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Thread: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

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    Default Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Summary: Add 'current drawing folder' that reflects the active drawing folder to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Description: By defaukt my Open dialog always starts in the "My Documents" folder - which is never where I keep any project drawings. It would save quite a bit of clicking if there was a dynamic 'drawing folder' location there that always pointed to the folder that the active drawing was in. Ususally every file I need to work on is going to either be in that folder, or one that is a within a few clicks.

    'Favorites' and 'Buzzsaw' are pretty unusable locations (Who the heck keeps their drawings in a folder for web links?). While it's possible to add a static folder, a dynamic one that automagically updated itself would be a lot more useful than adding and deleting entries in the Places list.

    Product and Feature: AutoCAD - Open/Save

    Submitted By: Jim Gerth on 07/29/2013


  2. #2
    Administrator BlackBox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Firstly, I agree... 1+

    In the interim, this should help the specific task you mention regarding the Open Dialog:

    Code:
    (vl-load-com)
    
    (defun c:OpenHere (/ dwg)
      (if (and
            (setq dwg (getfiled "Select File" (getvar 'dwgprefix) "dwg" 8))
            (setq dwg (findfile dwg))
          )
        (vla-activate
          (vla-open (vla-get-documents (vlax-get-acad-object))
                    dwg
                    :vlax-false
          )
        )
      )
      (princ)
    )
    Now, as for a viable 'dynamic' folder, this is going to have to be done in .NET API... The reason for this, is that even when one hooks the CommandWillStart Event in LISP, the applicable registry keys (where one's favorites are stored, per profile) have already been read by native code for the OPEN Command... At least that was the behavior I observed in some limited testing with LISP.

    Methinks, one could code a .NET plug-in which would hook the DocumentLockModeChanged Event, and if the DocumentLockModeChangedEventArgs.GlobalCommandName matches the small handful of desired Commands (i.e., Open, SaveAs, etc.), then the plug-in would programmatically identify, and update the appropriate registry key(s) to provide the illusion of a dynamic shortcut folder.

    One implied task being that this 'link' to one or more specific shortcuts needs to be persistent... Thus stored in either an app/plug-in registry key, or what I've been leaning toward, XML within the presumed Autoloader .bundle's directory structure, which makes it a bit simpler to my mind, to store not only one dynamic folder, but a series of, and to do so per-profile. More complex than it may sound.

    This has been an item on my to-do list, and now that it's a WishList item, I may just make time to complete it.

    Cheers
    Last edited by BlackBox; 2013-07-29 at 09:42 PM.
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    Administrator rkmcswain's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    My GIS people remind me of this missing feature all the time. ESRI ArcMap has it.
    R.K. McSwain | CAD Panacea |

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    Certified AUGI Addict cadtag's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    At least they dropped Redspark from the list of OOTB places.

  5. #5
    Administrator BlackBox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Also worthy of note, regarding the interim LISP above... I wholeheartedly prefer DOSLib's DOS_GETFILED to AutoCAD's own GETFILED function. Just saying.
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    Certified AUGI Addict jaberwok's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    What am I missing here?

    I can add the current drawing folder to the list of place shortcuts; I can remove it and/or drag it up and down the list.
    Acad 2012 on Windows7 (but It's been available for years).

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    Administrator BlackBox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Quote Originally Posted by jaberwok View Post
    What am I missing here?

    I can add the current drawing folder to the list of place shortcuts; I can remove it and/or drag it up and down the list.
    Acad 2012 on Windows7 (but It's been available for years).
    That adds the current drawing folder... And remains that drawing's folder no matter where the ActiveDocument is located when you invoke the OPEN Command... What we're talking about is essentially a folder shortcut that always points to (getvar 'dwgprefix) for the ActiveDocument's folder.

    HTH
    "How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

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    Certified AUGI Addict jaberwok's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Quote Originally Posted by BlackBox View Post
    That adds the current drawing folder... And remains that drawing's folder no matter where the ActiveDocument is located when you invoke the OPEN Command... What we're talking about is essentially a folder shortcut that always points to (getvar 'dwgprefix) for the ActiveDocument's folder.

    HTH
    Thanks - that makes sense.

  9. #9
    Administrator BlackBox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    In the interim... While this is no 'Current Drawing Folder' being added (and maintained) in the Places List... RonJon was kind enough to offer us this post.

    Cheers
    "How we think determines what we do, and what we do determines what we get."

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    Administrator rkmcswain's Avatar
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    Default Re: Add 'current drawing folder' to the Places list on the file open/save dialog

    Quote Originally Posted by BlackBox View Post
    In the interim... While this is no 'Current Drawing Folder' being added (and maintained) in the Places List... RonJon was kind enough to offer us this post.

    Cheers
    So that looks like it changes the default directory for certain dialogs.

    I wonder if it's possible to programatically change the "Places List" at run time, so that the Open and SaveAs dialog defaults are not modified, but more to the OP's wish, there is a button link to the current directory...
    I'd think you'd need a reactor on the Open and SaveAs commands to make this registry change before the command is actually executed - because you might have drawings open from a variety of locations, and you could not set the "Current drawing" directory until the moment "Open" or "SaveAs" is executed...
    R.K. McSwain | CAD Panacea |

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