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I think the issue is more generational than anything else. In the forums I keep up with, including here, theswamp.org, and MikeHolt.com, I've noticed that most of the core group have been Boomers. As a whole, younger generations have seemed to visit to get help, but not stay to help others. [There are notable exceptions like Lee.] AI is being oversold. I've tried both Claude and ChatGPT for programming help with LISP. Neither has produced code that worked on the first pass for anything more than a trivial case. We're about even on times when I've had to point out syntax errors in AI code and times AI has found syntax errors in my code. AI is a great replacement for most search engines, but it is not all that great at writing code, at least on the free tiers. AI output is only as good as the instructions it is given. Writing good instructions is hard. AI and the dot com bubble have a lot in common. In five years I expect we will have fewer AI companies, mostly paid tiers, and lots of empty data centers.

Hello, I'm back here once again to bring up a very interesting topic: How can AutoCAD (installed on a Windows 10 tablet with an integrated GNSS receiver) be made to display its real-time UTM position (or latitude/longitude), for example through a block? Is this possible? Are there any Lisp routines capable of achieving this?

Posts are one thing, but what about the actual traffic? Like I stated, most fora already have the answers to questions, so often no need to interact and make a post. CADTutor shows most online 9,928 April 2nd 2026, which was probably a lot of AI bots, etc.

IMO, it's more social media, plus there are quite a few fora around now, and it seems the Autodesk forum is busier than it used to be. Cadalyst forum went dead while it seems The Swamp and CADTutor were still very busy, recently AUGI closed their forum for new posts. Years ago many of the fora I am a member of slowed down, from cars and motorcycles to fishing/hunting. I know the Bambu Labs and other 3D printing fora are somewhat busy and also handle many 3D modelling questions as well as specifics for the 3D Printers, I never noticed Solidworks and other 3D CAD companies having anything close to the traffic of CADTutor or Autodesk at even current traffic. To be honest, there really is a glut of answers for most questions now with little need to interact on the fora. At some point AI will run out of new answers, the most I use AI is when it tries to summarize your search results, and even that can be iffy at times with incorrect summarization way to often. I've never been a member of Reddit, but I often find answers there without signing up and interacting. There have in the past few weeks been several new members ask a question and disappear, just the way the world has changed I suppose, seemed in the distant past more would come back and let you know the results and/or give a thank you. If the fora die off, AI will have to find new sources for accurate answers, it probably already is iffy with results due to finding inaccurate answers and not being able to parse correct from wrong. I received this quote in an email this morning... With computers being dumb, you will have to make sure the people using them are intelligent. Recently on Facebook I've noticed people posting AI answers for rules in different sports, AI is almost always wrong, basically answering with the same incorrect interpretation of rules as the parents and some coaches, etc. use.

See this thread... Attribute reference another attribute within a block - Blocks, Images, Models & Materials - AutoCAD Forums And this... Solved: Block attribute that has a field referenced to another attribute in the same block to subtract - Autodesk Community

I have mixed feelings about Clippy the AI , at least the one from Google , sure its fast and it can give some relevant answers but you have to double check everything. I am trying to create a dcl editor. Wasn't sure where to start so asked Clippy and it gave me some good ideas on where to begin. But as things got complexer it really started to mess things up. And every time you use it you need to explain every thing all over again because at least the free / unregistered version remembers (saves) nothing . But I learned from my mistakes and started to write a very extensive manual so next time I can upload that so we can better pick up from where we started. My biggest concern is that it creates a black box. You ask something , it gives you something back and you paste and test the code , great , moving on to next part. After a while you end up with a bunch of working code until it doesn't any more and that's where the trouble begins and you notice you have lost your grip on the code because Clippy did it all for you. Like your daddy did all your homework for you and you have to take the exam and ...oops , daddy aint around now is he?

There is no doubt that AI is replacing (and will do so even more in the future) the need to interact with something or someone in order to find ideas and the motivation to pursue them. I don’t know which AI tools are the best for programming (I’ve only used Chatgpt so far), but my experience has been positive in terms of how stimulating it is to have someone to discuss ideas with and refine them while solving problems. This was something that, in the past, could only be found in forums like this one. However, the code suggested by Chatgpt is almost always lengthy and often fails. I suppose that will change over time.

I also think that its AI, especially for new users. I mean AI is good at coding or spotting errors and asking an AI often gets you an answer way faster than starting a forum post. For example here is a chart of stack overflows posts

I have noticed the drop in posts in forums like Lisp, here, Autodesk and Theswamp, I think it's because people are using AI more to write code. Even I try AI now and again when stuck, it is successful some times. The most obvious here is when the AI code does not work help is asked for here. Maybe Admin could comment about number of posts say compared to 1 or 2 years ago ? Or is it that a lot of new users just don't ask for help ? I know I push for process improvement and have often tried to influence people into saving time but the majority just don't care. Any body else want to comment ?

Ive included a small simple block that I tried to make. MASTER BLOCK.DWG

@masao_8 Here is a solution for a simple single selection add and SHIFT-Select to remove. Perhaps this will give you a basis for starting: ;; Function to do a simple Select/Deselect using grread. ;; By PJK - 6/16/2026 (defun pjk-grread-Select (/ done en grl grc grv ss) (if acet-load-expresstools (acet-load-expresstools)) (setq ss (ssadd)) (princ "\nSelect to add objects or SHIFT+Select to remove from selection set: ") (while (not done) (setq grl (grread T 15 2) grc (car grl) grv (cadr grl) ) (cond ((= grc 3) (if (setq en (car (nentselp grv))) (if (acet-sys-shift-down) (progn (if (ssmemb en ss)(ssdel en ss)) (redraw en 4) ) (progn (ssadd en ss) (redraw en 3) ) ) ) ) ((= grc 2) (setq done (if (vl-position grv '(13 32)) T nil)) ) ((= grc 25)(setq done T)) ) ) (if (> (sslength ss) 0) (progn (foreach i (mapcar 'cadr (ssnamex ss))(redraw i 4)) ss ) nil ) )

Okay, thank you for reminding me!

Welcome aboard, have you looked at a Bricscad version ? Its Civil option is gaining more interest.

Perhaps you could use the undocumented (acet-sys-shift-down) express tools function within the grread loop? Then you would have to manipulate highlighting with (redraw [3/4]) and use (ssadd) and (ssdel) to update the selection set.

Doesn't that depend on PICKADD value? I do believe the default is select to add and shift select to deselect from selection set. To that end, it needs to be clarified from OP what they need, my WAG is something being already done with grread and need to deselect. AFAIK (and that's very little, mostly from my previous thread ) The left click is doable with grread, but it would ignore the SHIFT (also CTRL, etc.), so probably would need something else to show the SHIFT key is pressed. Which reminds me I need to get back to work on that and the centerline on rivers, roads, etc. problem when I get regular work caught up.

Isn't that how CAD works already? you select something either by mouse clicke or window it will be highlighted hold shift to deselect it the same way. I know if you have to many things selected they are no longer highlighted.

https://chernitsky.net/blog/DeAEC DeAEC is the perfect solution! DeAEC_2025.dll

I think you would need to test for 'shift' being pressed and the test for a left mouse entity selection. Do a 'princ' on your grread loop to display what you are doing, shift and select something - which should give you what you want to test for.

Is it possible to use the grread function to deselect objects by holding down the SHIFT key+left click?

@yangguoshe in the future use Code Tags for your Code. (<> in the editor toolbar)

Is this done for free? Do not create more than one thread for the same exact topic, I deleted the other thread.

@yangguoshe Thank you very much! This is a great addition to Lee Mac's code. Thanks to all who responded! Nothing is impossible

;;;You can call Master Leemac's code, but do not modify it (defun c:ttt(/ CPB NEW-PT OBJ PT) (c:cb) (setq cpb (entlast)) (setq pt (cdr(assoc 10 (entget cpb)))) (setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object cpb)) (setq new-pt (vlax-3d-point (getpoint pt "\n Specify the new location"))) (vla-move obj (vlax-3d-point pt) new-pt) (princ) )

What I posted just renames an existing block does not copy or move just replaces at current location. Yes using bedit is an old way of doing things but it is normally instant. Old like me.

I didn't think it was difficult or impossible to accomplish...