New Menu : Macro or LISP?

Hi ,

I been asked to develop a new menu for our office, basically we do electrical work and have a library of symbols that need to be inserted - depending on which icon on the menu is clicked.

Our old menu uses macros and cui but most of the time the scaling is off when we get certain drawings (usually with some metric dwgs).

Im planning to go the LISP way as it seems more flexible and requires less time, I just have a few questions :

The menu I have in mind will have a scale drop down and once the user select a scale a variable will be initailzed with a scaling factor, insertion of symbols will be based on this scaling factor - is there a way i can write this scaling factor variable into the drawing so that the next time I open the drawing the scaling is correct and I can resume adding symbols without setting up again?

Any other suggestions on implementing a menu?

If I were doing this, I'd create a number of templates that had the scaling set in layout, then draw in model at 1:1. Are you doing schematics or component layouts?

Hi ,

 

I been asked to develop a new menu for our office, basically we do electrical work and have a library of symbols that need to be inserted - depending on which icon on the menu is clicked.

 

Our old menu uses macros and cui but most of the time the scaling is off when we get certain drawings (usually with some metric dwgs).

 

Im planning to go the LISP way as it seems more flexible and requires less time, I just have a few questions :

 

The menu I have in mind will have a scale drop down and once the user select a scale a variable will be initailzed with a scaling factor, insertion of symbols will be based on this scaling factor - is there a way i can write this scaling factor variable into the drawing so that the next time I open the drawing the scaling is correct and I can resume adding symbols without setting up again?

 

Any other suggestions on implementing a menu?

At my work we use toolpalletes for symbols, It fairly easy to put some symbols there and they can now be scalede according to annotation scale. Try the 'crtl+3' and see there should come some toolpalletes up to the right side. We store the the symbols in one drawing.

May be this will give you a clou:

http://cadablog.blogspot.com/2007/11/tool-pallets.html

You dont need a program experience to set up toolpallets

I would highly suggest you get familiar with Tool Palettes. No programming required and they are VERY powerful.

...is there a way i can write this scaling factor variable into the drawing so that the next time I open the drawing the scaling is correct and I can resume adding symbols without setting up again?

You can use variables useri (useri1÷5)

save the value in dwg

[b](setvar "useri1" 100)[/b]

macro menu

[b]^C^C(command "_-insert" "Goofy" pause (getvar "useri1") "" "")[/b]

or

[b]^C^C_-insert Goofy \(getvar "useri1");;;[/b]

If I were doing this' date=' I'd create a number of templates that had the scaling set in layout, then draw in model at 1:1. Are you doing schematics or component layouts?[/quote']

 

Basically we do work for construction so placing receptacles, lighting fixtures, fire alarm pull stations, conduits and so on...

 

Im not quite sure I understand your method, most of the we follow the architects scale and symbols are scaled according to their scale.

I have looked into palettes before - the thing is screen real estate is quite important to me and palettes seem to take a big part of it - personally i do not prefer palettes - just a personal thing. How do you control the scale of the blocks you insert with palettes?

You can use variables useri (useri1÷5)

 

save the value in dwg

[b](setvar "useri1" 100)[/b]

 

 

macro menu

[b]^C^C(command "_-insert" "Goofy" pause (getvar "useri1") "" "")[/b]

 

or

 

[b]^C^C_-insert Goofy \(getvar "useri1");;;[/b]

This is def. something I can use, i was just reading up :

USERI1–5 Stores and retrieves integer values

USERR1–5 Stores and retrieves real numbers

USERS1–5 Stores and retrieves text string data

so I guess if I have a scaling factor of say 0.4 I would use urserr?

...so I guess if I have a scaling factor of say 0.4 I would use urserr?

.... yes ....

I have looked into palettes before - the thing is screen real estate is quite important to me and palettes seem to take a big part of it - personally i do not prefer palettes - just a personal thing. How do you control the scale of the blocks you insert with palettes?

Tool palettes need not take up much room. If you have them docked and turn on autohide, all they use is a little strip at the edge, as yo can see below. You can even drag them off onto a second monitor.

The first pic is simply my Autocad desktop. The pallets rest in the gray strip at the right side of the screen.

When I move the cursor over the pallet area, they pop out. This tool pallet has blocks that I use frequently in curtain wall details. To insert a partition made of 4" metal studs, 5/8 drywall and batt insulation, I simply drag it off the tool pallet into the drawing. The tool pallet disappears and is out of the way till I need it again.

Scaling is controlled much the same way inserting a block, since that is essentially what I'm doing here any way. I never scale any thing in model space, drawing everything 1:1 then using a view scale in the layout tabs. If you need the same object scaled differently in model space, you can make an group of pallets for each scale, and set that scale in the properties dialog box.

Having frequently used blocks, hatches, even text notes on pallets makes them easy to access and group together.

I have looked into palettes before - the thing is screen real estate is quite important to me and palettes seem to take a big part of it - personally i do not prefer palettes - just a personal thing. How do you control the scale of the blocks you insert with palettes?

Do you ever use Properties? Same "real estate" issue if you do but I don't know of anybody who doesn't use Properties at some point. If you get into the habit of using the auto-hide docking feature, or like me, become a Ctrl+3 junkie to open/close the Tool Palettes, then you'll find it's not at all in the way. Or consider other options, like running a dual monitor setup if you're not on a laptop, etc.

Tool palettes need not take up much room. If you have them docked and turn on autohide' date=' all they use is a little strip at the edge, as yo can see below. You can even drag them off onto a second monitor.

 

The first pic is simply my Autocad desktop. The pallets rest in the gray strip at the right side of the screen.

[ATTACH=CONFIG']33066[/ATTACH]

 

 

 

When I move the cursor over the pallet area, they pop out. This tool pallet has blocks that I use frequently in curtain wall details. To insert a partition made of 4" metal studs, 5/8 drywall and batt insulation, I simply drag it off the tool pallet into the drawing. The tool pallet disappears and is out of the way till I need it again.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]33067[/ATTACH]

 

Scaling is controlled much the same way inserting a block, since that is essentially what I'm doing here any way. I never scale any thing in model space, drawing everything 1:1 then using a view scale in the layout tabs. If you need the same object scaled differently in model space, you can make an group of pallets for each scale, and set that scale in the properties dialog box.

 

Having frequently used blocks, hatches, even text notes on pallets makes them easy to access and group together.

Our office has a very similar setup, we do all models space work 1:1 and use varying scales in ps. But we also scale the symbols differently in model space like you mentioned. If i were to implement this using palettes I would need a pallet for each scale that im using, and they would need to be a set of symbols for each scale right? I just want to have one set of symbols and scale it up or down based on a scale selection.

Shift+Select, right-click all the blocks on your palette and adjust the scale universally on the fly. For a per instance basis, before you seat the block in the drawing type S to scale it.

*EDIT* OR.... use the CANNOSCALE variable to control the scaling of blocks that are being imported. More front-end work but the end result could be much easier.