VL ucs help needed

[BillZ]

R2005:

I'm trying to figure out when to use ActiveX functions or the regular autolisp.
I start my program with:
(vla-InitializeUserInput Util 1)
(setq CenObj (vla-GetPoint Util nil "Center Point: ")
)
which returns a vla object.

then later in the program I need to create a new UCS with vla-add and the origin and x and y axis need a variant array of doubles.
I want to use CenObj as the origin and get the x&y axis from there (basically a 90d x axis from the origin).
Do I have to get the variant value of the coordiante of CenObj and the do a polar for the x axis point then figure the y axis point too?
And why do some vl functions return an object and some an iteger or real like the following?
(vla-InitializeUserInput Util 7)
(setq RadDis (vla-GetDistance Util CenObj "Radius Distance: ")
)

Just seems like so much more code than plain autolisp was to accomplish the same objective.

I'm just learning VL so bear with me here.

TIA

Bill

[R. Robert Bell]

Bill,

There is no compelling reason to use the Utility object's methods in Visual
LISP. The Utility object was provided to VBA programmers to provide them
with similar methods to AutoLISP functions. In fact, the object's methods
have some quirks compared to the AutoLISP functions.

However, I do prefer to use the ActiveX objects when creating/modifying the
drawing where possible.

Also, the UCS object has some quirks of its own, just thought I'd warn you.
<vbg>

--
R. Robert Bell


"BillZ" <nospam@address.withheld> wrote in message
news:16732961.1103816993533.JavaMail.jive@jiveforu m2.autodesk.com...
R2005:

I'm trying to figure out when to use ActiveX functions or the regular
autolisp.
I start my program with:
(vla-InitializeUserInput Util 1)
(setq CenObj (vla-GetPoint Util nil "Center Point: ")
)
which returns a vla object.

then later in the program I need to create a new UCS with vla-add and the
origin and x and y axis need a variant array of doubles.
I want to use CenObj as the origin and get the x&y axis from there
(basically a 90d x axis from the origin).
Do I have to get the variant value of the coordiante of CenObj and the do a
polar for the x axis point then figure the y axis point too?
And why do some vl functions return an object and some an iteger or real
like the following?
(vla-InitializeUserInput Util 7)
(setq RadDis (vla-GetDistance Util CenObj "Radius Distance: ")
)

Just seems like so much more code than plain autolisp was to accomplish the
same objective.

I'm just learning VL so bear with me here.

TIA

Bill

[BillZ]

Thanks Robert,

I had my suspicions about this.
Thanks for the clarification. :)


Bill