Filter for Extended Data

External applications can attach data such as text strings, numeric values, 3D points, distances, and layer names to AutoCAD objects. This data is referred to as extended data, or xdata. You can filter entities containing extended data for a specified application.

Select circles that contain xdata

The following example filters for circles containing xdata added by the “MY_APP” application:

VB.NET

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices

Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput

<CommandMethod("FilterXdata")> _

Public Sub FilterXdata()

  '' Get the current document editor

  Dim acDocEd As Editor = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor

  '' Create a TypedValue array to define the filter criteria

  Dim acTypValAr(1) As TypedValue

  acTypValAr.SetValue(New TypedValue(DxfCode.Start, "Circle"), 0)

  acTypValAr.SetValue(New TypedValue(DxfCode.ExtendedDataRegAppName, _

                                     "MY_APP"), 1)

  '' Assign the filter criteria to a SelectionFilter object

  Dim acSelFtr As SelectionFilter = New SelectionFilter(acTypValAr)

  '' Request for objects to be selected in the drawing area

  Dim acSSPrompt As PromptSelectionResult

  acSSPrompt = acDocEd.GetSelection(acSelFtr)

  '' If the prompt status is OK, objects were selected

  If acSSPrompt.Status = PromptStatus.OK Then

      Dim acSSet As SelectionSet = acSSPrompt.Value

      Application.ShowAlertDialog("Number of objects selected: " & _

                                  acSSet.Count.ToString())

  Else

      Application.ShowAlertDialog("Number of objects selected: 0")

  End If

End Sub

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;

using Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput;

[CommandMethod("FilterXdata")]

public static void FilterXdata()

  // Get the current document editor

  Editor acDocEd = Application.DocumentManager.MdiActiveDocument.Editor;

  // Create a TypedValue array to define the filter criteria

  TypedValue[] acTypValAr = new TypedValue[2];

  acTypValAr.SetValue(new TypedValue((int)DxfCode.Start, "Circle"), 0);

  acTypValAr.SetValue(new TypedValue((int)DxfCode.ExtendedDataRegAppName,

                                     "MY_APP"), 1);

  // Assign the filter criteria to a SelectionFilter object

  SelectionFilter acSelFtr = new SelectionFilter(acTypValAr);

  // Request for objects to be selected in the drawing area

  PromptSelectionResult acSSPrompt;

  acSSPrompt = acDocEd.GetSelection(acSelFtr);

  // If the prompt status is OK, objects were selected

  if (acSSPrompt.Status == PromptStatus.OK)

      SelectionSet acSSet = acSSPrompt.Value;

      Application.ShowAlertDialog("Number of objects selected: " +

                                  acSSet.Count.ToString());

  else

      Application.ShowAlertDialog("Number of objects selected: 0");

VBA/ActiveX Code Reference