Programming AutoCAD 2002

Hope someone out there can help me.
I've just accepted a challenge to try to program acad 2002 to work for the
fashion industry drawing patterns for clothing. I've been told there is a
way to program it so that you simply input the vital stats of the measured
person and acad will do the drawing.
Actually someone told me they had it done with acad 10.
Does anyone know where I should even start?
I know how to use AutoCAD, I need to know where to start to program it to
simply punch numbers in and a drawing is produced...if that is at all
possible.
This is nothing archtectural or engineering but for the clothing design
industry.

Thank you

 

What is your programming language expertise?

Hope someone out there can help me.
I've just accepted a challenge to try to program acad 2002 to work for the
fashion industry drawing patterns for clothing. I've been told there is a
way to program it so that you simply input the vital stats of the measured
person and acad will do the drawing.
Actually someone told me they had it done with acad 10.
Does anyone know where I should even start?
I know how to use AutoCAD, I need to know where to start to program it to
simply punch numbers in and a drawing is produced...if that is at all
possible.
This is nothing archtectural or engineering but for the clothing design
industry.

Thank you

 

Actually I have no experience in programming...just a lot actually using
AutoCAD.
Is that a bad thing?

 

While I have no specific expertise in the fashion industry
you can program AutoCAD to do just about anything you
would like. You could start by using AutoLISP or VBA
to create a custom program. Help files are a good source
of what functions are available for you to use.

Help -> Developer Help -> AutoLISP reference

Help -> Developer Help -> ActiveX and VBA Developers Guide.

In addition to those resources you can also participate
in the following Autodesk discussion groups.


LISP

By NNTP discussion group reader at
news://discussion.autodesk.com/autodesk.autocad.customization

By HTTP (web-based) interface at
http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=130


VBA

By NNTP discussion group reader at
news://discussion.autodesk.com/autodesk.autocad.customization.vba

By HTTP (web-based) interface at
http://discussion.autodesk.com/forum.jspa?forumID=33




--

Autodesk Discussion Group Facilitator

<snip>

 

Guess I should pay more attention <g>

You have already found the LISP group

--

Autodesk Discussion Group Facilitator


"Jason Piercey" <Jason@AtrEngDotCom> wrote in message news:407177fc_1@newsprd01...

 

pretty easy to do.... as long as you have the formulas !
actually, it's not that easy but it is possible.
I work for a company that does design in fabrics. You have to take into allowance different types of seams/seam thicknesses/material thicknesses etc. even material elasticity sometimes.
You really need to lay your hands on some of the formulas. They should be available from the company hiring you

 

Among other more traditional drafting/design applications, I use Acad
to design knitwear.
For me, the beauty of Acad is the ability to customize and automate
repetitive tasks.

I knew NOTHING about programming when I wrote my first little routine
for my knitwear project. It took a bit of code larnin, but mostly it
took a good objective look at what tasks could be automated.

You can do it too.
If you need any suggestions, I'll gladly offer what I'm able. If I
can't figure it out, Mr. Puckett can.
-doug

 

Welcome to an old world and a new career...

You've asked something that you'll play a big role in.

Among other things, I would also suggest you learn how to create dialogs.

I have a friend that does custom quilting, actually that's the name of his
company, "Custom Quilting, Inc.", except he uses Autosketch linked a huge
plotter that sews. He draws the pattern, and the plotter does the rest.
Actually he has two offices, one in Costa Mesa, and the other in Tustin,
California, his name is Alfredo Mena, and has been very successful. I have
another friend, Ramiro Silva, that does custom cabinets, "PacifiCraft, Inc."
I wrote all the utilities for his custom cabinets back in 1992 or so, and
he's now moved to Santa Ana, CA and bought a new building for about $1.5
mil. and producing more that over $2.mil in sales a year, and growing, and
he's just bought a new CNC.

You have a wonderful venture ahead of you, good luck...
--

AUTODESK
Authorized Developer
www.Cadentity.com
MASi

 

<quote>I have no experience in programming</quote>

<quote>Is that a bad thing?</quote>

Not necessarily.

For example, you have no bad programming habits

Also, you already know AutoCAD, so you have some understanding /
appreciation of what can be drawn; what can be modified. A vast
playground for sure.

As mentioned, Visual Basic for Applications, or VBA, is available
with your AutoCAD 2002 installation. It is a decent enough
environment to start learning how to program AutoCAD and it is
free (after the nominal AutoCAD entry fee of course). You might
want to start doing some "vanilla" programming, that is, some
programming that deals with general programming topics, then ease
into AutoCAD automation after establishing a strong
"fundamentals" foundation.

Your programming path, if you decide to go with VBA, should
include an awareness that the path forward from VBA is VB.NET; at
least in terms of any VBA code you have authored and wish to
bring to Visual Studio .NET. If you are like most folks that have
considered the .NET options, C# will probably serve you better in
the long run, so keep that in mind as well. However, I don't want
to write a novel here, so that's as much as I will say about .NET
for now.

AutoLISP, or VisualLISP, while being a language I greatly enjoy
programming in, is rather specialized, so unless you are going to
study at MIT, automate EMACS, or just want to tear it up with
Rene and Vlad, I'd choose VBA over LISP.

Either way, there is a abundance of information available,
including these newsgroups, which are frequented by some of the
industry's better programmers. Google searching these forums is
better than using Autodesk's <cough> search engine.

Aside from the challenge of learning one or more computer
languages the important thing is to be able to map out exactly
what your application is supposed to do; can be narrative or
diametric in nature, but if you cannot do this step to the point
where any programmer can understand the design I wouldn't bother
trying to code the beast; you'll have a disjointed application at
best that is difficult to impossible to update / maintain. You
must have a good map to work from. IMHOOC.

Sorry Neil, a novel could be written on this topic but I have to
go; best of luck on what I think amounts to an exciting time for
you.

Actually I have no experience in programming...just a lot actually using
AutoCAD.
Is that a bad thing?

 

Just wanted to thank everyone, especially Michael Pucket, for the very
valuable information.
I'm about to dive in.
Thanks again everyone.

 

Thank you the acknowledgement Neil, but I think the real
brains have yet to respond to your post -- In other
words, I'd keep watching this thread if I were you

Cheers.

Just wanted to thank everyone, especially Michael Pucket, for the very
valuable information.
I'm about to dive in.
Thanks again everyone.

<snippage>

 

I wish to rephrase to (words to the effect) "More brains will
respond to your post".

I meant no disrespect to the other posters who have already
responded. It was more of a shot at myself than anything.

Michael.

Thank you the acknowledgement Neil, but I think the real
brains have yet to respond to your post -- In other
words, I'd keep watching this thread if I were you

Cheers.

Just wanted to thank everyone, especially Michael Pucket, for the very
valuable information.
I'm about to dive in.
Thanks again everyone.

<snippage>

 

As a customer of Doug's knit pattern company, I will personally
vouch for how well designed, presented and correct the designs
are. I often wear my "Northern Forest" sweater. Her is the URL
http://www.sweaterscapes.com/swtrs1.htm for pattern example.

Anne (in personal mode, not administrator mode)

 

Heya Anne!
You're a knitter?
Okay, I get it... you bought the pattern and converted it to a
QUILT?!?!?
(y'know, that's not such a wacko idea)

Didja buy it from us? I don't remember your name among our customers!
-doug

 

Thanks Michael, so how I feel a lesser person today...heeheee...

If anything, he's got a long road ahead of him....

But at least if he sticks around he can hitch a ride with some of
us......batteries not included.....

 

Locate this someone. It may be readily converted and at least it may
have the formlas completed and they should not change in whatever cad
you use.

 

Answered email so I didn't have to delete this off topic
discussion.

Anne

 

Neil,

Here's my 2 cents for this discussion.

As already told by others, you will first need to decide if you want to
go with VBA or with Lisp. Obviously, the more current trend is to go
with VBA but there is a whole lot of Lisp experience and third party
tools and apps that are written in Lisp and performing well too. You may
find use for some of these codes in your programming as the need arises.

Learning to program AutoCAD is not too difficult and the only reason is
the presence of wonderful groups like this one. You can get help and
share help through this forum.

Our web-site has a TechCenter free download areas (see URL in signature)
where you can see over 300+ different Lisp functions you may want to use
if you chose Lisp as your programming language.

As someone in the fashion design and garment industry, I guess you will
use a lot of hatches to depict different hatches.

Regards
Rakesh

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