; error: bad character read (octal): 21

[guyogordo]

When I startr acad I get the following statement on the command line;
(octal): 21
; error: bad character read (octal): 21
can anyone help? I believe it has to do with my start up file.

thanks
Guy

[kennet.sjoberg]

How old AutoCAD are You trying to run ?

;;; DDSTART.LSP Version 0.5
;;;
;;; Copyright (C) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 by Autodesk, Inc.

: ) Happy Computing !

kennet

[guyogordo]

I am using autocad 2004; the add on was written for use with acadr12 then moved on to r14 and the switch to 2k4 is causing problems.

[kennet.sjoberg]

Missing file ddstart.dcl, can not continue so my hands is off. . . .

: ) Happy Computing !

kennet

[guyogordo]

I tried to send a copy of ddstart.dcl but that is not a valid extension. Is there another way to send you a copy?
Guy

[kennet.sjoberg]

zip it or cut and paste the contents

[Glenndp]

Or rename it with a .txt extension, and tell everybody to change it.

[guyogordo]

Here is ddstart.dcl saved as a ddstart.txt.
Thanks for the help; I just don't know where to start.
Guy

[stig.madsen]

Guygordo,
The 'bad character read' error occurs when your code is trying to read an unrecognizable file, - typically while trying to load a binary file with LOAD.

If the error is really due to the startup.lsp routine (which seems to work fine), then one guess could be that you've opened a file in a text editor like WordPad and accidentally happened to save it as a Word document (or WordPerfect or whatever binary format is provided) instead of ASCII format.

The only file that is loaded directly in the routine (besides the DCL file which should not trigger that specific error, regardless of format) is ai_utils.lsp from Express Tools. What is then loaded from ai_utils.lsp I can't say but you might want to check if your ET .lsp files are in the proper format.

As Kennet hinted, this may also be an old Bonus Tool routine that requires files which has since changed (eg. if you installed ET afterwards).

[kennet.sjoberg]

Hi guyogordo, I changed the line

from
( (eq "failed" (load "ai_utils" "failed")) ; load it
to
( (eq "failed" (load (findfile "ai_utils.lsp") "failed")) ; load it

and now the dialogbox "Scale Factor Settings" appear and things probably happens,
but I don't know if I want it to do ; )


Happy Computing !

kennet

[guyogordo]

Thanks stig,
It's an old routine as you know; I'll check out the things you suggested and let you know whatI found.
You gave me places to start looking.

Guy

[guyogordo]

Hi Kennet

I am going to eat breakfast and then plug it in. I'll let you know how it goes.

thanks
Guy