IDE Visual Lisp

[PGia]

Hello everyone I've been using AutoCAD for a few years now and a few days ago something happened to me that I can't find an explanation for.

I hope there's someone on this forum who can help me: After editing some lsp files in the Visual Lisp IDE, when I close the AutoCAD session and go back to work the next day, when I open the IDE it doesn't remember the open files or the configuration. Has this happened to anyone?

 

Thanks you in advance

[rlx]

I sometimes have the same issue and most of the time it happens after IT did some updating, this can reset / clear windows registry. So I think this has to do with either (windows) update or company policy , preventing some apps saving their stuff. Some companies restore a disk image at startup, also wiping your settings. Oh , and I think utils like regclean can also wipe your vlisp history.

 

I'm no IT expert though... At this time I have quite a few problems with AutoCad 2022 / 2024. My company is updating to Win11 and all kinds of AutoCad problems now , from crashing after simple text command to freezing after plot. So maybe its one of those thing you have to learn to accept, hopefully temporarily.

Edited March 22 by rlx

[BIGAL]

Where I worked all up like 1000 pc's so you can imagine the control IT had, we were lucky and they would talk to us and fix issues mainly with file access as suggested. It ws controlled under our Group access.

[rlx]

Where I work IT literally has policy 'you name it , we block it'. I believe app is called carbon black. Every freaking file has to be white-listed. So if there is an update (either an app or windows) , all files , executables / dll's especially , have to be white-listed again else they are blocked by default. Same goes for acces rights. They have a slogan for that too : we trust no one , without exceptions. Things only get unblocked after user complains / raises a ticket. I understand security is a lot harder then, oh lets say twenty years ago , but sometimes working can be a challenging to say the least. Navigating to a drawing or lisp file I consider the least of my problems at this moment.

Edited March 22 by rlx

[SLW210]

Same, they block stuff that shouldn't be blocked.

 

Security is pretty easy just like 20 years ago. I set up my wife's workplace (small produce company) she did all of the bookkeeping by hand and was working too much.

 

Since I was doing it for free, after a while, she tried to hire a company to do the IT, they messed it up, so I redid everything. Even Geek Squad did better than the "professional" IT company. Then the wife watched what I had done so she started doing it. Never any issues.

 

Professional IT workers and companies, just block everything because they either don't know how to do it correct and/or just too lazy.

 

Confirmed by Microsoft and other software companies every time I or my coworkers have an issue, solution/cause improperly configured firewall, server or improperly setup software.

 

Recently kept losing AutoCAD licenses, problem, the proxy server/firewall, solution, IT turned it off.

[PGia]

Hello everyone

I'm having a minor problem with the Visual Lisp editor. Every time I open it, it doesn't remember the files I opened in the last session, and I have to reopen them. It also doesn't save any changes to the interface configuration.

This started happening a week ago, but it worked fine before. Has anyone experienced this or know of a solution?

Thanks in advance.

[rlx]

if this is on a company computer / network this may be caused by not having write access to the right folder , or , if your profile (registry)  is reset (wiped) every time / morning you log in.

Last one is easy enough to test. After you log in and open a lisp file , close AutoCad and start it again and see if your lisp files are still there or that AutoCad suddenly developed Alzheimer.

You could also check your shortcut on your desktop. If it contains a /P parameter, it may start up with a fixed profile. First thing I always do is make my AutoCad local again.

If you start AutoCad from your windows start button , this probably won't have a startup profile attached to it. So lots of options to explore before begging IT and bend over.

 

[rlx]

he/she ... this human did (I haven't forgotten haha) but just gave a few easy to follow steps. Sometimes re-install / repair autoCad also works. Also having two different AutoCad versions on one system can upset your evil machine...

[PGia]

Sorry.
I forgot I also asked the question on this forum.
I waited a few days, but since there were no responses, I ended up abandoning the thread.

Sorry.
The truth is, a little over a week ago I tried writing some code again and again felt the need to find a solution.
I've searched forums, followed ChatGpt's suggestions, checked permissions in the registry and on some suspicious folders, but nothing work
My PC isn't connected to the network, and the shortcut doesn't contain any parameters to launch from any specific user account.

Anyway, after reading the comments on my first thread about this problem, I guess I should be pessimistic.

[SLW210]

What about Options>Files>Support File Search Path and Options>Files>Trusted Locations?

 

Are you actually using AutoCAD 2015?

 

What OS and computer specifications?

[SLW210]

P.S. Your other thread died because you never returned with any responses.

 

I have merged and moved your threads to the AutoLISP, Visual LISP & DCL Forum.

[SLW210]

Similar issue here... Returning to previous editing screen - AutoLISP, Visual LISP & DCL - AutoCAD Forums

[PGia]

Thanks, SLW

Yes. I use AutoCAD 2015 on Windows 10.

I'll take a look at that thread you mentioned.

[rlx]

I think the file that keeps your vlisp config is saved in :

 

c:\Users\[*your-user-name*]\AppData\Roaming\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2017\R21.0\enu\VLIDE.DSK

your autocad version is probably different , like ...\Autocad 2015\Rxx.0\enu\VLIDE.DSK

maybe (setq dsk-filename (findfile "VLIDE.DSK")) will work.

In my case it returns "C:\\temp\\lisp\\VLIDE.DSK"  ,  I have write acces there but just put it there as backup / to study.

This folder is at the top of my support path but I doubt it's the one loaded / saved on exit by the editor.

 

Anyways , first warning : before you go crazy like a dragon and experiment , make sure you first make a backup , maybe more than one.

 

In this file your have 2 lines :

 

- one beginning with : 

    (*edit-file-history* "C:/Temp/Lisp/_Cad-tutor/xxx.lsp" "C:/Temp/Lisp/_Cad-tutor/yyy.lsp" .......)

- and multiple sections for every file open :

 

(editor
    :CAPTION "xxx.lsp"
    :FILENAME "C:/Temp/Lisp/_Cad-tutor/xxx.lsp"
    :POINT 26786
    :APEX 2162692
    :SIZE 42468643
    :STATE :MINIMIZED
    :RO nil
    :FGC nil
    :BGC nil
    :LXC T
    :LEX-ID :AL
    :CLV nil
    :TW 8
    :LM 10
    :CONTEXT :AUTOLISP
    )
(editor
    :CAPTION "yyy.lsp"
    :FILENAME "C:/Temp/Lisp/_Cad-tutor/yyy.lsp"
    :POINT 3528
    :APEX 4259848
    :SIZE 37946548
    :STATE :MINIMIZED
    :RO nil
    :FGC nil
    :BGC nil
    :LXC T
    :LEX-ID :AL
    :CLV nil
    :TW 8
    :LM 10
    :CONTEXT :AUTOLISP
    )
 

etc etc...

 

 

So ... the other first thing you could / should to is to check if you have / AutoCad has acces rights in the folder bladiebla...\enu\VLIDE,DSK

 

I'm not sure I recommend trying to edit this file , but there it is , a possible way to get a grip on your digital Gremlin.

 

[PGia]

Thanks a lot @rlx

I think you hit the nail on the head.

I searched for vlide.dsk and when I opened it, it shows this:

 

But I found another vlide._sd file that when edited shows this:

 

 

So I saved vlide._ds as vlide.dsk, then started AutoCAD, Visual Lisp IDE, and... now Vlide shows the settings saved in vlide._ds. I've restarted AutoCAD several times, and everything seems to be working normally again. But then I wonder: what happened? If AutoCAD closed and, due to some error, didn't save the last configuration, why did it continue all this time without being able to write to vlide.dsk? And also: if there is a file that saves a backup copy of the last configuration, then why didn't AutoCAD recover the configuration from that backup?

 

[BIGAL]

Just a comment, I use Notepad++ for coding, I mention this as, 

you can close notepad++ without saving and it opens up to where you were last,

you can download an extra module and it allows you to run your lisp code from Notepad++, Acad only, not working with Bricscad,

has lisp code detection bracket checking built in,

checks brackets dcl code.

 

Yes when I get real stuck with a bug copy code into Vlide or Blade.

[SLW210]

My best guess, running AutoCAD 2015 on Windows 10, IIRC AutoCAD 2016 after a service pack was the first AutoCAD for Windows 10.

 

So, possibly either a Windows 10 update and/or an AutoCAD crash created the issue.

 

At work (and sometimes at home) I use Visual Studio Code with AutoCAD extension.   

 

Getting Started with Visual Studio Code (AutoLISP/VS Code) | Autodesk

 

AutoCAD AutoLISP Extension - Visual Studio Marketplace

[PGia]

I'll check out those links.

Everything still seems to be working fine here.

I hope this thread will help others who have the same problem.

 

Thanks, everyone.