change multiple xref paths

[trmurphy]

hi i am cleaning up a lot of old drawings each having multiple xrefs. however all are being moved to the current xref folder on the server so the xref path is messed up. we currently utilise a 'no path' xref setting on all drawings but these older ones all have saved paths. anyone know of a quicker way to convert all xrefs to no path as it's taking me all bloody day. thanks

[Tiger]

You have the External Reference Manager that is installed alongside your AutoCAD, that should speed things up. Go to Start-menu >> Autodesk-folder and you'll find it

[RobDraw]

I use this to change to relative pathing after the files have been moved but you still need to open the drawings.

 

 

;; RelativeXrefs by Joe Burke

;; Bug reports may be sent to me directly at lowercase@hawaii.rr.com.
;; Program updates will be posted at www.theswamp.org under 
;; "Show your stuff" in a topic named "Relative xref paths".

;; PROGRAM NOTES:

;; The standard disclaimer applies. Use at your own risk...

;; In general it's important to understand how relative paths work
;; before using this program.

;; Please be aware the program is potentially dangerous in the sense
;; relative repathing from one drive to another may cause pointing to 
;; unexpected files in cases where duplicate files exist on different
;; drives and similar conditions.

;; The shortcut is REX.

;; Tested with 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2008. Should work with 2000,
;; but not tested.

;; Thanks to Steve Doman and Jason Piercey for their help.

;; The program works with unloaded xrefs, unlike other similar routines 
;; I've seen.

;; It does not deal with raster image references. I may add support 
;; for those later.

;; Reloading an xref can cause associative dimensions/leaders to do
;; strange things. Something to watch for. If it happens, undo
;; and change such dimensions to non-associative.

;; The program may take a long time depending on the number of xrefs, 
;; how many are reloaded and the size of reloaded files. 

;; Possible scenarios where RelativeXrefs might be useful.

;; First:
;; A project uses relative paths but all paths are not relative.
;; Convert full paths to relative assuming an xref can be found somewhere
;; along its orignal path. If not the original path remains.
;; Note, nested xrefs are not repathed because the path is determined within 
;; the parent file. Run the program on the parent file and save it. Then 
;; reload the parent in the active file to update nested paths.
;; There is at least one case where the path of nested xrefs will change 
;; in the active file. If the parent xref was "not found" and the program 
;; finds it, the parent is repathed. That may update nested paths.

;; Second:
;; A project begins as a group of files in one folder. Eventually the number
;; of files involved requires sub-folder organization and you want to use
;; relative paths. Repath as needed using full paths. Then convert full paths
;; to relative.

;; Third:
;; All project files are kept in a single folder so xrefs are found 
;; without a path. Some xrefs may have a full path which isn't used.
;; The program removes such paths leaving just the file name as the path.

;; VERSION HISTORY

;; Version 1.0 - first beta version 12/31/2007.

;; Version 1.1 - revised the XrefsData function 1/3/2008.

;; Version 1.2 - revised 1/5/2008.
;;   Changed the name of the XrefLoaded function to XrefIsLoaded.
;;   Changed its method of testing loaded or not.
;;   Changed the XrefsData function to return the xref block name
;;   at the end of each list so the reload and report calls are
;;   cosmetically correct in terms of the actual xref block name.

;; Version 1.3 - revised 1/8/2008.
;;   Removed the front end question about reload xrefs.
;;   Uses the xref command "path" rather than "reload".
;;   Removed checking for xref is loaded, not need now.
;;   Revised the XrefsData function per above.
;;   This version should be faster. 
;;   Also cleaner in terms the report at the end.
;;   Added report regarding number of nested xrefs found.
;;   Added a check near the end regarding an xref which should
;;   have been repathed, but possibly was not.

;; Version 1.4 - revised 1/12/2008.
;;   Added the Spinbar function with message, Searching for xrefs...

;; Version 1.5 - revised 2/22/2008.
;;   Removed the FileName sub-function. Added the SpinWait function so 
;;   the spinbar will work with some files where it otherwise does not.
;;   Added error checking in the XrefSearch sub-function.
;;   Fixed a bug which occured with 2004 and earlier versions. In those 
;;   versions an xref block definition does not have a Path property.


(defun c:RelativeXrefs ( / *error* doc blocks cnt datalst strlst str 
                          xpath xname reportlst nestcnt PathList
                          XrefsData XrefSearch Spinbar SpinWait)

 (defun *error* (msg)
   (cond
     ((not msg))
     ((wcmatch (strcase msg) "*QUIT*,*CANCEL*"))
     (T (princ (strcat "\nError: " msg)))
   )
   (setvar "cmdecho" 1)
   (vla-EndUndoMark doc)
   (princ)
 ) ;end error

;;;; START SUB-FUNCTIONS ;;;;

 ;; Argument: path string
 ;; Returns the path portion as a list of strings in reverse order.
 ;; (setq s "..\\..\\Common ABC\\XRefs ABC\\Plan Unit 3BR KLSC.dwg")
 ;; ("\\XRefs ABC" "\\Common ABC" "\\.." "\\..")
 ;; The file name is not included.
 (defun PathList (str / idx pat pos lst)
   (setq idx 0 pat "\\")
   (while (setq pos (vl-string-search pat str idx))
     (setq lst (cons (strcat pat (substr str (1+ idx) (- pos idx))) lst)
           idx (1+ pos)
     )
   )
   lst
 ) ;end

 ;; Returns a list of lists: (fullname fn blockname expath) 
 (defun XrefsData ( / blkname expath fullname fn xlst NestedXref)

   ;; Argument: block definition vla-object.
   ;; Returns a count number if the xref is nested, otherwise nil.
   ;; Based on code by Stephan Koster in a program named XrefTree.
   ;; Function renamed from nested_p.
   ;; The nestcnt variable is local to the primary routine.
   ;; There is a known flaw in the function which Jason pointed out.
   ;; If an xref is both nested and referenced as a parent, the
   ;; function does not flag it as nested. The fallout from that situation,
   ;; if it occurs, is handled near the end of the primary routine.
   (defun NestedXref (blkdef / elst) 
     (setq elst (entget (vlax-vla-object->ename blkdef)))
     (if
       (or
         (not (vl-position '(102 . "{BLKREFS") elst))
         (and
           (vl-position '(102 . "{BLKREFS") elst)
           (not (cdr (assoc 331 elst)))
         )
       )
       (setq nestcnt (1+ nestcnt))
       ;; Else return nil to the parent function.
     )
   ) ;end

   (vlax-for x blocks
     (if 
       (and
         (= -1 (vlax-get x 'IsXref))
         (setq blkname (vlax-get x 'Name))
         ;; Filter out nested xrefs.
         (not (NestedXref x))
         (setq expath (cdr (assoc 1 (tblsearch "block" blkname))))
         (setq fn (strcat (vl-filename-base expath) ".dwg"))
       )
       (progn 
         (SpinWait 0.25)
         (cond 
           ;; Xref found at full or relative path.
           ((setq fullname (findfile expath)))
           ;; Xref found in the same folder as the active file
           ;; and it the xref has not been renamed.
           ((setq fullname (findfile fn)))
           ;; Xref not found so far. Substitute the path for full name.
           (T (setq fullname expath))
         )
         (setq xlst (cons (list fullname fn blkname expath) xlst))
       )
     )
   )
   xlst
 ) ;end

 ;; Arguments: strlst - a list of strings returned by PathList.
 ;;            path - a file name returned by FileName.
 ;;            dot - a string either ".\\" to search down the folder structure
 ;;            or "..\\" to search up the folder structure.
 ;; Returns: a relative path if the file is found.
 (defun XrefSearch (strlst path dot / xpath)
   (if (and strlst path dot)
     (progn
       (setq path (strcat "\\" path))
       (while 
         (and
           strlst
           (not (findfile (setq xpath (strcat dot 
             (substr (setq path (strcat (car strlst) path)) 2))))
           )
         )
         (princ
           (strcat "\rSearching for xrefs... please ignore any messages  " 
             (setq *sbar (Spinbar *sbar)) "  \t\t\t")
         )
         (setq strlst (cdr strlst))
         (setq dot (strcat dot dot))
       )
       (if (and xpath (findfile xpath))
         xpath
       )
     )
   )
 ) ;end

 ;; Busy indicator. Author unknown.
 (defun Spinbar (sbar)
   (cond ((= sbar "\\") "|")
         ((= sbar "|") "/")
         ((= sbar "/") "-")
         (t "\\")
   )
 ) ;end

 (defun SpinWait (seconds / stop)
   (setq stop (+ (getvar "DATE") (/ seconds 86400.0)))
   (while (> stop (getvar "DATE"))
     (princ
       (strcat "\rSearching for xrefs... please ignore any messages  " 
         (setq *sbar (Spinbar *sbar)) "  \t\t\t")
     )
   )
 )

 ;;;; END SUB-FUNCTIONS ;;;;

 ;;;; START PRIMARY FUNCTION ;;;;

 (vl-load-com)
 (setq doc (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-acad-object)))
 (vla-StartUndoMark doc)

 (SpinWait 0.1)

 (setvar "cmdecho" 0)

 (setq blocks (vla-get-blocks doc)
       cnt 0
       nestcnt 0
       datalst (XrefsData)
 )
 
 ;; datalst is a list of lists
 ;; xref (fullname fn blkname expath)
 (foreach x datalst
   (setq strlst (PathList (car x))
         ;; Xref file name.
         str (cadr x)
         ;; The xref block name.
         xname (caddr x)
   )

   (cond
     ;; Xref found in the same folder as the active file.
     ((findfile str) (setq xpath str))
     ;; Search for xref down the folder structure.
     ((setq xpath (XrefSearch strlst str ".\\")))
     ;; Search for xref up the folder structure.
     ((setq xpath (XrefSearch strlst str "..\\")))
   )

   (if 
     (and 
       xpath
       ;; Check the path found is not the same as the original path.
       (not (eq xpath (cadddr x)))
     )
     (progn
       (command "._xref" "path" xname xpath)
       (setq reportlst (cons (list xname xpath) reportlst)
             cnt (1+ cnt)
       )
     )
   )
   (SpinWait 0.25)
 ) ;foreach

 ;; Double check each xref which should have been repathed actually was.
 ;; If not try again. In some cases where an xref is both referenced as a
 ;; parent and also nested, this will allow repathing the xref.
 ;; Without it an xref may be reported as repathed when it was not.
 (foreach x reportlst
   (if (not (eq (cadr x) (cdr (assoc 1 (tblsearch "block" xname)))))
     (command "._xref" "path" (car x) (cadr x))
   )
 )

 ;; Report:
 ;; Doing this separate from the repath operation avoids a message,
 ;; "press enter to continue" from getting tangled up with the report.
 ;; I don't know what that message refers to, but it doesn't cause a problem.
 (foreach x reportlst   
   (princ (strcat "\nXref: " (car x) " repathed: \n"))
   (princ (strcat "  " (cadr x)))
 )

 (print)
 (if (not (zerop nestcnt))
   (princ (strcat "\nNumber of nested xrefs found: " (itoa nestcnt)))
 )
 (princ (strcat "\nNumber of xrefs repathed: " (itoa cnt)))

 (*error* nil)
) ;end

 ;;;; END PRIMARY FUNCTION ;;;;

;------------------------------------
;shortcut
(defun c:REX () (c:RelativeXrefs))
;------------------------------------

[trmurphy]

guys thanks for the replies found that 'redir' command that seems to be doing the trick.

 

thanks for the heads up on the ref manager never used that before lot of handy stuff in it

 

cheers rob dont think i need that as i wasn't using relative pathing think what i'm trying to do is a bit less complicated