Use iLogic to Add and Use a Custom iProperty All in One Rule

Issue:
You want to have a rule that checks for a custom iProperty and then adds it if it is not already created. Then you'd like to use that custom iProperty in the rest of the rule.

Solution:
Here is a bit of code that uses Try/Catch to query the custom property set and add the custom properties to the file if they are not found. It then goes on to use an input radio box to prompt the user to choose between two possible options for the part finish. And then finally it sets the Finish and Finish Code custom iProperties based off of the user input.

' ---------------------start of iLogic code---------------------

'check for custom iprops and add them if not found

Dim propertyName1 As String = "Finish"

Dim propertyName2 As String = "FinishCode"

customPropertySet = ThisDoc.Document.PropertySets.Item _

("Inventor User Defined Properties")

Try

          prop = customPropertySet.Item(propertyName1)

          prop = customPropertySet.Item(propertyName2)

Catch

      ' Assume error means not found

            customPropertySet.Add("", propertyName1)

          customPropertySet.Add("", propertyName2)

End Try

'output the custom iproperties and update the file

RuleParametersOutput()

InventorVb.DocumentUpdate()

'prompt user for iProperty value

booleanParam1 = InputRadioBox("Select Finish", _

"Primed for Painting", "Bright Stainless Steel", True, Title := "iLogic Finish")

'set iproperties based upon user input

if booleanParam1 = True then

iProperties.Value("Custom", "Finish") = "Primed for Painting"

iProperties.Value("Custom", "FinishCode") = "600"

else

iProperties.Value("Custom", "Finish") = "Bright Stainless Steel"

iProperties.Value("Custom", "FinishCode") = "629"

end if

'update file

iLogicVb.UpdateWhenDone = True

' ---------------------end of iLogic code ---------------------

A big THANK YOU to Mike Deck of Autodesk for the Try/Catch example for creating a custom iProperty via iLogic.

Update:

Wednesday, August 01, 2012

I ran into an issue with combining more than one custom iProperty in the Try/Catch, and have found it better to keep them separate as I show in the example below.

This example also demonstrates how to add a Text, Date, Number, or Yes/No type custom iProperty.

' ---------------------start of iLogic code---------------------

Dim propertyName1 As String = "Paint Code"

Dim propertyName2 As String = "Size"

Dim propertyName3 As String = "Galvanized"

Dim propertyName4 As String = "Completion Date"

'define custom prp[erty collection

oCustomPropertySet = ThisDoc.Document.PropertySets.Item("Inventor User Defined Properties")

Try

'set property value

oProp = oCustomPropertySet.Item(propertyName1)

Catch

' Assume error means not found so create it

oCustomPropertySet.Add("", propertyName1)

End Try

Try

'look for property

oProp = oCustomPropertySet.Item(propertyName2)

Catch

' Assume error means not found so create it

oCustomPropertySet.Add("", propertyName2)

End Try

Try

'look for property

oProp = oCustomPropertySet.Item(propertyName3)

Catch

' Assume error means not found so create it

oCustomPropertySet.Add("", propertyName3)

End Try

Try

oProp = oCustomPropertySet.Item(propertyName4)

Catch

' Assume error means not found so create it

oCustomPropertySet.Add("", propertyName4)

End Try

Dim strPaintCode As String

Dim dblSize As Double

Dim blGalv As Boolean

Dim dtDate As Date

'get values from user

strPaintCode = InputBox("Enter the paint code.", "iLogic", "") 'no default value

dblSize = InputBox("Enter the size.", "iLogic", 100) 'set default to 100

blGalv = InputRadioBox("Is this thing galvanized?", "Yes", "No", True, "iLogic") 'default is True (yes)

dtDate = InputBox("When was this completed?", "iLogic", Now.ToString("MM/dd/yyyy")) 'set default to today's date

'set custom property values

iProperties.Value("Custom", "Paint Code") = strPaintCode

iProperties.Value("Custom", "Size") = dblSize

iProperties.Value("Custom", "Galvanized") = blGalv

iProperties.Value("Custom", "Completion Date") = dtDate

iLogicVb.UpdateWhenDone = True

' ---------------------end of iLogic code ---------------------

Update:

August 03, 2013

Here is another version that is a bit more tidy:

 

' - - - - - - - - start of iLogic code - - - - - - - -

Dim sProp1 As String = "Destination Code"

Dim sDestCode As String

  'define custom property collection

oCustomPropertySet = ThisDoc.Document.PropertySets.Item("Inventor User Defined Properties")

Try

            'get current custom property value

                sDestCode = iProperties.Value("Custom", sProp1)

            'get user input

                sDestCode = InputBox("Enter the Destination Code:", "iLogic", sDestCode )

            'set custom property value

                iProperties.Value("Custom", sProp1) = sDestCode

Catch

            ' Assume error means not found so create it

                oCustomPropertySet.Add("", sProp1)

            'get user input

                sDestCode = InputBox("Enter the Destination Code:", "iLogic", sDestCode )

            'set custom property values

                iProperties.Value("Custom", sProp1) = sDestCode

End Try

iLogicVb.UpdateWhenDone = True

' - - - - - - - - end of iLogic code - - - - - - - -