Programmatically change the color of a part?

[mark528]

does anybody know how to programmatically change the color of a part?

 

[catiajim]

Use the following commands. Not that the final parameter, 1 in this case, sets the inheritance value of the color.

Set ActDoc = CATIA.ActiveDocument
Set visProperties1 = ActDoc.Selection.Visproperties
visProperties1.SetRealColor Rd(ColNum),Grn(ColNum),Blu(ColNum),1

 

[mark528]

Thanks alot, this really helps.

Another question on the same topic. Say i have an assembly, how can i programmatically change the color of just one of the parts in the assymble?

thanks for you help

 

[rikman]

We've used variations on the following bit of code to change the colours of individual parts within an assembly (another part of the code selected the items in the first place):

Set SelectedElements = productDoc.Selection
Set VisPropSet = SelectedElements.VisProperties
SelectedElements.Clear()

SelectedElements.Add(Assemblyproducts.Item("<User Specified Part Name>"))
VisPropSet.SetRealColor <Red Number>,<Green Number>,<Blue Number>,1
SelectedElements.Clear()

If I remember correctly, it took quite a bit of trial and error to get V5 to recognise all the inputs so make sure you use dimension statements where necessary.

"Pinky, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yes, Brain, but isn't that dangerous?"

 

[rikman]

Sorry

"(another part of the code selected the items in the first place)" should read "(another part of the code read the part names in the first place)"



"Pinky, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yes, Brain, but isn't that dangerous?"

 

[ferdo]

Hi,

From the Dassault docs. Maybe you can use it (modified, of course).

' COPYRIGHT DASSAULT SYSTEMES 2002
Option Explicit

' ***********************************************************************
' Purpose : Change the color of products using a color randomly selected in a table.
' Assumptions : A CATProduct document should be active.
' Author :
' Languages : VBScript
' Locales : English
' CATIA Level : V5R6
' ***********************************************************************
Dim iMax ' Number of colors in the table minus one
iMax = 19

' ***********************************************************************
'
' Purpose: Add a product in a group.
'
' Inputs : oNode Product the product
' oGroup Product the array of group
' iIndex Integer the index of the product
'
' ***********************************************************************
Sub TreatANode(ByRef oNode, ByRef oGroup, ByRef iIndex)

Dim iNumberOfSubComponent As Integer
iNumberOfSubComponent = oNode.Products.Count

If (iNumberOfSubComponent = 0) Then
' Add the leaf to the group
oGroup(iIndex).AddExplicit oNode
' Prepare the next index
iIndex = iIndex + 1
If (iIndex > iMax) Then
iIndex = 0
End If
Else
' Treat the subcomponents
Dim I As Integer
For I = 1 to iNumberOfSubComponent
Call TreatANode(oNode.Products.Item(I), oGroup, iIndex)
Next
End If

End Sub

' ***********************************************************************
'
' Purpose: Main.
'
' ***********************************************************************
Sub CATMain()

' Build the color table (oColor(i,0) = Red, oColor(i,1) = Green, oColor(i,2) = Blue)
Dim oColor(19,2)

'Red
ocolor(0,0)=255
ocolor(0,1)=0
ocolor(0,2)=0
'Dark Red
ocolor(1,0)=220
ocolor(1,1)=90
ocolor(1,2)=90
'Light Red
ocolor(2,0)=255
ocolor(2,1)=150
ocolor(2,2)=150
'Fushia
ocolor(3,0)=255
ocolor(3,1)=150
ocolor(3,2)=230
'Green
ocolor(4,0)=60
ocolor(4,1)=255
ocolor(4,2)=30
'Dark Green
ocolor(5,0)=30
ocolor(5,1)=190
ocolor(5,2)=30
'Light Green
ocolor(6,0)=190
ocolor(6,1)=255
ocolor(6,2)=130
'Green-blue
ocolor(7,0)=80
ocolor(7,1)=255
ocolor(7,2)=160
'Blue
ocolor(8,0)=80
ocolor(8,1)=225
ocolor(8,2)=255
'Dark Blue
ocolor(9,0)=90
ocolor(9,1)=140
ocolor(9,2)=255
'Light Blue
ocolor(10,0)=180
ocolor(10,1)=255
ocolor(10,2)=255
'Yellow
ocolor(11,0)=255
ocolor(11,1)=255
ocolor(11,2)=30
'Dark Yellow
ocolor(12,0)=128
ocolor(12,1)=128
ocolor(12,2)=30
'Yellow-orange
ocolor(13,0)=255
ocolor(13,1)=190
ocolor(13,2)=70
'Brown
ocolor(14,0)=160
ocolor(14,1)=90
ocolor(14,2)=60
'Light Brown
ocolor(15,0)=200
ocolor(15,1)=170
ocolor(15,2)=140
'Pink
ocolor(16,0)=220
ocolor(16,1)=0
ocolor(16,2)=220
'Mauve
ocolor(17,0)=190
ocolor(17,1)=90
ocolor(17,2)=255
'Grey
ocolor(18,0)=128
ocolor(18,1)=128
ocolor(18,2)=128
'White
ocolor(19,0)=200
ocolor(19,1)=200
oColor(19,2)=200

' Retrieve the root product
Dim oRoot_Product As AnyObject
Set oRoot_Product = CATIA.ActiveDocument.Product

' Retrieve the selection object
Dim oSelection As Selection
Set oSelection = CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection

' Build the groups of products which will share the same color
Dim oGroup(20)
Dim cGroups As Groups
Set cGroups = oRoot_Product.GetTechnologicalObject("Groups")
Dim I as integer
For I = 0 to 19
Set oGroup(I) = cGroups.Add
Next

' Build the groups by exploring recursively all nodes in the product structure
Dim iIndex
iIndex = 0
Call TreatANode(oRoot_Product, oGroup, iIndex)

' Set the colors
For I = 0 to 19
oGroup(I).FillSelWithExtract
oSelection.VisProperties.SetRealColor oColor(I,0), oColor(I,1), oColor(I,2), 1
cGroups.Remove oGroup(I).Name
Set oGroup(I) = Nothing
Next
oSelection.Clear

Set oSelection = Nothing
Set oRoot_Product = Nothing

End Sub


Regards
Fernando

 

[mark528]

Ok, i'm must be doing something wrong. I just can't seem to figure out how to programmatically select the darn part in the assembly and then apply the color to just it. I keep turning the whole assembly a different color instead of just the part i have. Thanks so much for your help, i appologize for my stupidity. To bad the record macro feature doesn't record everthing.

 

[mark528]

alright, almost there. I finally got it to change the color of just one of the parts in my assembly (i preselected it before runing the script). Now if i can just figure out how to programmatically select the part for me i'll be good to go.

 

[shasbarg]

Here is the code to select a product object;
Dim oSelection As Selection
Set oSelection = CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection
oSelection.Clear
oSelection.Add oRoot_Product

If you don't first clear the current selection it adds to the current selection, i.e. if you had one part selected in an assembly you would now have two selected.
As far as choosing the correct part you probably want to access the oRoot_Product.Products object and do some sort of choce from there. For example looping through the products in the oRoot_Product;
Set oSubProducts = oRoot_Product.Products
For Each oProduct In oSubProducts
oSelection.Clear
oSelection.Add oProduct
(your code here)
Next

 

[mark528]

Well, after some trial and error, your great help, and a little bit of luck i've finally manage to piece together what i was trying to get at. I've included the script that i've written, with which you both helped me get to, should you ever have any use for it and for other forum members to reference.

to give an idea of what's going on here: I have a list of parts in a text file created by another program. The list represents parts that need to change, revisioned, etc. in a large subassembly i don't want to go chasing these parts down, so i change the color to find them. (Well the true reason for highlighting them is product/system specific to my company and would mean nothing to you, but i think you get the jist of it) Again, thanks


Sub CATMain()

Dim PARTS() As String
Dim PARTSval As Integer

Open "myfile.txt" For Input As #1
ReDim PARTS(PARTSval)
Do While Not EOF(1)
ReDim Preserve PARTS(PARTSval)
Input #1, PARTS(PARTSval)
PARTSval = PARTSval + 1
Loop
Close #1

Dim i As Integer
i = 1

Dim productDocument1 As ProductDocument
Set productDocument1 = CATIA.ActiveDocument

Dim product1 As Product
Set product1 = productDocument1.Product

Dim products1 As Products
Set products1 = product1.Products

Dim selection1 As Selection
Set selection1 = CATIA.ActiveDocument.Selection

selection1.Clear
For PARTSval = LBound(PARTS) To UBound(PARTS)
i = 1
For Each Product In products1
If products1.Item(i).PartNumber = PARTS(PARTSval) Then
selection1.Add products1.Item(i)
End If
i = i + 1
Next
Next

Dim visproperties1 As VisPropertySet
Set visproperties1 = productDocument1.Selection.VisProperties

selection1.VisProperties.SetRealColor 255, 0, 0, 1
End Sub

I'm sure there are way's of simplifing this but it's good enough.

 

[shasbarg]

One comment on the "For Each" statement. You don't need to use the i=1 and i=1+1 before and following the loop. all you need to do is use the "Product" declared in the "for Each" statement.

selection1.Clear
For PARTSval = LBound(PARTS) To UBound(PARTS)
For Each Product In products1
If Product.PartNumber = PARTS(PARTSval) Then
selection1.Add Product
End If
Next
Next

The way to read the "For Each" statment is to say that for each Product inside the products1 array do the code contained within the loop. The Product in the "for each" statement allows you to access the item of an array or collection indvidually. I would recomend a website that contains some good information that is in a bit easier format then the MSDN site; devguru.com. If you are using Option Explicit you will need to first Dim the Product used in the for each loop as a Product.

 

[mark528]

i realize that. That was just a script i used to test the methodolgy. The actuall program i'm creating has to cycle through subassemblies and i have multiple arrays to cylce through, so on and so forth. Thanks for your posts.

 

[shasbarg]

Sorry I must have missed that part, so you are looking at recusivly parsing the entire assembly tree, not just the first level children but all levels. Sometimes it may also be productive to use a Dictionary instead of an array this would allow you to search without the need to loop through each item of the array.

(simplified example of recursive call using dictionary)
Sub ParseAsyTree(ByRef oSelection, oProducts, PARTS)
For Each oProduct In oProducts
'If found in the list of parts to select then select
If PARTS.Exists(oProduct.PartNumber) Then
oSelection.Add oProduct
'If not in the list of parts and is an assembly
ElseIf oProduct.Products.Count > 0 Then
ParseAsyTree(oSelection, oProduct.Products, PARTS)
End If
Next
End Sub

 

[mark528]

WOW, thanks alot, that greatly simplifies things

 

[shasbarg]

I forgot to mention a few things in using VBA you first need to add the reference to the Microsoft Scripting Runtime to be able to create a Dictionary. Then the declaration is rather simple;

Dim PARTS As Dictionary
Set PARTS = New Dictionary

The nice thing about a Dictionary is the .Exists(Key) method which returns True if the Key is found in the dictionary, no more looping find out if what you are looking for is in the array. Also adding items to a dictionary is much easier then ReDiming an array and then adding the new value.