batch plot method?

I'm looking for advice and suggestions as to whether or not batch plotting
with VBA is a good idea, or even practical?

We don't necessarily have large plot jobs, most of our projects are 8-15
sheets in total. I have an old routine written that will allow the user to
select files through the (dos_msgbox) - DosLib - and then process the
returned list through a routine that will build a script file. This works
great, BUT it requires that the file names and paths not have any spaces in
them. Unfortunately, a great deal of our folders have spaces, and renaming
them would be more of a pain because then all the pathed xref's get messed
up.

Anyway, I think that gives the picture of my delimma. Now, realizing that
VBA will process paths w/ spaces in them. I was thinking of using my
previous routine to create a TXT file rather than a SCR file, and then
initiate a VBA routine that will process the file against a defined plot
routine.

Or are there different methods I could consider in regard to VBA?

Thanks for any advice.

 

You should be able to handle spaces using lisp. I've done it many times.
Could you post a sample part of the code that fails?
Other than that VBA is a good choice for batch processing like plotting.
For selecting the files you migth want to use GetOpenFileName function in
comdlg32.dll.

--
Best Regards, Jimmy Bergmark
CAD and Database Developer Manager at www.pharmadule-emtunga.com
Take a look at
JTB FlexReport (FLEXlm report tool) - www.jtbworld.com/jtbflexreport
SmartPurger (Purges automatically) - www.jtbworld.com/?/smartpurger.htm
or download some freeware at www.jtbworld.com
More on AutoCAD 2005;
www.jtbworld.com/autocad2005.htm

 

--
Matt W

There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can count, and those who can't.

 

Yes, LISP can handle the spaces, but it'd the SCR file that is the issue,
not the LISP.

 

Um, mind refreshing my memory on how to add a quote - " - to each end of my path name and put that into a script file?


Can you say "too much caffeine"??? Someone's a little "click-happy" this morning...


If you put quotes around your file names, you should be able to process them with you batch plotting program.

I.E. "C:\temp\long file name\first floor steel.dwg"

 

OPEN "X:\folder with space\file name with space.dwg"
works in a script file if that is what you are after.

--
Best Regards, Jimmy Bergmark
CAD and Database Developer Manager at www.pharmadule-emtunga.com
Take a look at
JTB FlexReport (FLEXlm report tool) - www.jtbworld.com/jtbflexreport
SmartPurger (Purges automatically) - www.jtbworld.com/?/smartpurger.htm
or download some freeware at www.jtbworld.com
More on AutoCAD 2005;
www.jtbworld.com/autocad2005.htm

 

Thank you Matt.

I had tried that, but it still didn't quite take, so I had asked in customization, and suggestion over there was to use (chr 34). Basically same as what you're showing, but I create a variable first.

But you were right though, I needed the extra quotes, works nice now.

Thanks!
Forget the last post...
It needs to be "\"".
I'm stuck in the world of VBA.

Sorry...

(defun C:ScriptTest ( / scrpt)
(setq scrpt (open "e:/temp/script.scr" "w"))
(write-line (strcat "\"" "Long file name" "\"") scrpt)
(close scrpt)
(princ)
)

--
Matt W

There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can count, and those who can't.

it's been a while but I believe this will work...
Note the sets of (3) quotes.

(write-line (strcat """ LongFileName """) script-name)

--
Matt W

There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can count, and those who can't.


Um, mind refreshing my memory on how to add a quote - " - to each end of my path name and put that into a script file?


Can you say "too much caffeine"??? Someone's a little "click-happy" this morning...


If you put quotes around your file names, you should be able to process them with you batch plotting program.

I.E. "C:\temp\long file name\first floor steel.dwg"

 

True, but I wasn't getting the quotes into the script file. That was the
part I was missing.

I've gotten the right syntax for my variable now, so I've got the path in
quotes now like you show.

Thanks Jimmy.