Erase outside the Box

[jseamons]

I am trying to erase everything left outside a closed shape and I can't figure out how to create the selection set. If anyone has some help in how to create a selection of the remaining stuff left behind so I can erase it, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Brian

[Opie]

Are you incorporating this into another routine?

The Express Tools has the Cookie Cutter Trim command (EXTRIM).

[T.Willey]

A round about way, select everything with (ssget "x") and then select a second time with the corrdinates from your shape, and then remove the second selection set from the first, and then erase the first.

[jseamons]

I guess I failed to note that I need to do it within LISP. I have used the ssget "x" to remove and filter others but how do I make a separation between inside the box and outside the box? I have used boundary to establish the perimeter that I need and used similar code to extrim in express to cut the edges but I now have varying types of objects outside my shape that I need erased. I used to use: (setq lastobject (ssget "X" '((0 . "CIRCLE") (8 . "grain")))) but I now have more than just circles left, besides I could have circle inside the box that I want to not erase.
Any help with this code would really be helpful.

[Opie]

I would go with Tim suggestion above.

[jseamons]

Tim how do I remove something from my selection set? can you post some code showing how?

[T.Willey]

Tim how do I remove something from my selection set? can you post some code showing how?

Sure. Here you go.

(defun c:Test (/ ss1 ss2 cnt ent)

(if
 (and
  (not (prompt "\n Select items not to erase: "))
  (setq ss1 (ssget "x" (list (cons 410 (getvar "ctab")))))
  (setq ss2 (ssget))
  (setq cnt -1)
 )
 (while (setq ent (ssname ss2 (setq cnt (1+ cnt))))
  (ssdel ent ss1)
 )
)
(if (and ss1 (> (sslength ss1) 0))
 (command "_.erase" ss1 "")
)
(princ)
)