RhinoCommon DimStyle question

[Mitch]

Hi,

Dumb question here, but I still really don't understand all of how stuff in document tables work

I can get the value of a property (such as centermark size) of the current dimension style with this:

cms=scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles.CurrentDimensionSt yle.CenterMarkSize

or of another dimension style in the document with this:

cms=scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles[n].CenterMarkSize
(n being the index of the dim style)

But how do I change these values?

Thanks,
--Mitch

[Steve Baer]

Hi Mitch,
Set the CenterMarkSize and whatever other properties you want and then when you are done and happy with your result, call CommitChanges()

Python Code:

ds = scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles[n]
ds.CenterMarkSize = 1234
ds.CommitChanges()

[Mitch]

OK, cool thanks - I saw CommitChanges and wondered if that was its purpose but I didn't know how it should be used. This should be enough to get me where I need to go, I'll check back in if it isn't.
Cheers,
--Mitch

[Mitch]

Hmm, I get this when I try the above... :
Message: 'DimensionStyle' object has no attribute 'CommmitChanges'

Below is the entire script:

Python Code:

import rhinoscriptsyntax as rs
import scriptcontext
 
def CopyScaleDimstyle2():
   
    ds=scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles
    dsCount=scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles.Count
    dsDict={scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles[n].Name : n for n in range(dsCount)}
   
    title="Copy/Scale Dimension Style"
    choice=rs.ListBox(dsDict.keys(),"Pick a dim style to copy and scale",title)
    if choice is None: return
    n=dsDict[choice]
 
    nameOK=False
    while nameOK==False:
        newName=rs.StringBox("Name must be unique!",choice+"-1","Enter new style name")
        if newName is None: return
        if newName in dsDict:
            rs.MessageBox("Name already exists - please choose another!")
        else:
            nameOK=True
   
    sf=rs.RealBox("Scale factor?",2,"Scale factor")
    if sf is None: return
    if sf<=0:
        print "Scale factor must be greater than 0"
        return
       
    rs.AddDimStyle(newName)
    #assume new style is added to end of list, dsCount should now be dsCount+1
    #apply scale to the different fields
    ds[dsCount].Name=newName
    ds[dsCount].TextHeight=ds[n].TextHeight*sf
    ds[dsCount].TextGap=ds[n].TextGap*sf
    ds[dsCount].ExtensionLineExtension=ds[n].ExtensionLineExtension*sf
    ds[dsCount].ExtensionLineOffset=ds[n].ExtensionLineOffset*sf
    #the following property is missing... :-(
    #ds[dsCount].DimensionLineExtension=ds[n].DimensionLineExtension*sf
    ds[dsCount].CenterMarkSize=ds[n].CenterMarkSize*sf
    ds[dsCount].ArrowLength=ds[n].ArrowLength*sf
    ds[dsCount].LeaderArrowLength=ds[n].LeaderArrowLength*sf
    #Apply changes to new style
    ds[dsCount].CommmitChanges()
    #Below gives no error message but does nothing
    #scriptcontext.doc.DimStyles[dsCount].CommitChanges
 
CopyScaleDimstyle2()

??? -Mitch

[Conrad]

I think it's the 'Commmit...' typo.

Regards Conrad

[Mitch]

OK, yeah, that produced the error message... I am definitely ashamed..
However, now, even though it doesn't error out, it doesn't do anything either... The new dim style is unchanged, it still has the same characteristics as the style it was copied from.

[Steve Baer]

Hi Mitch,
The problem is that you are continuously asking the document for DimStyle at dsCount. I realize this is a bit confusing since everything does appear to work and it may be a poor design decision on my part when putting RhinoCommon together, but let me explain.

When you call ds[dsCount].Name=newName, the code is asking the dimstyle table for an existing dimstyle and hands it back as a variable. You are then changing the name on this local variable and throwing it away on the next line by asking the dimstyle table for an existing dimstyle again.

Fortunately this is easily remedied by saving the one variable, modifying it, and then calling CommitChanges to push your changed back on the document.

Python Code:

modified_ds = ds[dsCount]
modified_ds.Name=newName
modified_ds.TextHeight=ds[n].TextHeight*sf
modified_ds.TextGap=ds[n].TextGap*sf
...
modified_ds.CommitChanges()

I hope this makes sense. If not please let me know and I'll try to explain in a bit more detail.
Thanks,
-Steve

[Mitch]

Hi Steve,
Well, no not really... I had just assumed that the dimstyle had a set of properties that could be modified but would not be added back to the document unless you called CommitChanges. I assumed that when you ran ds[dsCount].Name=newName that the newName modified the dimstyle's property, as normally the value on the right side of the = is assigned to the object on the left... I can see that I'm a bit out of my depth here...

--Mitch

[Steve Baer]

Hi Mitch,
I completely understand your confusion and wish I had a cleaner/clearer implementation. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with something in the future that makes more sense, but for now if you follow my recommendation of assigning the dimstyle to a variable, adjusting the variable, and then calling CommitChanges() your script should work.

Thanks,
-Steve

[Mitch]

Ok, that works... thanks! Can you get the DimensionLineExtension property in there? By default it's 0, so scaling it will still be 0, but for completeness it should be there...
--Mitch