AutoLoad/Run AutoLISP

[ironwood1957]

I wrote a simple lisp to gather info from a layout dwg then automatically open another std. dwg. After the std. dwg is open i call another lisp to use the info from the layout dwg. Is there anyway to load and run the second lisp automatically when that dwg opens?

[lance.81922]

Yes, you should be able to load and run your second routine if you use reactors . You need to set up the :VLR-DwgFile-Opened reactor to test to be sure the right drawing was opened, and then load and run the second file with the reactor callback routine.

[aaziz]

I wrote a simple lisp to gather info from a layout dwg then automatically open another std. dwg. After the std. dwg is open i call another lisp to use the info from the layout dwg. Is there anyway to load and run the second lisp automatically when that dwg opens?

if you want your lisp to run each time autocad starts, or opens a new document, then load your lisp file into Acaddoc.lsp.
Or create a start up lisp, or a script to run with autocad.
... there are several methods, but more or less go around what I said.

Ciao

[lance.81922]

If the intention is to run the second file only when a particular drawing opens, reactors are the best way. ACADDOC loads with any drawing regardless of which one it is. I suppose you could test for DWGNAME and then conditionally load the file from ACADDOC. Reactors are fun, though. I really like using them to enhance the possibilities of VL/AutoLISP. If it were me, I'd try it just to learn how they work.

[ironwood1957]

If the intention is to run the second file only when a particular drawing opens, reactors are the best way. ACADDOC loads with any drawing regardless of which one it is. I suppose you could test for DWGNAME and then conditionally load the file from ACADDOC. Reactors are fun, though. I really like using them to enhance the possibilities of VL/AutoLISP. If it were me, I'd try it just to learn how they work.

thanks lance.81922, I am looking at reactors now... but how do I attach/save a reactor to a dwg? I typed the following at the command line, (vlr-dwg-reactor nil '((:vlr-dwgFileOpened . "bracing2"))) saved the dwg, but when I open the dwg again the reactor was no longer there? BTW "bracing2" is my command line call to start "vla_bracing2.lsp...should this work?

[lance.81922]

You can make reactors persistent (hint) in a drawing, but that's actually not what you need. There are different types of reactors -- command reactors, which run during an AutoCAD session and fire when their command runs; database reactors, which run when you change the database (like adding objects); and drawing reactors, which fire with events like opening a drawing. The drawing type is what you want. You don't need to actually put the reactor in the drawing -- just set it up before the drawing is opened with a routine that creates the reactor, which is in turn loaded by your ACADDOC.LSP file. Then, when a drawing is opened, the reactor fires. Your callback routine then should check to see if the drawing is the one you're looking for. If so you can load/run your second file.