Plot Style Table Search Path

To prevent cad operators overwriting standards ctb files in our office the
plot style table search path has been set to the network drive to which
they have no write access capabilities.
For none standard plots the operator has to reset the plot style table
search path to the local drive on their work station by changing the path
(Options - Printer Support File Path- Plot Style Tabel Search Path).

Can anybody give some input how to place a quick switch in a toobar or lisp.

Thanks in advance

Gerrit Timmarman
McElhanney Consulting Services
Surrey, Canada

 

Gerrit, try -
(vl-load-com)
(vla-put-PrinterStyleSheetPath (vla-get-Files (vla-get-Preferences (vlax-get-acad-object))) "S:\\ACAD\\CTB")

-replace "S:\\ACAD\\CTB" with your network path - note the double slashes.

If your office uses a common acad.lsp then you could add this to that file until all user settings have been modified. If not - then put the code into a text file named e.g. ctb_path.lsp and use appload to load from each station.

Also - if you are using the profile switch in a desktop shortcut to open Acad - you will need to modify the .arg files accordingly.

hope this helps

Peter

 

For:
Drawing Template File Location
Printer Configuration Search Path
Plot Style Table Search Path

that allow only one entry, but they do search subdirectories
and also search shortcuts located in the specified directory.

Solution:
place shortcuts to whatever additional directories
you want searched.


--

Marc'Antonio Alessi
http://xoomer.virgilio.it/alessi
(strcat "NOT a " (substr (ver) 8 4) " guru.")

--

 

That's exactly how I have things set up here.

There's a directory with all of our "standard" ctb, pc3 etc... Then within
that directory is a shortcut to a read-write directory that anyone can add
ctbs to.
Works out really well.

 

In ACAD.LSP (with ACADLSPASDOC = 1 [load ACAD.LSP in every drawing]) I have
the following:

(setenv "PrinterStyleSheetDir" (strcat "\\\\SERVER\\STANDARDS\\Plot Styles"
";" (getvar "dwgprefix")))

I have AutoCAD look in two places: the Standard (protected) network folder
and the path of the current open drawing. Because some of our drawings
require non-standard CTB's to be created, I require our drafters create
non-standard CTB's in the same network project folder as the drawing that
will use it. That way, everyone sees the CTB when they open the drawing as
opposed to it being unavailable on someone's workstation.

Because the above line doesn't account for two drawings with different
prefixes being open at the same time (the last drawing opened sets the Plot
Styles path) I created a reactor in ACAD.LSP to update the path when the
drawings are switched:

;;TrapActivateDwg
(defun TrapActivateDwg (reactor callbackData)
;;Reset Plot Styles folder when drawing is switched
(setenv "PrinterStyleSheetDir" (strcat "\\\\SERVER\\STANDARDS\\Plot
Styles" ";" (getvar "dwgprefix")))
(princ)
)
;;TrapActivateDwg reactor - catch focus changes between open drawings
(vlr-docmanager-reactor nil '(vlr-documentBecameCurrent .
TrapActivateDwg)))