topic Re: Accessing active entity in a macro : # or ; or something else? in PowerMill Forum

Accessing active entity in a macro : # or ; or something else?

precicam — Sat, 27 May 2017 06:47:35 GMT

I was under the impression that we can access the active entity using '#' or ';'

PROBLEM :

I have two boundaries B1 and B2. Lets say B2 is active and I want to make a pattern from this boundary.

I create a pattern and insert the active boundary using the following macro commands :

CREATE PATTERN ;
EDIT PATTERN # INSERT BOUNDARY #

It even works under most cases, but I found an exception :

Before running the macro commands, try the following using the GUI :

0. Activate boundary B2

1. Create a pattern by right click Pattern -> create Pattern

2. Right click the newly created pattern, insert boundary -> choose B1

Now if I run the macro commands mentioned above, the pattern gets created from boundary B1 even though the active boundary is B2.

Is there a different way to access active entities? Will I have to loop though all boundaries, find the active one, assign it a variable and then use it to insert into a pattern?

Re: Accessing active entity in a macro : # or ; or something else?

precicam — Sat, 27 May 2017 07:06:54 GMT

Ok figured out that changing # to ; in the following line :

EDIT PATTERN ; INSERT BOUNDARY #

solves the problem. But there is no documentation for what # and ; mean?

Re: Accessing active entity in a macro : # or ; or something else?

TK.421 — Sat, 27 May 2017 14:33:18 GMT

The # is the last created entity. I rarely use this unless my macro is creating only one thing that is not activated upon creation, for me it usually causes more problems than it helps solve. the ; is for an active entity.

use this:

create pattern ;

edit pattern ; insert boundary ;