Welcome to:

Customizing MicroStation via VBA

Bentley Bash 2011

Created by Mike Lazear
Archway Systems, Inc.
 Survey
1. Have you run a macro in MicroStation?
2. Recorded or created a macro in MicroStation?
3. Any programming experience?
4. If so, what languages?
 What we will cover today
• What is an MVBA file and what’s in it
• Overview/mechanics of using VBA
• Record a macro, run a macro
• Getting Assistance
• Interacting with MicroStation
• Scanning a Model
• Manipulating Elements
 What is an MVBA file and what’s in it

• MVBA stands for MicroStation VBA

- VBA stands for Visual Basic for Applications

MVBA is a single file, called a project, that contains:

Modules, classes and forms

Module1 Class1

Module2 Class2

Module3 Form1

Form2
Overview/mechanics of VBA
Overview/mechanics of VBA

Macros
shows only
Subs from
Modules Visual Basic
that have Editor (IDE)
no params Shows Projects
and contents:
Modules,
Classes, Forms

Project Manager shows only Projects

 VBA Project Manager
Open Editor
Save Project Run Macro
Unload Project Start Recording
Open Existing Project Stop Recording

Create new project Pause Recording Automatically load the project

 VBA Editor
(also know as IDE – Integrated Development Environment)

Projects Window Main Editor Window

Immediate Window

Properties Window

Watches Window
 Macros
List of all Public Subs (that have no params), in all Modules, from the Project(s) selected below

Runs highlighted Macro (same as Play)

Cancels out of this dialog (same as Red X)

Starts debugging for the highlighted macro

Edits the highlighted macro

Deletes the highlighted macro from module

 Modules

• Modules contain:
– Declarations (variables)
• Const pi = 3.14159265358979
• Private count As Integer
• Public oElement As Element

– Subroutines
• Sub subWithNoParams()
• Sub subWithParams(count As Integer, total As Integer)

– Functions (exactly like subroutine but return a value)

• Function calcHigherValue(val1 As Double, val2 As Double) As Double

• See WhatIsInAModule module (bash2011 project)

 Recording a Macro
• Open the Project Manager
• Highlight a project where the macro should be saved
• Click the red Record circle icon to start the record
• Perform whatever operations you wish to record
• Click the white Stop Record square (next to record icon)

• See Starter module (bash2011 project)

 Run a Macro
• From Macros: (Alt-F8 to bring it up if necessary)
– Find the macro to run in the “Macro name” list
– Either double-click the name or highlight and click Run

• From VB Editor: (Alt-F11 to bring it up if necessary)

– Navigate to the project/module where your macro lives
– Click somewhere inside the macro.
– Click play button on toolbar (may have to open Debug toolbar)
• NOTE: if you click outside of the macro and then click play the Macros window will come up

• From Project Manager:

– Click the play button (arrow) and it will bring up the Macro window
– Follow steps (From Macros) above
 Getting Assistance
• F1 for help – Be aware there are 3 different help files that can be launched.
– MicroStation help, VBA help, MicroStation VBA help

• Examples are a gold mine!

• F2 in VB Editor for Object Browser

• MicroStation on the web

– www.bentley.com
– Click on community (near top)
– Click on discussion groups (on left side)
– Click on web browser (within page)
– Click on bentley.microstation.v8.vba
– Search for content you are interested in
 Visual Basic Objects
• Properties
Things that describe the object such
as color, filled and border.

• Methods
Things that we can do with the
object (i.e. functions we can call)
such as delete, copy, change size.

• Events
Notification that something
happened to our object. The object
was clicked on. The object was
moved. The object was deleted.
 VB Objects Example
Properties (things that describe)
Color is silver
Receiver is red
Touch tone
Stationary
Text on screen

Methods (things we can do)

Answer incoming call
Make an outgoing call
Hang up a call

Events (things we react to) Someone calls us (Event). We

answer the phone (Method). Text
Someone calls
on the screen shows their phone #
A call waiting comes in
operator asks for money
(property)
 MicroStation objects
• Application (basically the root of all objects)
• ActiveDesignFile
• ActiveModelReference
• ActiveSettings
• Element
– LineElement, EllipseElement, etc.
– Color, LineWeight, IsGraphical properties
 Interacting with MicroStation
• See MessagesAndInput module for examples of how to communicate to the user.
– ShowStatus
– ShowCommand
– ShowPrompt
– MsgBox
– InputBox

• Recording and editing a macro to be more interactive

– CadInputQueue
• SendKeyin
• SendDataPoint
• GetInput
• SendReset

• Debugging
– Breakpoints, watch window, immediate window, etc.
 Record an action
1 Switch to Model “Interaction”

2 Unload all VBA projects except the Default project in the VBA Project Manager.

3 In Project Manager create a new project named MoveElement.

4 Select the MoveElement project, then click Start Record.

5 Returning to MicroStation, select the Move Element tool from the Manipulate tool box

6 Identify the element labeled “VALVE 1”.

7 Place the element a distance from its original location. Be sure to move it in both the X and the Y direction.
(For this exercise the actual distance moved is not as important as the fact that you moved the object.)

8 Reset to release the element.

9 Click Stop Record.

10 Switch to the Visual Basic Editor to examine the new module.

Double‐click MoveElement > Modules > Module1
 Editing to be more interactive
(change code to the following)
1 Sub Move50cm()
2 Dim startPoint As Point3d
3 Dim endPoint As Point3d
4 Dim message As CadInputMessage
5
6 ShowStatus "Move command using VBA"
7 ShowCommand "Move Element with macro"
8 ShowPrompt "Identify Element"
9
10 Set message = CadInputQueue.GetInput(msdCadInputTypeDataPoint, msdCadInputTypeReset)
11
12 If message.InputType = msdCadInputTypeDataPoint Then
13 ' Start a command
14 CadInputQueue.SendCommand "MOVE ICON"
15
16 startPoint = message.point
17 endPoint = startPoint
18 endPoint.Y = endPoint.Y - 0.5
19
20 CadInputQueue.SendDataPoint startPoint, 1
21 CadInputQueue.SendDataPoint endPoint, 1
22 ElseIf message.InputType = msdCadInputTypeReset Then
23 CommandState.StartDefaultCommand
24 End If
25
26 CommandState.StartDefaultCommand
27 End Sub
 Scanning a Model
(Ways to scan)

• Scan all elements in a model

• Scan selected elements
• Scan elements in a fence
• Scan specific type of elements

• See Scanning module (bash2011 project)

 Manipulating Elements
• Change Element properties
– Color, LineWeight, LineStyle, etc.

• Element.ReWrite
– Save changes made to element

• Creating new elements

– CreateEllipseElement2(…)
– ActiveModelReference.AddElement myEllipse

• See ManipulatingElements module

 Review & Wrap up
• Key points you learned:
– Mechanics of how to work with VBA
– How to record and run a macro
– Basic building blocks of interacting and manipulating elements

• Questions & answers

• Thank you for attending the Customizing

MicroStation via VBA session
 Other Useful stuff
• Modules, Classes, Forms
• Interfaces & Implements
 Modules, Classes, Forms
• Module
– Contain subroutines & functions only
– Routines can be Private or Public
• Classes
– Contain Properties, Methods and Events
– The MicroStation Objects are instances of predefined classes
– Must create an instance (object) of a user class to call its code
• Forms
– Visual dialogs
– Similar to Classes they can contain Properties & Methods
– controls placed on form have predefined events
 Programming Resources
• If you have never programmed
To understand computer programming concepts we recommend “How Computer
Programming Works” which can be found at www.desaware.com

• If you have done some programming but don’t know

Visual Basic
Personally, I’ve never found a good general book for learning Visual Basic but there is
an excellent and inexpensive web site that has videos demonstrating features and
functionality. www.LearnVisualStudio.NET

• The on-line documentation for Visual Basic is excellent

• Learning MicroStation VBA by Jerry Winters

Bentley Institute Press
ISBN: 0-9714141-8-1