SDS

Works with Bricscad (Windows) Classic, Pro and Platinum, Bricscad (Linux) Classic and Pro.

The SDS API is a C-style API, that is similar to the ADS API of AutoCAD.

Deprecated

Up to Bricscad V7, SDS was the only C-style API available.

Since Bricscad V8, there is a new C/C++ BRX API, which is fully code compatible with ADS and ObjectARX of AutoCAD. Most of the SDS functions have an equal similar global function in BRX. Therefore, we advise to use BRX above SDS for new developments.

SDS is still supported, for reasons of backward compatibility with existing SDS applications. However, some breaking changes were necessary to fit into the design of Bricscad V8. At the same time these changes increased the compatibility with AutoCAD.

Breaking changes from Bricscad V7 to V8 (or higher)

• All SDS functions have switched to unicode.
• SDS dlls are compiled and loaded as DwgDirect based modules.
  Bricscad V8 has undergone a complete rewrite compared to Bricscad V7. It is now based on the popular DwgDirect libraries provided by the Open Design Alliance. This implicates that SDS applications need to be compiled and loaded as DRX modules.
• There is a new entrypoint function, acrxEntryPoint, code compatible with AutoCAD's entry point.
• Reactors:
  In V7 and earlier, SDS reactor functions used to be registered with the sds_setcallbackfunc function. Starting with V8, this function is no longer supported. Instead, you can use the reactors provided by the DRX SDK: OdEditorReactor, OdEdCommandStackReactor, OdDbDatabaseReactor, ...
• Simplified threading:
  In V7 and earlier, each SDS application used to be loaded in its own separate thread. As a consequence, problems were often reported, where client SDS code was executed while it was expected to pause and wait for a response from the Bricscad application. Creating a workaround for such synchronization problems was often a cumbersome task.
  From V8 version on, SDS application are loaded in the main thread of Bricscad, so these threading problems can no longer occur.

Compiling SDS applications

In order to compile your SDS application, you need to:

• include sds.h and link with sds.lib. These files are installed with Bricscad, in the API sub folder.
• include and link with the DRX SDK. This is the DwgDirect based SDK provided by the Open Design Aliance, and can be downloaded freely from their website. See the DRX section of this developer reference for more info.

We advise to use Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 that is compatible with version 8.0 of the CRT and MFC libraries.

Note that there is no binary compatibility for compiled applications between Bricscad V7 and Bricscad V8 (or higher). If you have an existing V7 based SDS application, it will need to be migrated and recompiled for Bricscad V8.

Sample project

Amongst the sample applications installed with Bricscad, you will find the "sdsMigrate" project. This sample SDS application illustrates all the changes that have been made compared to V7. In particular, the project demonstrates the new solution for all kinds of reactors. Please check this project and the included readme.txt for a full list of changes.