What to do???

Hi all,

I'm looking to learn to do some programming of AutoCAD what should I learn?
VLisp, VBA, both or something else?

Thanks
Tim

 

It depends on your goals. Your goals both for what you want AutoCAD to do,
and also your goals for what you want to evolve into professionally. My own
personal opinion is that it's best to learn both, but that's based on my
situation.

-Randy

 

I do a lot of sheet metal design type stuff I have a large and very $$$ add
on for Acad that does a great job for a lot of things, but I would like to
add some more specialized functions.

Tim

 

At first glance, then LISP is probably best for your situation. However,
I'm not hardly any knowledgeable in VBA, so I don't know the extent of what
it can do.

How's that for a political answer?

 

Do you think you will want to ever be able to produce dialog boxes with ease
and lots of functionality? Then you'll want VBA. Do you think that you
will ever want to be able to read dimension entities programmatically? Then
you'll want AutoLISP. If you're somewhere in the middle, either will do,
although there are all kinds of valid opinions up and down the gamut on both
sides of the issue. If you want it all, learn both.

 

If you are going to spend the rest of your life only writing programs
(without vacation, except the time spent in this NG), then learn Visual
Studio .NET C++ or C# and AutoCAD ActiveX.

If you are going to spend only 1/2 the rest of your life writing programs,
learn Visual Studio .NET Visual Basic and AutoCAD ActiveX.

If you are mostly design/drafting and want to learn a little programming,
start with AutoLisp/VisualLisp in AutoCAD and gradually learn some ActiveX.
AutoLisp is fairly easy to learn inside AutoCAD and there are way more
websites with tutorials to learn AutoLISP than the more powerful programs.
You can also move up as your expertise increases.

BTY, this is only one opinion of millions, but it worked for me.

 

Thanks, I think I'm somewhere in the middle. It sounds like both are in my
future.
Nothing's easy. I may just start with VBA, it's more than just Acad based.

Tim

 

I wish I had half a life.

Thanks,
Tim

 

Hi Tim,let go to learn anything,as me learn autolisp only from site,forum
and read book,especially in forum,you can talk with others people to ask how
and when/where it can do,you very lucky your English nicely,but for me is
bad,you can see in my post my English not so good.
Now I've able write in program autolisp with simple not complex,if I got
trouble then ask to forum,someone's would help you at the time,I hope you
take spirit by my suggest.
Best regards
Ade Suharna.

 

You might find this interesting...

http://www.cadalyst.com/cadalyst/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=94117

Don

 

Thanks!! Very interesting, That's exactly what I need to see.
Thanks again to all the replied.

Tim