topic Re: how does one get to be an ARX programmer in ObjectARX Forum

how does one get to be an ARX programmer

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 13:22:01 GMT

Hi everyone,

I want to know how you guys came to use ArX when AutoCad has really capable
alternatives like visual lisp / vb / lisp. Do most of you come from a
drafting design backgrounnd then lisp then arx or are most of you
programmers with an interest in AutoCAD that developed by accident /
occupation.
Has anyone used the Ransen Arx mutimedia course
(http://www.ransen.com/CadCourse/cadcourse.htm) to learn object arx. Is it
any good?
My background is architecture drafting. A steady flow of small lisp / mnu
customisation, a little background in c++ about a year back. Any good book
recommendations on C++ that is a good preparation for MFC stuff and ARX. I
got Mcauleys (programming autocad 2000 with object arx) book but some of
the terminology is too advanced.

Thanks a lot

Re: how does one get to be an ARX programmer

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 13:34:38 GMT

pm had this to say:

> Hi everyone,
>
> I want to know how you guys came to use ArX when AutoCad has really
> capable alternatives like visual lisp / vb / lisp.

ARX is much more capable than either of those alternatives.

> Do most of you
> come from a drafting design backgrounnd then lisp then arx or are
> most of you programmers with an interest in AutoCAD that developed by
> accident / occupation.

I learned to program AutoCAD to fulfill drafting needs. I'm not sure an
egghead could write good AutoCAD apps without using the product in a real
industry.

> Has anyone used the Ransen Arx mutimedia course
> (http://www.ransen.com/CadCourse/cadcourse.htm) to learn object arx.
> Is it any good?

It's alright as far it goes. It covers pretty basic stuff so you won't be
cranking out whiz-bangs apps when you're through with the CD but it's a
decent starting point.

--
"There are 10 kinds of people:
Those who understand binary and those who don't"
http://www.acadx.com
http://vbxtender.sourceforge.net

Re: how does one get to be an ARX programmer

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 16:50:37 GMT

Hello,

I'm just starting learning ARX like you. I fall more into that second
category. I'm an industrial control systems engineer. I did some
programming for Microstation in it's MDL 'C' environment on my last job.
This project happens to be using Autocad, so I need to learn ARX.

For our jobs, we may have to document a large control system with connection
and wiring diagrams. The drawings tend to be very 'text' intensive and
graphics un-intensive (is that a real word?). All the info for these
drawings resides in a big database. This makes it perfect for having a
program connect into the database and stuff all the info into successive
drawings. On my last job everyone was a "jack-of-all-trades", I did some
engineering, some drafting, even some manual labor. It was alot easier to
have a program populate a drawing than to root through the database, find a
value, enter it into the drawing, and repeat several hundred times per
sheet.

I chose ARX because I happen to be stronger in C/C++ than Basic, and have
never used LISP. I doubt my application will need the extra functionality
afforded by ARX vs VBA or LISP.

I bought McAuley's book as well. It's seems alright. I also downloaded the
ARX SDK from autodesk. They have a decent tutorial there, and the help
files have some decent examples. You might get yourself a general C++ book
to refresh your memory, and also to learn the more advanced aspects of the
language. Then you should find McAuley's book a little easier to get
through. This group is also a big help. I had a question answered the day
after I posted it.

Anyhow, good luck with your learning.
Garrett.

pm wrote in message
<379416FF39BC529C9EE76752828E55BE@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb>...
>Hi everyone,
>
>I want to know how you guys came to use ArX when AutoCad has really capable
>alternatives like visual lisp / vb / lisp. Do most of you come from a
>drafting design backgrounnd then lisp then arx or are most of you
>programmers with an interest in AutoCAD that developed by accident /
>occupation.
>Has anyone used the Ransen Arx mutimedia course
>(http://www.ransen.com/CadCourse/cadcourse.htm) to learn object arx. Is it
>any good?
>My background is architecture drafting. A steady flow of small lisp / mnu
>customisation, a little background in c++ about a year back. Any good book
>recommendations on C++ that is a good preparation for MFC stuff and ARX. I
>got Mcauleys (programming autocad 2000 with object arx) book but some of
>the terminology is too advanced.
>
>Thanks a lot
>
>

Re:

PlesseyMathews — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 21:16:37 GMT

Thanks Frank, Garret.

Re: how does one get to be an ARX programmer

Anonymous — Sat, 10 Aug 2002 23:43:47 GMT

Hi!
Let me introduce you: my name is Daniela Gotseva and i'm a C/C++/VC++ programmer. Before start ObjectARX programming I don't know anything about AutoCAD. At the moment I work at a 3 persons team and we create some archtectural tools. One of the boys doesn't know VC++ and works using Visual Lisp and Visual Basic. He has some troubles when it is necessary to make faster code, or when it is necessary to use reactors, deep clone and so on. He can create some basic and simple functions and of cource excelent VB dialogs. But when it is necessary to write xData or to change some object properties we always use VC++: that is my job. I start learning ObjectARX with Ransen cource. it's good for beginners and has examples. But I think that those examples are in ObjectARX help too. I have the McAuleys book and think that it is more complex than the Ransen cource, but it isn't so useful when you start create complex ARX library.
I hope that I'm clear, but if you have some questions, please write an e-mail: dgoceva@abv.bg.
Good luck with ARX!
Bye, Dani.

Re: how does one get to be an ARX programmer

Anonymous — Mon, 12 Aug 2002 08:42:20 GMT

I believe Owen Ransen's CD is the best and quickest method to learn
ObjectARX.

Of course, it is important to know some C & C++ before you start any path to
using
ObjectARX.

pm wrote in message
news:379416FF39BC529C9EE76752828E55BE@in.WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Hi everyone,
>
> I want to know how you guys came to use ArX when AutoCad has really
capable
> alternatives like visual lisp / vb / lisp. Do most of you come from a
> drafting design backgrounnd then lisp then arx or are most of you
> programmers with an interest in AutoCAD that developed by accident /
> occupation.
> Has anyone used the Ransen Arx mutimedia course
> (http://www.ransen.com/CadCourse/cadcourse.htm) to learn object arx. Is it
> any good?
> My background is architecture drafting. A steady flow of small lisp / mnu
> customisation, a little background in c++ about a year back. Any good book
> recommendations on C++ that is a good preparation for MFC stuff and ARX.
I
> got Mcauleys (programming autocad 2000 with object arx) book but some of
> the terminology is too advanced.
>
> Thanks a lot
>
>