layer contol routine..How-To..?

i have residential designs that have a number of xrefs for various builder options..(sunroom..screen porch options, ect)...
i would like to have a routine that would turn on / off combinations of layers for the various options that the bulder/client needs.
***
i'm totally new to autolisp and programming in general...
-what i visualize would be a dialog box with named layer sets easily selectable at a click...
****
is this doable,..? is it it difficult... where do i start..
(serious newby at programming..)
thanks
mac

 

Hi,

I don't think you need to program this. Start the Layer Manager and look at
the tools available to you there.
If that is not satisfactory, then I'd suggest you start in VBA and not in
Lisp.

--


Laurie Comerford
CADApps
www.cadapps.com.au

options..(sunroom..screen porch options, ect)...

layers for the various options that the bulder/client needs.

 

If that is not satisfactory, then I'd suggest you start in VBA and not in

:-(

jb

 

J B

what's w/ :-(
..?

 

thanks for the suggestions...
-i'll be doing some homework on vba and layer states...
(using 2000..may not have some newer tools...)
mac

 

if anyone else has different or more specific suggestions or tut site...
i'm listening
mac

 

this is an example but its only for one layer state file.

(defun C:your 3 key ()
(setvar "cmdecho" 0)
(command "-layer" "a" "i" "c:/filepath/your layer states file here.las" "r" "your layer states file here" "d" "your layer states file here" "" "")
(Prompt "\n\nThis command imports, restores, and deletes a layer states file...")
(Prompt "\n\nAdding your layer states file here...")
(Prompt "\n\nyour layer states file here have been set!!!\n")
(setvar "cmdecho" 1)
(princ)
)


post if you still dont understand or need help writing code.

 

found express LMAN..seems simple enough.
***
reading up on lisp ..."inside autocad 2000"
**********
(dis)advantages of lisp vs. vba...?

 

No, the layer states manager they're talking about is part of the core layer command, not the express tool. They aren't compatible, and lman is really obsolete (or at least unnecessary) at this point since states were added to the core command.

If you'll search the ng, vba vs lisp has been beaten to death repeatedly, it's unlikely anything new can be said about that.

 

i am not a vba programmer, but have some knowledge of vba. I believe that vba runs faster than lisp. But lisp has more customization abilities. And with lisp you'll have to learn how to create dialog boxes. VBA is dialog box based. However, with lisp you could create a command line version instead of a dialog box.

How much time do you have? What resources do you have access to? I got lucky and found a r13 customization book laying around the office. So I had to go with lisp.

my opinion: write a command line version with lisp. then study vba. I believe it takes less code with vba compared to lisp. Dialog Boxes in Lisp can be time consuming and tricky.

Good Luck!

 

thanks tom.....i didnt notice he was talking about express tools