topic Re: How to change geometry of annotation? in ArcObjects SDK Questions

How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 09:14:55 GMT

Hello,

I want to change the geometry (textpath) of existing annotation features so that the curvature gets horizontal. I tried several things but did not succeed.
Can somebody help me with the code i already have?

        Set pFeatureCursor = pFeatureclass.Update(pFilter, False)         Set pFeature = pFeatureCursor.NextFeature         While Not pFeature Is Nothing              Dim pAnnoFeat As IAnnotationFeature             Set pAnnoFeat = pFeature                          Dim pElement As IElement             Set pElement = pAnnoFeat.Annotation                          Dim pTextElement As ITextElement             Set pTextElement = pElement                          Dim pTextSym As ISimpleTextSymbol             Set pTextSym = pTextElement.Symbol              If Not pTextSym Is Nothing Then                  Dim pTextPath As ITextPath                 Set pTextPath = pTextSym.TextPath                  If TypeOf pTextPath Is IOverposterTextPath Then                      If TypeOf pElement.Geometry Is IPolyline Then                          Dim pPointCol As IPointCollection                         Set pPointCol = New Polyline                         Set pPointCol = pElement.Geometry                          ' Just keep start- and endpoint                         pPointCol.RemovePoints 1, pPointCol.PointCount - 2                                                  '....... Replace textPath here ......                          pFeatureCursor.UpdateFeature pFeature                      End If                 End If             End If             Set pFeature = pFeatureCursor.NextFeature         Wend              End If

Greetings, Henk

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:44:57 GMT

Nobody has the answer?

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

NeilClemmons — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 20:15:45 GMT

Have you tried modifying the geometry used by the text path (ITextPath.Geometry)?

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 05:00:08 GMT

Yes Neal, but did not succeed. Maybe you can show me how to do it?

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

JeffMatson — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:26:35 GMT

The documentation recommends not changing the geometry of an OverposterTextPath:

http://help.arcgis.com/en/sdk/10.0/arcobjects_net/componenthelp/index.html#/ITextPath_Interface/001w00000394000000/

Can you create a new SimpleTextPath (using a newly created polyline of the From and To points) and then assign this new SimpleTextPath back to your TextSymbol.TextPath?

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:44:44 GMT

There must be missing something. The geometry doesn't change.

                        'Replace textPath here ......
                        ' Just keep start- and endpoint
                        Dim pNewPolyline As IPolyline
                        Set pNewPolyline = New Polyline
                        pNewPolyline.fromPoint = pPointCol.Point(0)
                        pNewPolyline.toPoint = pPointCol.Point(pPointCol.PointCount - 1)

                        Dim pNewTextPath As ITextPath
                        Set pNewTextPath = New SimpleTextPath
                        Set pNewTextPath.Geometry = pNewPolyline
                        Set pTextSym.TextPath = pNewTextPath

                        pFeatureCursor.UpdateFeature pFeature

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

JeffMatson — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:44:47 GMT

You'll probably need to set pElement.Geometry back to the modified point collection and then set pAnnoFeat.Annotation to the updated pElement.

If TypeOf pElement.Geometry Is IPolyline Then


      Dim pPointCol As IPointCollection
      Set pPointCol = pElement.Geometry

       ' Just keep start- and endpoint
       pPointCol.RemovePoints 1, pPointCol.PointCount - 2
                        
       ''----------------------------
        pElement.Geometry = pPointCol
        pAnnoFeat.Annotation = pElement
        ''----------------------------
                        
        pFeatureCursor.UpdateFeature pfeature
                       
End If

There must be missing something. The geometry doesn't change.

                        'Replace textPath here ......
                        ' Just keep start- and endpoint
                        Dim pNewPolyline As IPolyline
                        Set pNewPolyline = New Polyline
                        pNewPolyline.fromPoint = pPointCol.Point(0)
                        pNewPolyline.toPoint = pPointCol.Point(pPointCol.PointCount - 1)

                        Dim pNewTextPath As ITextPath
                        Set pNewTextPath = New SimpleTextPath
                        Set pNewTextPath.Geometry = pNewPolyline
                        Set pTextSym.TextPath = pNewTextPath

                        pFeatureCursor.UpdateFeature pFeature

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:44:49 GMT

pElement does't accept any changes. The following code gives me automation errors:

                        'Replace textPath here ......
                        ' Just keep start- and endpoint
                        Dim pNewPolyline As IPolyline
                        Set pNewPolyline = New Polyline
                        pNewPolyline.fromPoint = pPointCol.Point(0)
                        pNewPolyline.toPoint = pPointCol.Point(pPointCol.PointCount - 1)
                        pElement.Geometry = pNewPolyline '*** automation error ***

                        Dim pNewPointCol As IPointCollection
                        Set pNewPointCol = New Polyline
                        Set pNewPointCol = pNewPolyline
                        pElement.Geometry = pNewPointCol '*** automation error ***     
                   
                        pPointCol.RemovePoints 1, pPointCol.PointCount - 2
                        pElement.Geometry = pPointCol '*** automation error ***

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

JeffMatson — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:49:50 GMT

You'll need to have an edit session going, either programatically, or manually via the Editor toolbar...

pElement does't accept any changes. The following code gives me automation errors:

                        'Replace textPath here ......                         ' Just keep start- and endpoint                         Dim pNewPolyline As IPolyline                         Set pNewPolyline = New Polyline                         pNewPolyline.fromPoint = pPointCol.Point(0)                         pNewPolyline.toPoint = pPointCol.Point(pPointCol.PointCount - 1)                         pElement.Geometry = pNewPolyline '*** automation error ***                          Dim pNewPointCol As IPointCollection                         Set pNewPointCol = New Polyline                         Set pNewPointCol = pNewPolyline                         pElement.Geometry = pNewPointCol '*** automation error ***                                                  pPointCol.RemovePoints 1, pPointCol.PointCount - 2                         pElement.Geometry = pPointCol '*** automation error ***

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:44:52 GMT

Thanks Jeff, that's the way: start an edit session.

                    '*** edit session running ***

                    If TypeOf pElement.Geometry Is IPolyline Then
                           
                        Dim pPointCol As IPointCollection
                        Set pPointCol = New Polyline
                        Set pPointCol = pElement.Geometry

                        'Replace textPath here ......
                        ' Just keep start- and endpoint
                        Dim pNewPolyline As IPolyline
                        Set pNewPolyline = New Polyline
                        pNewPolyline.fromPoint = pPointCol.Point(0)
                        pNewPolyline.toPoint = pPointCol.Point(pPointCol.PointCount - 1)
                        
                        pElement.Geometry = pNewPolyline

                        pAnnoFeat.Annotation = pElement

                        pFeatureCursor.UpdateFeature pFeature

                    End If

One more question: is it possible to start an edit session programatically without having the involved featureclass loaded in the table of contents?

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

JeffMatson — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 17:44:54 GMT

Glad it's working...

To open an edit session on a layer not loaded in ArcMap you can open the workspace using IWorkspaceFactory.OpenFromFile and IWorkspaceEdit. Here is an old sample that opens a personal geodatabase which will work in ArcMap, ArcCatalog, etc.:

Dim pFClass As IFeatureClass
    Dim pEnumDS As IEnumDataset
    Dim pDS As IDataset
    Dim pWS As IWorkspace
    Dim pWSE As IWorkspaceEdit
    Dim pWSF As IWorkspaceFactory
    
    Set pWSF = New AccessWorkspaceFactory
    Set pWS = pWSF.OpenFromFile("C:\TestData\TestData.mdb", 0)
    Set pWSE = pWS
    Set pEnumDS = pWS.Datasets(esriDTAny)
    Set pDS = pEnumDS.Next
    Do Until pDS Is Nothing
        If pDS.Name = "TestLayer1" Then
            Set pFClass = pDS
            Exit Do
        End If
        Set pDS = pEnumDS.Next
    Loop
    
    If Not pFClass Is Nothing Then
        pWSE.StartEditing False
        pWSE.StartEditOperation
        
        Dim pFCur As IFeatureCursor
        Dim pFeat As IFeature
        Set pFCur = pFClass.Search(Nothing, False)
        Set pFeat = pFCur.NextFeature
        Do Until pFeat Is Nothing
            ''Do something with feature....


            Set pFeat = pFCur.NextFeature
        Loop
        pWSE.StopEditOperation
        pWSE.StopEditing True
    End If

Thanks Jeff, that's the way: start an edit session.

                    '*** edit session running ***

                    If TypeOf pElement.Geometry Is IPolyline Then
                           
                        Dim pPointCol As IPointCollection
                        Set pPointCol = New Polyline
                        Set pPointCol = pElement.Geometry

                        'Replace textPath here ......
                        ' Just keep start- and endpoint
                        Dim pNewPolyline As IPolyline
                        Set pNewPolyline = New Polyline
                        pNewPolyline.fromPoint = pPointCol.Point(0)
                        pNewPolyline.toPoint = pPointCol.Point(pPointCol.PointCount - 1)
                        
                        pElement.Geometry = pNewPolyline

                        pAnnoFeat.Annotation = pElement

                        pFeatureCursor.UpdateFeature pFeature

                    End If

One more question: is it possible to start an edit session programatically without having the involved featureclass loaded in the table of contents?

Re: How to change geometry of annotation?

HenkZwols — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 06:38:58 GMT

Thanks a lot Jeff!