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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 ?

@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...

Things we do to save a few clicks.

ve built a parametric furniture automation system in AutoLISP/VLAX for BricsCAD Mechanical — covering wardrobes, walk-in closets, kitchen furniture and built-in cabinet assemblies (corpus, fronts, drawers, shelves, partitions). The system generates full 3D solid models from parameters, with automatic 2D documentation output. Curious if anyone here is working in furniture/joinery manufacturing and struggling with repetitive CAD work — or has tried building something similar in LISP. Also open to building a custom parametric furniture library for specific manufacturers — their dimensions, their construction standards. Happy to discuss the architecture or share a demo when ready.

I wondered the same.

Simple enough to use getpoint to make it dynamic. Update helper MB with (setq ed (entget (vlax-vla-object->ename newobj))) ;same (setq spt (getpoint "\nCopy to Location: ")) ;add line (entmod (subst (cons 10 spt) (assoc 10 ed) ed)) ;update but why not just copy block then use rb?

In the future please use Code Tags for your Code, not Quote Tags. (<> in the editor toolbar). Do you have a link to the original code? Can you show what you edited? I second, please attach a before and after .dwg. @dlanorh hasn't been here in a few years.

Thanks @mhupp, but it's inconvenient to put a copy in 0.0.0. And if the block is located at the top right at a distance of 5 km from 0.0.0? Then you will have to search for this copy in a large file for a long time.