Standardization and Libraries in the Cloud

[resullins]

Hi all! Been a while. I am currently tasked with trying to set up some basic customization for AutoCAD at our company. This mostly includes fixing some of our blocks, creating libraries, a few custom commands or macros, etc. In the past, I've used Tool Palettes for the blocks portion of this, and that has worked well. But my current company keeps everything on OneDrive, and I know AutoCAD doesn't really like working in Cloud locations for stuff like that. Previously, when we had a server, I was able to map a block libraries folder to a Drive Letter and create paths for everyone that never included a user name. I don't know how to do that with OneDrive. 

 

I would also like to keep some support files in our Cloud so that I can maintain macros and commands. 

 

I also know AutoCAD has some Cloud Content management, but I've never really used it. Has anyone successfully deployed things like this on a cloud platform? Or do I need to try and find a way to localize our libraries to each station? 

 

Thanks! 

[ReMark]

I've been "out of the loop" since July of 2018 but could this be what you are looking for?

 

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNRfiIH4rDnF_YIa1s2FbI0x7QGoPw%3A1579729673753&source=hp&ei=CcMoXtLCK821ggfxnbXQCA&q=onedrive+map+to+drive+letter&oq=oneddrive+map+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0i13l8j0i13i30l2.8640.13422..15913...2.0..0.99.1095.14......0....1..gws-wiz.......0j0i131j0i10.9DeLHte1fsk

[BIGAL]

I really have no idea as I don't use One Drive but have a freebie amount etc this is my PC address with a blocks directory made.

 

C:\users\xxxx\OneDrive\Documents\MyBlocks

 

This can be mapped to a drive using shell within a lisp or just as is long directory.

 

So I may be totally wrong but cloud likes to copy files  to a hard disk, use vl-file-copy or shell to copy the file to somewhere on the local Pc eg for me I have c:\acadtemp then run -insert c:\acadtemp\filename …..  do anything else etc then do vl-file-delete the file on the local pc so file is not truly saved.

 

The address above will depend possibly on the user or pc, in the case of the user you can get who it is via (getenv "userprofile")

 

So have a look on each pc to see if a pattern.

[resullins]

17 hours ago, ReMark said:

I've been "out of the loop" since July of 2018 but could this be what you are looking for?

 

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNRfiIH4rDnF_YIa1s2FbI0x7QGoPw%3A1579729673753&source=hp&ei=CcMoXtLCK821ggfxnbXQCA&q=onedrive+map+to+drive+letter&oq=oneddrive+map+&gs_l=psy-ab.1.1.0i13l8j0i13i30l2.8640.13422..15913...2.0..0.99.1095.14......0....1..gws-wiz.......0j0i131j0i10.9DeLHte1fsk

 

I've looked through most of that, and all the methods that allow you to do that only seem to work with personal OneDrive accounts, not ones linked to a O365 account. I'm not saavy enough to know why, but the piece of the URL you have to use to map doesn't exist in a Corporate account. 

 

@BIGAL, I'm not entirely sure I understand what you're suggesting... but it sounds like you're telling me to get all sync'd files to another folder somewhere on the station that I can THEN map? That would totally make sense, as that's SORT OF what I used to do when I was working on a server. But then, there's a VERY large amount of data that exists twice (both in the sync'd cloud location and the other folder) on workstations with limited storage. 

[BIGAL]

No, if you know your cloud address and in particular where a certain block lives then use file copy to down load a copy of the 1 block to a known location on the PC eg c:\Acadtemp then just do the standard -insert c:\acadtemp\filename and so on, do what ever else but remove the file from  c:\acadtemp as its no longer required as its now in the dwg.

 

Something like

 

(setq fname (strcat path blknmame))
(setq dest (strcat "D:/Acadtemp/" blkname"))
;(vl-file-copy "C:/Users/xxxx/OneDrive/Documents/My Blocks/Alan-2020.dwt" "D:/Acadtemp/Alan-2020.dwt")
(vl-file-copy fname dest)
; do your insert thing now (command "-insert" dest ......
(vl-file-delete dest)

 

[resullins]

@BIGAL You're now going over my head. 

 

Would you have to run that every time someone tried to use a block? I wouldn't even know how to implement that. I'm trying to create an easily usable library for people that are NOT very good at CAD, so I feel like trying to get them to run a command every time they want to insert defeats the purpose? Or, it's possible I'm totally missing what you're saying. 

[BIGAL]

I Just had a look at adding a support path and "one drive" was there, so try that with correct directory for your block dwg's. worked for me.

 

You can lisp add it to each users support path. Manually about 1 minute.

Edited February 14, 2020 by BIGAL