How to create a CAD drawing?

Let's create a new drawing from scratch with CAD .NET.

1. Add the using directive with the CADImport and CADImport.FaceModule namespaces.

using CADImport;
using CADImport.FaceModule;

More information about CADPictureBox

The CADPictureBox class is the basic implementation of the control element for displaying vector drawings. Visually CADPictureBox includes only area for drawing visualization and can be extended by the required control elements in the project under development.
To get more information about the CAD .NET controls, see What controls does CAD .NET have?

2. Use the control element of the CADPictureBox class:
   • Set the Location property as new Point(10, 30).
   • Set the BackColor property as Color.Black.
   • Set the Size property as new Size(995, 500).
   • Finally, add it to the form.

...

CADPictureBox pictureBox1 = new CADPictureBox(){
  Location = new Point(10, 30),
  BackColor = Color.Black,
  Size = new Size(995, 500),
};

public Form1()
  {
    Controls.Add(pictureBox1);
    InitializeComponent();
  }   

3. Add a new button. Name it CreateCADDrawing. Then create the CreateCADDrawing_Click function.

 private void CreateCADDrawing(object sender, EventArgs e){

4. Create a new instance of the CADImage class. Call InitializeSection to create the CAD object manually:
   • Set the Background property as Color.Azure.
   • Set the CurrentLayout property as vDrawing.Layouts[0].

  CADImage vDrawing = new CADImage();
  vDrawing.Converter.InitializeSections();
  vDrawing.BackgroundColor = Color.Azure;
  vDrawing.CurrentLayout = vDrawing.Layouts[0];

5. Create a new instance of the CADLine class:
   • Add vLine to the current layout of vDrawing using the AddEntity method.
   • Set the Point property as new DPoint(45, 200, 0).
   • Set the Point1 property as new DPoint(450,200, 0).
   • Set the LineWeight property as 1.

  CADLine vLine = new CADLine();
  vDrawing.CurrentLayout.AddEntity(vLine);
  vLine.Point = new DPoint(45, 200, 0);
  vLine.Point1 = new DPoint(450, 200, 0);
  vLine.LineWeight = 1;

6. Use the Loads method to fill the internal data of the entity to prepare it for drawing.

  vDrawing.Converter.Loads(vLine);  

7. Create a new instance of the CADCircle class:
   • Add vCircle to the current layout of vDrawing using the AddEntity method.
   • Set the vPoint property as new DPoint(250, 200, 0).
   • Set the Radius property as 100.
   • Set the Color property as Color.Red.

  CADCircle vCircle = new CADCircle(); 
  vDrawing.CurrentLayout.AddEntity(vCircle);
  vCircle.Point = new DPoint(250, 200, 0);
  vCircle.Radius = 100;
  vCircle.Color = Color.Red;

8. Use the Loads method to fill the internal data of the entity to prepare it for drawing.

  vDrawing.Converter.Loads(vCircle);

9. Use the GetExtents method to recalculate drawing extents.

  vDrawing.GetExtents();

10. Declare the local variable vRect and specify RectangleF as its type. This variable stores four floating values that represent the location and size of a CAD file. Use the following code to fit the CAD file to pictureBox1. Finally, render the result with the Draw method.

  vRect = new RectangleF(0, 0, (float)pictureBox1.ClientSize.Width, (float)(pictureBox1.ClientSize.Height));
  vDrawing.Draw(pictureBox1.CreateGraphics(), vRect);

The following picture illustrates the result.

Drawing from scratch

You have created a function to create a CAD image.

The full code listing.

...
using CADImport;
using CADImport.FaceModule;

namespace WindowsFormsApp1
{
  public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        CADPictureBox pictureBox1 = new CADPictureBox()
        {
            Location = new Point(10, 30),
            TabIndex = 10,
            BackColor = Color.Black,
            Size = new Size(995, 500)
        };
        {
            Controls.Add(pictureBox1);
            InitializeComponent();
        }     
        private void CreateCADDrawing(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            CADImage vDrawing = new CADImage();
            vDrawing.Converter.InitializeSections();
            vDrawing.BackgroundColor = Color.Azure;
            vDrawing.CurrentLayout = vDrawing.Layouts[0];
            // Adding a line
            CADLine vLine = new CADLine();
            vDrawing.CurrentLayout.AddEntity(vLine);
            vLine.Point = new DPoint(45, 200, 0);
            vLine.Point1 = new DPoint(450, 200, 0);
            vLine.LineWeight = 1;
            vDrawing.Converter.Loads(vLine); 
            // Adding a circle       
            CADCircle vCircle = new CADCircle(); 
            vDrawing.CurrentLayout.AddEntity(vCircle);
            vCircle.Point = new DPoint(250, 200, 0);
            vCircle.Radius = 100;
            vCircle.Color = Color.Red;
            vDrawing.Converter.Loads(vCircle);            
            vDrawing.GetExtents();
            RectangleF vRect;
            double vRatio = (double)(vDrawing.AbsHeight * pictureBox1.ClientSize.Width) / (vDrawing.AbsWidth * pictureBox1.ClientSize.Height);
            if (vRatio > 1)
                vRect = new RectangleF(0, 0, (float)(pictureBox1.ClientSize.Width / vRatio), (float)pictureBox1.ClientSize.Height);
            else
                vRect = new RectangleF(0, 0, (float)pictureBox1.ClientSize.Width, (float)(pictureBox1.ClientSize.Height * vRatio));
            vDrawing.Draw(pictureBox1.CreateGraphics(), vRect);
        }
    }
}