Open Next Drawing

I am looking for a command that would open the NEXT drawing in a folder.

Example:

You have file A.dwg you just type "open-next" it opens B.dwg

You have file C.dwg you just type "open-next" it opens D.dwg, and so on.

Thanks in advance

You can read the filename with: (vl-filename-base (getvar 'dwgname))

You then could make a if/else routine with if filename=A.dwg then open B.dwg.

With

	(setq str1 (strcat (vl-filename-base (getvar 'dwgname))))
[b](setq str4(substr str1 5 )[/b]

You can remove certain letters from your filename.

And then mold it together with:

(setq str8 (strcat "blablabla" str4 "-" str6))

I'm not that good (like some here) that I can make the code in 5 minutes

But I think it is a good lisp to learn autolisp because it is not to complicated. (so try it yourself!)

Thanks for the replay, I not good at all with lisp but i will give it a try, I can edit them to do what I need that is about as far as I can go.

Maybe something like this (untested):

(vl-load-com)

(defun c:Open-Next (/ path files-list files DocCol item n)
 (setq path   (getvar "DWGPREFIX") ;Get the current DWG's path
       DocCol (vla-get-Documents (vlax-get-acad-object)) ;Get the ActiveX collection of open DWG's
       n      0
 )
 (if (and (setq files-list (vl-bb-ref 'Open-Next-List)) ;Check if Open-Next has been used before
          (setq files (assoc path files-list)) ;If so has it been used on this folder?
     )
   ;; Then
   (setq files (cdr files)) ;Remove the path prefix of the list
   ;; Else
   (setq files (vl-directory-files path "*.DWG" 1)) ;Get the files in this directory
 )
 (while (and (< n (length files))
             (or (not (eq (strcase (getvar "DWGNAME")) (strcase (nth n files)))) ;Check that not the current DWG
                 (and (setq item (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-Item (list DocCol (nth n files))))
;Check if one of the other opened
                      (not (vl-catch-all-error-p item)) ;Check if error
                 )
             )
        )
   (if (and item (not (vl-catch-all-error-p item))) ;If another DWG
     (vla-Close item)
   )
   (setq n (1+ n) item nil) ;Increment counter
 )
 (if (setq item (assoc path files-list)) ;If already in list
   ;; Then
   (setq files-list (subst (cons path files) item files-list)) ;Replace with the new set of files
   ;; Else
   (setq files-list (cons (cons path files) files-list)) ;Add the current folder & files list
 )
 (vl-bb-set 'Open-Next-List files-list)
 (if (< n (length files))
   (vl-cmdf "_.OPEN" (strcat "\"" path (nth n files) "\""))
 )
 (princ)
)

(defun Open-Next-Cleanup (/ files-list files path DocCol)
 (setq path   (getvar "DWGPREFIX") ;Get the current DWG's path
       DocCol (vla-get-Documents (vlax-get-acad-object)) ;Get the ActiveX collection of open DWG's
       n      0
 )
 (if (and (setq files-list (vl-bb-ref 'Open-Next-List))
          (setq files (assoc path files-list))
     )
   (while (or (not (eq (strcase (getvar "DWGNAME")) (strcase (car files)))) ;Check that not the current DWG
              (and (setq item (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-Item (list DocCol (car files))))
;Check if one of the other opened
                   (not (vl-catch-all-error-p item)) ;Check if error
              )
          )
     (if (and item (not (vl-catch-all-error-p item))) ;If another DWG
       (vla-Close item)
     )
     (setq files (cdr files) item nil)
   )
 )
 (if (setq item (assoc path files-list)) ;If already in list
   ;; Then
   (setq files-list (subst (cons path files) item files-list)) ;Replace with the new set of files
   ;; Else
   (setq files-list (cons (cons path files) files-list)) ;Add the current folder & files list
 )
 (vl-bb-set 'Open-Next-List files-list)
)

(if (and s::startup (= (type s::startup) 'LIST))
 (setq s::startup (append s::startup (list (Open-Next-Cleanup))))
 (defun-q s::startup
          ()
          (Open-Next-Cleanup)
 )
)

Needs to be copied to your ACADDOC.LSP file so it clears the list as new drawings are opened.

Nice idea to use the blackboard namespace Irne, nice coding

I might approach it this way:

[b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]defun[/color][/b] c:open-next [b][color=RED]([/color][/b] [b][color=BLUE]/[/color][/b] dwg doc docs f [b][color=RED])[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-load-com[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [i][color=#990099];; © Lee Mac 2010[/color][/i]

 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]if[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] dwg
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cond[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED]([/color][/b]
         [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cadr[/color][/b]
           [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]member[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b]DWGNAME[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
             [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] f [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-sort[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-directory-files[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b]DWGPREFIX[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] [b][color=#a52a2a]"*.dwg"[/color][/b] [b][color=#009900]1[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]<[/color][/b][b][color=RED]))[/color][/b]
           [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
         [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED]([/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]car[/color][/b] f[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-Activate[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]cond[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED]([/color][/b]
         [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]not[/color][/b]
           [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-catch-all-error-p[/color][/b]
             [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] doc
               [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vl-catch-all-apply[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-item[/color][/b]
                 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]list[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]setq[/color][/b] docs [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-get-Documents[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vlax-get-acad-object[/color][/b][b][color=RED])))[/color][/b] dwg[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
               [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
             [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
           [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
         [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
         doc
       [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
       [b][color=RED]([/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]vla-open[/color][/b] docs [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]strcat[/color][/b] [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]getvar[/color][/b] [b][color=DARKRED]'[/color][/b]DWGPREFIX[b][color=RED])[/color][/b] dwg[b][color=RED]))[/color][/b] [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
     [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
   [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
 [b][color=RED])[/color][/b]

 [b][color=RED]([/color][/b][b][color=BLUE]princ[/color][/b][b][color=RED])[/color][/b]
[b][color=RED])[/color][/b]

While trying to use your Code irned, I get this error:

; error: Automation Error. Drawing is busy.

WOW, Lee Mac that seemed to work great

So if i just change:

(setq f (vl-sort (vl-directory-files (getvar 'DWGPREFIX) "*.dwg" 1) '

to

(setq f (vl-sort (vl-directory-files (getvar 'DWGPREFIX) "*.dwg" 1) '>))

It will open the previous drawing, I gave it a try and it worked.

This isn't coding this is black magic

WOW, Lee Mac that seemed to work great

Excellent - glad it worked for you

I might approach it this way:

The thing is, I was trying to "close" the current drawing as well - otherwise you could end up with all the DWGs in the folder open at the same time (which may be an extreme memory hog). That's why you get that error. But that's also why I needed to save a list and then run the cleanup routine on drawing open. I suppose a change to the SDI sysvar could fix that, but would cause other problems.

Awesome! I think I went too far . Yours is simple and straightforward, without needing to fiddle around with a saved list.

Thanks Irne - but yours is good for those looking to learn how to manipulate data stored in the blackboard namespace.

The thing is, I was trying to "close" the current drawing as well - otherwise you could end up with all the DWGs in the folder open at the same time (which may be an extreme memory hog). That's why you get that error. But that's also why I needed to save a list and then run the cleanup routine on drawing open. I suppose a change to the SDI sysvar could fix that, but would cause other problems.

I did consider the case of having all the drawings open, but I didn't want to involve any closing of drawings as you would have to deal with whether or not to save changes etc, and I wouldn't want to chance losing any of the user's work.

Plus, if SDI mode is something other than zero, you can't just close the drawing.