Embed ActiveX Controls (with C#)

TerraExplorer provides the ability to embed all TerraExplorer components: the 3D Window, the Information Window (Project Tree), and external 3D windows as ActiveX components, in your custom application GUI or in a Web page. This article contains a step-by-step guide to embedding ActiveX controls in C#. The steps refer to Visual Studio 2019.

Download C# code sample >

1. Download and install TerraExplorer. 
2. Create a new Windows Forms application project in Visual Studio, using C#: 
   • In Visual Studio, click Create a new project.
   • Select a C# Windows Form App project. Name the project 'TerraExplorerShowcaseCSharp', and click OK.
3. Create a new x64 solution platform and apply it to the current solution:
   • Build > Configuration Manager > Active solution platform > Create a new 64 bit platform
   • Apply the platform on the current solution.
4. Reference TerraExplorerX and AxInterop.TerraExplorerX. From the Project menu > References > select Add References.
   • Click the COM Components tab and locate TerraExplorerX 1.0 Type Library from the available references.
   • In the Reference Manager dialog, click Browse and then add C:\Program Files\Skyline\TerraExplorer Pro\AxInterop.TerraExplorerX.dll
5. Add the using directive for TerraExplorerX and AxTerraExplorerX namespaces in the Form1 code.
   

   using TerraExplorerX;
   using AxTerraExplorerX;

6. In the designer code Form1.Designer.cs, at the Form1 class, add the Panel objects:

   private System.Windows.Forms.Panel panel1;
   private System.Windows.Forms.Panel panel2;

7. In the designer code Form1.Designer.cs, at the InitializeComponent, set the form size and create Panel objects in which the ActiveX components will be stored.

   // 
   // Form1
   // 
   this.AutoScaleDimensions = new System.Drawing.SizeF(6F, 13F);
   this.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font;
   this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(1097, 769);
   this.Controls.Add(this.panel2);
   this.Controls.Add(this.panel1);
   this.Name = "Form1";
   this.Text = "Form1";
   this.ResumeLayout(false);
   //
   // add the panel to the form and instantiate it
   //
   this.panel1 = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();
   this.panel2 = new System.Windows.Forms.Panel();
   this.SuspendLayout();
   this.Controls.Add(this.panel2);
   this.Controls.Add(this.panel1);
   //
   // panel1
   // 
   this.panel1.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(330, 5);
   this.panel1.Name = "panel1";
   this.panel1.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(762, 762);
   this.panel1.TabIndex = 0;
   // 
   // panel2
   // 
   this.panel2.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(12, 5);
   this.panel2.Name = "panel2";
   this.panel2.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(305, 762);
   this.panel2.TabIndex = 1;

8. In the Form1 code, define a variable to hold an SGWorld object instance.
   Note: This variable is used later to access extensive TerraExplorer API.
   

   private SGWorld80 sgworld;

9. Define AxHost variables to hold the AxTE3DWindow and the AxTEInformationTree components.

   private AxHost ThreeDWindow, InfoTree;

10. Initialize an SGWorld object in the Form1_Load event.
    Note: This object automatically finds the ActiveX controls that you have placed on the form and interacts with them.
    Note: You should initialize this object only after the ActiveX object was already created, i.e., in the Form1_Load() event.
    

    sgworld = new SGWorld80();

11. Now you can use SGWorld object to control the TerraExplorer ActiveX. The following code loads a .fly project and flies to a specific location. 

    public partial class Form1 : Form
        {
            private SGWorld80 sgworld;
            private AxHost ThreeDWindow, InfoTree;
            public Form1()
            {
                InitializeComponent();
                ThreeDWindow = new AxTE3DWindow() { Dock = DockStyle.Fill };
                panel1.Controls.Add(ThreeDWindow);
                InfoTree = new AxTEInformationWindow() { Dock = DockStyle.Fill };
                panel2.Controls.Add(InfoTree);
            }
            private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
            {
                 sgworld = new SGWorld80();   
                // Register to OnLoadFinished globe event
                sgworld.OnLoadFinished += Sgworld_OnLoadFinished;
                // Open Project in asynchronous mode
                string flyFile = "http://www.skylineglobe.com/SkylineGlobeLayers/SG_ExternalFlys/skylineglobe7.fly";
                sgworld.Project.Open(flyFile, true, null, null);
                MessageBox.Show("Opening project " + flyFile + " in async mode");
            }
            private void Sgworld_OnLoadFinished(bool bSuccess)
            {         
                MessageBox.Show("Received project loaded event. Click OK to fly to Washington DC.");
                IPosition80 Orlando = sgworld.Creator.CreatePosition(-81.37504215, 28.54353898, 0, AltitudeTypeCode.ATC_TERRAIN_RELATIVE, 235.00487, -26.045611, 0, 873);
                sgworld.Navigate.FlyTo(Orlando);
            }      
        }