Topic: save dwg as backup on open before its modified

[andrew_nao]

I have a few functions that save dwg before you close it and auto saves
however is it possible to save a dwg as soon as its opened? maybe with a reactor?

what im planning is a save function that will save a dwg to a backup directory as an original so that if something were to go wrong (IE: if entities were mistakenly deleted and dwg was saved  ) that the original dwg would still be intact.

thoughts?

[Keith™]

Autocad automatically creates a backup of the drawing when you save, so you can always recover the last version .. asuming of course that you don't save the drawing every 5 minutes or something and overwrite the backup drawing.

[ronjonp]

...
however is it possible to save a dwg as soon as its opened? maybe with a reactor?
...

You don't need a reactor, just add something like so to your startup:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (vl-file-copy
2.   (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname))
3.   (strcat "C:\\MYINITIALBACKUPPATH\\" (getvar 'dwgname))
4. )

You'll have to make sure that the backup directory exists prior to copying though.

[BlackBox]

...
however is it possible to save a dwg as soon as its opened? maybe with a reactor?
...

You don't need a reactor, just add something like so to your startup:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (vl-file-copy
2.   (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname))
3.   (strcat "C:\\MYINITIALBACKUPPATH\\" (getvar 'dwgname))
4. )

You'll have to make sure that the backup directory exists prior to copying though.

You'll also have to check that the target file name does not already exist, and/or is successfully deleted:

More on vl-File-Copy: http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2015/ENU/?guid=GUID-12910252-217C-427D-8874-1323611FA74C


... Unless you're going to name the target accordingly with date/time, etc.

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (strcat "C:\\MYINITIALBACKUPPATH\\"
2.         (vl-filename-base dwgName)
3.         "_"
4.         (menucmd "M=$(edtime,$(getvar,date),YYYY-MO-DD)")
5.         ".dwg"
6. )
7.  

[Keith™]

... and you will need to verify that the drawing is not a new drawing that has never been saved to disk.

[ronjonp]

Both excellent suggestions. Perhaps this would work. 
RJP-XCOPY
XCOPY Switches

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (if (= 1 (getvar 'dwgtitled))
2.   (rjp-xcopy (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname) "C:\\MyInitialBackup\\" "/d/c/i/k/r/y/q")
3. )

[BlackBox]

Both excellent suggestions. Perhaps this would work. 
RJP-XCOPY
XCOPY Switches

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1. (if (= 1 (getvar 'dwgtitled))
2.   (rjp-xcopy (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname) "C:\\MyInitialBackup\\" "/d/c/i/k/r/y/q")
3. )

*Sigh*... What, no bit-coded switches?



  

[ronjonp]

What is this "bitcode" you speak of ? 

[BlackBox]

... and you will need to verify that the drawing is not a new drawing that has never been saved to disk.

Perhaps I've misunderstood the thread title, but the OP seems to be attempting to create a backup immediately after opening an existing drawing (not creating a new drawing).

My $0.02

[ronjonp]

We'll let him chime in .. perhaps we're both WAAAYYYY off the mark. 

[dgorsman]

Isn't all this moot?  This runs *after* the drawing is opened which can itself modify the content.  Might be more productive to create a backup on closing the drawing.  Or just use regular backups.

[andrew_nao]

... and you will need to verify that the drawing is not a new drawing that has never been saved to disk.

Perhaps I've misunderstood the thread title, but the OP seems to be attempting to create a backup immediately after opening an existing drawing (not creating a new drawing).

My $0.02

yes i want to save it, or copy it would probably be best, to another directory as an original file so i can then continue to modify that same dwg.
i only need 1 instance of the dwg to be saved though. if i copy the file, it shouldnt overwrite if the file exists, correct?

[andrew_nao]

Isn't all this moot?  This runs *after* the drawing is opened which can itself modify the content.  Might be more productive to create a backup on closing the drawing.  Or just use regular backups.

thats why i want to back it up, copy it, save it, to another directory so its not modified and will be labeled "original" while still opening the dwg to be modified.

just looking for ideas and thoughts and appreciate the feedback

[Keith™]

... and you will need to verify that the drawing is not a new drawing that has never been saved to disk.

Perhaps I've misunderstood the thread title, but the OP seems to be attempting to create a backup immediately after opening an existing drawing (not creating a new drawing).

My $0.02

You are correct, however, the solution was proposed to be added to the startup lisp ... the same startup lisp that runs regardless of whether you are opening a drawing or starting a new blank drawing ...

this is why I get paid the big bucks

[GDF]

Code: [Select]


;|
Well copy the below code into your acaddoc.lsp and then get used to
typing "BAK" before you start any major (or minor for that matter)
changes to your drawing.  It will create a /BackUp directory, if not
already present, and a file with the date and time appended to the
drawing name: C:/MyProject/X_Site.dwg would be saved as
C:/MyProject/BackUp/X_Site-2006.03.30.18.32.39.dwg.
|;
;;;James Buzbee
;;;http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=9453.0
(defun c:bak  (/ file dirs dir)
  (setq dirs(vl-directory-files(getvar "dwgprefix") nil -1))
  (if(not(or (member "backup" dirs)(member "archive" dirs)(member "archive" dirs)))
    (setq dir(vl-mkdir (strcat (getvar "dwgprefix")"archive")))
    (setq dir t)
    )
  (if dir
    (progn
  (setq file (strcat
       (getvar "dwgprefix")"archive\\"
       (vl-filename-base (getvar "dwgname")) "_"
       ;;(menucmd "M=$(edtime,$(getvar,date),YYYY.MO.DD.HH.MM.SS)")
               (menucmd "M=$(edtime,$(getvar,date),MO-DD-YYYY_HH.MM)")
       ".dwg"))
  (while (findfile file)
    (setq file (strcat
       (getvar "dwgprefix")"archive\\"
       (vl-filename-base (getvar "dwgname")) "_"
       ;;(menucmd "M=$(edtime,$(getvar,date),YYYY.MO.DD.HH.MM.SS)")
               (menucmd "M=$(edtime,$(getvar,date),MO-DD-YYYY_HH.MM)")
       ".dwg")))
  (if file
    (command "save" file))))
  (princ file)(princ))