opening url from Autocad

[rocneasta]

is it possible, with any imaginable way, to fit autocad with some link to web pages - if you constantly want to go to several pages while working on projects in Acad, you don't want to power firefox/ie/opera/safari/etc but you want to have a button by which you go directly to the desired url

can it be done?

[Cad64]

Yes, you can attach a Hyperlink to any object. Just type HYPERLINK at the command line and then select the object you want to apply the link to. You will then be presented with a dialog that will allow you to enter the web page or file folder path that you want to associate with the object. Once the link has been applied, just hover your crosshair over the object until you see the little hyperlink symbol and then hold down the Ctrl key and click on the object.

[rocneasta]

but if you simply open Autocad, can you reference that url to a customized button, since referencing url to an object requires that object to be drawn and the hyperlink to be embedded in it.

what i had in mind is that every time i enter acad, there's a way for me to access some url's that i need for my work.

[Cad64]

You could write a little lisp routine and apply it to a button.
Something like this:

(defun c:cadtutor (/)
(startapp "explorer" "http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/index.php")
(princ)
)

[rocneasta]

i'll try my best to look into how that could be done

[rocneasta]

You could write a little lisp routine and apply it to a button.
Something like this:

(defun c:cadtutor (/)
(startapp "explorer" "http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/index.php")
(princ)
)

would it be possible to explain this step by step in your own spare time. or at least give some info on where i could learn it on my own
cheers

[stevsmith]

www.afralisp.net is a good place to start along with www.jefferypsanders.com/autolisp.html

[rocneasta]

can't get this to work, bah plain stupid on my part

[Cad64]

can't get this to work, bah plain stupid on my part

Ok, I'll use the code I posted as an example, but you can change it to whatever name and url you want.

1. Copy the code I posted and paste it into Notepad and then save it as cadtutor.lsp
2. Create a folder called Lisp, or whatever you want. This folder can be located anywhere on your computer, but I would advise against putting it in your Autocad directory in case you ever need to reinstall Autocad.
3. Open Autocad and then open up your CUI.
4. Create a new Toolbar and then drag any pre-made command into your new Toolbar. It doesn't matter which one because you're going to change everything anyway, so just pick one and drag & drop it into your Toolbar.
5. Change everything to match what is shown in the screenshot below.
6. Click "OK" to exit the CUI.
7. Type APPLOAD at the command line and then browse to the folder where you saved the lisp routine. Select it and then click the "Load" button. Now click the "Contents" button under "Startup Suite", then click the "Add" button and browse for the lisp routine again. Select it and then click "Close" and then click "Close" again. With the lisp in your Startup Suite, it will always automatically load every time you open a drawing.
9. Now that you're back in the Autocad drawing area, click the new button on your new toolbar and your web browser should open up to Cadtutor.

[Cad64]

would it be possible to explain this step by step in your own spare time. or at least give some info on where i could learn it on my own
cheers

If you want to create buttons that will take you to other websites, just re-use the code below and change the items in red.

(defun c:cadtutor (/) This is the command that you would type into the command line. Change it to whatever you want.
(startapp "explorer" "http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/index.php") Replace this with whatever url you want. Just make sure its enclosed in quotes.
(princ)
)

When you save each routine, make sure to save it with the same name that you used in the routine. For example, this one is c:cadtutor so the lisp routine is named cadtutor.lsp. If you named a routine c:facebook, your lisp should be facebook.lsp.

Make sense?