Insert a round block using any quandrant

I was wondering if there is a way to make a lisp routine to insert a round
block (a circle with a T in it to designate a thermostat) on a wall using
one of the 4 quadrants as a base point. I cant seem to figure any way to do
it. I would like to insert a tstat by picking a wall with nearest, then
maybe drag it towards the opposite side of the insert point, and then change
the insert point. I can make 4 blocks, with each one a different insert
point, then it can calculate the two points, first being the insert point,
the second point would designate which direction so it can choose wich block
to use. Actually, doesnt seem too hard after writting it, but could use
some basic ideas. Would I use wcmatch and have a variable set to the
direction of p1 and p2. if wcmatch = 0 then insert tstat-0, etc. Any ideas
or help would be appreciated.

 

I don't like having to many blocks in my drawings, so I would just make the insertion point the middle, that way when you move it it's the same amout on all sides. Then have the ability to pick a point on the wall, then one inside the room. Get the direction, then move it according to that direction and the scale of the block. I think that is the way I would do it.

Tim

 

Create block with insertion point as center of circle (radius 0.1=TstatDist)

(defun C:IB (/ SOM SOR P1 P2 TstatDist)
(setq TstatDist 0.1)
(setq SOM (getvar "OSMODE"))
(setq SOR (getvar "ORTHOMODE"))
(setvar "OSMODE" 512)
(setvar "ORTHOMODE" 1)
(if (setq P1 (getpoint "\nPick Point on Wall for Thermostat ? "))
(progn
(setvar "OSMODE" 0)
(if (setq P2 (getpoint P1 "\nPick Point away from Wall ? "))
(command "INSERT" "Tstat" (polar P1 (angle P1 P2) TstatDist) 1.0 1.0
0)
)
)
)
(setvar "OSMODE" SOM)
(setvar "ORTHOMODE" SOR)
(princ)
)

 

I find it easier to have a single block definition with the text as a
variable attribute that I can rotate back to zero. Then the insertions can
be at any angle with the text still upright. And since you are writing a
custom insertion command anyway, it could automatically upright the
attribute before closing.

 

good point.

 

How could it automatically rotate the attriibute? If the single block has
an attribute, insert it, give it a direction, and rotate as required within
the routine. It would be best if the attribute had a default of T, but
could be edited to be any other letter or number as well.

 

After you insert it, use (entget (entlast)) to get the block, then you could cycle thru it to the attributes and change the rotation to 0 or a number relative to the rotation angle of the block.

Tim

 

John,
I would suggest that you have a single block with a center IP as
the others have suggested. Insert it on the wall (I assume you are
using parallel lines or are you using an ADT wall entity?)
Keep the angle at 0 and determine the direction of a move
to make it appear to sit on the wall surface. Use the angle of the
wall/line and make the move perpendicular to the wall/line. Use
the radius of the bubble for the move distance.

Regards,
Doug

 

yes, walls are horizontal or vertical

 

But they could be at any other angle right?
Are they lines or ADT walls?

With either, you could get the angle of the wall with
entget methods. Then all you would need would
be the side of the wall it needs to move toward.

tstat <pick wall at insert point> <pick side to offset>

 

well, they are lines usually, but could also be entities as we use
backgrounds from our client. However, in either case, they are on xreffed
backgrounds. The walls could also be on an angle, had an angled one today,
but unusual in fact.

 

I am reminded now that actually we also use this 'zero rotation - offset
from wall' method for stats, which makes me wonder. For other wall-mounted
symbols with attribute designations (like lights and plumbing fixtures), we
here use the 'attribute post-rotation' method I mentioned, so why not for
stats? Just curious. Any thoughts? Doug?

John, if the xref thing is giving you trouble I found a few helpful threads
by searching google groups for "nestedcopy", including one in which Joe
Burke was helping me with similar issues (that I still haven't quite worked
through). Here is another rendition of Joe's code that will copy a single
pick from any block. Take note that if the block is an xref, this actually
puts the copy in it's xref layer <file|layer>. Also, I think it would choke
on nested "complex" entities. I'm not sure what other potential limitations
it has, but I've no doubt there are some.

(defun c:CopyNested (/ pick obj)
(setq pick (nentselp))
(entmake (entget (car pick)))
(setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object (entlast)))
(vla-transformby obj (vlax-tmatrix (caddr pick)))
obj
)

James

 

I wrote a program that worked with a drawing full of electrical symbols
and used two picks on the wall to establish rotation. It also has an semi-
automatic layout mode. If any of the attributes look bad, I use another
command or two to rotate them. One command rotates to 0 and allows
a move of the attribute. It uses -attedit. Another scans a selection set
and rotates all attributes to 0 direction.

For all those blocks the insertion point is "on" the wall. So for circular
blocks, the IP is the quadrant.

I haven't improved the program in about 10 years. It time to add a
height attribute to the outlets perhaps. I'd also like to have electrical
data included so that I could just pick the blocks to be circuited and
a program would connect the symbols with wire symbols and keep
a tally of the current draw and link that to the panel and the home
run.

It would be relatively easy to test the block just inserted to see if it
had any attributes and rotate them automatically to 0.

 

James,

I think you should toss that code. I believe it was Tony who pointed out, (entmake
(entget... is a bad idea.

Joe Burke

 

Search these newsgroups for '(entmake (entget", and see
what you come up with.

In short, that combination does not really copy the
source object. There are a number of aspects to the
list returned by entget that make it incompatible
with the list required by entmake, and to make matters
worse, it will not copy application data attached to
the object via its extension dictionary.

True 'copying' can only be done using the COPY command
or the ActiveX or ObjectARX APIs/

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http://www.acadxtabs.com

 

BTW James, the comments which preceded that bad idea were:

;; 3/16/2004
;; copy and highlight an object nested in a block insert
;; not intended for use with xref inserts
;; rough code for demonstration only

Joe Burke

 

Actually this is what I posted in a thread called 'Nssget' (like ACAD Trim/Extend
commands) for Lisp?.

;; 3/16/2004
;; copy and highlight an object nested in a block insert
;; not intended for use with xref inserts
;; rough code for demonstration only
(defun c:CopyNested ( / doc mspace ent vobj matrix copyobj )
(setq doc (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-acad-object)))
(setq mspace (vla-get-ModelSpace doc))
(setq ent (nentselp "Select object nested in block: "))
(setq vobj (vlax-ename->vla-object (car ent)))
(setq matrix (caddr ent)) ;4x4 transformation matrix
(setq copyobj (car (vlax-invoke doc 'copyobjects (list vobj) mspace)))
(vla-transformby copyobj (vlax-tmatrix matrix)) ;transform copied object
(vla-highlight copyobj :vlax-true)
(princ)
) ;end

Joe Burke

 

Wow. Sorry Joe. Thanks Joe and Tony. Joe, I thought I had made a good
improvement to your code... Should've known better. Oops. I included your
name just to give credit where credit was due because what I posted
originated from your sample code. Didn't mean to attach your name to junk
code.

All that being said and having learned a little more, would there still be a
problem with using (entmake <stripped down (entget>, stripping the entget
list down to just the basics required by entmake? Or is that still a bad
idea?

to self: Man, I thought we had something really good there too! :<

 

Thanks for the thoughts Doug. I appreciate other's ideas on how to approach
these things.

 

James,

No problem. I got a little confused, thinking what you posted here was what I posted
in the other thread I mentioned. Until I went back and looked.

Regarding (entmake (entget... I think Tony's advice rules. Why risk it when the
CopyObjects method works?

Maybe you modified what I posted because it seems less complicated? If so, I'd be
happy to provide a more detailed description of what the original code does. If that
would help...

Regards
Joe Burke