Managing the Graphical Representation of a Schematic Reference Component

Schematics Platform Modeler

Managing the Graphical Representation of a Schematic Reference Component

This macro shows you how to manage the graphical representations (symbols) of a schematic reference component.

This macro opens the document CAASCH_Detail03.CATProduct that contains three component symbols. One of the symbols (the highlighted one) has been associated with an existing schematic reference component. This macro shows how to add the other two unassociated symbols to the same reference component. It also illustrates how to remove one of the 3 symbols from the reference component and how to query for a list of associated symbols.

CAASchCompRefGraphic is launched in CATIA [1]. No open document is needed.

CAASchCompRefGraphic.CATScript is located in the CAAScdSchUseCases module. Execute macro (Windows only).

CAASchCompRefGraphic includes the following steps:

Prolog
Find a schematic reference component in the model
Add a graphical representation to the schematic reference component
Query for a list of graphical representation of the schematic reference component
Remove a graphical representation from the schematic reference component

Prolog

The macro first loads CAASCH_Detail03.CATProduct.

    ...
    ' Open the schematic document
    Dim sFilePath
    sFilePath = CATIA.FileSystem.ConcatenatePaths(sDocPath, _
            "online\CAAScdSchUseCases\samples\CAASCH_Detail03.CATProduct")

    Dim objSchDoc As Document
    Set objSchDoc = CATIA.Documents.Open(sFilePath)
    ...

Next, the macro acquires the schematic root object from the document. The schematic root is the top node of the object instance tree in a schematic document.

    ...
    ' Find the top node of the schematic object tree - schematic root.
    Dim objPrdRoot As Product
    Dim objSchRoot As SchematicRoot
    If ( Not ( objSchDoc Is Nothing ) ) Then
      Set objPrdRoot = objSchDoc.Product
      If ( Not ( objPrdRoot Is Nothing ) ) Then
        Set objSchRoot = objPrdRoot.GetTechnologicalObject("SchematicRoot")
      End If
    End If
    ...

Find a schematic reference component in the model

Using the GetRefComponents method, a list of existing schematic reference component in the model can be obtained. Note that the output of this method is a list of objects. The member of this list can be retrieved using the Item method. The second argument of this method specifies a particular interface to be returned on this member reference component. In this case it is the SchCompGraphic interface.

    ...
    Dim objLCompRefs As SchListOfObjects
    Dim objCompRefGraphic As SchCompGraphic

    If ( Not ( objSchRoot Is Nothing ) ) Then

       '-----------------------------------------------------------------------
       ' Find a list of reference component in the model
       '-----------------------------------------------------------------------
       Set objLCompRefs = objSchRoot.GetRefComponents

       If ( Not ( objLCompRefs Is Nothing ) ) Then

          '--------------------------------------------------------------------
          ' Get a SchCompGraphic interface handle from a reference
          ' component
          '--------------------------------------------------------------------
          Set objCompRefGraphic = objLCompRefs.Item (1,"CATIASchCompGraphic")
    ...

Add a graphical representation to the schematic reference component

The macro calls GetComponentSymbol to find a symbol that has not been associated with any reference component. Using the symbol, it then calls AddGraphicalRepresentation to add this symbol to the reference component. This method is called a second time to add the third symbol. At this point, the reference component has three graphical representations.

    ...
              Dim objUnassocSymbol As AnyObject

              '----------------------------------------------------------------
              ' Find a symbol that is not associated with any reference in
              ' the model
              '----------------------------------------------------------------
              Set objUnassocSymbol = GetComponentSymbol (objSchRoot)

              If ( Not ( objUnassocSymbol Is Nothing ) ) Then

                '--------------------------------------------------------------
                ' Add the second graphical representation to the reference
                ' component using the symbol just found
                '--------------------------------------------------------------
                objCompRefGraphic.AddGraphicalRepresentation objUnassocSymbol

    ...

Query for a list of graphical representation of the schematic reference component

ListGraphicalRepresentation returns a list of graphical representations. This list should contains three members.

    ...
              Dim objLGraphic As SchListOfObjects
              Set objLGraphic = objCompRefGraphic.ListGraphicalRepresentations
    ...

Remove a graphical representation from the schematic reference component

The macro finds the first member of the list of graphical representations obtained from previous step and call RemoveGraphicalRepresentation to remove that symbol from the reference component.

    ...
                 Set objGRR = Nothing
                 If (intNbGraphic > 1) Then
                    Set objGRR = objLGraphic.Item(intNbGraphic,"CATIASchGRR")
                    If ( Not (objGRR Is Nothing ) ) Then
                       objCompRefGraphic.RemoveGraphicalRepresentation objGRR
                       Set objLGraphic = objCompRefGraphic.ListGraphicalRepresentations
                       If ( Not ( objLGraphic Is Nothing ) ) Then
                         intNbGraphic = objLGraphic.Count
                          strMessage = strMessage & "Number of graphical representations"
                          strMessage = strMessage & "after calling "
                          strMessage = strMessage & " RemoveGraphicalRepresentation = " & intNbGraphic & vbCr
                       End If
                    End If
                 End If ' --- If (intNbGraphic > 1)
              End If '--- If ( Not ( objLGraphic Is Nothing ) ) Then

    ...

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In Short

This use case shows how to add, remove and query for a list of graphical representations of a schematic reference component. A message logging the status of the critical steps is displayed at the end of the use case.

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References

[1]	Replaying a Macro

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