How many of you still use LISP routines?

Someone posted on a thread of mine that he uses a lot of LISP's; well that is something I haven't used in 20 years or so with AutoCAD 12. Is there still a need for them? Are people still writing routines like they used too? I know I have for gotten even how to write one, heck I wouldn't even know how to load one any longer.

Any thoughts?

Tell us what kind you use and for what purpose

Autolisp or VLisp are tools to do what you want not just commands in Autocad. By writing a program in Autolisp you put your specific needs that Autocad may not fulfill. I am new to Autolisp programing but found it useful in my work, such as drawing underfloor heating circuits, which is a rigorous work and consumes lots of time. I suggest to read the section of Autolisp forum because it contains many useful thoughts you may regard is.

Finally, it depends on your demands in achieving something specific in your work rather than just listing commands as it is in Autocad.

there is certainly a need. A few I have have been superceded by AutoCAD but not all.

For instance, years ago I wrote a "clouding" routine. AutoCAD now has one inbuilt but mine puts up a dialogue box so you can preset the scale and the layer. I don't think the in built one has any layer control function so is less efficient than mine.

There are also a lot of times I need some text manipulation. AutoCAD is fine for simple find and replace but things like "move the number in the 4th position to the front and add a dash" are just about impossible without coding.

I don't actually use LISP much these days but that is because most of our daily routines are now in VBA. However if an urgent need arises I'll request a LISP here an if I time it right somebody will have posted working code quicker than I can do the VBA.

Taylor, your concussion isn't coming back now, is it?

If you are not sure if they still have merit, and are useful, go to

Lee Mac's website http://www.lee-mac.com/ and if you can't find a huge number of

lisps that would really help in your work, I will be amazed.

I always use LAYER DIRECTOR, why wouldn't everyone?

If I am creating a dimension, I already know what layer I want it on, so does the lisp,

the same with viewports, text, mtext, leaders and likely one or two other entity types which I have forgotten. If the appropriate layer does not already exist in your drawing, it will be created, with the name and color which you have previously specified in the lisp.

Lee's ASSOCIATIVE CENTERLINES is brilliant.

I do a lot of fabrication drawings, and they contain lots of different sizes of holes.

Using Lee's lisp I have preset the length of the centerlines to be 1.5 times the diameter of any circles,

I call the lisp with CL, select the whole drawing and every single hole in the drawing gets a nice associative pair of centerlines,

despite varying diameters, they all come out perfect.

The CIRCLEBREAK lisp is another that is very helpful.

These are small potatoes compared to lots of Lee's others, but they are incredibly effective and huge timesavers.

Thanks Lee! You rule!

Wow....I guess they are still being utilized. I know the last one I used one (I think) was in AutoCad 14 to put doors and windows in my drawings but soon went to ADT 3 and then had no use for them so I guess in my ignorance I assumed they went out with object based software.

Taylor, your concussion isn't coming back now, is it?

 

If you are not sure if they still have merit, and are useful, go to

Lee Mac's website http://www.lee-mac.com/ and if you can't find a huge number of

lisps that would really help in your work, I will be amazed.

 

I always use LAYER DIRECTOR, why wouldn't everyone?

If I am creating a dimension, I already know what layer I want it on, so does the lisp,

the same with viewports, text, mtext, leaders and likely one or two other entity types which I have forgotten. If the appropriate layer does not already exist in your drawing, it will be created, with the name and color which you have previously specified in the lisp.

 

Lee's ASSOCIATIVE CENTERLINES is brilliant.

I do a lot of fabrication drawings, and they contain lots of different sizes of holes.

Using Lee's lisp I have preset the length of the centerlines to be 1.5 times the diameter of any circles,

I call the lisp with CL, select the whole drawing and every single hole in the drawing gets a nice associative pair of centerlines,

despite varying diameters, they all come out perfect.

 

The CIRCLEBREAK lisp is another that is very helpful.

 

These are small potatoes compared to lots of Lee's others, but they are incredibly effective and huge timesavers.

Thanks Lee! You rule!

Dad you have a link to that Layer lisp? Or is that lee-mac link where you found it or did you write or find it else where? That sounds interesting.

That centerline lisp sounds good also if I were still doing mechanical.

Thanks Dad

I downloaded the Layer Lisp and after looking at the code (forgive me if I am wrong its been 20+ years since I have written code) but after looking at the structure, syntax, expressions..etc, it seems the Lisp language reminds me a lot of Python, java or in simpler terms, Q-Basic; as they are scripts and not "programs" and dont need a compiler Like C, C++, Visual..etc. (I know that I just sounded stupid because I wouldn't been able to see the code if it was compiled.......But with that being said it looks like with some studying I think I could pick it up again..

If you have ever used any of the tools in Express Tools you have indeed used a lisp routine.

I use different lisp routines almost every day.

I use lots of lisp files although I can't really write them.

Often I use one lisp file (text rotation) in excess of 20 times a minute or so when drafting. Other lisp files I use a few times a day and some I only use a few times a year.

We used lisp to write a user definable layer system for end user customers draw an object and it comes out on the layer properties chosen by the end user. As per above example.

You only have to look at the number of entries each day in the lisp sections X 10 for the most common other forums, theswamp, afralisp, autodesk etc

having agreed with the need for LISP (or other) solutions, a lot of the requests in the LISP section here are for routines already part of AutoCAD/Express Tools. I expect we have all been guilty of this at sometime but some are more guilty than others.

LISP is not a command in AutoCAD, it is a programming language that is available to AutoCAD. It can be used to add as many functions as your imagination will allow but will always be only as good as the writer of the particular routine. Fortuneately we have some VERY GOOD writers watching this site.

If lisp is ever to die then Autodesk will provide the tools to change the code eg Lisp2C converts lisp to C code its been around for years when Autodesk first mooted a higher level language than lisp. maybe 2009, 2014 lisp to .net ?

Wow....I guess they are still being utilized.

Ton of stuff that still applies for vanilla AutoCAD users. Even with a vertical product, LISP still is plenty handy.