Autolisp..where to start?

Wanting to learn Autolisp, but needing a starting point. Have looked at a few tutorials on the web. Can anyone suggest some resources to get started?

 

Thanks

Hello,

See this thread just started yesterday: lisp creation - where do I start?

 

Look at:

http://www.afralisp.net/

http://www.jefferypsanders.com/autolisp.html

http://www.dailyautocad.com/autolisp/

Thanks. I did not notice that.

 

Cheers

The first thing I would recommend is dont worry about the hundreds of examples but rather pick a goal that you want to achieve, then look for an example that matches what your trying to do.

 

Having trained many people always they said I want to learn Lisp but the question what do you want to achieve always drew a blank look. eg I want to draw squares but how big and what colour answer I don't know.

 

So get a pencil and paper work out the steps involved in your task write one step at a time, if it involves maths or geometry calculations have those solved before you start. I would also suggest write code that can be used in multiple programs cutiing and pasting little routines saves a lot of time, this will make more sense as you try more.

 

Give a hint here of what you are trying to do and others will guide you without necessarily writing the program for you.

Hope this helps

So get a pencil and paper

 

Do you really do this?

Do you really do this?

I do. If I don't I go off at tangents, forgetting what I actually want to acheive. I end up with a pretty routine that looks good but doesn't do what I need it to.

How far to you go tho?

How many defun's and what each will do,

What a majority of values are.

What will be stored always, what will be stored in dwg's, What every menu will do?

not very far but you implied (to me at least) that a new coder should try without a pencil. I certainly create a lot of psudo code before pressing the keyboard. I don't do a lot of LISP as I find VBA easier but I will outline what I expect my end point to be along with an idea of how I expect to get there.

not very far but you implied (to me at least) that a new coder should try without a pencil.

That was unitentional

More of a question or how other do. there has being a few time where ive thought i should go the effort of doing a detailed report of what need to be done, but generaly ill do the dialouge then work from there. Mind you i have 3hours a day (travel time) to thing about what i need & want, Tho most never gets done

glad we sorted that

 

I code so rarely that I have to get at least a flow chart before I start. My routines are usually something I have thought would be "nice to have one day" when a big urgent job hits us that NEEDS my routine. So they are often thrown together with no testing and just about do the job required of them. Very rarely do they get finished off to be more usefull. They are all in my "one day" pile.

The first thing I would recommend is dont worry about the hundreds of examples but rather pick a goal that you want to achieve, then look for an example that matches what your trying to do.

Aye, there's the rub. I actually asked something along those lines in an earlier post, but got no replies. Typically, in a production environment, what do people set out to achieve with AutoLisp. Is it adding extra functionality that is not in Autocad? Or system management? Thanks.

I personnaly do a bit of both.

I think it is pointless to do repeative things, that could easly be done by a program.

 

Such as dragging your mouse all the way up to the task bar to change layer, instead select what you want and a hot key, if nothing is selected change to that layer.

 

Or even more simplitstic things such as "Plan" & "Elevation"

 

Just thing how many times in dwgs would place plan sectional elevation sideview etc, sure each one takes 5 or so seconds but if you count that up a week, times it by home many people in the office, thats a lot of time.

 

I have the approcch if things are relativly dumb, then why would we have to do it.Let a dumb program do it.

Following on think about something you do repeatedly in a drawing.

 

An example we draw vehicle driveways into the new kerbs old way was use break, draw lines, fillet etc with lisp pick 3 points all done it does the correct offsets and widths.

 

2nd example more complicated waffle pad house slab around 20 mins, cutting, pasting, arraying, trimming etc in lisp seconds all done.

 

What I am saying is have a look at your day to stuff and pick something, start simple the forum will help. Paste a picture of before and after.

 

What field are you in civil elec plumbing manufacturing ??

Have a look at this good example of starting with lisp

 

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?t=38867