Inventor 3D model¶

Inventor part / assembly
  → iLogic rule (manually, or on save)
  → Document.SaveAs(*.glb)  →  %TEMP%\<key>.glb
  → MatStreamConnect.exe --publish-model --key "<Name>" --file "<glb>"
  → MatStream: model attached to the latest version of the entity named <Name>

MatStreamConnect.exe --publish-model --key "763.901.130" --file "C:\Users\me\AppData\Local\Temp\763.901.130.glb"

[publish-model] 763.901.130: 763.901.130.glb
[publish-model] ✔ 3D model attached to entity 11087 (file 222)

' ============================================================
' iLogic Rule — MatStream_Publish3DModel
'
' Exports the active part/assembly to GLB and sends it to
' MatStreamConnect, which attaches it as the 3D model of the
' entity with the same Name (= Stock Number) — latest version,
' no check-out, no new revision, no Document entity.
' ============================================================

Sub Main()
    Dim connectPath As String = FindMatStreamConnectExe()
    If String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(connectPath) Then Return

    Dim doc As Document = ThisDoc.Document
    If doc.DocumentType <> DocumentTypeEnum.kPartDocumentObject AndAlso
       doc.DocumentType <> DocumentTypeEnum.kAssemblyDocumentObject Then
        MsgBox("Open a part or assembly first.", vbExclamation, "MatStream")
        Return
    End If

    ' ── Settings: the iProperty that carries the MatStream entity Name ───────
    Dim key As String = If(iProperties.Value("Project", "Stock Number"), "").Trim()
    If key = "" Then
        MsgBox("Stock Number is empty — MatStream cannot tell which item this is.", vbExclamation, "MatStream")
        Return
    End If

    ' ── Step 1: Export GLB to temp (Connect deletes it after the upload) ─────
    Dim tempFolder As String = System.IO.Path.GetTempPath()
    Dim safeName   As String = String.Join("_", key.Split(System.IO.Path.GetInvalidFileNameChars()))
    Dim glbPath    As String = ExportModelToGlb(doc, tempFolder, safeName)
    If String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(glbPath) Then Return

    ' ── Step 2: Hand it to MatStreamConnect ──────────────────────────────────
    Dim modelArgs As String = "--publish-model" &
                              " --key """ & key & """" &
                              " --file """ & glbPath & """"

    Shell("""" & connectPath & """ " & modelArgs)
End Sub

' ── Helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Function FindMatStreamConnectExe() As String
    Dim exePath As String = ""
    Try
        ' WScript.Shell rather than Microsoft.Win32.Registry: that class lives in a separate
        ' assembly on the .NET that Inventor 2027's iLogic runs on, and the rule compiler does
        ' not reference it. COM needs nothing and works in every Inventor version.
        Dim shellObj As Object = CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
        Dim regValue As Object = shellObj.RegRead("HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\MatStreamConnect")
        If regValue IsNot Nothing Then
            exePath = regValue.ToString().Trim(""""c)
        End If
    Catch
        ' A missing key throws — handled by the check below.
    End Try

    If String.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(exePath) OrElse Not System.IO.File.Exists(exePath) Then
        MsgBox("MatStreamConnect is not installed or has not been started at least once." & vbCrLf &
               "Please install and launch MatStreamConnect first.", vbExclamation, "MatStream")
        Return ""
    End If

    Return exePath
End Function

' Document.SaveAs(path, SaveCopyAs:=True) routes through the glTF translator that ships with
' Inventor 2023+. If that is refused on this machine, the translator is driven directly.
Function ExportModelToGlb(doc As Document, tempFolder As String, safeName As String) As String
    Dim glbPath As String = System.IO.Path.Combine(tempFolder, safeName & ".glb")
    If System.IO.File.Exists(glbPath) Then System.IO.File.Delete(glbPath)

    Try
        doc.SaveAs(glbPath, True)
        If System.IO.File.Exists(glbPath) Then Return glbPath
    Catch
    End Try

    Dim translator As TranslatorAddIn = Nothing
    For Each addIn As ApplicationAddIn In ThisApplication.ApplicationAddIns
        If addIn.AddInType = ApplicationAddInTypeEnum.kTranslationApplicationAddIn AndAlso
           addIn.DisplayName.IndexOf("gltf", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) >= 0 Then
            translator = CType(addIn, TranslatorAddIn)
            Exit For
        End If
    Next

    If translator Is Nothing Then
        MsgBox("No glTF translator found in this Inventor (needs Inventor 2023+ or Autodesk's glTF Exporter add-in).",
               vbExclamation, "MatStream")
        Return ""
    End If

    Try
        If Not translator.Activated Then translator.Activate()
        Dim context As TranslationContext = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateTranslationContext()
        context.Type = IOMechanismEnum.kFileBrowseIOMechanism
        Dim options As NameValueMap = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateNameValueMap()
        Dim medium As DataMedium = ThisApplication.TransientObjects.CreateDataMedium()
        medium.FileName = glbPath
        translator.SaveCopyAs(doc, context, options, medium)
        If System.IO.File.Exists(glbPath) Then Return glbPath
    Catch ex As Exception
        MsgBox("GLB export failed: " & ex.Message, vbExclamation, "MatStream")
    End Try

    Return ""
End Function