Latest Contributions by MichaelRobb

When you Inherit Addins.Button. MY namespace can be used. My.ArcMap.Application ... View more

Hello, I'm looking for a way to programmatically add an Add-In folder to the list in the Add-In Manager of ArcMap.  I have tried simply adding the folder path to the AddInFoldersList.xml file in my AppData\Local\ESRI\Desktop10.0 folder but that doesn't work because when ArcMap closes it overwrites that file and removes my changes. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks! Chris I have no problem doing it this way. Arc does write to the XML during close, but if you have added the folder path and the esriaddinx files are there, nothing will change.  Unless... perhaps the folder path you are inserting no longer exists when arc is closing. I had written an exe which, pending windows version (xp, win 7) will enable OFFLINE MODE which prevents the loss of the link as well.  (IF the folder is on a server) the second you unplug connection, lets say for a laptop, all the tools are removed during next ARC initialize. I would confirm in Addin Manager >> options that the folder path does indeed exist before closing. Perhaps a mistake was made in the xml file. Recap: 1. verify xml is correct (verifying under options that the folder path and SHARED addins exist before closing Arc) - its possible IF the path (desired folder) contains NO addins, would be removed as well, but I dont know on that) 2. verify folder connection is not lost. ... View more

Ann, Jeff, please could put code in Visual Basic Net, it happens that I can not do the equivalent = (.. I'm still very puppy programming on these issues. Greetings! You have to, of course, declair ArcMap. Public Sub PerformTest()         Const myParaTextID As String = "MyDisclaimerTextID"         Dim paraText As String = "Sample disclaimer paragraph text"         Dim graphicsContainer As ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IGraphicsContainer = TryCast(ArcMap.Document.PageLayout, ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IGraphicsContainer)         Dim element As ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IElement         Dim elementProperties As ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IElementProperties         ' Check if the disclaimer text element already exists in layout         graphicsContainer.Reset()         element = graphicsContainer.Next()         While element IsNot Nothing             If TypeOf element Is ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IParagraphTextElement Then                 elementProperties = TryCast(element, ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IElementProperties)                 If elementProperties.Name = myParaTextID Then                     MessageBox.Show("The Disclaimer Text, which autoupdates " & "the time and date, is already placed in the map.")                     Return                 End If             End If             element = graphicsContainer.Next()         End While         ' No disclaimer found, so make one         Dim paraTextElement As ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IParagraphTextElement = New ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.ParagraphTextElementClass()         Dim textElement As ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.ITextElement = TryCast(paraTextElement, ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.ITextElement)         elementProperties = TryCast(paraTextElement, ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IElementProperties)         element = TryCast(paraTextElement, ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.IElement)         ' Set this so it can be found if this method called again         elementProperties.Name = myParaTextID         ' Set the actual text to display         textElement.Text = paraText         ' Set the size and location of the text box         Dim envelope As ESRI.ArcGIS.Geometry.IEnvelope = New esri.ArcGIS.Geometry.EnvelopeClass()         envelope.PutCoords(0, 0, 3, 1)         element.Geometry = envelope         ' Add the text box to the layout         graphicsContainer.AddElement(element, 0)         ArcMap.Document.ActiveView.PartialRefresh(ESRI.ArcGIS.Carto.esriViewDrawPhase.esriViewGraphics, Nothing, Nothing)     End Sub ... View more

The correct way: Using an extension: Here is the Class.vb called in the esriaddinx: [HTML] Imports System.Windows.Forms Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework Public Class YOUREXTENSIONClassName     Inherits ESRI.ArcGIS.Desktop.AddIns.Extension 'Not needed for this example   '  Private c_mainMenuID As String = "{1E739F59-E45F-11D1-9496-080009EEBECB}" ' Main menubar     Public Sub New()     End Sub     Protected Overrides Sub OnStartup()         WireDocumentEvents()     End Sub     Protected Overrides Sub OnShutdown()     End Sub     Private Sub WireDocumentEvents()         AddHandler My.ArcMap.Events.NewDocument, AddressOf ArcMapNewDocument         AddHandler My.ArcMap.Events.OpenDocument, AddressOf ArcMapOpenDocument     End Sub    Private Sub ArcMapNewDocument()         Try           SetAsIconAndText(Your UID OR ClassID value, ESRI.ArcGIS.SystemUI.esriCommandStyles.esriCommandStyleTextOnly )         Catch ex As Exception             MessageBox.Show(ex.Message & vbNewLine & "Details: " & ex.StackTrace, "", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Asterisk)         End Try     End Sub   Private Sub ArcMapOpenDocument()         Try            SetAsIconAndText(Your UID OR ClassID value, ESRI.ArcGIS.SystemUI.esriCommandStyles.esriCommandStyleTextOnly )         Catch ex As Exception             MessageBox.Show(ex.Message & vbNewLine & "Details: " & ex.StackTrace, "", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Asterisk)         End Try     End Sub   Public Sub SetAsIconAndText(ByVal UIDValue As String, ByVal CommandStyle As ESRI.ArcGIS.SystemUI.esriCommandStyles)         'control text or Text and icon or icon only         Dim pUID As New UID         pUID.Value = UIDValue 'YOUR COMMAND BUTTON UID VALUE OR ButtonID name in esriaddinx file of that Addin.         Dim pCommandItem As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandItem         pCommandItem = My.ArcMap.Application.Document.CommandBars.Find(pUID, True, False)         pCommandItem.Style = CommandStyle     End Sub End Class [/HTML] ... View more

I'm not sure if it's completely right, but I've used this code inside the OnUpdate method and it works for me, I've no need to change the style manually. Note that the OnUpdate method is called many times during the start up of ArcMap, but the first few . No, OnUpdate is Not called when a NEW arcmap session is opened.  I tried several times  with a fresh Addin, then debug or run arc, there was no OnUpdate trigger, therefore, no adjustment to the command style. OnUpdate was not triggered until you pressed the actual button, but a new Addin, toolbar shows up, and ONLY the icon shows up even with the code in Protected Overrides Sub OnUpdate().   OR if you were lucky to hit a framework OnUpdate run, used for example to check if an extension is enabled. In debugging, was not stopped (break point) either when a fresh arc was opened meaning OnUpdate was never called on New Document. There must be something you had done prior, or manually changed it at some point or just got lucky the framework called the OnUpdate.  Change your code to be esriCommandStyleTextOnly and see if its ONLY text (and see if it changes), then change it to a different enum again and see if the change follows. No Overrides from a button perspective will work. OnUpdate is random and multiple times called by the framework... If it manages to update the button, you hit a 'right time' scenario, and you would be running the code over and over. When I set OnDemand = false in the esriaddinx, I cant even get Arc to load, it just crashes... i believe due to the command not initialized yet, and already trying to change the commands style. The only proper method is to add an extension and run on NEW and OPEN document events, to control the command style as stated prior. this ensures the commandstyle change WILL occur right at startup. ref: http://help.arcgis.com/en/sdk/10.0/arcobjects_net/componenthelp/index.html#//001v000001qw000000 ... View more

Just to summarize... This does work, if a) you build a toolbar with commands (buttons)  ... you must then build an EXTENSION to use the Events.NewDocument and Events.OpenDocument. Currently I do not know of a way of adjusting the Command style through the Toolbar/buttons added in a specific Addin file. - the ORIGINAL Question. then find the UID value for that specific command Item... like so...     Public Sub SetAsIconAndText()         ' Make sure button is showing Icon And Text         Dim pUID As New UID         pUID.Value = "{6298A204-AD3A-9573-D5E7-E8952250BA36}"  ' Toolbar GUID"         Dim pCommandItem As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandItem         pCommandItem = My.ArcMap.Application.Document.CommandBars.Find(pUID, True, False)         pCommandItem.Style = ESRI.ArcGIS.SystemUI.esriCommandStyles.esriCommandStyleTextOnly     End Sub ... View more

This specifically was for a toolbar / buttons... so create an extention just to control the command styles? seems silly... let me see if that works... you cant access THISaddin and look for that button as its not contained in the Extension addin.  its in a separate addin. How would one trigger on 'creation' when the Addin is added, its not possible is it? The code below works, but never found a way to have it work on loading the toolbar. OnClick - well, thats too late OnUpdate ? Sub Finalize?     Public Sub SetAsIconAndText()         ' Make sure button is showing Icon And Text      '   Dim pUID As New UID  'not needed      '   pUID.Value = My.ThisAddIn.AddInID ' ' Toolbar GUID ' not needed         Dim pCommandItem As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandItem         pCommandItem = My.ArcMap.Application.Document.CommandBars.Find(My.ThisAddIn.IDs.PrecisionXYButton, true, false)         pCommandItem.Style = ESRI.ArcGIS.SystemUI.esriCommandStyles.esriCommandStyleIconAndText     End Sub jeff... you were a ton help in getting me going with creating Root Menu drop down items and pointing to other buttons/commands btw... ... View more

I found this: http://gis.stackexchange.com/questions/1297/can-you-programmatically-change-the-button-image-for-a-esri-arcgis-desktop-addins and it works for me! 😄 perhaps I should have clarified... I am aware of Caption and all XML variables within the esriaddinx config file... Caption gives the text under the Customize Mode >Commands window, as it should. The question was... how does one, when creating a toolbar with buttons, have an IMAGE and TEXT (text for the image) appear on the toolbar ** using Addins?  (Have no problems using dll old method with Command Style (I only found a way to use drop downs and have image AND text together, but not simply a button on a toolbar... Once the button is on the bar, the user then MUST go to Customize >> Customize mode and right click on the image and click from DEFAULT to 'Image and Text' to have the button and Text both visible. The question was, is there a way to have Button AND text show up on a toolbar as seen in the pic here, I have to manually change to have BOTH icon and text show on the toolbar as seen below for PrecisionXY example. ... View more

Wow!  This works!  Thanks a ton!  Your example, and adjustments all make complete sense. Handy to have that Acme example as well... thanks for that pointer! Im no C# guy, so Ill post my vb.net version for anyone else to go over, including yourself In the config.esriaddinx as usual, create the menu, containing the items > button and Commands containing the button ID Autoload = true >> on the extension isRootMenu = true >> on the Menu And here is the vb.net version that works. * note I used IndexObject value of 1 to place right beside the FILE choice on the main bar. Imports System.Windows.Forms Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework Imports ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem Public Class Extension1     Inherits ESRI.ArcGIS.Desktop.AddIns.Extension     Private c_mainMenuID As String = "{1E739F59-E45F-11D1-9496-080009EEBECB}" ' Main menubar     Public Sub New()     End Sub     Protected Overrides Sub OnStartup()         WireDocumentEvents()     End Sub     Protected Overrides Sub OnShutdown()     End Sub     Private Sub WireDocumentEvents()         AddHandler My.ArcMap.Events.NewDocument, AddressOf ArcMapNewDocument         AddHandler My.ArcMap.Events.OpenDocument, AddressOf ArcMapOpenDocument     End Sub     Private Sub ArcMapNewDocument()         Try             LoadCustomMainMenu()         Catch ex As Exception             MessageBox.Show(ex.Message & vbNewLine & "Details: " & ex.StackTrace, "", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Asterisk)         End Try     End Sub     Private Sub ArcMapOpenDocument()         Try             LoadCustomMainMenu()         Catch ex As Exception             MessageBox.Show(ex.Message & vbNewLine & "Details: " & ex.StackTrace, "", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Asterisk)         End Try     End Sub     Private Sub LoadCustomMainMenu()         Dim mainMenuBar As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandBar = GetMainMenuBar()         ' make sure we got the main menu bar         If mainMenuBar Is Nothing Then             Return         End If         ' check if our custom menu is already there         Dim menuID As String = "FocusToolsToolbar_Addin_v10_ERCBMenu"         ' ID of Add-In Root Menu         Dim cmdItem As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandItem = mainMenuBar.Find(menuID, False)         ' skip out if custom menu already there         If cmdItem IsNot Nothing Then             Return         End If         System.Diagnostics.Debug.WriteLine("**** MENU ADDED ****")         ' Add Menu, if needed         Dim uid As ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem.UID = New ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem.UIDClass()         uid.Value = menuID         Dim indexObj As [Object] = 1 ' Right beside FILE         ' adds menu one spot in         Dim myMenu As ICommandBar = TryCast(mainMenuBar.Add(uid, indexObj), ICommandBar)         DirectCast(mainMenuBar, ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandItem).Refresh()     End Sub     Private Function GetMainMenuBar() As ICommandBar         Try             'Grab the root menu bar             Dim uid As ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem.UID = New ESRI.ArcGIS.esriSystem.UIDClass()             uid.Value = c_mainMenuID             Dim mx As ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI.MxDocument = DirectCast(My.ArcMap.Application.Document, ESRI.ArcGIS.ArcMapUI.MxDocument)             Dim cmdBars As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandBars = mx.CommandBars             Dim x As ESRI.ArcGIS.Framework.ICommandItem = cmdBars.Find(uid, False, False)             Return TryCast(cmdBars.Find(uid, False, False), ICommandBar)         Catch             Return Nothing         End Try     End Function End Class ... View more

Hi Jeff, It is interesting, possibly requiring a fix in newer releases or a WIP? Funny how writing 15,000 lines of code for some complex task is less frustrating than something you would think is so simple to accomplish, lol. Perhaps someone else will chime in soon, or you find something I overlooked... I really dont want to go back to registering dlls methods outside of addins just because of this. Thank you for your efforts with this! ... View more

The whole issue with IMenuDef is the fact Im trying to do this through Addins as stated, which is not structured in that manner. (Am I missing something perhaps?) Back in the 'old' days... years of doing msi installer packages and registering a compiled dll, I used IMenuDef to alter any arcmap... The problem is we now have everyone on shared addins, rather than installing and registering dlls using, (esriregasm), as its a headache free updating setup (one update = everyone gets updated on next arcmap setup, via addins or addition of new tools, etc without any babysitting of everyones machines to ensure they uninstall/install etc. correctly.  Then go through the entire process again for any found issues.  Addins has streamlined the updating tremendously, using shared addins on a visible network drive/folder for all offices. The first post code works, it adds the menu, but thats where the road ends... unable to add any further Addin Tools. Ill look at it again, but I dont think modifying the Main menu bar is plausible at this time... I have the menu bar receiving the added item via an Addin Extension ... View more

Bump... Still trying to find a solution to this. ... View more

Hi there, I'm trying to learn how to use Visual Studio to create a button that loads a form. I'm using Visual Studio Express 2008 (VB.NET). I've followed, step by step, two tutorials: http://gis.qtools.com/blog/tutorials/vba-to-c-add-in/part-4-creating-new-add-in-project/ (up to Part 4 and using VB.NET) http://www.esri.com/news/arcuser/0311/recycling-vba.html In neither tutorial have I been able to get a form to load. In the case of the first tutorial, I can't even get a message box to display. It's pretty frustrating. So, I started from scratch in a new project (ArcMapAddIn1). It is a button (Button1) on a toolbar (My Toolbar). When the button is pressed a message box is supposed to pop up (this is under the OnClick event for Button1).  Nothing happens when I press the button! It just goes grey. Any ideas about what I'm missing here? Cheers, Olwyn Button going grey is a sign that the dll is not unpacked from the Addin, missing the class. Check the Assembly Folder for the dll.. make sure your build action is AddinContent for the esriaddinx.  Make sure the others are Compile and if you are moving files over to the Assembly Folder, use Embedded Resource.  Just see what gets unpacked.. or check the ESRIAddin.exe itself by renaming it .zip and unzipping to see the contents. In this case above... there is: class="StaggerOffsetButton" Is this class in the Solution? ... View more

Thanks guys. Although i havent been able to locate the AddinFoldersList.xml. I am using Windows XP. Any ideas where i can locate the file on XP. For windows XP the xml is located here: "C:\Documents and Settings\" & Environment.UserName & "\Local Settings\Application Data\ESRI\Desktop10.0\AddinFoldersList.xml" ... View more

ArcMap wasn't designed to be automated and the whole process is flaky and, in my opinion, a lot more trouble than it's worth. After a few years of somewhat achieving full automation, which in some rare cases is really handy (such as I have automated where as a sent email from a client triggers eventual data xy created by info in the email, open arc, create features, attributes, place in cleint gdb, create a compiled layout and pdf back to the emailer and close - no one needs to be around, just the computer on) otherwise I completely agree with Neil... ... View more