layers, text styles, dim styles on tool palette

[jledgewood]

I would like to know how to place layers, text styles, dim styles on tool palettes?
in the previous office I worked at the tool palette was set up this way.
layers being in groups e.g. floor plan layers, elevation layers, rcp layers, section layers, site layers, etc.

[RobertB]

You need to have a "library" drawing that will always be found, preferably on the network. Then all you need to do is open that drawing and drag an object that does what you want on to your palette.

[jledgewood]

not sure if I am following on the "library" drawing? is that something I need to create or is it already in AutoCAD?

[jledgewood]

if said object is just a layer or a textstyle or dimstyle and not an actual object.

[irneb]

I think Robert means something similar to a template file (not necessarily a DWT though). I know you can generate a Tool Palette from the blocks inside a DWG/DWT through Design Centre, but it seems (in 2008 at least) not to be the same for Layers and such

BTW, that's the other option: Have DC open at a specified location (you can set the home folder to anywhere you can browse to). Then you can drag-n-drop layers, dimstyles, etc. to the current drawing. Just 2 problems:

• Multileader styles are not available
• Redefining (or rather updating) a layer / style which already exists is not possible

It would have been nice if the other types available through DC worked the same as blocks. Maybe it does in the newer ACads, I haven't checked.

[RobertB]

I think Robert means something similar to a template file (not necessarily a DWT though).

Many of the tools that you create for a tool palette will require a source drawing. They won't magically make a block, for example. So you need a drawing that is always available with the content you use for the tools, i.e. a drawing that is a library of your objects.

[RobertB]

I would like to know how to place layers, text styles, dim styles on tool palettes?
in the previous office I worked at the tool palette was set up this way.
layers being in groups e.g. floor plan layers, elevation layers, rcp layers, section layers, site layers, etc.

Another approach would be to use a command tool and do something similar to the following in the tool's command:

._-Insert;*P:\Acad\Layers\ArchLayers;0,0,0;;;

There is no reason to do a purge because you are inserting the library drawing already exploded. There will be no block definition added in this case.

[jledgewood]

I believe I tried something similar to that. When I do a list block the drawing from which the layers are on is listed as a block. it seems as it wants to insert the source dwg as a block or xref according to the tool properties. those are the only two options that are given to insert as.
shall I place the code in the cui properties macro?

[irneb]

Yes, what Robert's shown is the macro code ... as if you placed it to a button on a toolbar (as an example).

Take note of the asterisk (*) prefixing the drawing's path name, this ensures that the block is inserted as exploded entities, it's the same thing as checking the "Explode" check-box in the bottom-left corner of the insert dialog. If I do this, the block's name is listed in a subsequent insert dialog ... however, it's more as if it simply remembers where that block came from. If I test for that block's name it doesn't exist in the current drawing.

To check for sure you could use the following lisp line (type directly on the command line, including the open and close parentheses):

(tblsearch "BLOCK" "BlockName")

Change "BlockName" to whatever the DWG file is called. If it returns anything other than nil it means it's found such block definition in the current drawing.

[RobertB]

... the block's name is listed in a subsequent insert dialog ... however, it's more as if it simply remembers where that block came from.

The following modification will avoid the Insert dialog issue:

(setq InsName (getvar 'InsName))(princ);._-Insert;*P:\Acad\Layers\ArchLayers;0,0,0;;;(setvar 'InsName InsName)(princ)