Code example: Create drawing plug-in using Windows Forms

In Microsoft Visual Studio, create a new project. Select Class Library(.Net framework), and enter a name for your project.

Add Tekla API assemblies to your project as references.

Rename Class1.cs to MainPlugin.cs (this could be a more specific name).

Edit MainPlugin.cs:

• Add directives to needed namespaces: 

  using Tekla.Structures.Datatype;
  using Tekla.Structures.Drawing;
  using Tekla.Structures.Plugins;

• Add a method that includes attributes passed from the dialog to the plug-in. Add the lines for each attribute on the dialog. 

  Public class StructuresData
  {
      [TSPlugins.StructuresField("ATTRIBUTE_NAME")]     
      public VARIABLE_TYPE VARIABLE_NAME;
  }

  Replace ATTRIBUTE_NAME with the name entered for the AttributeName property, VARIABLE_TYPE with a type corresponding to AttributeNameType, and VARIABLE_NAME with a suitable variable name.

• Add the description of your plug-in: 

  [TSPlugins.Plugin("FormPlugin")]
  [TSPlugins.PluginUserInterface("FormPlugin.MainForm")]

• Inherit from DrawingPluginBase and add code to MainPlugin class: 

  public class MainPlugin : DrawingPluginBase
  {
      private StructuresData _data { get; set; } 
      
      //StructuresData gets the data from the user interface into the plug-in 
      public MainPlugin(StructuresData data)     
      {
          // Link to input values.
          _data = data;
      } 
  
      // Specify the user input needed for the plugin.
      public override List<InputDefinition> DefineInput()     
      {
          // Define input objects.
      }         
      // This method is called upon execution and it's the main method of the plug-in.
      public override bool Run(List<InputDefinition> input)
      {         
          try
          {
              // Write your code here.
          }
          catch (Exception e)         
          {      
              // Handle exception.
          } 
          return true;
      }
  }

On Project menu, click Add Windows Form to add a form. Name it MainForm.cs or something specific. Design the dialog and bound the values of controls to attributes.

In Mainform.cs, add event handlers for the OK and Modify buttons: 

Private void okButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    this.Apply();
    this.Close();
}

Private void modifyButton_Click(object sender,EventArgs e)
{
    this.Modify();
}

Build the project and copy the .dll file created to \TeklaStructures\[version]\nt\bin\plugins. This adds your plug-in directly to the Applications & components catalog in Tekla Structures.

Run Tekla Structures, open a drawing and look for the plug-in in the Applications & components catalog.