looking for a lisp that will insert word files

Discussion in 'AutoCAD' started by CEIDave, Dec 23, 2003.

  1. CEIDave

    CEIDave Guest

    Our office is currently using a version of the Asctext.lsp to insert word files into our drawings without loosing any formatting. I was wondering if anyone knew of a better lisp that is floating around that will insert the files with correct formating without the typists having to save their word files as *.asc files first. Thanks in advance!
     
    CEIDave, Dec 23, 2003
    #1
  2. CEIDave

    Paul Turvill Guest

    You're using .doc files? It's not an easy chore to design a LISP routine
    capable of handling Word formatting. You have a couple of options, however:
    insert as OLE objects, or use a more basic text processing program for
    setting up your notes--something like TextPad, that can convert TABs to
    series of spaces, etc.
    ___

    files into our drawings without loosing any formatting. I was wondering if
    anyone knew of a better lisp that is floating around that will insert the
    files with correct formating without the typists having to save their word
    files as *.asc files first. Thanks in advance!
     
    Paul Turvill, Dec 23, 2003
    #2
  3. CEIDave

    CEIDave Guest

    Thanks Paul, The files that we insert all start as .doc files, but the typists save them as .asc files for us to insert them right now. There are some things that just don't transfer like division symbols, and sometimes the formating gets a bit quirky, its nothing we can't deal with since its no more than occasional, but were just wondering if something else was floating around out there that would eliminate the middle step of saving as .asc.
     
    CEIDave, Dec 23, 2003
    #3
  4. CEIDave

    jofireman Guest

    The best way I found was to save the *.doc file as a *.txt file. With Mtext import the *.txt file. This was you can resize your paragraph without any problems.
     
    jofireman, Dec 23, 2003
    #4
  5. I'm currently working on this exact problem...it would be based in VB/VBA
    not LISP. One of the things to think about when trying to import a Word
    document is that you will want to use a similiar font in both applications,
    if you use Arial in Word then also use it in AutoCAD. The reason behind
    this is due to font metrics, each font behaves differently and even the same
    font acts differently between Word and AutoCAD. With Arial, I've been
    changing the width factor to .7 in order to get a 99% correct import.

    I'm currently reading straight from Word via Automation, this has been the
    only way that I have found to get such an accurate import. It does take
    longer due to architecture but the import is great. It handles
    Bulleted/Numbered Lists great and knows that not all tabs will be 5 spaces
    between characters, for example on one line put a tab at 6 inches and
    centered, even rich text format doesn't do this that great.

    This program is in alpha mode currently and I am willing to take some
    feature requests from everybody and to discuss issues that you have come up
    to in the past.

    One of the features currently being added is ability to import Word tables.

    files into our drawings without loosing any formatting. I was wondering if
    anyone knew of a better lisp that is floating around that will insert the
    files with correct formating without the typists having to save their word
    files as *.asc files first. Thanks in advance!
     
    Ronnie Wilkins, Jr., Dec 23, 2003
    #5
  6. CEIDave

    CEIDave Guest

    I wish I knew how to do that kinda stuff LOL My schooling only took me through some lisp and some macro stuff. Thanks everyone!

    Ronnie-
    Have you found a way to get autocad to recognize ascII symbols inserted in word yet? Thats one thing I've been completely unable to figure out. I can type in something like a division symbol in the font monotxt, but if the typists do it for me, i have to go in and manually change that part of the text after its all inserted.
     
    CEIDave, Dec 23, 2003
    #6
  7. If you're using the Autodesk supplied fonts *.shx then you will most likely
    be missing the font characters for these. You will need to either use a
    different font or continue doing this manually.

    through some lisp and some macro stuff. Thanks everyone!
    in word yet? Thats one thing I've been completely unable to figure out. I
    can type in something like a division symbol in the font monotxt, but if the
    typists do it for me, i have to go in and manually change that part of the
    text after its all inserted.
     
    Ronnie Wilkins, Jr., Dec 23, 2003
    #7
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