Custom Standards!

[lawylde]

Hello everyone,

 

this is my firs post, so greetings.

 

I have been given the task from my director to produce a concept for the following:

 

when a member of staff opens AutoCAD (2011) there is an interface that pops up that has two buttons. The first being A3 and A4. The idea is that when each of these is clicked, a new template is opened ready for them to use, that has out title block and layers etc all set up.

 

Does anyone know where I should start with reference to custom interfaces on AutoCAD startup?

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

[Dadgad]

You could create your 2 clearly titled TEMPLATES and put them into a folder by themselves. commandline type OPTIONS> enter

then go to your FILES tab.

A few different ways to do it, but you should start here, either by directing your template files search path to the newly created folder with the templates you want to use, or with the designation of the NEW drawing template.

 

A tool palette could also be created to put on the work stations, targetting either of those files.

 

A million different ways to go, somebody will come up with a more visually interesting way, netting the same results.

 

You would do well to look at this thread.......

http://www.cadtutor.net/forum/showthread.php?65772-Open-AutoCAD-with-a-specific-template&highlight=PROGRAM+SWITCH

Edited January 12, 2012 by Dadgad

[SLW210]

Here is more info on creating a startup switch READ THIS

[tzframpton]

Hello everyone,

 

this is my firs post, so greetings.

 

I have been given the task from my director to produce a concept for the following:

 

when a member of staff opens AutoCAD (2011) there is an interface that pops up that has two buttons. The first being A3 and A4. The idea is that when each of these is clicked, a new template is opened ready for them to use, that has out title block and layers etc all set up.

 

Does anyone know where I should start with reference to custom interfaces on AutoCAD startup?

 

Thank you in advance for your help!

What Dadgad and SLW have posted are more than correct to get you started, but first thing is first: Get with your I.T. Admin and create a new folder on the server in which everyone else with AutoCAD will map to as a drive letter. You should have all read/write permissions but everyone else should have read only. Then start creating your standards in this folder in which you can path to in everyone's AutoCAD Search Path's directories.

[Ronso]

lawylde

 

Welcome to Cadtutor!

 

The attached is a custom setup dialog that I have developed and automatically opens at AutoCAD startup (if (= (getvar "DWGTITLED") 0) ...

In non-lisp language, when the file being opened has not been saved. (eg. drawing1.dwg)

 

Otherwise the programming goes on to validate the additional items:

the company enterprise menu is loaded (if (= (getenv "EnterpriseMenuFile") "X") ...

the company ToolPalettes are loaded (if (wcmatch (getvar "*_ToolPalettePath") "*X*")

the company standard blocks, etc. are made available in the support paths (if (wcmatch (getenv "ACAD") "*X*") ...

and the company standard .dws file is validated with (if (and (setq DCT (cdar (dictsearch (namedobjdict) "AcStStandard"))) (equal (mapcar 'cdr (ugetasc 3 (entget DCT))) '("0")) (= (cdr (assoc 1 (dictsearch DCT "0"))) "X"))) ...

 

When all conditional statements are validated the full set of developed automation tools becomes available to the user.

 

Been down many roads with CAD users creating their own profiles, selecting their own template files, custom .pgp files, workspaces, desiring their own toolbar locations, etc.

 

A custom s::startup/file setup and validation lisp has all but eliminated my past implementation issues, especially in a networked environment.

 

However, it should be your skill level and experience which influences the solution you come up with.