Insert Block from within Drawing - VBA

I'm getting an error "Argument not Optional" for InsertBlock when I try to insert a block from within the drawing. I don't get it!

'Create Panel
Private Sub cmdCreatePanel_Click()
Dim varPick As Variant
Dim dblLength As Double
Dim dblWidth As Double
Dim dblHeight As Double
Dim dblCenter(2) As Double
Dim objEnt As Acad3DSolid
Dim InsertionPoint As Variant
Dim gpartref As McadPartReference
Dim ProfileRef As AcadBlockReference


Me.Hide

'get the input from user
With ThisDrawing.Utility
.InitializeUserInput 1
varPick = .GetPoint(, vbCr & "Pick a corner point: ")
.InitializeUserInput 1 + 2 + 4, ""
dblLength = .DistanceToReal(cmbPanelLength.Text, acEngineering)
.InitializeUserInput 1 + 2 + 4, ""
dblWidth = .DistanceToReal(cmbPanelWidth.Text, acEngineering)
.InitializeUserInput 1 + 2 + 4, ""
dblHeight = .DistanceToReal(cmbPanelHeight.Text, acEngineering)
' Return the current value of the insertion point
InsertionPoint = varPick
End With
'calculate center point from input
dblCenter(0) = CDbl(varPick(0)) + (dblLength / 2)
dblCenter(1) = CDbl(varPick(1)) + (dblWidth / 2)
dblCenter(2) = CDbl(varPick(2)) + (dblHeight / 2)

'draw the entity
Set objEnt = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddBox(dblCenter, dblLength, _
dblWidth, dblHeight)
'get part reference
Set gpartref = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddCustomObject("AcmPartRef")
gpartref.Origin = varPick

'insert Profile Block
InsertionPoint = varPick
Set ProfileRef = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.InsertBlock(InsertionPoint, "P+P", varPick(0), varPick(1), varPick(2))

'update entity
objEnt.History = True
objEnt.Update
ThisDrawing.Regen acActiveViewport
Me.Show
End Su

You will need to include a rotation argument in your insertblock expression - this argument is "not optional"

I know almost nothing about VBA, but try this:

'Create Panel
Private Sub cmdCreatePanel_Click()
Dim varPick As Variant
Dim dblLength As Double
Dim dblWidth As Double
Dim dblHeight As Double
Dim dblCenter(2) As Double
Dim objEnt As Acad3DSolid
Dim InsertionPoint As Variant
Dim gpartref As McadPartReference
Dim ProfileRef As AcadBlockReference


Me.Hide

'get the input from user
With ThisDrawing.Utility
.InitializeUserInput 1
varPick = .GetPoint(, vbCr & "Pick a corner point: ")
.InitializeUserInput 1 + 2 + 4, ""
dblLength = .DistanceToReal(cmbPanelLength.Text, acEngineering)
.InitializeUserInput 1 + 2 + 4, ""
dblWidth = .DistanceToReal(cmbPanelWidth.Text, acEngineering)
.InitializeUserInput 1 + 2 + 4, ""
dblHeight = .DistanceToReal(cmbPanelHeight.Text, acEngineering)
' Return the current value of the insertion point
InsertionPoint = varPick
End With
'calculate center point from input
dblCenter(0) = CDbl(varPick(0)) + (dblLength / 2)
dblCenter(1) = CDbl(varPick(1)) + (dblWidth / 2)
dblCenter(2) = CDbl(varPick(2)) + (dblHeight / 2)

'draw the entity
Set objEnt = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddBox(dblCenter, dblLength, _
dblWidth, dblHeight)
'get part reference
Set gpartref = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.AddCustomObject("AcmPartRef")
gpartref.Origin = varPick

'insert Profile Block
InsertionPoint = varPick
Set ProfileRef = ThisDrawing.ModelSpace.InsertBlock(InsertionPoint, "P+P", varPick(0), varPick(1), varPick(2), 0)

'update entity
objEnt.History = True
objEnt.Update
ThisDrawing.Regen acActiveViewport
Me.Show
End Sub

Also, is it meant to be "End Sub" at the end - again, just guessing

Forgot about Rotation

Almost! Now I get an Invalid Z arguement!

I don't know enough VBA to get you out of that one

Maybe in LISP I could do it, but not VBA

No worries! Thanks for your help

Just out of curiosity, why are you doing it in VBA? This task would be much easier to accomplish using LISP...

I want to learn VBA so I'm trying to accomplish it in that language but Iam new at this programming stuff.

If you are just starting to use programming, I would avoid learning VBA as it is almost a dead language in terms of ACAD.

See here:

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33191

Yes, I've read that thread. Right now, most programs in my office are written in VBA (before I got here), hence the need to learn it. Even if VBA dies, Autodesk will support it for years to come before they phase it out because of older users.

I can see your reasoning, I just find that things can be accomplished easier and with a lot less coding in LISP

VBA is my preferred choice of language. Possibly as I was trained in FORTRAN which isn't too dissimilar to BASIC which in turn isn't too dissimilar to VB which etc. Also I find it MUCH easier to read than LISP. There are some things you can't do in VBA but once you have a set of sub routine written it doesn't take too long to put it all together. Unfortunately I can't help here as our new IT policy severly limits my time around the forum at work and I don't have AutoCAD at home.

I suppose its just what you get used to Dave, I have only really ever played around with LISP and so when I look at VBA, it just looks too complicated and I haven't got around to dissecting it and studying it as yet...

Am I right in saying that Fortran was one of the first programming languages to be brought into existence?

The InsertBlock method has this signature:

RetVal = object.InsertBlock(InsertionPoint, Name, Xscale, Yscale, ZScale, Rotation [, Password])

Your code is trying to use the x, y, and z coordinates of the original .GetPoint call for the scale values. I suppose that may be what you want – but it would be out of the ordinary.

The reason you are getting the “Invalid Z argument” is because the return from the .GetPoint probably has a z = 0, or maybe negative. Neither work with block insertion.

Am I right in saying that Fortran was one of the first programming languages to be brought into existence?

looks that way. I thought I had been taught FORTRAN IV but looking at the dates it was probably a latter version. I learned sometime in the 70s. We were looking at getting a computer to do finite element analysis rather than getting the analysis done by a bureaux in London. At about the same time Commodore brought out their "PET" machine - 1k memory, tape drive tiny keyboard and built in BASIC language so I didn't use FORTRAN much and quickly became OK at BASIC.

It still amazes me how much computers have evolved in such a short space of time...

Thanks for the info Dave.