Topic: Whats a good start for Visual Lisp?

[psuchewinner]

I am glad Afralisp is back!  I learned so much from that site and the newsletters.  The tutorials and the function explanations make it really easy to understand.  Be careful though, it could become an obsession.  I like to figure out how people do different things.  It is challenging and fun.  Good luck!

[CECE_CAD]

Your problem is this line
(vlax-for x (vla-item (vla-get-blocks jbThisDrawing) nameStr)
I'm pretty sure 'jbThisDrawing' is a global variable to hold the active document.  I would just rewrite that line like

Code: [Select]

(vlax-for x (vla-Item (vla-get-Blocks (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-Acad-Object))) nameStr)And it should work then.

Edit:  And when you post code, place it in code tags [ code ] to start the code, and [ /code ] to end it (without the spaces).

Ok, so the block changes to zero but it does not get set to the new layer..? Hey what does the "Jb" mean when used like
this -> (jbthisdrawing)

Code: [Select]


(vl-load-com)

(defun jb:BlockLayerZero(nameStr newLayer / jbThisDrawing)
(setq jbThisDrawing(vla-get-activedocument(vlax-get-acad-object)))
(if (not (tblsearch "layer" newLayer))
(alert (strcat newLayer " does not exist - please creat it first!"))
(progn
(if (tblsearch "block" nameStr)
(progn
(vlax-for x (vla-Item (vla-get-Blocks (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-Acad-Object))) nameStr)
(vlax-put-property x 'layer "0")
(vlax-put-property x 'color acByLayer)
(princ "\nLayer changed!"))

(vlax-for blks (vla-get-blocks jbThisDrawing)
(vlax-for blk blks
(if (vlax-property-available-p blk 'name)
(if (=(vla-get-name blk) nameStr)
(vla-put-layer blk newLayer)))))
)
(alert (strcat NameStr " not found!")))))
(princ))

(COMMAND "LAYER" "M" "A-Lite-01")

(defun c:FixLiteBlock( / )
(jb:BlockLayerZero "AL2x4" "A-Lite-01"))



[T.Willey]

jb = The authors initials.

It should work, I don't see anything out of the ordinary.  It changes the blocks objects to layer 0, and then it searchs the block collection (which is where the definition for the spaces are) and if it finds your block, it changes it to the new layer.  The only thing I can think of is that your block is a nested one, or with the new dynamic blocks.  If the block is a dynamic one, and has been changed, then the name isn't the one that defines it.

Hope that makes sense.

[CECE_CAD]

jb = The authors initials.

It should work, I don't see anything out of the ordinary.  It changes the blocks objects to layer 0, and then it searchs the block collection (which is where the definition for the spaces are) and if it finds your block, it changes it to the new layer.  The only thing I can think of is that your block is a nested one, or with the new dynamic blocks.  If the block is a dynamic one, and has been changed, then the name isn't the one that defines it.

Hope that makes sense.

Hey I added the

Code: [Select]


(COMMAND "LAYER" "M" "A-Lite-01")


is there a better way to write that? is that a generic way to creat a layer?

[T.Willey]

The command isn't finished.  Have to put that one the comamnd line, and see if it works?  You will need one more enter to exit the command. An enter in lisp if a pair of double quotes.  So you would want

Code: [Select]

(command "_.layer" "_m" "A-Lite-01" "")
The underscore before native commands is so that the routine will run with internation versions (I just have a habit now of doing it), and the period before the layer command is so it will use the the built in command instead of one that has been redefined, if it has been redefined.

[Kerry]

CECE,
Just make sure you understand what that command is doing.

Code: [Select]

(COMMAND "LAYER" "M" "A-Lite-01")
is there a better way to write that? is that a generic way to creat a layer?

It makes the layer (if not existing) and sets it current when you load the routine.
If it was me, I'd rather not have that happen.
There is no checking that the layer exists when it is needed.

This may give you some ideas :

Code: [Select]

(setq newLayer "TestLayer")
(if (not (tblsearch "layer" newLayer))
  (progn
    (vl-cmdf "._LAYER" "_NEW" newLayer "")
    (alert (strcat "LAYER " newLayer
                   " Has been created, Please confirm it's COLOR and LINETYPE."
           )
    )
  )

[LE]

just to get a little confused:

(command "_.layer" "_m" "A-Lite-01" "")

(command "_.layer" "_m" "A-Lite-01" ^)
(command "_.layer" "_m" "A-Lite-01" p)
(command "_.layer" "_m" "A-Lite-01" nil)
(command "_.layer" "_m" "A-Lite-01" enter)

will work too....  

[CECE_CAD]

Do I have to note the layer that the block is on to change to the layer that i'm trying to put it on?

[T.Willey]

Do I have to note the layer that the block is on to change to the layer that i'm trying to put it on?

Nope, not with the way this routine is written.  It just cares about the block name, and the new layer.