Edit Project Files Search Path.

[jrd.chapman]

Hello all,

I was wondering whether or not anyone knew if it was possible to programmatically manipulate/add/edit/remove Projects and Paths from the Project Files Search Path in AutoCAD (myself, on AutoCAD 2005).

I'd like to streamline and simplify XREF management for a particular project I'm coordinating for which there are many different consultants accessing the same set of Base Plans from our company FTP site.

I'd like to be able to circulate a Lisp routine that will help them quickly add a Project to the Project Files Search Path section in AutoCAD's options, within which all paths to downloaded XREFs would be specified as well. If I can avoid each user having to manually set this up in options, it would be great.

Any kind of a nudge would be super fantastic!
TIA

[Mike.Perry]

Hi

A quick forum search, turned up the following amongst many others...

Project Support Search Path

LISP Routine needed to set up Project Paths

profile update while still in autocad

Have a good one, Mike

[jrd.chapman]

Thanks for the links Mike.

I know it's been a while since your response to this thread. I haven't had a chance to further investigate my original question until now. The threads you linked me too had exactly enough information to put me in a position to write thr routine I wanted to write.

This will help a user set up projects and search paths without going through the AutoCAD options. This code could easily be customized for specific projects and paths, so the user does not even have to browse to the directories to add to the project. I wrote a generic routine so it could be used on any project, and also to have a blast off point for writing setting up specific projects and paths.

Anyways, here is the code I came up with:

 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 ;;;																		    ;;;
 ;;;ProjectFileSetup.lsp by John D. Chapman									 ;;;
 ;;;Setup Projects and Project Search Paths									 ;;;
 ;;;November 24, 2005.														  ;;;
 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 ;;;																		    ;;;
 ;;;If creating a new project, OR, PROJECTNAME variable has been set,		   ;;;
 ;;;but the project no longer exists in the registry, then continue to ensure   ;;;
 ;;;the project specified in PROJECTNAME gets created or re-created.		    ;;;
 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 
 (defun proj_error (msg)
   (if (/= msg "Function cancelled")
 	(princ
 	  (strcat "\nError: " msg " [" (itoa (getvar "ERRNO")) "]")
 	)
 	(princ)
   )
   (proj)
   (setvar "cmdecho" cmd)
   (setq	projName nil
 	projPath nil
 	fileprefs nil
   )
   (setq *error* olderr)
   (princ)
 )
 
 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 ;;;																		    ;;;
 ;;;Continue on "'<project>' not found in the registry." error.				 ;;;
 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 
 (defun proj (/ go prevPath fileSelect cont?)
   (setq	projPath nil
 	go T
   )
   (setq prevPath "\"\"")
   (while go
 	(setq fileSelect
 	   (getfiled
 		 "Select a file within the directory to add (can be any file)."
 		 prevPath
 		 ""
 		 16
 	   )
 	)
 	(if	fileSelect
 	  (progn
 	(setq prevPath (vl-filename-directory fileSelect))
 	(if projPath
 	  (setq	projPath (strcat projPath
 				 ";"
 				 (vl-filename-directory fileSelect)
 			 )
 	  )
 	  (setq projPath (vl-filename-directory fileSelect))
 	)
 	(initget "Yes No")
 	(setq cont? (getkword "\nAdd more paths? [Yes/No]<Yes>: "))
 	(if (= cont? "No")
 	  (setq go nil)
 	  (setq go T)
 	)
 	  )
 	  (progn
 	(alert "\nYou did not specify a directory to add.")
 	(setq go nil)
 	  )
 	)
   )
   (if projPath
 	(vla-setProjectFilePath fileprefs projName projPath)
 	(alert "\nNo paths were specified.")
   )
   (princ)
 )
 
 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 ;;;																		    ;;;
 ;;;Set up projects and XREF search paths.									  ;;;
 ;;;____________________________________________________________________________;;;
 
 (defun c:Proj
 	   (/ cmd acadapp prefs try_again go prevPath fileSelect cont?)
   (vl-load-com)
   (setq cmd (getvar "cmdecho"))
   (setvar "cmdecho" 0)
   (setq	olderr	  *error*
 	*error*	  proj_error
 	projName  nil
 	acadapp	  (vlax-get-acad-object)
 	prefs	  (vla-get-preferences acadapp)
 	fileprefs (vla-get-files prefs)
   )
   (while (not projName)
 	(setq eProjName (getvar "PROJECTNAME"))
 	(setq
 	  projName
 	   (getstring T
 		  (strcat "\nNew Project Name <" eProjName ">:")
 	   )
 	)
 	(if	(= projName "")
 	  (setq projName eProjName)
 	)
 	(if	(or (= projName "")
 		(= projName " ")
 		(= projName "\"\"")
 		(= projName ".")
 	)
 	  (progn
 	(alert "No Project Name has been specified.")
 	(initget "Yes No")
 	(setq try_again (getkword "\nTry again? [Yes/No]<Yes>: "))
 	(if (= try_again "No")
 	  (setq go nil)
 	  (setq projName nil)
 	)
 	  )
 	  (progn
 	(setq go T)
 	(setvar "PROJECTNAME" projName)
 	(setq projPath (vla-getProjectFilePath fileprefs projName))
 	(if (= projPath "")
 	  (setq projPath nil)
 	)
 	  )
 	)
   )
   (setq prevPath "\"\"")
   (while go
 	(setq fileSelect
 	   (getfiled
 		 "Select a file within the directory to add (can be any file)."
 		 prevPath
 		 ""
 		 16
 	   )
 	)
 	(if	fileSelect
 	  (progn
 	(setq prevPath (vl-filename-directory fileSelect))
 	(if projPath
 	  (setq	projPath (strcat projPath
 				 ";"
 				 (vl-filename-directory fileSelect)
 			 )
 	  )
 	  (setq projPath (vl-filename-directory fileSelect))
 	)
 	(initget "Yes No")
 	(setq cont? (getkword "\nAdd more paths? [Yes/No]<Yes>: "))
 	(if (= cont? "No")
 	  (setq go nil)
 	  (setq go T)
 	)
 	  )
 	  (progn
 	(alert "\nYou did not specify a directory to add.")
 	(setq go nil)
 	  )
 	)
   )
   (if projPath
 	(vla-setProjectFilePath fileprefs projName projPath)
 	(alert "\nNo paths were specified.")
   )
   (setvar "cmdecho" cmd)
   (setq *error* olderr)
   (princ)
 )