Project based session & search paths issue...

Hi,

I currently have some customisation that prompts the user with a 'project' dcl at the start of a new drawing. This has a pop down list of the current projects we are working on and when you select a project, the dcl/lisp then look at a "project.inf" file in that project's directory.

This inf file holds project specific information such as UCS's, title blocks availible, models used in the sheets and sheet scales.

This file is then read while creating the drawing and I have a series of dialogues that utilise the inf information to aid consistancy.

The question I have is...

Can i have code in this inf file that changes the default AutoCAD search paths to project specific locations for things like 'design center' 'insert' ?(currently AutoCAD looks in the last location used for both of these)


Can I also add the function that other dialogues that also 'view' the inf, highlight the current project used, rather than having to select the project again from each dcl's pop down list? (currently it shows the 1st project listed and you have to reselect the project used)

Any input would be great.
Thanks in advance.

 

I have been looking at something similar myself. What I have so far is a
function that reads in the ACAD var and splits the string at the semicolons
to create a list of the current paths: (path1, path2, path3)

Next I have another functions that takes a list of new paths as an arg
(addPath1, addPath2) It compares the two list to make sure their is no
duplication of paths and adds any new paths to a master list.
This list is then converted back to a semicolon deliminated string by
another function and the ACAD var is set to this new path list.

All the above function get fired off by reactors when a drawing is opened.

This works so far. What I am now trying to figure out is how to best clean
up the paths after a drawing is closed, or when multiple project drawings
are open.

John
Hi,

I currently have some customisation that prompts the user with a 'project'
dcl at the start of a new drawing. This has a pop down list of the current
projects we are working on and when you select a project, the dcl/lisp then
look at a "project.inf" file in that project's directory.

This inf file holds project specific information such as UCS's, title blocks
availible, models used in the sheets and sheet scales.

This file is then read while creating the drawing and I have a series of
dialogues that utilise the inf information to aid consistancy.

The question I have is...

Can i have code in this inf file that changes the default AutoCAD search
paths to project specific locations for things like 'design center' 'insert'
?(currently AutoCAD looks in the last location used for both of these)


Can I also add the function that other dialogues that also 'view' the inf,
highlight the current project used, rather than having to select the project
again from each dcl's pop down list? (currently it shows the 1st project
listed and you have to reselect the project used)

Any input would be great.
Thanks in advance.

 

The initial 'insert' directory is stored in the registry here (this is for
ABS4):
My
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R16.0\ACAD-206:409\Prof
iles\Building Systems\Dialogs\SelectDrawingFileB\InitialDirectory

You could use VLISP to read/write to the registry for this one.

Same thing for the Design Center (again, this is from ABS4):
My
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R16.0\ACAD-206:409\Auto
deskApps\AcadDC\History\DesignCenter\Last State

Hope this helps!

--
Matt W

There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can count, and those who can't.

"John burnsmcd dotcom>" <jherrman <at> wrote in message
| I have been looking at something similar myself. What I have so far is a
| function that reads in the ACAD var and splits the string at the
semicolons
| to create a list of the current paths: (path1, path2, path3)
|
| Next I have another functions that takes a list of new paths as an arg
| (addPath1, addPath2) It compares the two list to make sure their is no
| duplication of paths and adds any new paths to a master list.
| This list is then converted back to a semicolon deliminated string by
| another function and the ACAD var is set to this new path list.
|
| All the above function get fired off by reactors when a drawing is opened.
|
| This works so far. What I am now trying to figure out is how to best
clean
| up the paths after a drawing is closed, or when multiple project drawings
| are open.
|
| John
|
| >>> devon<> 6/3/2004 6:52:26 PM >>>
| Hi,
|
| I currently have some customisation that prompts the user with a 'project'
| dcl at the start of a new drawing. This has a pop down list of the current
| projects we are working on and when you select a project, the dcl/lisp
then
| look at a "project.inf" file in that project's directory.
|
| This inf file holds project specific information such as UCS's, title
blocks
| availible, models used in the sheets and sheet scales.
|
| This file is then read while creating the drawing and I have a series of
| dialogues that utilise the inf information to aid consistancy.
|
| The question I have is...
|
| Can i have code in this inf file that changes the default AutoCAD search
| paths to project specific locations for things like 'design center'
'insert'
| ?(currently AutoCAD looks in the last location used for both of these)
|
|
| Can I also add the function that other dialogues that also 'view' the inf,
| highlight the current project used, rather than having to select the
project
| again from each dcl's pop down list? (currently it shows the 1st project
| listed and you have to reselect the project used)
|
| Any input would be great.
| Thanks in advance.
|
|

 

Thanks for the replys.

Thinking about it alittle more, It would be handy to incorporate the 'current project' path into these triggers so the current acad session would look into every path under the main one for files. eg xrefs.

Would anyone care to show me some code that may do the trick for this and what was discussed above?

Thanks for your help.

 

You could use this to set the "default" insert directory...
Note the change "SelectDrawingFileBlkDlg". I gave you the wrong RegKey last
time.

(defun c:RegWrite ()
(vl-registry-write
"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Autodesk\\AutoCAD\\R16.0\\ACAD-206:409\\Profil
es\\Building Systems\\Dialogs\\SelectDrawingFileBlkDlg\\" "InitialDirectory"
"E:\\Temp")
(princ)
)

Load this, type RegWrite, then insert a block. The insert dialog will look
to E:\Temp instead of the last place you inserted a block from.

--
Matt W

There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can count, and those who can't.

| Thanks for the replys.
|
| Thinking about it alittle more, It would be handy to incorporate the
'current project' path into these triggers so the current acad session would
look into every path under the main one for files. eg xrefs.
|
| Would anyone care to show me some code that may do the trick for this and
what was discussed above?
|
| Thanks for your help.

 

Thanks for the reply matt,

Problem is that I can't get this regedit to execute from my text inf file.

I can run it in a seperate lisp, but can't get AutoCAd reading it from the inf file at startup.

Everything else I have in this inf file gets read fine.

This is really stumping me.

Any help is most appreciated.

Thanks
Devon