Starting and Stopping Creo Parametric
The following methods are used to start and stop Creo Parametric when using the VB API applications.
Methods Introduced:
A VB application can spawn and connect to a Creo Parametric process with the method CCpfcAsyncConnection.Start().
After this method returns the asynchronous connection object, the VB API application can call the Creo Parametric process using the appropriate APIs. In the interactive mode, you can also access the Creo Parametric session when it is running.
The asynchronous application is not terminated when Creo Parametric terminates. This is useful when the application needs to perform Creo Parametric operations intermittently, and therefore, must start and stop Creo Parametric more than once during a session.
The application can connect to or start only one Creo Parametric session at any time. If the VB API application spawns a second session, connection to the first session is lost.
To end any Creo Parametric process that the application is connected to, call the method IpfcAsyncConnection.End().
Setting Up a Noninteractive Session
You can spawn a Creo Parametric session that is both noninteractive and nongraphical. In asynchronous mode, include the following strings in the Creo Parametric start or connect call to CCpfcAsyncConnection.Start():
| • | -g:no_graphics—Turn off the graphics display. |
| • | -i:rpc_input—Causes Creo Parametric to expect input from your asynchronous application only. Note
Both of these arguments are required, but the order is not important.
|
The syntax of the call for a noninteractive, nongraphical session is as follows:
Dim aC as IpfcAsyncConnection
Dim ccAC as New CcpfcAsyncConnection
aC = ccAC.Start ("pro -g:no_graphics -i:rpc_input",<text_dir>);where pro is the command to start Creo Parametric.
Example Code for Visual Basic.NET
The sample code in the file pfcAsynchronousModeExamples.vb located at <creo_vbapi_loadpoint>/vbapi_examples demonstrates how to use the VB API to start Creo Parametric asynchronously, retrieve a Session and to open a model in Creo Parametric.
Example Code for Visual Basic for Applications
This example demonstrates the VB API syntax in a macro written in Visual Basic for Applications, for example, as would be run by a button in a Microsoft Word document or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. This example is identical to the previous example, except for the syntax.
Private Sub btnRun_Click()
Dim asyncConnection As IpfcAsyncConnection
Dim cAC As CCpfcAsyncConnection
Dim session As IpfcBaseSession
Dim descModel As IpfcModelDescriptor
Dim descModelCreate As CCpfcModelDescriptor
Dim model As IpfcModel
Dim workDir As String
Dim position As Integer
On Error GoTo RunError
'======================================================================
First Argument : The path to the Creo Parametric executable along with command
line options. -i and -g flags make Creo Parametric run in non-graphic,
'non-interactive mode
'Second Argument: String path to menu and message files.
'======================================================================
Set cAC = New CCpfcAsyncConnection
Set asyncConnection = cAC.Start(txtExePath.Text + " -g:no_graphics
-i:rpc_input", ".")
Set session = asyncConnection.session
'======================================================================
'Get current directory
'Set it as working directory
'======================================================================
workDir = ActiveWorkbook.FullName
position = InStrRev(workDir, "\")
workDir = Left(workDir, position)
session.ChangeDirectory (workDir)
'======================================================================
'VB api process calls and other processing to be done
'======================================================================
Set descModelCreate = New CCpfcModelDescriptor
Set descModel = descModelCreate.Create(EpfcModelType.EpfcMDL_PART,
"partModel.prt", dbnull)
Set model = session.RetrieveModel(descModel)
'======================================================================
End the Creo Parametric session when done
'======================================================================
If Not asyncConnection Is Nothing Then
If asyncConnection.IsRunning Then
asyncConnection.End
End If
End If
RunError:
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
MsgBox "Process Failed : Unknown error occured." + Chr(13) + _
"Error No: " + CStr(Err.Number) + Chr(13) + _
"Error: " + Err.Description, vbCritical, "Error"
If Not asyncConnection Is Nothing Then
If asyncConnection.IsRunning Then
asyncConnection.End
End If
End If
End If
End SubThe following figure displays the button in Microsoft Excel designed for the above application.
