Using Python to automate AutoCAD

Hi people,

Hope there are some Python users around in this group

I'm learning Python and in the process am trying to automate AutoCAD
with Python via COM.


with the following code I can successfully start an AutoCAD session,
display the program on screen and start a new drawing:
from win32com.client import *

acad = Dispatch( 'AutoCAD.Application')
acad.Visible = 1

DWG = acad.Documents.Add('acadiso.dwt')
MS = DWG.ModelSpace
<<<

and the following statements let me pick a point in the drawing window
and return the coordinates as a tuple:
UTIL = DWG.Utility
punt1 = UTIL.GetPoint()
<<<

the value of the variable punt1 is e.g. (-5.3, 6.5, 0.0)


But sadly, that's about as far i can get things to work. For example:
when I try to draw a point in the drawing using another tuple as an
argument:
punt2 = MS.AddPoint((10.0, 10.0, 0.0))
<<<

I get the following error message:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<input>", line 1, in ?
File "<COMObject <unknown>>", line 2, in AddPoint
com_error: (-2147352567, 'Er is een uitzondering opgetreden.', (0,
None, None, None, 0, -2147024809), None)
<<<


reading the AutoCAD Developer Documentation, I discovered the
CreateTypedArray method which creates a variant that contains an
array, the method doesn't return the value, so I presume it changes
the argument VarArr in-place:

CreateTypedArray(VarArr, Type, Value1, [value2, value3, ...valueN])
VarArr = Variant; output-only; The array of values as a
variant.

Type = Visual Basic 6 Constant; input-only; The type of values
you are supplying. vbBoolean, vbInteger, vbLong,
vbSingle, or vbDouble.

Value1 [Value2, ...ValueN.] = Of the type specified in the
Type parameter above; input-only; The value(s) to be
included in the variant.

My thinking here is, that the AddPoint method expects a Variant
argument and not a tuple. But when I use this code to assign a Variant
array to variable punt3:
UTIL = DWG.Utility
punt3=()
UTIL.CreateTypedArray(punt3, pythoncom.VT_R8, 10.0, 10.0, 0.0)
<<<

I don't receive any error message, but variable punt3 still has his
old value of (), so nothing happened at all.

I was hoping to use this variable in the AddPoint method as follows:

punt2 = MS.AddPoint(punt3)


So, is there anybody who can help me with this?

Kind regards,

Gert