The previous four sections of code can be combined into one single piece of code that can be executed as one program. Alternatively, if you have programmed each section individually, the four components can be executed using calls from a fifth program.

The following section of code is the complete combined tutorial:

Dim msApp As New Maxsurf.Application

Public Sub Tutorial()

    Dim msDesign As Maxsurf.Design

    Set msDesign = msApp.Design

    'Creates a surface in Maxsurf

    msDesign.Surfaces.Add msSLDefault

    i = msDesign.Surfaces.Count

        'This finds the number of surfaces in the design

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).Visible = False

    'Move all the control Points to form a vessel shape.

    'All these dimensions are in metres,

        'regardless the units set inside of Maxsurf

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 1, 1, -10, 0, -2

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 2, 1, -10, 3, -1.5

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 3, 1, -8,  3,  2

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 1, 2,  0,  0, -2.5

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 2, 2,  0,  5, -2

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 3, 2,  0,  5,  2

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 1, 3, 7.5, 0, -2

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 2, 3, 9.5, 0, -2

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).SetControlPoint 3, 3, 10,  0,  3

    'Create a Grid

    'Create waterlines

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTWaterlines, WL1, -2, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTWaterlines, WL2, -1, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTWaterlines, WL3, 1, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTWaterlines, WL4, 2, 0

    'Create Section lines

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTSections, Sec1, -9, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTSections, Sec2, -5, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTSections, Sec3, -1, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTSections, Sec4, 1, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTSections, Sec5, 5, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTSections, Sec6, 9, 0

    'Create Buttock Lines

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTButtocklines, B0, 0, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTButtocklines, B1, 1.5, 0

    msDesign.Grids.AddGridLine msGTButtocklines, B2, 3, 0

    'Get the Hydrostatics of the Hull

    Dim Displacement As Long

    Dim Draft As Long

    Dim Beam As Long

    msDesign.Hydrostatics.Calculate 1025, -2

    Displacement = msDesign.Hydrostatics.Displacement

    LWL = msDesign.Hydrostatics.LWL

    Draft = msDesign.Hydrostatics.Draft

    Beam = msDesign.Hydrostatics.BeamWL

    MsgBox "The Displacement is " & Displacement & " tonnes"

    MsgBox "The Draft is " & Draft & " m"

    msDesign.Surfaces(i).Visible = True

    'To update the screens in Maxsurf, use the refresh command

    msApp.refresh

End Sub

The alternative to combining all of this code into one procedure is to use calls. The advantage of using calls is that multiple procedures can call on one procedure. For example, a procedure to determine the hydrostatics could be called by several other procedures, and hence only needs to be written once.

For this tutorial example, the procedure to call all the tutorial segments looks like;

Public Sub Tutorial_RunAll()

    Call Tutorial_1

    Call Tutorial_2

    Call Tutorial_3

    Call Tutorial_4

End Sub

This script so far has not shown anything particularly useful. The power of automation in Maxsurf comes from being able to manipulate and refine data through integration with other programs such as Microsoft Excel and AutoCAD. This tutorial has provided a basis of programming with the Maxsurf object model; subsequent chapters will look at more powerful uses of Maxsurf automation and integration of Maxsurf with other programs.