OLE Server

Inplot is automatically registered with the Windows operating system as an OLE server when it is installed. You are then able to call functions that are built into Inplot from a Visual Basic program.

It's also possible to manually register Inplot as an OLE server: Go to the Windows Start menu, select Run, enter path and filename of Inplot, space and “/regserver”. With this parameter, Inplot will not open any window, but will just register itself.

If you ever want to unregister it as an OLE server then do the same thing with “/unregserver” parameter.

Or in Inplot you can go to the Plug-In menu – Install window and choose Server on the menu.

Now a Visual Basic program will be able to find and use the built-in functions of Inplot.

Inplot Functions programmable from Visual Basic.

Methods: see script functions for explanations of most of these.

Add(const Address: String; Value: Double);

AddLine(S: String);'adds string to end of editor

AniSpeed: Integer 'tool animation speed 1..100

Append(Filename:String); 'appends that file to the end of the Inplot editor

Aspace;

Back(NumLines: Integer);

Changev(Address: String; OldValue: Double; NewValue: Double);

Comment;

Copy;

Close; 'closes Inplot

Cut;

Delete;

Delstr(S: String); 'delete from current line

DeleteLine(LineNumber: Integer);

DoCommand(S: String);

'draw temporary line,arc,point

DrawLine(StartX: Double; StartY: Double; StartZ: Double; EndX: Double; EndY: Double;

EndZ: Double; Color: Integer; LineType: Integer);

DrawArc(CenterX: Double; CenterY: Double; CenterZ: Double; Radius: Double;

StartAngle: Double; EndAngle: Double; Color: Integer; LineType: Integer;

View: Integer);

DrawPoint(X: Double; Y: Double; Z: Double; Color: Integer);

DrawTool(x,y,z:double); 'draws current tool at position

Findval(const Address: String; Value: Double);

FindStr(S: String; Comments: WordBool);

FirstVisible(linenumber:integer); 'scrolls editor to put this line at top

Forward(NumLines: Integer);

FormatNum(Address: String; Value: Double):Variant;'returns a string of the value formatted to the current format

Front(S: String);

GetValue(Address:variant) 'returns value of that address at cursor line in editor

GetVar(ID: Integer): Variant; 'ID -1=script pathname, -4=comment character, 1..699=NC program vars

GetLine(LineNumber: Integer): String;

GoBlock(BlockNumber: Integer);

Home;

Input(Address: String); 'like pressing input buttons. (X,Y,Z,XY,XZ)

Insert(S: String);

InsertAfter(S: String); 'inserts string after current line

CurrentLineString: SDouble 'values of items in current processed block

LoadNC(FileName: String);

LoadCad(FileName: String);

LoadTool(FileName: String);'CDL filename of tool picture

LoadMillTool(S:String); 'a mill tool description like on the comment codes

'create CAD element Arc,Line,Point

MakeArc(CenterX,CenterY,CenterZ,Radius,StartAngle,EndAngle:Double; Color, LineStyle, Layer, Plane: Integer);

MakeLine(StartX,StartY,StartZ,EndX,EndY,EndZ:Double; Color,LineStyle,Layer:Integer);

MakePoint(X,Y,Z:Double; Color,Layer:Integer);

Merge(FileName: String);

Message(S: String);

OrderNC(DS: String; Options: Integer);

Paste;

Plot(S: String);

PlotSelect(LineNumber: Integer); 'selects the line like when you press plot button

Prompt(S: String);'displays text in prompt area

Rblank;

Rear(S: String);

Reformat(From: Integer; To_: Integer);

Redraw;

Remove(Address: String; Confirm: WordBool);

Renumber(StartBlock: Integer; Increment: Integer; Address: String;

Existing: WordBool; Comments: WordBool);

Replace(OldString: String; NewString: String; Comments:WordBool);

ReplaceSelection(S: String);

RepSel(S: String);

Reverse;

Rspace;

RotateNC(Angle: Double; Axis: String); 'axis= 'A','B',or'C'

Scale(Address: String; Times: Double);

SaveNC(Filename:string) 'saves the editor to this name

ScriptLoad(Filename:string);'Loads the script into the Inplot script player

ScriptReset; 'like pressing the reset button on the Inplot script window

ScriptRun; 'runs inplot script

SelectLine(LineNumber: Integer);

SelectAll; 'selects all text in editor

Step;'will plot next line in the editor – same as press the step button.

Select (StartLine: Integer; EndLine: Integer);

SetLine(LineNumber: Integer; S: String); 'changes that line to this string

ShiftNC(Address: String; Value: Double);

StopAction; 'ends all active commands

Switch(Address1: String; Address2: String; Reverse1: WordBool;

Reverse2: WordBool);

Uncomment;

Unformat(Address: String; NumString: String): Double; 'returns number according to current format

Properties:

Abort: WordBool 'true stops all Inplot processing

Animation: WordBool 'on or off, true or false

CurrentLineString: String 'string of current line. Read only

CursorLine: Integer 'line in editor the cursor is on.read only. Move the Cursor with SelectLine

EditWindow: Integer 'current edit window 1 or 2

EndSelection: Integer 'line number of end of selection

FeedColor:Integer; 'plot color of normal feed

FirstVisible: Integer 'line number of top visible line in edit window

GetVersion: Variant 'returns Inplot version number

InputPoint: Variant(3) 'Variant array of three doubles (x,y,z of the input point buttons)

LastLineNumber: Integer 'read only

LineLength: Integer 'number of characters in current line. Read only

NCFilename: Variant 'current filename for editor

NCExtension: Variant 'default NC file extension in Inplot

NCPathname: Variant 'current NC file path

PlotWidth: Double 'plot window scaled to this many inches wide

PlotView: Integer 'top,front,side,iso view 1..4

ROutput: Boolean 'whether to use R instead of I,J,K in arcs

StartSelection: Integer 'line number of start of selection

SystemType: Integer 'system type is lathe of mill

Toolnose: Variant(5) 'Variant array of five doubles.(x,z,r,angle,width)

Turret: Integer 'current turret 1 or 2

XRadius: Boolean 'whether Lathe X is radius or diameter

XCoord: Double 'value in the insert X button

YCoord: Double 'value in the insert Y button

ZCoord: Double 'value in the insert Z button

CurrentBlock[Param2: Integer]: Double 'values of items in current processed block

Param2=1=G code, 2=last G code, 3=M code, 4=from X, 5=from Y, 6=from Z, 7=to X, 8=to Y, 9=to Z, 10=from A, 11=from B, 12=from C, 13=to A, 14=to B, 15=to C, 16=I value, 17=J value, 18=K value, 19=feedrate, 20=start angle, 21=end angle, 22=sub level, 23=path radius, 24=block time, 25=D value, 26=S value, 27=L value, 28=U value, 29=W value, 30=E value, 31=P value, 32=Q value, 33=R value, 34=last tool number, 35=tool number

Visual Basic example program:

Dim inp As Object ' Define variable used to hold the application object

Private Sub Form_Load()

' This will attach to current Inplot session or start up new session.

Set inp = CreateObject("inplot.inplotx")

If inp Is Nothing Then

MsgBox ("Can't Link to Inplot")

Unload Form1

End If

End Sub

Private Sub SendFile_Click()

inp.selectall

inp.Delete 'delete text in editor

CommonDialog1.ShowOpen

inp.loadnc CommonDialog1.filename 'Load file in Inplot editor

End Sub

See Examples at web site www.i-logic.com