Normal Property (ActiveX)

Specifies the three-dimensional normal unit vector for the object.

Supported platforms: Windows only

Signature

VBA:

object.Normal

object

Type: Arc, Attribute, AttributeReference, BlockReference, Circle, Dim3PointAngular, DimAligned, DimAngular, DimArcLength, DimDiametric, Dimension, DimOrdinate, DimRadial, DimRadialLarge, DimRotated, Ellipse, ExternalReference, Hatch, Leader, Line, LWPolyline, MInsertBlock, MText, Point, Polyline, Region, Section, Shape, Solid, Text, Tolerance, Trace

The objects this property applies to.

Property Value

Read-only: No

Type: Variant (three-element array of doubles)

A 3D normal unit vector in WCS.

Remarks

This normal vector defines the Z axis for the given object. Although the normal is returned in WCS, it can be used to determine the OCS for the object. Use this property as the OCSNormal in the TranslateCoordinates method when converting coordinates to and from OCS.

Note that this property specifies a vector, not a point. The vector defines the direction of the normal, not a location in space. You can add this normal vector to a point to obtain another point.

Tolerance: The normal vector must be perpendicular to the direction of the Tolerance object. A normal that is not perpendicular to the Tolerance object will generate an error.

Examples

VBA:

Sub Example_Normal()
    ' This example creates a circle in model space.
    ' It then finds the current normal to that circle
    ' and changes the normal.
    
    ' Define a circle
    Dim circleObj As AcadCircle
    Dim center(0 To 2) As Double
    Dim radius As Double
    center(0) = 4: center(1) = 4: center(2) = 0
    radius = 1
    
    ' Add the circle to model space
    Set circleObj = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddCircle(center, radius)
    ZoomAll
    
    ' Find the normal for the circle
    Dim currNormal As Variant
    currNormal = circleObj.Normal
    MsgBox "The current normal for the circle is " & circleObj.Normal(0) & ", " & circleObj.Normal(1) & ", " & circleObj.Normal(2), , "Normal Example"
    
    ' Change the normal for the circle
    Dim newNormal(0 To 2) As Double
    newNormal(0) = 1: newNormal(1) = 1: newNormal(2) = -1
    circleObj.Normal = newNormal
    circleObj.Update
    MsgBox "The current normal for the circle is " & circleObj.Normal(0) & ", " & circleObj.Normal(1) & ", " & circleObj.Normal(2), , "Normal Example"
    
End Sub

Visual LISP:

(vl-load-com)
(defun c:Example_Normal()
    ;; This example creates a circle in model space.
    ;; It then finds the current normal to that circle
    ;; and changes the normal.
    (setq acadObj (vlax-get-acad-object))
    (setq doc (vla-get-ActiveDocument acadObj))

    ;; Define a circle
    (setq center (vlax-3d-point 4 4 0)
          radius 1)
    
    ;; Add the circle to model space
    (setq modelSpace (vla-get-ModelSpace doc))
    (setq circleObj (vla-AddCircle modelSpace center radius))
    (vla-ZoomAll acadObj)
    
    ;; Find the normal for the circle
    (setq currNormal (vlax-variant-value (vla-get-Normal circleObj)))
    (alert (strcat "The current normal for the circle is " (rtos (vlax-safearray-get-element currNormal 0) 2) ", "
                                                           (rtos (vlax-safearray-get-element currNormal 1) 2) ", "
                                                           (rtos (vlax-safearray-get-element currNormal 2) 2)))
    
    ;; Change the normal for the circle
    (setq newNormal (vlax-3d-point 1 1 -1))
    (vla-put-Normal circleObj newNormal)
    (vla-Update circleObj)
    (setq newNormal (vlax-variant-value newNormal))
    (alert (strcat "The current normal for the circle is " (rtos (vlax-safearray-get-element newNormal 0) 2) ", "
                                                           (rtos (vlax-safearray-get-element newNormal 1) 2) ", "
                                                           (rtos (vlax-safearray-get-element newNormal 2) 2)))
)