MathSof 3D component

[Fosil]

Does anybody know how to use (methods, events and properties) the MathSoft 3D plot componet?
I need to plot a function f:RxR->R (a 3D plot) inside of a Visual Basic application. How can I do it?

 

[Mattman206]

Hi Fosil,

I haven't spent enough time playing with the Mathsoft 3D control to understand it completely, but I did figure out some things in the couple minutes I've spent with it.

First off, I don't have Visual Basic per se, but I do have access to the Visual Basic editor function that comes with Microsoft Office for writing macros.

I take it that you already know how to go to Tools>Additional Controls and add the 3D Plot control. And that you alreday know how to go to Tools>References and add the Mathsoft 3D Plot Module. (Notice that this references the C:\Program Files\Mathsoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.dll file)

Once the OpenGL control is in your toolbox, you can add it to your form. Right clicking on it gives you the properties. There are a lot of properties!!

This is where I got stuck too, because when I type OpenGL1. the pop up menu comes up showing all of the properties and the functions. The problem though is that the VB editor is not smart enough to figure out what the function syntax for each property/function is.

I decided to dig a little deeper into the gl.dll file mentioned above.

I downloaded PE Explorer, a DLL viewer program from

http://www.heaventools.com/download.htm.

It's only a 30-day trial, so you'll have to work fast

Install this program and then open that gl.dll file.
Then go to the Resource Viewer/Editor and take a look under TYPELIB.

You'll see this:

//Mathsoft 3-D Plot module
//Version: 9.0
GLLib;
GUID = {273E49A2-02DE-11D1-9AE9-0000C008720B};


//Dispatch interface for Mathsoft 3-D Plot Control
//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch _DOpenGL;
GUID = {273E49A3-02DE-11D1-9AE9-0000C008720B};
  ShowBackplanes: I1;
  Title: BSTR;
  Tilt: R4;
  Twist: R4;
  Rotation: R4;
  RenderFilled: I2;
  RenderHiddenLine: I2;
  RenderAlternate: I2;
  RenderLines: I2;
  RenderPoints: I2;
  RenderWireFrame: I2;
  RenderContour: I2;
  TitlePosition: I2;
  NumberOfModels: I2;
  Lighting: I1;
  Fog: I1;
  FogMode: I2;
  FogColor: I4;
  FogDensity: R4;
  FogStart: R4;
  FogEnd: R4;
  AmbientLight: I4;
  Radius: R8;
  PerspectiveView: I1;
  ViewingDistance: I2;
  ConstrainedView: I1;
  PerimeterAxes: I2;
  CornerAxes: I2;
  NoAxes: I2;
  HardwareRendering: I1;
  ModelBox: IDispatch;
  BorderColor: I4;
  ShowBorder: I1;
  ViewAsContourPlot: I2;
  ViewAsDataPoints: I2;
  ViewAsBarPlot: I2;
  ViewAsPatchPlot: I2;
  ViewAsSurfacePlot: I2;
  ViewAsVectorFieldPlot: I2;
  LayoutMatrix: I2;
  LayoutStacked: I2;
  LayoutSideBySide: I2;
  VerticalScale: I2;
  GraphTitle: BSTR;
  GraphTitlePosition: I2;
  TitlePosAbove: I2;
  TitlePosBelow: I2;
  TitlePosHidden: I2;
  ConnectByRow: I2;
  ConnectByX: I2;
  ConnectByY: I2;
  ConnectByZ: I2;
  SolidLine: I2;
  DashedLine: I2;
  DottedLine: I2;
  DaDotLine: I2;
  DotSymbol: I2;
  XSymbol: I2;
  PlusSymbol: I2;
  BoxSymbol: I2;
  DiamondSymbol: I2;
  HighQualityPrinting: I1;
  Moveable: I1;
  function CreateLight(out num: I2): I1; stdcall;
  function AddSurfaces(out surfaces: Variant): I1; stdcall;
  function RemoveSurfaces: I1; stdcall;
  function Render: I1; stdcall;
  function AddVolumes(out volumes: Variant): I1; stdcall;
  function MakeCurrent: I1; stdcall;
  function MakeNotCurrent: I1; stdcall;
  function Aspect: R8; stdcall;
  function PolygonOffset(out factor: R4; out units: R4); stdcall;
  function AddSurface(out surface: Variant): I1; stdcall;
  function AddParametricSurface(out surf_x: Variant; out surf_y: Variant; out surf_z: Variant): I1; stdcall;
  function Light(out n: I2): IDispatch; stdcall;
  function DestroyLight(out num: I2): I1; stdcall;
  function Model(out n: I2): IDispatch; stdcall;
  function CreateModel(out modelNum: I2): IDispatch; stdcall;
  function AddVectorFieldPlot(out re: Variant; out im: Variant): I1; stdcall;
  function SetDefaultHighQualityPrinting(out bHighQuality: I1): I1; stdcall;
  function AddScatterPlot(out surf_x: Variant; out surf_y: Variant; out surf_z: Variant): I1; stdcall;
  function AboutBox; stdcall;

//Event interface for Mathsoft 3-D Plot Control
//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch _DOpenGLEvents;
GUID = {273E49A4-02DE-11D1-9AE9-0000C008720B};
  function MouseDown(out Button: I2; out Shift: I2; out x: OLE_XPOS_PIXELS; out y: OLE_YPOS_PIXELS); stdcall;
  function Click; stdcall;
  function DblClick; stdcall;
  function Error(out Number: I2; out Description: ^BSTR; out Scode: Error; out Source: BSTR; out HelpFile: BSTR; out HelpContext: I4; out CancelDisplay: ^I1); stdcall;
  function KeyDown(out KeyCode: ^I2; out Shift: I2); stdcall;
  function KeyPress(out KeyAscii: ^I2); stdcall;
  function KeyUp(out KeyCode: ^I2; out Shift: I2); stdcall;
  function MouseMove(out Button: I2; out Shift: I2; out x: OLE_XPOS_PIXELS; out y: OLE_YPOS_PIXELS); stdcall;
  function MouseUp(out Button: I2; out Shift: I2; out x: OLE_XPOS_PIXELS; out y: OLE_YPOS_PIXELS); stdcall;
  function ReadyStateChange; stdcall;

//Mathsoft 3-D Plot Control
//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass OpenGL;
GUID = {273E49A5-02DE-11D1-9AE9-0000C008720B};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IglLight;
GUID = {21787A22-8C49-11D1-9B80-0000C008720B};
  function QueryInterface(riid: ^GUID; out ppvObj: ^^VOID); stdcall;
  function AddRef: UI4; stdcall;
  function Release: UI4; stdcall;
  function GetTypeInfoCount(out pctinfo: ^UINT); stdcall;
  function GetTypeInfo(itinfo: UINT; lcid: UI4; out pptinfo: ^^VOID); stdcall;
  function GetIDsOfNames(riid: ^GUID; rgszNames: ^^I1; cNames: UINT; lcid: UI4; out rgdispid: ^I4); stdcall;
  function Invoke(dispidMember: I4; riid: ^GUID; lcid: UI4; wFlags: UI2; pdispparams: ^DISPPARAMS; out pvarResult: ^Variant; out pexcepinfo: ^EXCEPINFO; out puArgErr: ^UINT); stdcall;
  property-put Specular(: I4); stdcall;
  property-get Specular: I4; stdcall;
  property-put Diffuse(: I4); stdcall;
  property-get Diffuse: I4; stdcall;
  property-put PosX(: R4); stdcall;
  property-get PosX: R4; stdcall;
  property-put PosY(: R4); stdcall;
  property-get PosY: R4; stdcall;
  property-put PosZ(: R4); stdcall;
  property-get PosZ: R4; stdcall;
  property-put ID(: I2); stdcall;
  property-get ID: I2; stdcall;
  property-put PositionScale(: R4); stdcall;
  property-get PositionScale: R4; stdcall;
  property-put Enabled(: I2); stdcall;
  property-get Enabled: I2; stdcall;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass glLight;
GUID = {21787A23-8C49-11D1-9B80-0000C008720B};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IglModel;
GUID = {4A81A57C-8DE0-11D1-9B87-0000C008720B};
  Shininess: I2;
  SmoothShading: I4;
  DrawLines: I2;
  DrawPoints: I2;
  DrawXContours: I2;
  DrawYContours: I2;
  DrawZContours: I2;
  HiddenLineRemoval: I2;
  LineColor: I4;
  PointColor: I4;
  PolygonColor: UI4;
  LineColorMap: I2;
  PointColormap: I2;
  PolygonColormap: I2;
  LineWidth: R4;
  PointSize: R4;
  DrawFilledPolygons: I2;
  DrawHalfFilledPolygons: I2;
  ViewAs: I2;
  PolygonOffsetFactor: R4;
  BarPlotLayout: I2;
  InterpolatedRows: I2;
  InterpolatedColumns: I2;
  SpectrumX: I1;
  SpectrumY: I1;
  SpectrumZ: I1;
  InterpolateMesh: I1;
  FillXContours: I1;
  FillYContours: I1;
  FillZContours: I1;
  NumberOfContoursX: I2;
  NumberOfContoursY: I2;
  NumberOfContoursZ: I2;
  NumberedContoursX: I1;
  NumberedContoursY: I1;
  NumberedContoursZ: I1;
  AutoContourX: I1;
  AutoContourY: I1;
  AutoContourZ: I1;
  ColormapIndex: I2;
  BarPlotSpacing: I2;
  DataPointsConnectivity: I2;
  LineStyle: I2;
  PointSymbol: I2;
  DrawXContours3D: I2;
  DrawYContours3D: I2;
  DrawZContours3D: I2;
  FillXContours3D: I1;
  FillYContours3D: I1;
  FillZContours3D: I1;
  AutoContourX3D: I1;
  AutoContourY3D: I1;
  AutoContourZ3D: I1;
  NumberOfContoursX3D: I2;
  NumberOfContoursY3D: I2;
  NumberOfContoursZ3D: I2;
  ScatterPoints: I1;
  ScatterLines: I1;
  BarPoints: I1;
  PatchPoints: I1;
  VectorLines: I1;
  BarLines: I1;
  PatchLines: I1;
  VectorFilled: I1;
  BarFilled: I1;
  PatchFilled: I1;
  BarHalfFilled: I1;
  PatchHalfFilled: I1;
  DrawContourLines: I1;
  DrawFilledContours: I1;
  ContourLines3D: I1;
  IsQuickplot: I1;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass glModel;
GUID = {4A81A57E-8DE0-11D1-9B87-0000C008720B};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IglAxis;
GUID = {F2D2A214-A21F-11D1-A596-0A1C32000000};
  Numbered: I1;
  Label: BSTR;
  MinVal: R8;
  MaxVal: R8;
  NumGrids: I2;
  ShowLabel: I1;
  LabelFont: IDispatch;
  DataMin: R8;
  DataMax: R8;
  AxisColor: I4;
  AutoGridAxis: I1;
  AutoScaleAxis: I1;
  NumSubdivisions: I2;
  GridLineWeight: I2;
  SubGridLineWeight: I2;
  AxisLineWeight: I2;
  TickMarkWeight: I2;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass glAxis;
GUID = {F2D2A216-A21F-11D1-A596-0A1C32000000};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IglBackPlane;
GUID = {C463E873-BA9D-11D1-A5D1-32C6AB000000};
  ShowHorizontalGridLines: I1;
  ShowVerticalGridLines: I1;
  Fill: I1;
  FillColor: I4;
  VerticalGridColor: I4;
  IsXY: I1;
  IsYZ: I1;
  IsXZ: I1;
  ShowHorizontalSubdivisions: I1;
  ShowVerticalSubdivisions: I1;
  HorizontalSubdivisionColor: I4;
  VerticalSubdivisionColor: I4;
  HorizontalGridColor: I4;
  ShowHorizontalTickMarks: I1;
  ShowVerticalTickMarks: I1;
  HorizontalTickMarkColor: I4;
  VerticalTickMarkColor: I4;
  HorizontalGridLineWeight: I2;
  VerticalGridLineWeight: I2;
  HorizontalSubdivisionWeight: I2;
  VerticalSubdivisionWeight: I2;
  VerticalTickMarkWeight: I2;
  HorizontalTickMarkWeight: I2;
  Border: I1;
  ShowHorizontalSubTickMarks: I1;
  ShowVerticalSubTickMarks: I1;
  HorizontalSubTickMarkColor: I4;
  VerticalSubTickMarkWeight: I2;
  VerticalSubTickMarkColor: I4;
  HorizontalSubTickMarkWeight: I2;
  function SetXY; stdcall;
  function SetYZ; stdcall;
  function SetXZ; stdcall;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass glBackPlane;
GUID = {C463E875-BA9D-11D1-A5D1-32C6AB000000};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IglModelBox;
GUID = {BAB7F694-BCD8-11D1-A5D6-CA9EBA000000};
  XAxis: IDispatch;
  YAxis: IDispatch;
  ZAxis: IDispatch;
  XYPlane: IDispatch;
  XZPlane: IDispatch;
  YZPlane: IDispatch;
  AxesStyle: I2;
  BoxColor: I4;
  ShowBox: I1;
  function GetAssociatedBackplane(out axis: I2): IDispatch; stdcall;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass glModelBox;
GUID = {BAB7F695-BCD8-11D1-A5D6-CA9EBA000000};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IGLPropertySheet;
GUID = {8CF2AD61-0AAD-11D2-A67F-588186000000};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass GLPropertySheet;
GUID = {8CF2AD63-0AAD-11D2-A67F-588186000000};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IBackPlanePropSink;
GUID = {DA6160FF-33AA-11D2-97A9-00104B38A38C};
  ShowHorizontalGridLines: I1;
  ShowVerticalGridLines: I1;
  ShowHorizontalTickMarks: I1;
  ShowVerticalTickMarks: I1;
  HorizontalGridColor: I4;
  VerticalGridColor: I4;
  HorizontalGridLineWeight: I2;
  VerticalGridLineWeight: I2;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass BackPlanePropSink;
GUID = {DA616101-33AA-11D2-97A9-00104B38A38C};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IModelPropSink;
GUID = {DA616102-33AA-11D2-97A9-00104B38A38C};
  DrawZContours: I1;
  FillZContours: I1;
  DrawWireframe: I1;
  FillSurface: I1;
  DrawZContours3D: I1;
  FillZContours3D: I1;
  ViewAs: I2;
  FillContours: I1;
  DrawContours: I1;
  DrawContours3D: I1;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass ModelPropSink;
GUID = {DA616104-33AA-11D2-97A9-00104B38A38C};

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
Dispatch IFloatSpinButtonCtrl;
GUID = {3FD0D5EE-3AB2-11D2-97B1-00104B38A38C};
  LowerLimit: R4;
  UpperLimit: R4;
  Divisions: I4;

//Help File:    C:\Program Files\MathSoft\Mathcad 2001 Professional\gl.hlp
CoClass FloatSpinButtonCtrl;
GUID = {3FD0D5EF-3AB2-11D2-97B1-00104B38A38C};

This is the type library that is used to interface this DLL.
Each property/function has parameters that have certain data types. Here's what I could find about COM (Component Object Model) types:

float                 float 
i1                    char 
i2                    short 
i4                    long 
r4                    float 
r8                    double 
string                BSTR 
time                  DATE 
time.tz               DATE 
ui1                   unsigned char 
ui2                   unsigned short 
ui4                   unsigned long

(source:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/d...description_data_types_to_idl_data_types.asp)

As far as I can tel, "^" means "pointer to"

That's as far as I got. I couldn't find any examples using gl.dll. I highly doubt that Mathcad would have any documentation on these controls, but I could be wrong.

So, I guess it's up to you to figure out the syntax and data structures via trial and error.

Hope that helped, or at least got you started!

Matt
(m-valerio@onu.edu)

 

[PhilWainman]

Hello Fosil,

Did you get anywhere with this investigation. I am trying to do something similar!

 

[Mattman206]

What version of VB are you using?

 

[PhilWainman]

I am actually using Borland C++ Builder Version 5.0. I have pretty muched sussed out what I wanted to achieve using TVaraint class and Safe Arrays. I created a C++ Component (called OpenGL1)based on the OCX and then used the following code to load data into safe arrays and then pointed my TVariant at the safe array.


TVariant userVariant,X,Y,Z;

// no set up pointers to these Variants
TVariant* pVariant=&userVariant, *pX=&X, *pY=&Y, *pZ=&Z;
int iType = varDouble;
double theta,x_i;
VariantInit(pVariant);
VariantInit(pX);
VariantInit(pY);
VariantInit(pZ);
int iMax = 26;

SAFEARRAY *pXArray,*pYArray,*pZArray;
SAFEARRAYBOUND xDim[2],yDim[2], zDim[2];
zDim[0].lLbound = 0;
zDim[0].cElements = iMax;
zDim[1].lLbound = 0;
zDim[1].cElements = iMax;

xDim[0].lLbound = 0;
xDim[0].cElements = iMax;
xDim[1].lLbound = 0;
xDim[1].cElements = iMax;

yDim[0].lLbound = 0;
yDim[0].cElements = iMax;
yDim[1].lLbound = 0;
yDim[1].cElements = iMax;


pVariant->vt = VT_ARRAY | iType;
pX->vt = VT_ARRAY | iType;
pY->vt = VT_ARRAY | iType;
pZ->vt = VT_ARRAY | iType;

// Three off Two dimensional Array Required
pXArray = SafeArrayCreate(iType, 2, xDim);
pYArray = SafeArrayCreate(iType, 2, yDim);
pZArray = SafeArrayCreate(iType, 2, zDim);


double *dwArray = NULL;
SafeArrayAccessData(pXArray, (void**)&dwArray);
SafeArrayAccessData(pYArray, (void**)&dwArray);
SafeArrayAccessData(pZArray, (void**)&dwArray);

for(int nY = 0; nY < iMax ; nY++)
for(int nX = 0; nX < iMax ; nX++) {
accessIndex[0] = nX;
accessIndex[1] = nY;
theta = (double)nX * 2 * M_PI /(iMax-1);
x_i = (double)nY*M_PI_2 / (iMax-1);
value = x_i*cos(theta);
SafeArrayPutElement(pXArray,accessIndex,&value);
value = x_i*sin(theta);
SafeArrayPutElement(pYArray,accessIndex,&value);
value = GetAntennaArrayGain(theta,x_i);
SafeArrayPutElement(pZArray,accessIndex,&value);
}


SafeArrayUnaccessData(pXArray);
SafeArrayUnaccessData(pYArray);
SafeArrayUnaccessData(pZArray);



pX->SetSAFEARRAY(pXArray);
pY->SetSAFEARRAY(pYArray);
pZ->SetSAFEARRAY(pZArray);
OpenGL1->AddParametricSurface(pX,pY,pZ);
OpenGL1->MakeCurrent();
OpenGL1->Render();