Customization of Fields

I found one tip on CAD Forum that discussed custom editing of fields to
allow for some detailed options. The example on CAD Forum
(www.cadforum.cz/cadforum_en/qaID.asp?tip=3676) heads in the direction I'm
wanting, but doesn't give any further information on control codes, what
they all are and how to make more use of them. For example, I want to do an
area in architectural units rounded to the nearest integer, but I want to
keep my units at a higher precision of 1/64th.
Based on the tip, I used Notepad to edit the field and pasted into text to
try things. However, once it's pasted, you can't edit it again without
copying out to Notepad or something similar each time. It makes perfect
sense that this custom editing should be an option in fields to get
additional formatting, etc. Anyone have an idea whether this might be
added, or available now somehow? Or anywhere someone could get a list of
the control codes and what they do to really make fields customizable?

 

Thanks to Rob Fjerstad at Autodesk for providing me with a document
regarding control codes and information on customization of the fields
dialog box. I hope that others can make use of this information, as well; I
have found it to be a lifesaver!
I found out that you can directly edit the field format controls by opening
for edit the XML file AcFields.fdc located in your C:\Document and
Settings\<user>\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2005\R16.1\enu\Support

I suggest you make a backup copy of this file just in case you need to
restore it for some reason.

In your sample, if you search for Area down at line 698 you'll see various
formatting styles for the Object Area field strings. What I did as a sample
was added the following in this section, at line 701:



<Format>

<DisplayName>My Area Format</DisplayName>

<FormatString>%lu2%ct4%qf1%PR0 S.F.</FormatString>

</Format>

When I then created a Object field with property Area I then had in the
Format list my new entry called My Area Format at the top of the list. You
could then deploy this updated AcFields.fdc file to the others AutoCAD seats
in your company.



Data type
Category
Format
Options
Description

String
Case formats
TCx

x is 1-4




1
Upper case




2
Lower case




3
First capital




4
Title case





Examples:

%tc1

%tc4


File name formats
FNx

x is 1-7




1
File path only




2
File name only




3
File path and name




4
File extension only




5
Not valid




6
File name and extension




7
File path, name, and extension





Examples:

%fn1

%fn6%tc1

Long
Separate thousands
TH

Separates thousands using comma


Byte format
BYx

x is 1-3




1
Bytes




2
Kilobytes




3
Megabytes





Examples:

%by1

%.2fby3


Boolean format
BLx

x is 1-4




1
True, False




2
Yes, No




3
On, Off




4
Enabled, Disabled





Examples:

%bl2

%bl4%tc1


Enum format
ENx

x is 1-6




1
Text alignment:

Left, Center, Right, Aligned, Middle, Fit, Top left, Top center, Top
right, Middle left, Middle center, Middle right, Bottom left, Bottom center,
Bottom right




2
MText line spacing style:

At least, Exactly




3
Hatch object type:

Hatch, Gradient




4
Hatch style:

Normal, Outer, Ignore




5
Hatch pattern type:

User defined, Predefined, Custom




6
3d polyline type:

Simple, Quadratic, Cubic





Examples:

%en1

%en2%tc1

Double
acutPrintf formats


All the printf formats supported by acutPrintf


QFormats


QFormats supported by acutPrintf


Precision
PRx

x is precision which can be 0-8


Format options
QFx

x is OR'd custom format flags and AcUt::QFormatBitFlags enum values




0x1
Don't convert inches to foot for Arch and Eng units.




n
OR'd AcUt::QFormatBitFlags


Linear units
LUx

x is 1-6




1
Scientific




2
Decimal




3
Engineering




4
Architectural




5
Fractional




6
Use current database units (LUNITS sysvar)


Angular units
AUx

x is 0-5




0
Decimal degrees




1
degrees/minutes/seconds




2
Grads




3
Radians




4
surveyor's units




5
Use current database units (AUNITS sysvar)


Conversion
CTx

x is 1-4




1
Inverse the value (1/x)




2
Foot to inch (x*12)




3
Inch to foot (x/12)




4
Square inch to square foot (x/12*12)





Examples:

%lu1%pr2

%au2%pr3

%lu1%qf3072

%lu1%pr2%qf3072

%lu4%pr8%ct2%qf2816

 

Oh... this is good stuff!

--
R. Robert Bell


"Jenna" <stilesj AT nospam DOT com> wrote in message
Thanks to Rob Fjerstad at Autodesk for providing me with a document
regarding control codes and information on customization of the fields
dialog box. I hope that others can make use of this information, as well; I
have found it to be a lifesaver!
I found out that you can directly edit the field format controls by opening
for edit the XML file AcFields.fdc located in your C:\Document and
Settings\<user>\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2005\R16.1\enu\Support

 

Thanks for posting the info Jenna.

 

thank you Jenna for posting that info!! Definitely helped with my question I had posted the day before..

and thank you R. Robert Bell for sending me this way... much appreciated!

 

Glad to help!