Chooks samples

[Ed Osgood]

Hi, New to MastercamX. Infact this Boeing NC Programming group is pretty new to Mastercam.

Looking for samples, documentation on how to write chooks using Visual Studio.net. Especially VB.net. Documentation from dealer is pretty limited.

Thanks for any help in advance.

[Bullines]

Here's a quick intro to creating a Nethook with C# (It's very similar in VB.NET). The Nethook API is somewhat self-documenting. Take a look at the nethook.dll in Visual Studio's Object Browser.

 

You can also ask questions on this very forum

[3rdstring]

Bulliness,

 

Is that link to the resellers forum?

It wont let me in

[Bullines]

Yes it is. Sorry about that

 

Here's what I posted in the X Beta forums a couple of months back:

 

------------

Getting started with Nethooks is super simple. I'm a fan of C# so I'll use that to explain. You'll first create a Class Library project in Visual Studio; C#, VB or J# (does anybody actually use J#?!?!?). Then you'll want to add a COM reference to nethook.dll (it'll be in the root directory fo wherever you installed X). You'll then want to add this to your class's using section:

 

code:

---

using Mastercam;

---

Next you'll have to make the class you (or more specifically, VS .NET) created extend the CMCNETApp. So change this:

 

code:

---

public class CTheClassYouCreate

{

---

to:

 

code:

---

public class CTheClassYouCreated : CMCNETApp

{

---

Instead of a main() method as the entry point, you have to add an ovverriden method called Run() to your class:

 

code:

---

public override MC_RETURN Run(System.Int32 param)

{

return MC_RETURN.MC_NOERROR;

}

---

Build it and you should be good to go. So for a HelloWorld Nethook:

 

code:

---

using System;

using System.Windows.Forms;

using Mastercam;

 

namespace HelloWorld

{

public class CHelloWorldNethook : CMCNETApp

{

public CHelloWorldNethook()

{

}

 

public override MC_RETURN Run(System.Int32 param)

{

MessageBox.Show("Hello World!");

return MC_RETURN.MC_NOERROR;

}

}

}

---

And like Roger mentioned, check out what's available to you in nethook.dll in the Object Browser. HTH

----------

 

I can whip you up a VB.NET version, if you wish. It basically comes down to replacing C# synatx with VB.NET (Ex:"using" -> "Imports", "override" -> "Overrides", "Implements" when subclassing, etc).

 

HTH

[3rdstring]

Mucas Gracias

 

I'm more familiar with C++. I've just started using C# (@ 6 mos.)

 

[Bullines]

You'll likely prefer C# to VB, if you're familiar with C++. C# is a very well-designed language

[Ed Osgood]

This looks pretty good.

I'll try to get it to work in VB.net

Thanks a lot.

Hope I can return favor someday.

[markov]

Speaking of real "C" hooks (not C# or VB), I have few observations/questions.

 

I used the stub generated by the c-hook wizard without any modification, and it did not run: the message box mentioned the incompatible version number. So I created a small driver, loaded one of the provided c-hooks, called "m_version" function, and there it was: the version number should be 1001, but the macro C_H_VERSION has the value of 1000. I suppose the 1001 means version 10, service pack 1, but the SDK files have not been updated. Or is there a newer SDK, which I have not got yet?

 

My second observation is that when the dummy c-hook (with modified version number) terminates, the DLL is not unloaded properly, and is still locked. Is this a feature that would speed up subsequent loading, and if so can it be disabled? It is a big problem during the development, I can not rebuild it without shutting down the Mastercam.

 

Marko

[Roger Martin from CNC Software]

If you replace your m_verion routine with this -->

Your CHook will run on ANY version of X.

Note that this may not always be desirable !

IF your CHook requires a specific release !

 

code:

---

extern "C" __declspec(dllexport) int m_version (int version)

{

int ret = C_H_VERSION;

 

// Allow chook to run in any version of mastercam that has

// the same major version

if ( (version / 100) == (C_H_VERSION / 100) )

ret = version;

 

return ret;

}

---

As for the termination issue, you can try this -->

 

In your m_main replace the return MC_RETURN; with return MC_UNLOADAPP;

 

Note that is will have no effect if your CHook is loaded via an .FT file (Function Table).

Read... Your CHook DLL will not unload.

[markov]

Perfect, so both were features, and everything is working as designed. In any case, do we need an updated SDK for SP1, or the old one is still OK?

 

Thank you very much

Marko

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

yes, there is a new SDK for SP1