topic Re: Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp. in AutoCAD Forum

Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp.

sarchwba — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 13:42:45 GMT

So I tried for longer than I care to admit to use a global variable as part of a coordinate in an autolisp command. It looks something like this,

(defun C:test1 ()
(command "-pan" "0,0,0" ""0,(getvar"userr2"),0"")
)

My userr2 variable is set to 300'-0" but it either comes back as nil or 300.0 which I tried to fix with the atoi conversion but that I doesn't seem to help.

My end goal is to create two commands that pan up and down a certain distance (hundreds of feet) based on the value of a variable that is saved in the drawing.

Related info: I easily created a macro for this with the action recorder but the trouble is different drawings require different distances and it's not efficient having to change the macro each time I enter a new drawing so I'm trying to base the -pan distance on a global variable that is saved in the drawing.

Any help is much appreciated.

Re: Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp.

ВeekeeCZ — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:24:27 GMT

Try it like this

(command "-pan" "0,0" (strcat "0," (rtos (getvar 'userr2))))

btw (itoa) is for Integer to String conversion, but you need to use Real to String conversion, because you're using the userR (as real)

Re: Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp.

sarchwba — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:35:26 GMT

Thanks a ton!

At the risk of being annoying, I'm having trouble understand how strcat helped here. Was it used to let autocad know that there would be a "string" in the values? The string being (getvar 'userr2)?

Re: Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp.

ВeekeeCZ — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:58:29 GMT

Well I did try to explain before but (at least) one word you may find missing...

btw (itoa) is for Integer to String conversion, but you need to use the (rtos) function as Real to String conversion, because you're using the userR (as real)

getvar 'userr returns a real - 300.0

rtos makes it a string - "300" (the exact format depends on your type and precision setting set in Drawing unit dialog)

strcat concatenates "0," and your "300" together... to "0,300" ...simple writing strings behind each other does not make them a one string, not in LISP, you need to use the function

See RTOS HELP

See STRCAT

Re: Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp.

Kent1Cooper — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 17:30:02 GMT

@sarchwba wrote:

....

My end goal is to create two commands that pan up and down a certain distance (hundreds of feet) based on the value of a variable that is saved in the drawing.

....

You can avoid the whole (rtos)/(strcat)/(etc.) issue entirely, if you like:

(defun C:PanU ()
(command "_.pan" '(0 0) (polar '(0 0) (/ pi 2) (getvar 'USERR2)))
)

(defun C:PanD ()
(command "_.pan" '(0 0) (polar '(0 0) (* pi 1.5) (getvar 'USERR2)))
)

(defun C:PanR ()
(command "_.pan" '(0 0) (polar '(0 0) 0 (getvar 'USERR2)))
)

(defun C:PanL ()
(command "_.pan" '(0 0) (polar '(0 0) pi (getvar 'USERR2)))
)

[Note that you don't need the Z coordinates.]

OR:

(defun C:PanU ()
(command "_.zoom" "_c" (polar (getvar 'viewctr) (* pi 1.5) (getvar 'USERR2)) "")
)

... etc. ....

Re: Trouble using global variable for macro argument in Autolisp.

sarchwba — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 17:21:30 GMT

Thanks for the info!