topic Re: Is it possible to control AutoCad externally and through a network? in VBA Forum

Is it possible to control AutoCad externally and through a network?

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2002 02:59:05 GMT

I've seen rather a few postings about controlling autocad using VB6, but i would assume that is always on the same machine the VB6 program is running on. Is it possible to do the same but across a network, so that if i am working on my machine i can say have a program to plot, bind or do other time and resource intensive tasks through another computer, that would be used as a dedicated machine for this task? Any tips on where to start would be appreciated.

TIA.

Re: Is it possible to control AutoCad externally and through a network?

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2002 04:23:25 GMT

I have worked on something similiar to what you are looking for. I have
setup a computer that has a process queue and users are allowed to send jobs
to this queue which will do plotting and drawing conversions for us. What I
did is have the process queue check a database - located on a shared network
computer - and each user computer (through a VB interface tied to our
drawing database) can send jobs to the queue.

Works very slick and saves alot of processing time on each users computer.

--
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---------
wrote in message news:f1099bb.-1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> I've seen rather a few postings about controlling autocad using VB6, but i
would assume that is always on the same machine the VB6 program is running
on. Is it possible to do the same but across a network, so that if i am
working on my machine i can say have a program to plot, bind or do other
time and resource intensive tasks through another computer, that would be
used as a dedicated machine for this task? Any tips on where to start would
be appreciated.
> TIA.
>
>

Re:

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2002 04:25:53 GMT

Let me guess how that process would work...

Your program runs on the other machine, starting and running in the background each time the machine is rebooted. It runs with a timer control so every so often it checks to see if the 'database', which i assume is a database of what is required to happen to what, is updated or changed. if it is then it accesses that database and carries out the instructions therein until they are complete, removing of course what has already been done. it then sits quiet until the next time a search picks up something having changed.

Just one question, what type of database do you use to do this , as i've never got into this area before?

Re:

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2002 04:45:09 GMT

I use an Access database.

You are correct in how it works...Theres alot of code on how it handles
errors - basically so it will not crash. Each job that is sent could
process 10's of drawings so the application logs all failed drawings
(typically drawings that it could not find on the server) and sends an email
to the end user when his job has been completed listing all failed
drawings...

--
Veign
www.veign.com
NEW ActiveX Control - Jeweled Style Buttons
www.veign.com/download_activex.html#jwldbutn
Code Samples & Sample Projects
http://www.veign.com/information/application/info_app.html
Submit Your Best Code (you keep the rights)
http://www.veign.com/information/application/code_submit.html
---------
wrote in message news:f1099bb.1@WebX.maYIadrTaRb...
> Let me guess how that process would work...
> Your program runs on the other machine, starting and running in the
background each time the machine is rebooted. It runs with a timer control
so every so often it checks to see if the 'database', which i assume is a
database of what is required to happen to what, is updated or changed. if it
is then it accesses that database and carries out the instructions therein
until they are complete, removing of course what has already been done. it
then sits quiet until the next time a search picks up something having
changed.
>
> Just one question, what type of database do you use to do this , as i've
never got into this area before?
>
>

Re:

Anonymous — Fri, 30 Aug 2002 04:55:39 GMT

Thanks.

Re: Is it possible to control AutoCad externally and through a network?

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Sep 2002 07:33:20 GMT

In article , terencechatfielduk
says...
> I've seen rather a few postings about controlling autocad using VB6, but i would assume that is always on the same machine the VB6 program is running on. Is it possible to do the same but across a network, so that if i am working on my machine i can say have a program to plot, bind or do other time and resource intensive tasks through another computer, that would be used as a dedicated machine for this task? Any tips on where to start would be appreciated.

TIA.
>
You could also use DCOM if you actually needed to run AutoCAD from a
remote computer e.g. I fire a VB6 app on my computer that, in turn,
launches a session of AutoCAD on another computer on my network.

Veign's idea is better for most apps, and it works well. I have done the
same using Access and MySQL as backends.

HTH

Mike
===============================
Mike Tuersley
PhD @ CADalyst's AutoCAD Clinic
http://www.cadonline.com