Topic: Thoughts on a better ERASE command

[irneb]

Or work similar to a normal Trash-Bin. I.e. have a setting to specify a maximum amount of entities to keep (could be as a percentage of the entire DWG). That way only keep the latest entities and delete the older ones - it should be sorted by time of deletion in any case (if you simply keep adding them to the block def).

[danallen]

Or try making them invisible:
http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=5007.msg60596#msg60596

[Lee Mac]

Another maybe great idea for a better erase command is to put elements in a recycle bin or something like that. If you open that drawing recycle bin, you see a drawing with everything you've erased and the possibility to restore the element.

You could always "send" the erased objects to a non-referenced block definition inside the DWG.

That's a great idea Irné! 

Attached is my first draft of a possible program which implements this proposed method to give us all something to work with.

The 'recycle' command will move a selection of objects to the 'drawing recycle bin', and the 'restore' command will restore objects that were previously recycled. The recycle bin can be 'emptied' by simply purging the block collection.

Feel free to add comments and suggestions 

[huiz]

It is really great Lee Mac!  Great to see ideas come to life!

Maybe, if it is not asked too much, a preview of the selected restore item? In big red lines?

[Lee Mac]

It is really great Lee Mac!  Great to see ideas come to life!

Thank you huiz 

Maybe, if it is not asked too much, a preview of the selected restore item? In big red lines?

This would certainly be possible by inserting the 'recycled' block into the drawing and perhaps drawing a box around it using grvecs / grdraw to make it easily distinguishable from surrounding objects, but since standard DCL only permits modal dialogs, the dialog would need to be suppressed and then reloaded if the user cancels the preview (similar to the preview option of the Array command).

[ScottMC]

Actually better than cut with basepoint as it allows both, multiple separate erased and saved with file! Anyway the restore could ask/allow an alternate or original point/location to restore to?

[Lee Mac]

Actually better than cut with basepoint as it allows both, multiple separate erased and saved with file! Anyway the restore could ask/allow an alternate or original point/location to restore to?

Yes - change this:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1.                 (foreach bn (LM:ListBox "Select Items to Restore" (vl-sort lst '>) t)
2.                     (setq bo (vlax-invoke as 'insertblock '(0.0 0.0 0.0) bn 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0))
3.                     (vla-explode bo)
4.                     (vla-delete  bo)
5.                     (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-delete (list (vla-item bc bn)))
6.                 )

To:

Code - Auto/Visual Lisp: [Select]

1.                 (foreach bn (LM:ListBox "Select Items to Restore" (vl-sort lst '>) t)
2.                     (if (setq ip (getpoint "\nSpecify insertion point: "))
3.                         (progn
4.                             (setq bo (vlax-invoke as 'insertblock (trans ip 1 0) bn 1.0 1.0 1.0 0.0))
5.                             (vla-explode bo)
6.                             (vla-delete  bo)
7.                             (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-delete (list (vla-item bc bn)))
8.                         )
9.                     )
10.                 )

Note that the base point is always relative to the drawing origin however.

[ScottMC]

Lee.. anyway you could help me rework this to acquire the insert cut point upon picking object(s) instead of the (0.0 0.0 0.0) as in your "DrawingRecycleBin" Please? 

                    (vla-get-blocks ad)
                   'add
                    '(0.0 0.0 0.0) << would help! Wish to understand how to get
                                               a coord (getpoint..) to work.
      Thanks so much!

[cmwade77]

Wow, I get engrossed in doing what I need to fix up and this is what I come back to find! There is some incredible stuff here.