Is there already a program written that would place the handle of an item clicked on, on a new non-plotting layer (like Viewports)? I'd like to open all my students files, click on the largest circle, say, and the handle for that circle is placed a hair to the right of where I just clicked, in text height I can easily see, on the new non-plotting layer. I'd then toggle among all the open drawings searching for the duplicated handle text. That is, if the first drawing has handle "A8" for the circle, I'd <Ctrl><Tab> through all the drawings quickly searching for that handle repeated on another drawing for the same circle. If I return (cycle around) to the drawing I began with, then I'd know that nobody shared the file (copied the file and simply changed the name). I'd then close the file, note the handle on the NEXT drawing, and toggle among the drawings searching for that handle to be repeated.
Anybody got any better idears for checking to see if one drawing has been copied and the name changed?
Maybe a similar program could place the "TDCREATE" system variable. That's another "inspection" that should be unique to all student drawings.
Is there some way to click on TWO objects, and learn the time difference between those two items? This might require adding another "column" to the object database of the drawing. That is, between this circle and that circle, the student spent 5 minutes and 32.1234 seconds." That way, even if they change the handles (not hard to do, really), the "age" of each item would still expose the cheating students.
I'm hoping to develop these ideas into an AU class for AutoCAD instructors. I'd like to teach instructors how to grade drawing files quickly on the computer (like by inserting thier OWN drawing directly over the student's), and how to check for cheaters. Another topic might be how to standardize all the computer settings, with a script file, reset the vanilla profile, write protect the editable files, etc.
-Paul
Newport News, VA 23602-7007