Topic: Plottabs help

[ELOQUINTET]

hey cab so you said you were able to get it to work, what batch processor are you using if any? i have looked and looked and discovered that if i check the test run option and create the script the qsaves aren't there but when i run it it has the same results only one drawing is processed. i have posted my questions on their forum but it's not real active so... I just wondered how you got it to work on your end? thanks

[CAB]

I just pasted the code in a text file saved as scr. Then typed script at the command prompt.
If all you need is a front end to pick the dwg files to run the scrit on you can use the routine
by Tim Willey.

[ELOQUINTET]

CAB,
When you say the routine by Tim Willey do you mean the RealDwg he referred to earlier in this post or something else he wrote? I've been talking to the batch script guy and can't get his program to open the second drawing but i'm curious as to why it's not working more than anything. I looked at RealDwg but it costs money is there a free version or something? A little confused...

[CAB]

No Tim wrote a lisp to create script files. If Tim doesn't mind I'll post a modified version here.
The limitation i see in this lisp is the ability to pick dwg files from differant folders. it is designed to process all dwg files found in the user picked folder. It can be changed to allow picking specific files in one folder but picking files from more than one folder requires more programing. At present I don't have a routine to do that.

Please post you current script file so I can See if I can determine why it's stopping.

[ELOQUINTET]

ok cab i tried your approach by creating the batch script via hurricane then pasted that into a text file and running it from autocad. again it printed the first file but didn't open the second. i posted the script below for you to review. i'd appreciate Tim's routine and thank Tim for writing and sharing it with us

_OPEN
"d:\Drawings\M-2630EM ONE CHRISTINA CRESCENT\COMPLETE SUBMISSION\DETAILS.dwg"
(if (or sub_plottabs (/= (load "plottabs.lsp" "fail") "fail"))
  (foreach ps  '(("d-prot-500ps" nil 1) ("d-prot Xerox510" t 5) ("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3) ("HP LASER 11x17" nil 1))
    (setq *ptdebug* t)                                                                           
    (sub_plottabs (list  (car ps)  (nth 2 ps) "Tab" (cadr ps) nil t t "~" nil nil t T "" "*"))                                                                         
  )
  (princ "\nCould not load PlotTabs.lsp or plotHelper.lsp")
)
close
Y
_OPEN
"d:\Drawings\M-2464EM\M-2464EF\umdnj elevations.dwg"
(if (or sub_plottabs (/= (load "plottabs.lsp" "fail") "fail"))
  (foreach ps  '(("d-prot-500ps" nil 1) ("d-prot Xerox510" t 5) ("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3) ("HP LASER 11x17" nil 1))
    (setq *ptdebug* t)                                                                           
    (sub_plottabs (list  (car ps)  (nth 2 ps) "Tab" (cadr ps) nil t t "~" nil nil t T "" "*"))                                                                         
  )
  (princ "\nCould not load PlotTabs.lsp or plotHelper.lsp")
)
close
Y

[CAB]

First thing to do is to reverse the file order & see if the "d:\Drawings\M-2464EM\M-2464EF\umdnj elevations.dwg"
will print. Some times it's not the exit of the previous drawing but the failure of the next drawing.


I'm thinking you may need to replace the "Y" after CLOSE with this:

Code: [Select]

(If (or (> (logand 1 (getvar "CmdActive")) 0)
        (> (logand 2 (getvar "CmdActive")) 0))
  (command "Y")) 
Reason being that if there was no change in the drawing the prompt to "Abandon Changes" does not happen.
I haven't tested this yet, just looking for a reason it quit on the first drawing.

[ELOQUINTET]

cab the logic makes sense but it still did not print the second batch of drawings. i may be getting ahead of myself a little but it's somewhat relevent now too. is it easy to modify the code to only print to a couple printers for now (i.e. small copy and 800) until we get it working because i'm running around like a madman trying to cancel everything when it doesn't work. one of the printers is not even in the same area of the building as i am so i'm sure drawings are piling up by project management with all this testing i'm doing  .

[CAB]

Change this

Code: [Select]

  (foreach ps  '(("d-prot-500ps" nil 1) ("d-prot Xerox510" t 5) ("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3) ("HP LASER 11x17" nil 1))   to this
 

Code: [Select]

  (foreach ps  '( ("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3))


For my test I just use this:

Code: [Select]

(foreach ps  '(("Adobe Arch D" nil 1)("Adobe Arch E1" nil 1))which just creates a pdf file, no printer involved.

[T.Willey]

Sorry wasn't at work today, so I haven't checked the site.  Alan you can post the changes to the BScript program I wrote all you want.  It's fine with me.

[CAB]

Thanks Tim.

Do you have a lisp for user pick of files from multiple folders?

[CAB]

Dan,
Give this a try.

Code: [Select]

_OPEN
"d:\Drawings\M-2630EM ONE CHRISTINA CRESCENT\COMPLETE SUBMISSION\DETAILS.dwg"
(if (or sub_plottabs (/= (load "plottabs.lsp" "fail") "fail"))
  (foreach ps  '(("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3))                                                                           
    (sub_plottabs (list  (car ps)  (nth 2 ps) "Tab" (cadr ps) nil t t "~" nil nil t T "" "*"))                                                                         
  )
)
qsave
close
_OPEN
"d:\Drawings\M-2464EM\M-2464EF\umdnj elevations.dwg"
(if (or sub_plottabs (/= (load "plottabs.lsp" "fail") "fail"))
  (foreach ps  '(("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3))                                                                       
    (sub_plottabs (list  (car ps)  (nth 2 ps) "Tab" (cadr ps) nil t t "~" nil nil t T "" "*"))                                                                         
  )
)
qsave
close

[ELOQUINTET]

cab sigh it still only printed the first drawing 

[CAB]

Boy this is frustrating!
Use this in the script, when it stops, post the command line history.
Perhaps it will give a clue.

Code: [Select]

_OPEN
"d:\Drawings\M-2630EM ONE CHRISTINA CRESCENT\COMPLETE SUBMISSION\DETAILS.dwg"
(if (or sub_plottabs (/= (load "plottabs.lsp" "fail") "fail"))
  (foreach ps  '(("d-prot-800" nil 1) ("small_copy" nil 3))                                                                           
    (setq *ptdebug* t)
    (sub_plottabs (list  (car ps)  (nth 2 ps) "Tab" (cadr ps) nil t t "~" nil nil t T "" "*"))                                                                         
  )
)

[T.Willey]

Thanks Tim.

Do you have a lisp for user pick of files from multiple folders?

Not really, but one could be written.  I would select the directory, then select the files to process from said directory, then add them to a list (path and name).  Then open up the directory select again, if cancel start the comamnd, if not do the same thing as above, repeat until cancel is hit.

[CAB]

Yes, that was my thought too & perhaps a DCL picklist to display the selected files with a delete button to remove any unwanted files.
Too busy at the moment though.