Topic: Odd request: how to almost mess up a *.dwg (serious)

[David Hall]

I'm only checking all this cause I'm using an Educational Version of course... not that I have any drawings to post anyway..

When you print your dwgs, do you get the water mark?

[Lee Mac]

I don't really plot anything, but in the preview, yes.

[Keith™]

I don't really plot anything, but in the preview, yes.

So now imagine you are a multi-million dollar company with contracts all over the place and suddenly all of your plotted drawings say "Educational Version" .. that'd be a real hoot for the folks having to clean up that mess ...

[Lee Mac]

Oh, I'm not saying that I don't agree its a bad thing for drawings to get 'infected', I'm just trying to ascertain how a lot of drawings can get infected from only one...

[alanjt]

Oh, I'm not saying that I don't agree its a bad thing for drawings to get 'infected', I'm just trying to ascertain how a lot of drawings can get infected from only one...

"It's like magic!"

[rkmcswain]

...MINSERT it into a new drawing with the following criteria: 1 Row, 2 Columns, set the Distance between Columns to Zero. (had to look that up since it's been a while since I've done it).

The client won't be able to explode the block, therefore making modifications to it (virtually) impossible...

Not quite. All you have to do is erase the MINSERT and insert a single copy of the block, then explode it.

[Keith™]

Oh, I'm not saying that I don't agree its a bad thing for drawings to get 'infected', I'm just trying to ascertain how a lot of drawings can get infected from only one...

Ok, lets look at this from a typical user's standpoint ....

user gets drawing,see a neat bit of geometry they would love to use in their other drawings, they create a wblock of that geometry or export the block, or copy/paste something into another drawing. That drawing is subsequently infected.

Lets imagine for a minute that you have an xref of an infected drawing ... now the referencing drawing will become infected once the reference is loaded ... making each subsequent drawing referencing an infected item .. well .. infected ...

With the liklihood of a user copying something that they don't want to redraw, the infections have been known to extend to a huge drawing database very quickly .. akin to a virus.

This is one of the reasons many people don't like to utilize drawings found on the internet ... of course the user may receive a warning that the drawing was created by an educational version ..

It is quite incidious if you ask me

[Keith™]

...MINSERT it into a new drawing with the following criteria: 1 Row, 2 Columns, set the Distance between Columns to Zero. (had to look that up since it's been a while since I've done it).

The client won't be able to explode the block, therefore making modifications to it (virtually) impossible...

No quite. All you have to do is erase the MINSERT and insert a single copy of the block, then explode it.

Not if it is an anonymous block ... granted I have not looked at Plankton's code ...

Another trick I have seen is to cut/paste the drawing contents to a strange UCS setting, change the view to worldview, cut/paste to worldview, mirror the contents, create a block, scale to a weird factor, explode, create an anonymous block, scale down to the correct scale factor (reverse the previous weird scale factor), mirror the block so it has a negative scale factor but correct view, then minsert the anonymous block into WCS through the use of code.

This does several things ...
it is minserted, thus cannot be exploded
it is anonymous, thus cannot be inserted
If by chance the user does manage to insert the anonymous block, it will be a negative scale, this has been known to randomly lock up AutoCAD, thus requiring a [CTRL]+[ALT]+[DEL] to kill the app.
If the user knows this and/or AutoCAD doesn't lock up, the user will have to rescale the anonymous block to the proper scale and then explode, then unscale, then get the correct view and work backward through the process to get a usable drawing, by then they are frustrated or have some weird geometry with strange extrusion directions for the objects ... not editable in any meaningful fashion anyway ...

of course there is the additional prospect of making the anonymous block nameless thus not even insertable/editable with code ... there is a trick to it and I don't have time to explain it, but I have seen these drawings in the past.

[hermanm]

...MINSERT it into a new drawing with the following criteria: 1 Row, 2 Columns, set the Distance between Columns to Zero. (had to look that up since it's been a while since I've done it).

The client won't be able to explode the block, therefore making modifications to it (virtually) impossible...

No quite. All you have to do is erase the MINSERT and insert a single copy of the block, then explode it.

Not if it is an anonymous block ... granted I have not looked at Plankton's code ...

Another trick I have seen is to cut/paste the drawing contents to a strange UCS setting, change the view to worldview, cut/paste to worldview, mirror the contents, create a block, scale to a weird factor, explode, create an anonymous block, scale down to the correct scale factor (reverse the previous weird scale factor), mirror the block so it has a negative scale factor but correct view, then minsert the anonymous block into WCS through the use of code.

This does several things ...
it is minserted, thus cannot be exploded
it is anonymous, thus cannot be inserted
If by chance the user does manage to insert the anonymous block, it will be a negative scale, this has been known to randomly lock up AutoCAD, thus requiring a [CTRL]+[ALT]+[DEL] to kill the app.
If the user knows this and/or AutoCAD doesn't lock up, the user will have to rescale the anonymous block to the proper scale and then explode, then unscale, then get the correct view and work backward through the process to get a usable drawing, by then they are frustrated or have some weird geometry with strange extrusion directions for the objects ... not editable in any meaningful fashion anyway ...

of course there is the additional prospect of making the anonymous block nameless thus not even insertable/editable with code ... there is a trick to it and I don't have time to explain it, but I have seen these drawings in the past.

Code: [Select]

;;;---------------------ToStatic.lsp--------------------------------
;;; Purpose: Converts anonymous block to named static block
;;; Version:1.0
;;; Date: 2 June 2010
;;; Author: Herman Mayfarth
;;; Copyright © 20xx by Herman Mayfarth. All rights reserved.
;;; Provided "as is" and without warranty, express or implied.
;;; Use at your own risk.
;;;-----------------------------------------------------------------
(defun C:Static ( / obj)
  (setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object (car (entsel "\nPick a block reference:"))))
  (vlax-invoke obj 'ConvertToStaticBlock
    (substr (vlax-get-property obj 'Name) 2))
  (princ)
);C:Static


[Keith™]

yes, I am well aware of the ease of undoing these things ... but most people will not have that expertise

[alanjt]

yes, I am well aware of the ease of undoing these things ... but most people will not have that expertise

Hell, I explain the same thing 50 times and they still come and ask how to do it. :realmad:

[uncoolperson]

If you've got the time... I bet (educational... no idea if actually possible) you could:
create and executable that has the dxf code stored in it, and when ran creates the simple geometry (explode a bunch before getting the dxf info), and creates reactors and such that basically disable copy/save/etc...

could allow the client to open the drawing goof with it some then close.


if you're concerned beyond exploding the heck out of your drawing, I wouldn't be sending pdfs or paper copies that can be scanned then translated into cad if I were you.

[Aerdvark]

First of all, wow what a response.
I had not thought so many people would have an opinion...
Maybe my idea is so rediculous.

Now, as for the contracts:
None of our contracts describe that I need to give away my *.dwgs. I need to provide drawings on paper and / or digital (*.pdf).

I have been thinking what my problem is, and it is mostly the dynamic blocks. For they can be extracted for own use (and I know they are). Some of my blocks were very time consuming creating them.

So in the end, and after reading this whole post, and TBH "after my temper has dropped a little"... I believe some of you are right.
First I should enter terms in the contracts that I don not send *.dwgs. And in case if I send them use the term that my blocks remain my property and may not be used for other purposes. To be shure enough I will disable all dynamic blocks (convert to normal block). Also the blocks will be bursted.

THere has never been the case that the drawing I send is coming back to work on further. I allways keep the original.

Maybe this is all I can do, in a way to keep the clients satisfied and my blocks stay with me.

Tnx again.

[Lee Mac]

Ok, lets look at this from a typical user's standpoint ....

Thanks Keith - I can see now how someone who just dismisses the Educational Alert could quite easily infect many drawings...

[deegeecees]

...MINSERT it into a new drawing with the following criteria: 1 Row, 2 Columns, set the Distance between Columns to Zero. (had to look that up since it's been a while since I've done it).

The client won't be able to explode the block, therefore making modifications to it (virtually) impossible...

No quite. All you have to do is erase the MINSERT and insert a single copy of the block, then explode it.

Emphasis on the VIRTUALLY. I guess the typical Cad Jockey has developed skills over the years that would nullify that approach unless an anonymous block were used. This used to work for me, but haven't had to use it since the invention of the plot to pdf, and the toaster.