Launch PDF Reader with AutoCAD LT

[KateMorricalTowne]

There *is* a command you can use to launch PDF documents from a button in AutoCAD LT, isn't there? (I do mean "open", in Acrobat Reader or equivalent.)

I know there used to be one, because I have macros that used START to open a PDF file. However, they were built for AutoCAD LT 2007, and START is not a known command in AutoCAD LT 2010.

(This is embarassing for two reasons. First, I wrote the darn thing! Why can't I remember how I did it? And second...this icon should launch the CAD manual....and no one but me has noticed that it's broken. )

[Johneng · Accepted solution]

Does the ai_STARTAPP Command work for you?

For example

^C^Cai_startapp;"c:/users/John/Documents/AOSRE50300[1].PDF"

Don't forget to use / (slash) instead of \ (backslash) when specifying the path because as you know backslash is used for wait for user input in macros.

[pendean]

Missed it by 9-minutes 😞

_ai_startapp is what I use.

[KateMorricalTowne]

Bingo! But was START ever a valid option? I've been trying to find out, but "START AutoCAD LT command" doesn't exactly generate good search results. 🙂 I seem to remember some sort of switch, but so much has happened between now and when I first wrote the macro that it might as well have been done by somebody else.

[Charles_Shade]

An LT Unlimited tip; I believe, from a couple years ago:

"Macro revisioning to newer platforms may require that ^R be added to the beginning of the Macro."

(Tough this has nothing to do wih the needed Command. )

[KateMorricalTowne]

Admittedly I didn't try that one. 🙂

[pendean]

Are you thinking of the START entry in the PGP file? LT OOTB has no entries for it but AutoCAD does.

[KateMorricalTowne]

Ah yes, entirely possible. At any rate it's close enough to put it in the "solved" category...thanks.