the scenario.

Addin Access

Before launching CATIA, Remove the # character in the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu.dico in front of the following line:

...
#CAA# CAAMmrSettingsAddIn      CATIWorkbenchAddin              libCAAMmrSettingsAddIn
#CAA# CAAMmrSettingsAddIn      CATIShapeDesignWorkshopAddin    libCAAMmrSettingsAddIn
...

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Where to Find the CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Code

The CAAMmrCreateDatumMode use case is made of several classes located in two modules:

CAAMmrUseCreateDatumMode.m module of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework

It contains the CAAMmrCreateDatumMode Dialog box [Fig.2] definition CAAMmrDatumWindowCmd.cpp/CAAMmrDatumWindowCmd.h

CAAMmrSettingsAddIn.m module of the CAAMechanicalModeler.edu framework

It contains the addin of the Generative Shape Design Workbench - This addin contains the definition of the "Use Create Datum Mode" [Fig.1] toolbar

This part is not described in the article. Refer to the reference article Creating an Add-in [2]

These two modules are located inside

InstallRootDirectory\CAAMechanicalModeler.edu\

where InstallRootDirectory [3] is the directory where the CAA CD-ROM is installed.

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Step-by-Step

There are five logical steps in CAAMmrCreateDatumMode:

Retrieving the Component Managing the Datum Mode
Adding Callback to be Informed of Datum Mode Modification
Refreshing the Dialog Box
Modify the Current Datum Mode
Removing Callback

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Retrieving the Component Managing the Datum Mode

...
   HRESULT rc = S_OK;
   rc = ::CATInstantiateComponent ("CATMmuPartInfrastructurePreferencesCtrl",
           IID_CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt, (void**) &_piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt);  
...

_piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt is a data member of the CAAMmrCreateDatumMode dialog box. It is a CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt interface pointer on the CATMmuPartInfrastructurePreferencesCtrl component.

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Adding Callback to be Informed of Datum mode Modification

...
    CATCallbackEvent eventName="";
    _piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt->GetDatumModeEvent(eventName);

    ::AddCallback(this,
           _piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt,eventName,
           (CATSubscriberMethod)&CAAMmrDatumWindowCmd::ReceiveDatumModify, 
           NULL);
...

Thanks the GetDatumModeEvent method you retrieve the name of the event which will be sent by the CATMmuPartInfrastructurePreferencesCtrl component when someone will modify the datum mode. The ReceiveDatumModify is a method of the dialog box refreshing the dialog box.

Refreshing the Dialog Box

This method is called by two methods of the dialog box

The constructor ( initialization )
The ReceiveDatumModify method ( due to a callback)

This method (InitWindow) retrieves the current datum mode, and modify the right top editor [Fig.2]

...
    CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt::PreferenceMode TheMode ; 
    rc = _piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt->GetDatumMode(TheMode);
...

The editor is modified according to the value of the GetDatumMode method results.

Modify the Current Datum Mode

In the constructor, not detailed here, we have set a callback to be informed when the end user push the Apply button. This callback is a method (Apply method) whose the principle is the following:

Retrieve the combo value

...
    int LineSelected = _pDatumChoice->GetSelect() ;
   _pDatumChoice->GetLine(usParam[1],LineSelected);
...

Modify the Datum value

...
    CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt::PreferenceMode TheMode ;
    ...
    rc = _piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt->SetDatumMode(TheMode);
...

TheMode is valuated according to the value returned by the combo (LineSelected)

Note that the internal method (InitWindow) is not directly called by the Apply method. Since the SetDatumMode method is called, the CATMmuPartInfrastructurePreferencesCtrl component sends a Modify event, and the ReceiveDatumModify method is called.

Removing Callback

...
      ::RemoveSubscriberCallbacks(this,_piCATIMmiCreateDatumSettingAtt);
...

In the dialog box destructor method.

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In Short

The CATIMmiPartInfrastructurePreferencesAtt interface enables you to retrieve the current datum mode and to modify it.

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References

[1]	The Contents of the Specification Container - Geometrical Feature
[2]	Creating an Add-in
[3]	Building and Launching a CAA V5 Use Case
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History

Version: 1 [Mar 2007]	Document created
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Mechanical Modeler