dotNet Struct Methods

The dotNet Struct provides additional MAXScript methods for managing dotNet objects, classes, assemblies, event handlers, and others.

Available in 3ds Max 9 and higher.

Assembly Loading: 

<dotNetObject>dotNet.loadAssembly <assembly> [returnPassFail:bool]

This method loads the specified assembly. The assembly can be specified as an assembly name or the filename of the dll containing the assembly.

The method first attempts to load an assembly from the application directory or from the global assembly cache using the assembly name. If that fails, a dll with the assembly name is searched in the directory containing the primary .net assemblies.

If returnPassFail is false (the default), the assembly is found and successfully loaded, a dotNetObject value wrapping the .net assembly value is returned, otherwise a value of undefined is returned. If returnPassFail is true, this method returns true if the assembly is loaded, false if not.

FOR EXAMPLE 

dotnet.loadAssembly "system.xml"
dotnet.loadAssembly "system.xml.dll"
dotnet.loadAssembly "C:\\WINDOWS\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v2.0.50727\\system.xml.dll"
dotnet.loadAssembly "C:\\WINDOWS\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\v2.0.50727\\system.xml"
NOTE:

You can do the same by using the existing dotNet classes:

FOR EXAMPLE 

assembly = dotNetClass "System.Reflection.Assembly" r = assembly.loadfrom "F:\\FlashTrackBar\\bin\\Debug\\FlashTrackBar.dll"

Icon Loading:

dotNet.LoadIcon <iconName> iconSize:<point2> enabled:<bool> on:<bool> applyUIScaling:<bool>

Returns a System::Drawing::Icon if the icon is found, undefined if not. Available in in 3ds Max 2017 and higher.

The iconName is the path to an icon file, or previously loaded icon resource.

The iconSize is the size of the icon at 100% DPI scaling. The default is [24,24] if not specified.

The enabled parameter specifies which version (enabled or disabled) of the icon to load.

The on parameter specifies which version (on or off) of the icon to load.

The applyUIScaling specifies whether to apply scaling to the icon on High DPI displays. The default is true.

FOR EXAMPLE 

hForm = dotNetObject "System.Windows.Forms.Form"
dotNetIcon = dotnet.loadIcon("PolyTools\TransformTools\PB_CW")
hForm.Icon = dotNetIcon --set the title bar icon of the form
hForm.show()
--Result: an empty form with a clockwise rotation arrow as icon

Event Handlers: 

dotNet.addEventHandler <dotNetControl> <EventNameString> <function>

This method adds an event handler to the dotNetControl passed as the first argument.

The second argument specifies the event name as string. The list of all available events for a given dotNetControl can be acquired by calling showEvents() on the dotNetControl value.

The third argument is the custom MAXScript function to be called when the event is triggered.

If the custom MAXScript function called by the handler expects two arguments, the first argument must contain the sender and the second the eventArg.

If the event handler function specifies only one argument, then only the eventArg is passed.

If the event handler function does not specify any arguments, none are passed.

See the example further on this page for details.

NOTE:You can register multiple functions with differing number of arguments for the same event using dotNet.addEventHandler() .
NOTE:You can only add functions that are registered in the global scope as event handlers. If you need to register a function that is hidden from the global scop (for example, contained in a struct), you need to define a global function to point to the hidden function.
Example 
struct dotNetStruct
(
	myForm = dotNetObject "system.windows.forms.form",
	myButton = dotNetObject "system.windows.forms.button"
)

ui = dotNetStruct()

ui.myForm.width = 100
ui.myForm.height = 100
ui.myButton.text = "Say Something"
ui.myForm.controls.add ui.myButton

-- A function "hidden" in a global struct
struct functionStruct
(
	fn printSomething a b =
	(
		print "something"
	)
)

myFunctionStruct = functionStruct()

--- Create a new function in global scope to point to our "hidden" function
fn theFunctionPrint a b = myFunctionStruct.printSomething a b 

DotNet.AddEventHandler ui.mybutton "click" theFunctionPrint


ui.myForm.show()
 

dotNet.removeAllEventHandlers <dotNetControl>

Removes all event handlers from the specified dotNetControl. 

dotNet.removeEventHandler <dotNetControl> <EventNameString> <function>

Removes the specified event handler function from the given dotNetControl and event.

The arguments list is the same as the dotNet.addEventHandler() .

The callback function is specified as the third argument because there can be multiple functions registered with the same event (see note above).

To remove all functions registered with a given event, see the following method: 

dotNet.removeEventHandlers <dotNetControl> <EventNameString>

Removes all functions registered with the specified event of the dotNetControl.

EXAMPLE 

(
fn buttonPressed1 a1 a2 =
(
print "1. Button Pressed - Two Arguments"
print a1
print a2
)
fn buttonPressed2 a1 =
(
print "2. Button Pressed - One Argument"
print a1
)
fn buttonPressed3 =
(
print "3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
)
fn mouseEnter4 =
(
print "4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
)
fn mouseLeave5 =
(
print "5. Mouse Left The Button!"
)
local mButton = dotNetObject "System.windows.forms.button"
mButton.text = "Press Me"
mButton.size = dotNetObject "System.Drawing.Size" 100 100
mButton.location = dotNetObject "System.Drawing.Point" 10 10
local hForm = dotNetObject "System.Windows.Forms.Form"
hForm.size = dotNetObject "System.Drawing.Size" 120 140
hForm.controls.add mButton
dotNet.addEventHandler mButton "click" buttonPressed1
dotNet.addEventHandler mButton "click" buttonPressed2
dotNet.addEventHandler mButton "click" buttonPressed3
dotNet.addEventHandler mButton "MouseEnter" mouseEnter4
dotNet.addEventHandler mButton "MouseLeave" mouseLeave5
hForm.show()
ok
)

If you evaluate the above script, move the mouse over the button, click it, move the mouse away from the button, and then back in and out, the Listener output appears as follows: 

OK
"4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
"1. Button Pressed - Two Arguments"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.Button
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"2. Button Pressed - One Argument"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
"5. Mouse Left The Button!"
"4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
"5. Mouse Left The Button!"

Adding the following line to the first (buttonPressed1) function causes the first on Click event handler to be removed after the first click on the button. Clicking a second time prints only the second and third functions to the Listener.

Within the function, the a1 argument contains the "sender", or the dotNetControl whose event was triggered. 

dotNet.removeEventHandlers a1 "click" buttonPressed1

OK
"4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
"1. Button Pressed - Two Arguments"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.Button
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
"2. Button Pressed - One Argument"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
"2. Button Pressed - One Argument"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
"5. Mouse Left The Button!"
--additional clicks result in no output from function 1
--but all others work

Adding the following line to the first (buttonPressed1) function causes all on Click event handlers to be removed after the first click on the button.

Clicking a second time does not print anything to the Listener, but when the mouse moves in and out, the other two functions are printed. 

dotNet.removeEventHandlers a1 "click"

OK
"4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
"1. Button Pressed - Two Arguments"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.Button
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"2. Button Pressed - One Argument"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
"5. Mouse Left The Button!"
"4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
"5. Mouse Left The Button!"
--additional clicks result in no output
--but moving the mouse prints to the Listener

Adding the following line to the first (buttonPressed1) function causes all event handlers to be removed after the first click on the button including the on Click, on MouseEnter, and on MouseLeave events. 

dotNet.removeAllEventHandlers a1

OK
"4. Mouse Entered The Button!"
"1. Button Pressed - Two Arguments"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.Button
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"2. Button Pressed - One Argument"
dotNetObject:System.Windows.Forms.MouseEventArgs
"3. Button Pressed - No Arguments"
--additional clicks result in no output

Additional Inspector Functions: 

dotNet.showConstructors [<dotNetClass> | <dotNetObject> | <dotNetControl>] [to:<stream>]

Displays the constructors exposed by the specified DotNetClass, DotNetObject, or DotNetControl.

If to is not specified, the output goes to Listerner, otherwise the output goes to the specified stream. 

dotNet.getType<type_string>

Returns a dotNetObject value that wraps the System:Type specified by the type string.

Enums: 

dotnet.combineEnums {<dotNetObject> | <number>}+

Combines System::Enum-derived objects that are to be treated as bit fields (these have a FlagsAttribute). The System::Enum-derived objects must all be of the same type. The return value is of that type. If a number is specified, at least one System::Enum-derived object must also be specified (to provide the type). 

dotnet.CompareEnums{<dotNetObject> | <number>} {<dotNetObject> | <number>}

Performs bit-wise comparison of the two value. Returns true if at least one corresponding bit is set in each value.

EXAMPLE 

BindingFlags= dotNetClass "System.Reflection.BindingFlags"
--> dotNetClass:System.Reflection.BindingFlags
BindingFlags.Static.value__
--> 8
BindingFlags.Public.value__
--> 16
BindingFlags.FlattenHierarchy.value__
--> 64
res = dotNet.combineEnums BindingFlags.Static BindingFlags.Public 2
--> dotNetObject:System.Reflection.BindingFlags
res.value__
--> 26
dotNet.compareEnums res 1
--> false
dotNet.compareEnums res BindingFlags.Static
--> true
dotNet.compareEnums res BindingFlags.Public
--> true
dotNet.compareEnums res BindingFlags.FlattenHierarchy
--> false

Value Conversion: 

dotNet.ValueToDotNetObject <value> { <dotNetClass> | <dotNetObject> }

See MAXScript / DotNet Value Conversions for details.

Available in 3ds Max 2010 and higher.

Life Time Control: 

dotNet.setLifetimeControl {<dotNetObject> | <dotNetClass>} {#mxs | #dotnet}

See DotNet Objects and Classes Life Time Control details.

Available in 3ds Max 2010 and higher.

See Also

Please send us your comment about this page

Creative Commons License Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Please see the Autodesk Creative Commons FAQ for more information.