There are two main ways to import a non-Inventor document: use "Reference Model" or "Convert Model"
In case of the "Convert Model", for each component of the original document an Inventor model (assembly or part) will be created. It's the same for "Reference Model", but instead of storing those files separately on the hard drive in a special folder (default folder is "C:\Users\<user name>\Documents\Inventor"), those documents will be embedded in the Inventor model. Not only that, but there will be a reference to the original model and if that gets updated, then Inventor will offer you to update the host assembly as well.
If you simply add a non-Inventor model as a new occurrence then the "Convert Model" option will be used:
(Note: I simply opened the Stapler sample (Inventor sample models are available from here), exported it as a Step file and used that in the below code)
Sub ImportAnyCADToAssembly()
Dim oDoc As AssemblyDocument
Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssyCompDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
Set oAssyCompDef = oDoc.ComponentDefinition
Dim oMatrix As Matrix
Set oMatrix = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreateMatrix()
Dim oOcc As ComponentOccurrence
Set oOcc = oAssyCompDef.Occurrences.Add( _
"C:\Autodesk\autodesk_inventor_2019_samples_dlm\Models\Assemblies\Stapler\Stapler.stp", _
oMatrix)
End Sub
If you want to import the model using the "Reference Model" option then you have to go through the ImportedComponents collection. There is a sample for that in the Inventor API Help, but here it is as well:
Sub AssociativelyImportAnyCADToAssembly()
Dim oDoc As AssemblyDocument
Set oDoc = ThisApplication.ActiveDocument
Dim oAssyCompDef As AssemblyComponentDefinition
Set oAssyCompDef = oDoc.ComponentDefinition
'Create the ImportedGenericComponentDefinition based on a Step file
Dim oImportedGenericCompDef As ImportedGenericComponentDefinition
Set oImportedGenericCompDef = oAssyCompDef.ImportedComponents.CreateDefinition( _
"C:\Autodesk\autodesk_inventor_2019_samples_dlm\Models\Assemblies\Stapler\Stapler.stp")
'Set the ReferenceModel to associatively import the Step file
'True is the default value
oImportedGenericCompDef.ReferenceModel = True
'Import the Step file to assembly
Dim oImportedComp As ImportedComponent
Set oImportedComp = oAssyCompDef.ImportedComponents.Add(oImportedGenericCompDef)
Dim oOcc As ComponentOccurrence
'The last occurrence should be the one we just added
Set oOcc = oAssyCompDef.Occurrences(oAssyCompDef.Occurrences.Count)
'If you want to add more instances, you can do that e.g. through using the
'occurrence's definition
'Dim oMatrix As Matrix
'Set oMatrix = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreateMatrix()
'Set oOcc = oAssyCompDef.Occurrences.AddByComponentDefinition(oOcc.Definition, oMatrix)
End Sub
Now we got the model embedded in the assembly:
You can see that the icons for the occurrence are different in this case from the usual assembly and part document icons.
For completeness' sake, here is another way of importing non-Inventor documents in an associative way. This time going through the translator add-ins:
Sub AssocImport()
Dim sFilename As String
sFilename = "C:\Autodesk\autodesk_inventor_2019_samples_dlm\Models\Assemblies\Stapler\Stapler.stp"
Dim sClientID As String
sClientID = "{90AF7F40-0C01-11D5-8E83-0010B541CD80}" 'GetTranslatorCLSID for STEP
Dim oTransAddIn As TranslatorAddIn
Set oTransAddIn = ThisApplication.ApplicationAddIns.ItemById(sClientID)
oTransAddIn.Activate
'Get the transient object, take it as a factory to produce other objects
Dim oTransientObj As TransientObjects
Set oTransientObj = ThisApplication.TransientObjects
'Prepare the 1st parameter for Open(), the file name
Dim oFile As DataMedium
Set oFile = oTransientObj.CreateDataMedium
oFile.FileName = sFilename
'Prepare the 2nd parameter for Open(), the open type, for convenience set it as drag&drop
Dim oContext As TranslationContext
Set oContext = oTransientObj.CreateTranslationContext
oContext.Type = kFileBrowseIOMechanism
'Prepare the 3rd parameter for Open(), the import options
Dim oOptions As NameValueMap
Set oOptions = oTransientObj.CreateNameValueMap
Dim oDefaultOptions As NameValueMap
Set oDefaultOptions = oTransientObj.CreateNameValueMap
Dim bHasOpt As Boolean
bHasOpt = oTransAddIn.HasOpenOptions(oFile, oContext, oDefaultOptions)
oOptions.Value("AssociativeImport") = True
Dim oSourceObj As Object
oTransAddIn.Open oFile, oContext, oOptions, oSourceObj
Dim oTransDoc As Document
Set oTransDoc = oSourceObj
If oTransDoc.DocumentType = kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
Dim oAsm As AssemblyDocument: Set oAsm = oTransDoc
Debug.Print oAsm.ComponentDefinition.ImportedComponents(1).Name
ElseIf oTransDoc.DocumentType = kPartDocumentObject Then
Dim oPart As PartDocument: Set oPart = oTransDoc
Debug.Print oPart.ComponentDefinition.ReferenceComponents.ImportedComponents(1).Name
End If
End Sub
There are two useful code samples in this blog post that can be useful concerning translator add-ins (getting a list of them with their ID's and listing all the available settings they provide): https://adndevblog.typepad.com/manufacturing/2014/02/get-option-names-and-values-supported-by-inventor-translator-addins-via-api.html
-Adam
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