Topic: Drawing preformance related to drawing limits?

[cparnell]

I found an AutoDesk tip on drawing performance, named "Improving performance when picking objects or regenerating drawing. http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/item?siteID=123112&id=2896135&linkID=2475323
It related this problem to drawing outside of the drawing limits. I was curious about seeing if this may help me when my A2K4 is slow while picking objects.
What I tried to do is set my system variable of Limmax to some thing larger than what most of my drawings would need. I opened my acad.lsp file and entered below the rest of my system variables, that work, the following,
(setvar "limmax" "1088',704'"), I then restarted AutoCAD, however when I open existing drawings, hoping that it will update them, they show something like, 1'-5",0'-11". Is not the acad.lsp supposed to over ride the files variable setting? Am I doing something wrong? Does someone have a LISP or routine that will cause all new or existing drawings to update to a predefined limmax variable?

By the way I have a new
Dell
Pentium 4, 2.8 Gig hard drive
128 mg video
1 gig Ram

ACADLSPASDOC is set to 1.
Thanks for any assistance.
Have a good day all.

[CAB]

I think carl had the answer for you here

But if your drawing units are in inches you may need to enter '(13056 8448)

Ah, are you having performance problems?

CAB

[cparnell]

Some one on another forum gave me this routine to place in my acad.lsp file and it worked.

(command "limmax" "1088',704'")

Thanks for assistance.

[CAB]

Code: [Select]

(setvar "limmax" '(13056 8448) )

[ronjonp]

Isn't the whole point of setting the limits so that obects are not drawn outside of them. I think LIMMIN is set to 0,0 by default. What if objects are created in negative coordinates? What if LIMMAX varies? Wouldn't this lisp essentially put everything within the limits regardless of their location

Code: [Select]

(defun c:idlim (/ min max)

  (setq min (getvar 'extmin)
max (getvar 'extmax)
  )
  (command ".limits" min max)
  (princ)
)
(c:idlim)

Ron

[CAB]

ronjonp

You can not use min & max as variable names as they are protected symbols.

My line of code is merely expressing the values in inches instead of feet.

CAB

[ronjonp]

EXTMIN:

Stores the lower-left point of the drawing extents. Expands outward as new objects are drawn; shrinks only withZOOM All or ZOOM Extents. Reported in world coordinates for the current space.

CAB,

Wouldn't this work since the limits would be set according to what was in the drawing?

Thx,

Ron

[CAB]

Well this would work:

Code: [Select]

(defun c:idlim (/ ex_min ex_max)
  ;Make 2D point from 3D point
  (defun 3dP->2dP (3dpt)(list (car 3dpt) (cadr 3dpt)))
  (setq ex_min (3dP->2dP(getvar 'extmin))
          ex_max (3dP->2dP(getvar 'extmax))
  )
  (command ".limits" ex_min ex_max)
  (princ)
)
(c:idlim)

But if the user wanted to set min at 0,0 and there was no entity there it could shrink or expand the limits.
And I think the person was wanting to set max at a predetermined value
not determined by objects.
Your code will do what you wanted, not necessarily what he/she wanted.

You can not use the works min and max as variable names. That is the same as
trying to use defun as a variable name.

CAB

[Keith™]

cparnell, in order for the code placed in acad.lsp to work for every drawing, you must set the variable acadlspasdoc to 1

[hudster]

Anyone know the limits for metric?

This imperial stuff baffles me!!

[Keith™]

The limits are whatever you set them to. If you want to know the limits in a specific drawing (or a template for that matter) simply type LIMMIN and LIMMAX at the command line

[cparnell]

CAB:

THANKS for your input and time.

Is it true that (c:idlim) at the end of your routine causes the routine to run each time a drawing is opened?

When I opened a drawing, I got this in the AutoCAD Text Window:

Reset Model space limits:
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <-11'-4",-22'-0">:
Specify upper right corner <45'-4",22'-0">:

but when I typed in idlim I get:

Command: idlim
.limits
Reset Model space limits:
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <0'-0",0'-0">:
Specify upper right corner <56'-8",44'-0">:

Should there be a difference?

[daron]

I moved this topic because it has nothing to do with showing your stuff, but more of asking for help.

[CAB]

Is it true that (c:idlim) at the end of your routine causes the routine to run each time a drawing is opened?

YES

When I opened a drawing, I got this in the AutoCAD Text Window:

Reset Model space limits:
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <-11'-4",-22'-0">:
Specify upper right corner <45'-4",22'-0">:

but when I typed in idlim I get:

Command: idlim
.limits
Reset Model space limits:
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <0'-0",0'-0">:
Specify upper right corner <56'-8",44'-0">:

Should there be a difference?

Not what i would expect.
Did you modify the drawing in any way?
If you close & reopen the drawing do you get the same results?

On another note, May need to modify the code for the case when a tab is active.

Code: [Select]

(defun c:idlim (/ ex_min ex_max)
  ;Make 2D point from 3D point
  (defun 3dP->2dP (3dpt)(list (car 3dpt) (cadr 3dpt)))
  (setvar "tilemode" 1) ; force Model space
  (setq   ex_min (3dP->2dP(getvar 'extmin))
          ex_max (3dP->2dP(getvar 'extmax))
  )
  (command ".limits" ex_min ex_max)
  (princ)
)
(c:idlim)

[cparnell]

CAB:

I just added
-11'-4" + 45'-4"
&
-22'-0" + 22'-0"
and they totaled

56'-8" & 44'-0" which equals the following Text Window info:

Command: idlim
.limits
Reset Model space limits:
Specify lower left corner or [ON/OFF] <0'-0",0'-0">:
Specify upper right corner <56'-8",44'-0">:

So it works, thanks. Hopefully it will solve my slow object selection problems.

[ronjonp]

Another thing that you can do to speed up selection is set your object sort method to object selection.

(setvar 'sortents 1)

Ron

[cparnell]

ronjonp:

I will try this setting and see how it affects my drawings. Thanks!
I am aware that check boxes are located in the Options dialog box under the User Preferences tab, Objects Sorting Methods section, and have read help file for sortents, however I still don't understand exactly what or how this affects drawings.