ObjectDbx : Xref Detach kaput

I have not been able to successfully detach xrefs
via ObjectDbx, yet the method is plainly exposed
in the ObjectDbx object model.

Can anyone else verify that the Detach method does
not work via ObjectDbx?

When I attempt to invoke the detach method it throws
a descriptionless Automation error:

"Automation Error. Description was not provided."

My assumption is that despite the method being exposed
it cannot be invoked because the ObjectDbx authors
ran out of coffee.

 

Michael:

I've used it successfully on the current working drawing. Make sure you
delete any AcDbBlockReference objects that reference the xref block before
you attempt to detach it.

 

Thank you for responding Owen.

I had tried to delete the actual instances but it had
chucked a wobbly on that too. But I will try again just
to double check.

Just to be clear, I'm using ObjectDBX on documents that
are _NOT_ active in the editor.

Can you use ObjectDBX on documents already opened (like
the active document)? In my experience ObjectDBX refuses
to open documents already open. If I'm doing query only
stuff I'll work off a temp copy, but otherwise one is hooped;
again, this has been my experience this far.

Thanks again Owen.

Cheers.

 

I've read, in this newsgroup, that external references
are not loaded in a drawing that is accessed via dbx.

I suppose that if an xref hasn't been loaded then it can't
be detached.

 

Michael, although it inherits a "Detach" method all you need do is delete
all instances of the Xref's inserts and the next time the drawing is opened
this displays:

Opening an AutoCAD 2000 format file.

Xref "Utils-Dec-04": C:\Land Projects 3\2004\24118 - Stony Village
South\dwg\Utils-Dec-04.dwg
"Utils-Dec-04" is unreferenced and has been purged.
Regenerating model.

Here's the code I tested with:
Sub test_Xref_detach()
Dim doc As AxDbDocument
Dim obj As AcadEntity
Dim xref As AcadExternalReference

Set doc = GetInterfaceObject("ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument")
doc.Open ("c:\test2000.dwg")
For Each obj In doc.ModelSpace
If TypeOf obj Is AcadExternalReference Then
Set xref = obj
xref.Delete
End If
Next
doc.SaveAs ("c:\test2000.dwg")
Set doc = Nothing
End Sub

 

Indeed.

I don't know what was with my original attempt to
delete the xref instances, but I was able to blow
them away just now (my test model may have had locked
layers, note to self: unlock / restore prior to mods).
Subsequent opening of doc sported the purging messages
you noted. A PurgeAll prior to saving may usurp said
message. This works well enough for me.

Thanks Jeff.

(And Owen and Jason).

 

Note to self: PurgeAll not available in ObjectDBX.

 

Just a quick follow up / heads up note --

If you are using the CleanRegApp.exe or
CleanRegApp-2005.exe utilities (per thread 2004/12/09
4:19PM -- "Fastest APP ID and layer filter purger
available to everyone now!") to purge drawings with
cancerous RegApp entries

(see http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2004/12/layer_filter_an.html)

AND

you plan on Detaching XREFS via the 'Delete method as
discussed in this thread ...

.... hit the drawings with the CleanRegApp.exe first.

If you delete the XREF instances and then try to use the
CleanRegApp.exe utility it will go fatal (corrupting the
drawing in the process). It's fine the other way round.

<Based on nominal testing>

 

Very interesting.......thanks for being the guinea pig on that one ;-)

 

Delete the object...

Oh, and I had read in the Visual LISP Bible that you could open a document
that was already opened by someone else, just that you couldn't open it if
they were running the same dbx function you were, or something to that
likeness...

I've purged or should I say deleted layers, and blocks...using dbx...

 

<musing out loud>

Based purely on speculation / linear logic, there's
a good chance said utilities will toss a wobbly when
an xref entry exists without at least one instance,
i.e. deleted by a user, not necessarily from code.
While bad practice this happens.

Maybe the util looks to an instance of an xref to find
the path for the xref so if it can determine if said
xref is responsible for some of the appids (this is
frequently the case).

Or not.

Maybe it'll hurl ones and zeros on blocks defs without
instances too.

If I weren't so busy I'd check these scenarios out;
perhaps down the road.

</musing out loud>

 

;;Source is a valid path & dwg name
;;(DBX (getfiled "\ns\Select dwg file: " (getvar "dwgprefix") "dwg" 8))
;;By (LUCAS)
;;Code only work for one xref, not for nested xref....
;;Solution for nested xref¡K¡Kneed help!
(defun DBX (SOURCE / APP ODOC DOC ODBX DOCTEST FILENAME)

(vl-load-com)

(setq APP (vlax-get-acad-object)
DOC (vla-get-activedocument APP)
)

(vlax-for ODOC (vla-get-documents APP)
(if (= (strcase (vla-get-fullname ODOC)) (strcase SOURCE))
(setq DOCTEST t)
)
)

(if (and (not DOCTEST) (setq FILENAME (findfile SOURCE)))
(progn
(if (> (atoi (getvar "AcadVer")) 15)
(setq ODBX (vla-getinterfaceobject
APP
"ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument.16"
)
)
(progn
(if (not (vl-registry-read
"HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\\ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument\\CLSID"
)
)
(startapp "regsvr32.exe"
(strcat "/s \"" (findfile "axdb15.dll") "\"")
)
)
(setq ODBX (vla-getinterfaceobject
APP
"ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument"
)
)
)
)
(vla-open ODBX FILENAME)
(TT ODBX)
(DBXSAVE ODBX)
(mapcar 'vlax-release-object (list APP DOC ODBX))
)
(progn
(if DOCTEST
(alert
"You tried to use a file in use by Autocad, please close it and try
again...."
)
(alert "Source file not found, please try again....")
)
)
)
(princ)
)

(defun DBXSAVE (DBXDOC)
(vla-saveas DBXDOC (vla-get-name DBXDOC))
)

(defun TT (DOC / BLKS ENT NAME OLDNAME
ENTT PATH ODBX1 LINETYPES OBJLIST
X OBJARRAY
)
(setq BLKS (vla-get-blocks DOC))

(vlax-for ENT BLKS
(if (= (vla-get-isxref ENT) :vlax-true)
(progn
(setq PATH (vla-get-path ENT))
(setq ODBX1 (vla-getinterfaceobject
APP
"ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument.16"
)
)
(vla-open ODBX1 PATH)
(setq LINETYPES (vla-get-linetypes ODBX1))
;;http://discussion.autodesk.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2043584
;;remove then linetypes error
(vlax-for X LINETYPES
(setq OBJLIST (cons X OBJLIST))
)
(setq OBJARRAY (vlax-safearray-fill
(vlax-make-safearray
vlax-vbobject
(cons 0 (1- (length OBJLIST)))
)
OBJLIST
)
)
(vlax-invoke-method
ODBX1
"copyobjects"
OBJARRAY
(vla-get-linetypes DOC)
)
(vlax-release-object LINETYPES)
(vlax-release-object ODBX1)
(vla-put-name
ENT
(setq OLDNAME (strcat (setq NAME (vla-get-name ENT)) "_LAI"))
)
(vla-delete
(vla-insertblock
(vla-get-modelspace DOC)
(vlax-3d-point '(0 0 0))
PATH
1
1
1
0
)
)
)
)
)
(vlax-for ENTT BLKS
(vlax-for ENT ENTT
(if (and (= (vla-get-objectname ENT) "AcDbBlockReference")
(= (vla-get-name ENT) OLDNAME)
)
(vla-put-name ENT NAME)
)
(vla-update ENT)
)
)
(vlax-release-object BLKS)
(princ)
)

 

That was the case in R15. When you accessed the Blocks
collection, XRef blocks were not included (e.g., they were
not in the collection at all).

However, given that XREF operations were moved from
the drawing editor to the databaase realm in R16, this
probably has changed.

I also don't know how this relates to VISRETAIN'd XREF
layers, but since they are dependent on Xrefs, that might
also need to be considered.

 

Thanks for the additional information.