Console Application

In this tutorial, you will configure a C# or VB.NET project for a console application and use ImageGear .NET CAD capabilities. You will also learn how to open a DWG, DXF, or DGN file, rasterize it, and save it as a new image.

The following tutorial refers specifically to 64-bit installations; for 32-bit installations:

Your project should already be set to compile to target Debug and x86, and you should have the directory:
$YOURLOCALPROJ\bin\x86\Debug\.
Throughout these instructions, replace x64 with x86.
The 32-bit ImageGear binaries are found in $INSTALLDIR\ImageGear .NET v24\Bin\

Using the desired version of Visual Studio (2010 or later):

Create a new "Console Application" project, using C# or VB.NET, and name the project: my_first_CAD_project
If you installed ImageGear .NET 64-bit, using the Configuration Manager, create a new project platform (if you don't have one already) for x64. Make sure your project is set to compile targeting Debug and x64. Confirm you now have $YOURLOCALPROJ\bin\x64\Debug\, and if it's not there, create it.
Add references and required resources into your projects in one of the following ways:
- Copy all files (and folders) inside $INSTALLDIR\ImageGear .NET v24 64-bit\Bin\ to your local output bin directory in your project (i.e., $YOURLOCALPROJ\bin\x64\Debug\ ).
- Add the following references to your project from $YOURLOCALPROJ\bin\x64\Debug\:
  - ImageGear.Core.dll
  - ImageGear.Evaluation.dll
  - ImageGear.Formats.Common.dll
  - ImageGear.Formats.Vector.dll
Your output target directory should be set to $YOURLOCALPROJ\bin\x64\Debug\ .

At this point all necessary assembly references and resources have been added to the project. The following code snippet can be used to load a CAD file, and save it as an image. Make sure to replace C:\PATHTOCAD\ with your own CAD file name and path:

CS
VBNET

C#	Copy Code
using System.IO; using ImageGear.Core; using ImageGear.Formats; using ImageGear.Formats.CAD; using ImageGear.Evaluation; namespace my_first_CAD_project { class Program { public void SaveAs(string fileIn, string fileOut) { // Initialize evaluation license. ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize(); ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog; // Initialize common formats. ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize(); // Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files. ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat()); ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat()); ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat()); using (FileStream inStream = new FileStream(fileIn, FileMode.Open)) { using (FileStream outStream = new FileStream(fileOut, FileMode.Create)) { // Load CAD page. ImGearCADPage cadPage = (ImGearCADPage)ImGearFileFormats.LoadPage(inStream); // Save image. ImGearFileFormats.SavePage(cadPage, outStream, ImGearSavingFormats.PNG); } } } static void Main(string[] args) { Program myProgram = new Program(); myProgram.SaveAs(@"C:\PATHTOCAD\FILENAME.dwg", @"C:\PATHTOCAD\NEWNAME.png"); } } }

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using System.IO;
using ImageGear.Core;
using ImageGear.Formats;
using ImageGear.Formats.CAD;
using ImageGear.Evaluation;
namespace my_first_CAD_project
{
    class Program
    {
        public void SaveAs(string fileIn, string fileOut)
        {
            // Initialize evaluation license.
            ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize();
            ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog;
            // Initialize common formats.
            ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize();
            // Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files.
            ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat());
            ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat());
            ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat());
            using (FileStream inStream = new FileStream(fileIn, FileMode.Open))
            {
                using (FileStream outStream = new FileStream(fileOut, FileMode.Create))
                {
                    // Load CAD page.
                    ImGearCADPage cadPage = (ImGearCADPage)ImGearFileFormats.LoadPage(inStream);
                    // Save image.
                    ImGearFileFormats.SavePage(cadPage, outStream, ImGearSavingFormats.PNG);
                }
            }
        }
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            Program myProgram = new Program();
            myProgram.SaveAs(@"C:\PATHTOCAD\FILENAME.dwg", @"C:\PATHTOCAD\NEWNAME.png");
        }
    }
}

VB.NET	Copy Code
Imports System.IO Imports ImageGear.Core Imports ImageGear.Formats Imports ImageGear.Formats.CAD Imports ImageGear.Evaluation Namespace my_first_CAD_project Class Program Public Sub SaveAs(ByVal fileIn As String, ByVal fileOut As String) ' Initialize evaluation license. ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize() ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog ' Initialize common formats. ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize() ' Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files. ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat()) ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat()) ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat()) Using inStream As FileStream = New FileStream(fileIn, FileMode.Open) Using outStream As FileStream = New FileStream(fileOut, FileMode.Create) ' Load CAD page. Dim cadPage As ImGearCADPage = CType(ImGearFileFormats.LoadPage(inStream), ImGearCADPage) ' Save image. ImGearFileFormats.SavePage(cadPage, outStream, ImGearSavingFormats.PNG) End Using End Using End Sub Private Shared Sub Main(ByVal args As String()) Dim myProgram As Program = New Program() myProgram.SaveAs("C:\PATHTOCAD\FILENAME.dwg", "C:\PATHTOCAD\NEWNAME.png") End Sub End Class End Namespace

VB.NET

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Imports System.IO
Imports ImageGear.Core
Imports ImageGear.Formats
Imports ImageGear.Formats.CAD
Imports ImageGear.Evaluation
Namespace my_first_CAD_project
    Class Program
        Public Sub SaveAs(ByVal fileIn As String, ByVal fileOut As String)

            ' Initialize evaluation license.
            ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize()
            ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog

            ' Initialize common formats.
            ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize()

            ' Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files.
            ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat())
            ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat())
            ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat())
            Using inStream As FileStream = New FileStream(fileIn, FileMode.Open)
                Using outStream As FileStream = New FileStream(fileOut, FileMode.Create)

                    ' Load CAD page.
                    Dim cadPage As ImGearCADPage = CType(ImGearFileFormats.LoadPage(inStream), ImGearCADPage)

                    ' Save image.
                    ImGearFileFormats.SavePage(cadPage, outStream, ImGearSavingFormats.PNG)
                End Using
            End Using
        End Sub
        Private Shared Sub Main(ByVal args As String())
            Dim myProgram As Program = New Program()
            myProgram.SaveAs("C:\PATHTOCAD\FILENAME.dwg", "C:\PATHTOCAD\NEWNAME.png")
        End Sub
    End Class
End Namespace

Now, let's go over some of the important areas in the sample code with more detail. To initialize and support processing of DWG, DXF, and DGN files we need:

CS
VBNET

C	Copy Code
// Initialize evaluation license. ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize(); ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog; // Initialize common formats. ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize(); // Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files. ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat()); ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat()); ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat());

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// Initialize evaluation license.
ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize();
ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog;

// Initialize common formats.
ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize();

// Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files.
ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat());
ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat());
ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat());

VB.NET	Copy Code
' Initialize evaluation license. ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize() ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog ' Initialize common formats. ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize() ' Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files. ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat()) ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat()) ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat())

VB.NET

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' Initialize evaluation license.
ImGearEvaluationManager.Initialize()
ImGearEvaluationManager.Mode = ImGearEvaluationMode.TrialDialog

' Initialize common formats.
ImGearCommonFormats.Initialize()

' Add support for DWG, DGN, and DXF files.
ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDWGFormat())
ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDGNFormat())
ImGearFileFormats.Filters.Insert(0, ImGearCAD.CreateDXFFormat())

There is one main data structure that is used in this sample code: The ImGearCADPage that holds the loaded CAD file.

CS
VBNET

C#	Copy Code
// Load CAD page. ImGearCADPage cadPage = (ImGearCADPage)ImGearFileFormats.LoadPage(inStream);

VB.NET	Copy Code
' Load CAD page. Dim cadPage As ImGearCADPage = CType(ImGearFileFormats.LoadPage(inStream), ImGearCADPage)

You can save the loaded CAD page to an image using:

CS
VBNET

C#	Copy Code
// Save image. ImGearFileFormats.SavePage(cadPage, outStream, ImGearSavingFormats.PNG);

VB.NET	Copy Code
' Save image. ImGearFileFormats.SavePage(cadPage, outStream, ImGearSavingFormats.PNG)

This sample project was created as a simple introduction to using the CAD functionality in ImageGear. For systems designed for production environments, you need to configure your projects more efficiently by only adding the resources that you need. For more information, refer to Deploying Your Product.