How can I approximate silhouette-like edges of a face using the Autodesk Inventor API?

Step-by-Step Strategy

1. Capture the Click

   Use MouseEvents.OnMouseClick or a custom command to detect the click location on the sheet.

2. Use HitTest

   Perform a hit test on the drawing view to get the selected geometry:

    

    
   vbnet 
   Dim oView As DrawingView = ' your selected view 
   Dim oPoint As Point2d = ThisApplication.TransientGeometry.CreatePoint2d(x, y) 
   Dim oHitResults As ObjectsEnumerator = oView.HitTest(oPoint, SelectionFilterEnum.kAllEntitiesFilter) 
   For Each oObj In oHitResults 
       If TypeOf oObj Is DrawingCurveSegment Then 
           Dim oCurve As DrawingCurveSegment = oObj 
           Dim oProxy As Object = oCurve.Parent.Geometry 
           ' Now try to resolve the proxy to a ComponentOccurrence 
       End If 
   Next 

    

3. Resolve to Occurrence

   Use GeometryProxy.ContainingOccurrence to get the ComponentOccurrence:

    

   vbnet 
   Dim oOcc As ComponentOccurrence = oProxy.ContainingOccurrence 

    

   This gives you the actual part or subassembly occurrence in the assembly model.

Yes, you can add centerlines and centermarks to a drawing using VBA in Inventor. While the API doesn’t expose every annotation tool directly, it does provide enough access to programmatically create these features.

Not true - both Inventor and SolidWorks are compatible with Microsoft .NET languages like C# and VB.NET, and both offer robust APIs for integration and automation.

Yes, it is possible to preview a drawing in Autodesk Inventor using specific printer settings-but with a few caveats.

Import AutoCAD Blocks into Inventor Drawing Templates

• You can import your standard AutoCAD blocks (with attributes, if needed) directly into an Inventor .dwg or .idw drawing template:
• Open your Inventor drawing template.
• Use Insert > AutoCAD Block to bring in your .dwg blocks.
• Once inserted, they’re saved in the template and can be reused across drawings.
• Even if you delete them from the sheet, they remain available in the block list for future use.