Startup Suite ACAD 2010

[memphis710]

Hi all,

 

I am trying to setup a way of managing LSP routines pre-loaded into AutoCAD's startup. I need to occationally add additional LSP routines to 11 users systems without going onto each individual PC and using the startup suite dialogue.

 

Is there a file within the AutoCAD directory that contains the location of lsp's that should load on start? I can find ones with the normal startup items but can't seem to find where autocad reads the user defined startup lsp's.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Cheers

Ollie

[DANIEL]

you should be able to still load them via the autocad.lsp

[qball]

wouldn't that still require going to each station and doing it individually?

I guess you could email all the users and get them to overwrite their existing.

[DANIEL]

its a way to do it over a network at least I can't think of anything thats going to do any of it automatically.

 

ps. its acad.lsp

[memphis710]

Hi All,

 

Thanks for confirming the file I need to change. I currently manage the drawing template and other files on each machine by installing a single batch file on each computer that runs on windows start. This in turn runs a second batch file which copies the files I tell it to from our server onto the users individual machine (all laptops so files are needed when not connected to network). I plan to have a server based copy of the acad.lsp which I can modify to my hearts content. When I make a change, each user gets the new copy the next time they start their machine.

 

Know this seems protracted but I'm not a cad manager and can't spend all my time changing each machine. Sorting things the quickest way each time helps me get on with my REAL job Asking them to change it themselves may also be a bit of a stretch. Getting them used to 2010 was a real challenge!

 

Thanks all for your posts.

 

Cheers

Ollie

[BlackBox]

From a CAD Manager's perspective, I would think you'd want to maintain both acad.lsp, and the acaddoc.lsp files.

 

The former being loaded once per session, and the latter being loaded with each drawing that is opened. They are also loaded at different times during the startup sequence, which is important to note when loading different types of code (i.e., arxload, load, netload, etc.).

 

I'll give the example of loading DOSLib - you can add code to load the appropriate version of DOSLib (17, 17x64, 18, 18x64, etc.) during the acad.lsp code execution, but the ARX engine has not yet been initialized, and arxload will do nothing. However, if you were to include said code in acaddoc.lsp the ARX engine has been initialized, and DOSLib will be loaded. The only other option would be to include the DOSLib arxload statement in S::Startup, but then you run the risk of your S::Startup function not being the last, which would negate your S::Startup function altogether (as the last S::Startup call wins).

 

In order to provide a means for each user to still control what customizations they want to include, I include a username LISP load function which searches their custom support file search paths (CUI, LSP, SCR, etc.), as the user does not have write access to the network support paths:

 

...
 (if (findfile (setq fileName (strcat (getvar 'loginname) ".lsp")))
   (load fileName))
...

 

Personally, I found that my code library grew faster than expected, and I had to device a code management system that enabled me to simplify my delivery of the functions to all users. I decided to utilize Visual LISP Projects for different groups of code (i.e., Developer Tools, Production Tools, Diagnostic Tools, Individual Settings, etc.) and compiled to .FAS/.VLX to minimize how many files needed to be loaded from the network.

 

There are alternatives, but this is the method I am most familiar.

 

Hope this helps!

[BlackBox]

wouldn't that still require going to each station and doing it individually?

I guess you could email all the users and get them to overwrite their existing.

 

Even if acad.lsp or acaddoc.lsp were copied local, one should include an update function which would compare the local file to that on the server (SysTime), and if the server file is newer, overwrite the local file, and reload.

 

This can even be called from a Windows Batch (.BAT) file using the shell command.

 

Unless the user is a long distance from the server, it's really negligible, the time it takes to load from the server, especially when on a 64-Bit OS like Windows 7.

[memphis710]

Thanks RenderMan. May have a look into Visual LISP at some point but basic LSP is enough for me to be getting on with at the moment! As I said before, not being a 'cad manager' means I have limited time and resource to update things and make changes / programme new tools so.

 

I have now figured how to modify the acad2010doc.lsp file to do what I want it to on startup. This is on the C: drive of each system so I have made a batch file to update this file on each machine from a server copy if nessesary on PC startup. Server distances are negligible as the system we run on networks dozens of servers across the globe. Don't know how it all works but we have no time delay at all. I can now update one file and cascade to everyone from one machine. Next modification may include Visual LISP but not this release.....

 

Thanks all.

Ollie

[rkmcswain]

I have now figured how to modify the acad2010doc.lsp file to do what I want it to on startup.

 

A) That is the wrong file to modify. Use "acaddoc.lsp" instead (See: http://support.autodesk.com/getDoc.asp?id=TS21336 )

B) You do not have to change files on multiple machines.

 

Simply create the desired "acad.lsp" and "acaddoc.lsp" in a shared network location, then add this path to the TOP of the support file search path.

[memphis710]

rkmcswain

Thanks for your comment. I have updated the acaddoc.lsp, not the one I previously quoted.

 

As for the location of the file, the machines are all laptops and the problem comes that we are quite often out of the office when using AutoCAD. Locating the file on a shared folder would mean (at least I think it would) when disconnected from the network, autocad won't be able to find the correct file. It may revert back to the one in C: but as this won't have been updated, the lsp files I am trying to make available to each user won't be loaded. At present it is far simpler to update the files rather than sending AutoCAD to a file path that 60-70% of the time won't exist.

 

Cheers

Ollie

[rkmcswain]

As for the location of the file, the machines are all laptops and the problem comes that we are quite often out of the office when using AutoCAD. Locating the file on a shared folder would mean (at least I think it would) when disconnected from the network, autocad won't be able to find the correct file. It may revert back to the one in C: but as this won't have been updated, the lsp files I am trying to make available to each user won't be loaded. At present it is far simpler to update the files rather than sending AutoCAD to a file path that 60-70% of the time won't exist.

 

Sorry, I must have missed that these were laptops.

Another option is using "offline files" to keep the network files synced to the local machine.

[BlackBox]

I too use a Laptop, whereas most of the users I support use desktops.

 

Again, this being only one way of many... I use a couple of windows batch files to handle this.

 

During login, when connected to the network at the office, my windows profile is loaded (along with network drives) prior to my batch file in the startup folder. When my batch runs it checks for the needed drives, and if not present SUBSTitutes them for the local/remote path instead.

 

Separately, I run another batch before leaving the office to copy critical files locally.

 

Does this make sense?

[memphis710]

Hi RenderMan,

 

I can say it does make sence, however my batch writing skills are limited so may be a bit beyond me! Now I have a batch file that runs on each machine that loads a master batch file on our server that does all the things I want. This way, I can change the 1 master batch file and not have to go onto anyone elses machines.

 

Seems to work okay for our needs.

 

Ollie

[BlackBox]

No worries.

 

That just leaves me a little confused as to why the thread was started in the first place, if your current setup "seems to work okay for [your] needs." In any event, hopefully you've got what you needed from this.

 

Cheers!

[memphis710]

No worries.

 

That just leaves me a little confused as to why the thread was started in the first place, if your current setup "seems to work okay for [your] needs

 

Ah, thats easy. My Op was enquiring how to add additional LSP files to the AutoCAD startup routine manually without going through startup suite. The discussion then moved on to various methods I could deploy these files remotly rather than going onto everyones machine every time I wanted to make a change...

 

Thanks for your help, though not my OP, nice to know batch files are being used for a similar purpose and not a completly daft way of doing things!

 

Cheers

Ollie

Edited June 9, 2011 by rkmcswain
fix quote tags

[DANIEL]

yes, lets not forget the acaddoc.lsp lol *shakes fist at autodesk like an angry old man* why iaouta!

[memphis710]

yes, lets not forget the acaddoc.lsp lol *shakes fist at autodesk like an angry old man* why iaouta!

 

Lol. I nearly had to go back to my first post to remember exactly what I had asked! ... Lucky its nearly the W/E