Remove beginning part from bound in Xref Layer names

[Greywethr]

For you AutoLisp geeks, this won't be much of a challenge, but since I'm just a CAD geek, my Lisp skills are weak, and I'll be impressed. When you bind xrefs, your layers get ugly if your BINDTYPE isn't set correctly. I am working on someone else's drawing, which was bound and has a few dozen layers that all start with "SITE_LAYOUT$0$" and I would rather not have to rename every single layer separately. All I want is to remove SITE_LAYOUT$0$ from the beginning of all layers that do start with it. I'm fairly certain that this can be accomplished with a macro or AutoLisp and anyone who can help me with this will receive my praise and gratitude.

[cadman_meg]

Shot me an email at mgodfrey@perteet.com and I will forward some help your way. I have a couple of great routines that can help you.

[Opie]

Shot me an email at ... and I will forward some help your way. I have a couple of great routines that can help you.

Why not post your great routines here?

[madcadder]

Untested...

[ElpanovEvgeniy]

(defun c:rl ()
  (vlax-map-collection
    (vla-get-layers
      (vla-get-ActiveDocument
        (vlax-get-acad-object)
      ) ;_  vla-get-ActiveDocument
    ) ;_  vla-get-layers
    (function
      (lambda (x / a1 a2)
        (if (setq a2 (vl-string-search "$0$" (setq a1 (vla-get-name x))))
          (vla-put-name x (substr a1 (+ a2 4)))
        ) ;_  if
      ) ;_  lambda
    ) ;_  function
  ) ;_  vlax-map-collection
) ;_  defun

[T.Willey]

Nice work as always Evgeniy. The only problem is if the layer name exist, then it will error out. Maybe change you naming line to

          (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-put-name (list x (substr a1 (+ a2 4))))

I think this will work, and it will leave the ones that it couldn't change, so that the use can do what needs to be done to them by hand.

[Jeff_M]

Nice work as always Evgeniy. The only problem is if the layer name exist, then it will error out. Maybe change you naming line to

          (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-put-name (list x (substr a1 (+ a2 4))))

I think this will work, and it will leave the ones that it couldn't change, so that the use can do what needs to be done to them by hand.

Better yet, check for an error being returned. If T, select the objects on said layer, place them on the existing layer and delete the layer. Of course that would mean cycling the blocks collection now, too.....or use the LayerMerge command.

[T.Willey]

Better yet, check for an error being returned. If T, select the objects on said layer, place them on the existing layer and delete the layer. Of course that would mean cycling the blocks collection now, too.....or use the LayerMerge command.

I was going for the simple answer. =D

[kennet.sjoberg]

This is not only a layer problem, if there is block in the binded xref ( and of course there is ) you have problem in problem.
And it is not only layers, it is textfonts, linefonts, dimensionstyles. . . .
and are they equal or not ? ( that is the idea with bind as bind. )

To rename a layer is easy, but if the layer already exist you must change the dxf code in all objects.

Yes this is a challenge, and hard code to develop safe and correct, so I recommend you to next time
bind as insert


: ) Happy Computing !

kennet

[Greywethr]

Thank you all so very much for the quick answers. I did have to use the string:
(vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-put-name (list x (substr a1 (+ a2 4))))
to make it work, and it's very fast. This is exactly what I needed. To respond to kennet.sjoberg, if you read my original post, I was working on someone else's drawing, because believe me, I'd be much more ****** had it been my own fault this is such a mess. As for the blocks, it's very easily fixed in Excel when we do an extraction with a find/replace. We've been trying to keep the newbies from changing settings, but we get vendor drawings, and returned outsourced drawings from India, etc., so things happen. I appreciate the heads up anyway though.

Now, I will soon have a lot of time on my hands and really want to become an AutoLisp guru. Where do I start? I'll have lots of quiet reading time, and can get some advice and help here at work, but only on an intermediate level. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Books? Free online courses or materials? Thanx in advance!