Toggle display color with LISP

[Flores]

I used to have a routine that toggled the display color from black to white. It was written in VLISP, but I cannot find it anymore. I used it for saving images with a white background, then I would toggle the screen back to black. Does anyone have this routine or one similar to it?

Flores

[CADTutor]

This may help somewhat: http://www.civil.bcit.ca/faculty/thurston/acad/ACADFAQ2_copy.HTMl It details the use of the WMFBKGND variable. This can be used to change the background of objects copied to the clipboard from the background color to transparent.

I assume that there must also be a system variable that controls the background colour and a LISP routine could easily be used to change it but short of ploughing through the full list I can't tell you what that variable is.

[Flores]

WMFBKGND seems to be only useful when using the "wmfout" command. It doesn't help with the "saveimg" > .bmp. Wmfout doesn't work with render:
Render + wmfout = wireframe image.
Hide + wmfout = correct image.
Shade + wmfout = hidden image, no shade.

As far as rendering images and background colors go: Type in "background" at the command line > Solid Radio button: Uncheck "Autocad Background" > move all sliders to the right so the 3 colors in the RGB color system is "1.00". Now whenever you render, it will have a white background regardless of the display color.

I do not know if it is possible to change the background color with LISP, I believe it has to be done with VLISP.

Flores

[fuccaro]

The system variable called RIBACKGROUND was used for this, but it is no longer available. So you will need Visual Lisp or VBA to change the background collor.

[Flores]

This worked pretty good... it only takes 2 letters to go back and forth between the colors, but I would still like to make it work as a toggle.


***********************************************
;;Background color changer
;;Gary Maze, SMC Corporation of America
;;11/27/02
;;
;;acadobject is the ActiveX component of the AutoCad instance
;;acadpref is the preferences property of acadobject
;;acaddisp is the display property of acadpref
;;the background color is the windows color number calculated
;;by the following formula;
;;(65536*blue)+(256*green)+red, where blue, green and red can
;;be 0 (off) to 255 (all the way on)



;;WB makes a whitebackground with a black crosshair
(defun c:wb () ;;white background
(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp 'GraphicsWinmodelBackgrndColor 16777215)
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp 'ModelCrosshairColor 0)
)


;;BB makes a black background with a white crosshair
(defun c:bb () ;; black background
;(defun c:blackback (/ acadobject acadpref acaddisp)
_(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
_(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ (vlax-put-property acaddisp 'GraphicsWinmodelBackgrndColor 0)
_ (vlax-put-property acaddisp 'ModelCrosshairColor 16777215)
_)

;The user just wanted to change his background color to white, but I
; thought it might be nice to add a restore function as well.
********************************************


Flores

[fuccaro]

This is the first time I “touch” a VL routine. I am sure that this is not the easiest way, but it works!
Flores, now you can create a button for toggle the background color. If it does not work, do not call me: I must admit that I do not understand completely how it works, I just decided to start learning VL.

;;Background color changer
;;Gary Maze, SMC Corporation of America
;;11/27/02
;;
;modified by Miklos Fuccaro
;mfuccaro@hotmail.com
;November 2003
;
(defun toggle_BackGround_color()
(defun wb () ;;white background
(setq whitebackground T)
(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp 'GraphicsWinmodelBackgrndColor 16777215)
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp 'ModelCrosshairColor 0)
)

(defun bb () ;; black background
(setq whitebackground nil)
_(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
_(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ (vlax-put-property acaddisp 'GraphicsWinmodelBackgrndColor 0)
_ (vlax-put-property acaddisp 'ModelCrosshairColor 16777215)
_)

(if whitebackground (bb) (wb))
)
What’s up, Hendie? Hendie, did you read the code? And now you can not stop laughing?

[hendie]

fuccaro, I haven't had the chance to try out your code yet but rest assured I will not be laughing if it doesn't work (I'm sure it does !).

I have written thousands of lines of code that does not work :P

[Flores]

Thanks Fuccaro it worked as expected . I just had to change the first line from

(defun toggle_BackGround_color() to
(defun c:toggle_BackGround_color() and then I made a macro for the button:
^C^C(if c:toggle_BackGround_color (princ)(load "toggle_BackGround_color")) toggle_BackGround_color and made sure that the folder that I saved it to was in the search path. Now I can simply press a button to toggle the screen.

Flores

[fuccaro]

Great, Flores!
Together we are the smartest people around here :lol:

[exout]

hi,

i found this topic because i had the exact same problem.

now i tried to use the code, but actually i don'T really know how to use it..
i saved it as a .lsp file, then loaded it in autocad as an application. now i made a button with the commandline flores wrote (tried the whole thing with and without the "c:"), but it just doesnt work.

am i doing anything wrong? where do i have to save the file?
i'm using acad2006.

thanks!
eX

[NoelStalker]

I would like to make a command to toggle between white and black background as well. I tried Flores' lisp file and it did not work. It returned this error:

Command: WB
; error: no function definition: VLAX-GET-ACAD-OBJECT

[fuccaro]

Try to add (vl-load-com) after the line
(defun toggle_BackGround_color()
Other than that I don't know.

[NoelStalker]

fuccaro,
Thanks for the response. I don't see

(defun toggle_BackGround_color()

in here:

***********************************************
;;Background color changer
;;Gary Maze, SMC Corporation of America
;;11/27/02
;;
;;acadobject is the ActiveX component of the AutoCad instance
;;acadpref is the preferences property of acadobject
;;acaddisp is the display property of acadpref
;;the background color is the windows color number calculated
;;by the following formula;
;;(65536*blue)+(256*green)+red, where blue, green and red can
;;be 0 (off) to 255 (all the way on)

;;WB makes a whitebackground with a black crosshair
(defun c:wb () ;;white background
(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp 'GraphicsWinmodelBackgrndColor 16777215)
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp 'ModelCrosshairColor 0)
)

;;BB makes a black background with a white crosshair
(defun c:bb () ;; black background
;(defun c:blackback (/ acadobject acadpref acaddisp)
_(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
_(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ (vlax-put-property acaddisp 'GraphicsWinmodelBackgrndColor 0)
_ (vlax-put-property acaddisp 'ModelCrosshairColor 16777215)
_)
;The user just wanted to change his background color to white, but I
; thought it might be nice to add a restore function as well.

[fuccaro]

Firstly try to enter that line into the command line. After that if the program works, we will find a place to insert that line right in the program.

[NoelStalker]

Fuccaro,
I entered that command on the command line and then tried to run the lisp. This is what happened


Command: (defun toggle_BackGround_color()
(_> wb
(_> bb
(_> *Cancel*
; error: Function cancelled

[fuccaro]

Here is what I meant:
- Load the Lisp program: Tools>Load application...
- Enter in the command line (vl-load-com)
- Start the program by entering in the command line (WB)

Unfortunately I don't have AutoCAD 2005 to try it out :(

[rookie37]

I would like this program.

How do I load and execute a vba or visual lisp

By the way, which one is this?

;;WB makes a whitebackground with a black crosshair
(defun c:wb () ;;white background
(setq acadobject (vlax-get-acad-object))
(setq acadpref (vlax-get-property acadobject 'preferences))
_(setq acaddisp (vlax-get-property acadpref 'display))
_ _ _(vlax-put-property acaddisp

Will it work on acad 2004 that I used at home?

[NoelStalker]

fuccaro,
I tried what you suggested. Here is a copy of my command line


Command: appload
background color changer (doesn't work).lsp successfully loaded.

Command:
Command:
Command: (vl-load-com)
Command: (WB)
; error: no function definition: WB

Perhaps we should go about this a different way.

Is there a variable that I can change?

Can I type in a command like "background" and then type in the color?

If so then I could make a lisp file.

[fuccaro]

I am so sorry for loosing your time!
Load the Lisp and type in the command line:
(TOGGLE_BACKGROUND_COLOR)
When I previously read your request I was at home, without AutoCAD. Now I tested and it works for me. Sorry again!

[NoelStalker]

fuccaro
Of course! I should read the code. Thanks so much for your help. Have a great day.
:D

[fuccaro]

Thank you for returning with a feed-back! Have a nice day too! :)

[ASMI]

This functions for RGB <-> AutoCAD bits translation can be usefull.


(defun RGB->Bits(RGB_List)
(if(vl-every
'(lambda(c)(and(< -1 c)(> 256 c)))RGB_List)
(apply '+(mapcar '* RGB_List '(65536 256 1)))
); end if
); end of RGB->Bits


(defun Bits->RGB(Bits / r g)
(if(and(< -1 Bits)(> 16777216 Bits))
(list(setq r(/ Bits 65536))
(setq g(/(- Bits(* r 65536))256))
(- Bits(+(* r 65536)(* g 256)))
); end list
); end if
); end Bits->RGB

For example Magenta color (255 0 255) to bits:


_$ (RGB->Bits '(255 0 255))
16711935

And back Magenta bits to RGB list:


_$ (Bits->RGB 16711935)
(255 0 255)