Copying layouts with vla-CopyObjects breaks drawing

[buntobaggins]

I am currently writing a program that will take layouts defined in a template file and copy them over to the current drawing. But running this program will cause the the file to break. The new layouts will not show up and if you attempt to switch to a different layout AutoCad will crash. If you try to open the file up again AutoCad will say its corrupted and will repair the file which seems to fix the problem. 

(defun c:copyLayouts ()
	(vl-load-com)
	(setq acadObj (vlax-get-acad-object))
	(setq doc (vla-get-ActiveDocument acadObj))

  	(setq impdwg (getfiled "Select Master Template" "" "dwt" 16))
  	(setq impdoc
	        (vla-getinterfaceobject
		(vlax-get-acad-object)
		(strcat "ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument." (itoa (atoi (getvar 'acadver))))
		);vla-getinterfaceobject
	);setq
  
  	(vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-open (list impdoc impdwg))
  
  	(setq layoat (vlax-get-property impdoc 'layouts))

	(setq safeLayout (vlax-make-safearray vlax-vbObject (cons 0 (- (vla-get-count layoat) 1))))
  
  	(setq i 0)
	(repeat (vla-get-count layoat)
		(vlax-safearray-put-element safeLayout i (vla-item layoat i))
		(setq i (1+ i))
	);repeat

  	(vla-CopyObjects impdoc safeLayout (vlax-get-property doc 'layouts))

  	(princ "\n\ncopy done\n\n")
  	(princ)
);defun

 

This only seems to be a problem with layouts. Using the same code for say a UCS works just fine. This is probably just some stupid mistake but I have been stuck on this for a while now so any help would be appreciated. 

[mhupp]

https://www.lee-mac.com/steal.html

 

(Steal "C:\\My Folder\\MyDrawing.dwg" '(("Layouts" ("Page1" "Page2"))))

 

[buntobaggins]

I am aware of the Steal program but for this project I would like to write my own implementation.

[BIGAL]

Why not just use "Layout T" Template it asks for the dwg and which layout i have always used it and no problems. Can run as a (command  

[SLW210]

What are you trying to accomplish with this code?

 

First and foremost vla-CopyObjects doesn't support Layouts in the manner you are attempting, AFAIK.

 

You need to use -LAYOUT command or pretty much need to use LeeMac's Steal or at least determine the method he uses for Layouts, which if I am looking at it correctly uses the Block Table record maybe more as I quickly glanced at it.

[ronjonp]

You can also use Design Center ( DC ) to copy layouts amongst other things between drawings.

[BIGAL]

Back to your code, using OBDX you get the layout list like this.

 

; example code by AlanH June 2026

(setq fname (getfiled "Select dwt File" "D:\\alan" "dwt" 16))
(setq impdoc
  (vla-getinterfaceobject
  (vlax-get-acad-object)
  (strcat "ObjectDBX.AxDbDocument." (itoa (atoi (getvar 'acadver))))
)
)
(vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-open (list impdoc impdwg))
(setq layout (vlax-get-property impdoc 'layouts))
(setq lst '())
(vlax-for lname layout
(setq lst (cons (vlax-get lname 'name) lst))
)


(if (not AH:Butts)(load "Multi Radio buttons.lsp"))
(if (= but nil)(setq but 1))
(setq ans (ah:butts but "V" (cons "Please choose" lst)))

(command "layout" "T" lname ans)

You can then feed that lst to say a dcl and choose, this is using a library function that returns the layout name, save multi radio buttons in a support path or edit the (load to full path where saved. It will work for up to about 20 layout names, a screen limitation.

 

 

Give it a try let me know how it works,

 

Multi radio buttons.lsp

 

[Tharwat]

Search in my website for the program:

Import Layouts.

https://AutolispPrograms.wordpress.com