how to search the DB

I am creating a lisp routine that will insert details at the proper
scale based on an attribute value "SCALE" held in a block inside of the
detail block. This detail block will be xref'd into a new drawing - So
basically what i want is to find the attribute value of a block inside
of an xref.

Can anyone give me some ideas on how to search the DB of the detail to
get this value? Please no raw code, I am learning and would prefer
general direction.

Thanks!
kemp

 

Allow me to correct myself. You will encounter a
seqend only in the insert definition, not the block
definition as I said. Nil will be returned when you
have reached the end of the block definition.

 

assuming you want to run the lisp from within the 'target' drawing - your
"new drawing" - then you could use ObjectDbx to read the xref detail
drawing, find the block, get the attribute value for the "scale" tag, save
that value to a variable, then close the dbx dwg and xref the detail dwg in
using your scale variable accordingly.
there....no code!

happy coding
Mark

 

Look at my response to "Extract attribute values from xref" dated 7/7/2004
in this forum.

 

Some great ideas in here. Should be fun to figure it out! Thanks everyone.

kemp

 

Do I need to have a c++ compiler for this method? From what I've read it
sound like I might...

Thanks,
kemp

 

No. You may, however, be required to register
the objectDBX services depending on what version
of AutoCAD you are running.

 

You may be thinking of ObjectArx, rather than ObjectDbx.
as Jason pointed out, you can use lisp to run ObjectDbx, you can also use
vb/a

try a google search on ObjectDbx and see what you come up with,
There's a little bit to learn at first to use it, but once you have the
basics you can grow incrementally in your ability and ease with which you
will be able to access, either to read or to write drawings without having
to open them in the editor window.
have fun

Mark

 

Thanks everyone, with your help it works!

kemp