CAD Managers

[#1]

Do any of you AutoCAD Guru's have either AutoCAD or Vault automatically run the Audit command in ACAD at file or check-in time?

My client has some major issues with older Acad files with hundreds of errors found when audits are done. Problem is, we can't relay on the users running the audit command prior to saving the file and checking them into Vault.

Thus being the case, when these files are checked into vault, the process knocks vault to its knees and crashes.

We've been bitten twice in the last few months, today being one of those days and it took some time to find the offending files. Numerous hours of production time lost and the powers that be are not thrilled to say the least.

So, I'm wondering if any of you have this audit command automatically run. I'm assuming it would be easier to do so in Acad as opposed to within Vault at check in.

Any thoughts? Codes?

[#2]

I try to avoid doing as much as possible simply by a user opening a file.  Its too easy for somebody to open the wrong file in the wrong application using the wrong client and end up borking the file contents.  AUDIT can do some odd things to fix problems, up to and including deleting content, so I would prefer the users be aware of when something gets fixed and take the necessary steps to ensure the fix didn't cause any design issues.  Automating these kinds of fixes can also disguise other systemic problems making them more difficult to diagnose.

If you have that many faults, I think its better to track down the source and take corrective action there first, then consider some process-for-checkin automation.  And it should be easier to hammer on the users about the importance of regular AUDIT useage.  Better for the users (professionally speaking) as well to develop those skills.

[#3]

I fully agree with each of your points. The fact that AUDIT does delete entities and such does worry me to now end and yes, I would much rather have each user do such while in the file. I feel stuff like this should be general maintainence of files,"Crap in, crap out".

Without going into detail becuase I'm sure they'll see this posting, but my client has some major issues in this area and a lot of their ideas of how to control it is more along the lines of hand holding as opposed to holding the user responsible. If they can automate a process that the users won't do on their own, that's the solution.

This is just one minor aspect of the problems we are seeing here and I'm simply trying to resolve what I can in the manner for which they are requesting of me. I'm thinking they just want this stuff automated for when the day comes that I'm off to some other client (which may be very soon).

[#4]

How about perform an audit on open, if it detects errors, then display a notice to the user via a dialog box that won't go away saying that errors were found in the drawing and they need to check their drawing?

[#5]

Chris,

Either way. It just needs to be done, preferably by the user when they have the file open.

[#6 · Accepted solution]

You could simply add the following to your ACADDOC.lsp file or other routines that load when opening each CAD file:

(command "._AUDIT" "y")
(if (> (vl-file-size (strcat (getvar "dwgprefix") (vl-filename-base (getvar "dwgfilename")) ".adt")) 0)
(alert "There were erros found in your drawing, please check it to make sure that everything is done correctly.")
)

This should make audits automatic and make sure that the user is aware when errors are found.

Be sure to test it before deploying though, as with all code, it may behave differently for you.

[#7]

Sweet!

Thanks Chris, I'll give this a try and hopefully roll it or a version of it out.