topic Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type. in Visual LISP, AutoLISP and General Customization Forum

Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

arpansark0544TCX — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 04:48:43 GMT

Is there a lisp which changes the alphabet in line type?

ie. from C to E in practical use should do like A1 TO B1.

The lisp should ask the user which alphabet to use and then replace the line type from the line type stored in .lin.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

paullimapa — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:06:22 GMT

I think that’s a very bad idea to completely replace the definition of a set linetype. Not only is the current dwg impacted but also any other dwg that previously had used that linetype definition. The better idea is to create a different linetype with similar name and then load that newly defined linetype to apply it to a selected object or layer…my 2 cents

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

arpansark0544TCX — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 05:25:21 GMT

Sir, I have already defined the line type and I intend to replace the line with a specific letter and number.

Doing so I think will not affect the drawing or so. Even so, we can do this operation in the new drawing.

Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

paullimapa — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 06:12:33 GMT

I see all your custom Linetypes. Again this is something I would not do or recommend.

But here are the steps I would take for example to change linetype named "C1" to use instead of the characters "C1" to "E1"

1. use (findfile"acad.lin") to locate where AutoCAD sees acad.lin is

2. use (vl-file-rename) function to rename acad.lin to a unique filename like to the current date-hour-minute-sec.lin file

3. then use (open) function to read through each line of this unique filename & at the same time write each line to a new acad.lin file

4. since beginning of each new linetype definition starts with * then *C1 is what I'll be searching for a match using:

(wcmatch readeachline "`*C1`,C1*")

5. setq the next line read to say nextline which would contain the "C1" to search & replace with "E1" using:

(vl-string-subst "E1" "C1" nextline)

6. write this new information and the remaining information from the rest of the linetype file into the new acad.lin file

7. use (vl-file-delete) function to delete the original renamed linetype file

7. now reload that "C1" linetype definition which now shows "E1" overwriting the previous definition into the current drawing using:

(vl-cmdf"_.Linetype""_Load" "C1" "" "_Y" "")

8. lastly do a regen to see the changes using: (vl-cmd"_.Regen")

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

Sea-Haven — Tue, 09 Jan 2024 23:22:58 GMT

You can read 1 linetype from a custom .lin file if the "E3" is not inside the current dwg. No need to play around with acad.lin etc. This code uses "CUSTOM.lin" which is located in the search path.

(setq doc (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object))) ; open database (defun loadLinetype (doc LineTypeName FileName) (if (and (not (existLinetype doc LineTypeName)) (vl-catch-all-error-p (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-load (list (vla-get-Linetypes doc) LineTypeName FileName ) ) ) ) nil T ) ) (defun existLinetype (doc LineTypeName / item loaded) (vlax-for item (vla-get-linetypes doc) (if (= (strcase (vla-get-name item)) (strcase LineTypeName)) (setq loaded T) ) ) ) ;load missing linetypes ;;; returns: T if loaded else nil (loadLinetype doc "Fence" "custom.lin") (loadLinetype doc "Tree" "custom.lin") (loadLinetype doc "Water_main" "custom.lin") (loadLinetype doc "Gas_main" "custom.lin") (loadLinetype doc "Sewer_main" "custom.lin")

1st step for me is to remove all the custom linetypes from ACAD.lin and save as suggested in a custom.lin, I have always stayed away from touching the default acad stuff.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

Kent1Cooper — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:51:16 GMT

Ordinarily I would agree that it's better to keep custom linetype definitions out of the acad.lin [or acadiso.lin, etc.] file, as much for ease of upgrading to new versions as for any other reason, BUT here's one advantage of having them all included within that:

When either:

1. assigning a linetype property to an object [or objects] by way of the LType option of a CHPROP command [or the equivalent, the LType option within the Properties option of a CHANGE command], or

2. assigning a linetype to a Layer [or Layers] by way of the Ltype option in a -LAYER command,

there's an interesting and convenient fact to keep in mind.

If the linetype in question is defined in the acad.lin [or acadiso.lin, etc.] file that AutoCAD is getting linetypes from, it is not necessary for the linetype to be loaded into the drawing first. AutoCAD will find it.

So in your primary scenario, when you want to change something of linetype C1 to E1, once you have determined [by User prompt input of the letters to change from and to, or built=in combinations, or something] that E1 is the linetype you want to change it to, this will do it:

(command "_.chprop" TheObject(s) "" "_.ltype" "E1" "")

You don't need to either check whether the linetype is loaded in the drawing, nor load it if not. It will become loaded in the process.

It does require that the linetype definition exists, in that acad[iso].lin file, which it sounds like in your case you're sure it does. It will not find it if it's in a separate custom-linetypes file, even if that's in a Support File Search Path, without nosing around in that as already described.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

john.uhden — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:52:09 GMT

@Sea-Haven ,

Back in 2000 or so, I wrote a function that would write a linetype definition in the current dwg to a .lin file of choice. I see now that it would be easy to create (copy) a new linetype from an existing and then (optionally) write it to a .lin file. All you have to do is replace a couple of strings in one line of the definition.

I, too, always use Custom.lin.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

arpansark0544TCX — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 03:55:22 GMT

Sir thank you for your time.

And in addition to your code can you paste a screenshot? To under stand the flow of the code

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

arpansark0544TCX — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 04:13:04 GMT

Sir, I got your point there. Will implement it right now. But can you help to solve the existing solution to the problem?

As you see I have a complex network of conduits. The number on the line type indicates the number of runs of the conduit and the alphabet(text) indicates the service of it.

In my previous posts in the forum, I found the solutions to many of my problems. but there is a minor issue as the code by hak_vz was able to work on a single type of the line type (CX).

As there are many other services I want to change the alphabet of the line type making numbers the same as before.

As shown in the post-1

Kindly let me know your thoughts on this.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

hak_vz — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:06:25 GMT

@arpansark0544TCX

It's time for you to start writing your code, and learn from code provided before.

I want you to create your code using following

(setq e (car(entsel)) ..... take name of lt (command "_.linetype" "load" name "acad.lin" "") (command "_.chprop" e "" "LTYPE" (strcat "C" (itoa ovl)) "") (command "_.chprop" e "" "LTSCALE" 55 "") (princ)

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

hak_vz — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:10:01 GMT

@arpansark0544TCX Here you have updated code. Stop opening new posts for particular issue and add new requests to original posts.

Here you have modified original code that solves your first request, based on it you defined 3 additional posts without reason.

(defun c:pow_line_overlap ( / *error* duplicates ss e ent i ptlist p ovl old_expert dup) ;https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/visual-lisp-autolisp-and-general/lisp-for-numbering-overlapping-lines/td-p/12478216 ;author: hak-vz ;https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/5530556 ; 10. january 2024. (defun *error* ( msg ) (if (not (member msg '("Function cancelled" "quit / exit abort"))) (princ) ) (setvar 'cmdecho 1) (setvar 'expert old_expert) (vla-endundomark adoc) (princ) ) (defun duplicates ( lst ) (if lst (if (member (car lst) (cdr lst)) (cons (car lst) (duplicates (vl-remove (car lst) (cdr lst)))) (duplicates (vl-remove (car lst) (cdr lst))) ) ) ) (defun pick ( msg / ) (setq e (car(entsel msg))) (cond ((and (not e) (= (getvar 'Errno) 7)) (princ "\nNothing selected. Try again!") (pick msg) ) ) ) (setq adoc (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-acad-object))) (vla-endundomark adoc) (vla-startundomark adoc) (setq old_expert (getvar 'expert)) (setvar 'expert 3) (setq start_layername (cdr (assoc 8 (entget(pick "\nSelect entity on a layer to select all lines >"))))) (setq ss (ssget (list (cons 0 "LINE")(cons 8 start_layername))) i -1) (setq final_layername (cdr (assoc 8 (entget(pick "\nSelect entity on a final layer to change entity layer name >"))))) (setq linetype_group (getstring "\nEnter linetype group to change entity (A B C D E) >")) (setvar 'cmdecho 0) (while (< (setq i (1+ i)) (sslength ss)) (setq ent (entget (ssname ss i)) a (cdr (assoc 10 ent)) b (cdr (assoc 11 ent)) ptlist (cons (mapcar 'fix (mapcar '* '(0.5 0.5)(mapcar '+ a b))) ptlist) ) ) (foreach pt (duplicates ptlist) (setq ss (ssget "_C" (mapcar '+ '(15 15) pt) (mapcar '+ '(-15 -15) pt) '((0 . "LINE")))) (setq i 0 ovl (sslength ss)) (while (< (setq i (1+ i)) (sslength ss)) (entdel (ssname ss i)) ) (setq e (ssname ss 0)) (command "_.linetype" "load" (strcat linetype_group (itoa ovl)) "acad.lin" "") (command "_.chprop" e "" "LTYPE" (strcat "C" (itoa ovl)) "") (command "_.chprop" e "" "LTSCALE" 55 "") (setq ent (entget e)) (setq ent (subst (cons 8 final_layername)(assoc 8 ent) ent)) (setq ent (entmod ent)) ) (setvar 'expert old_expert) (setvar 'cmdecho 0) (vla-endundomark adoc) (princ "\nDone!") (princ) )

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

Sea-Haven — Thu, 11 Jan 2024 00:41:55 GMT

Try this, note you have to change the location of the custom file 'D:\\acadtemp\\Arpan.lin" to where you have saved.

; https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/visual-lisp-autolisp-and-general/lisp-to-change-alphabet-in-line-type/td-p/12484978 (defun loadLinetype (LineTypeName filename / ) (if (and (not (existLinetype LineTypeName)) (vl-catch-all-error-p (vl-catch-all-apply 'vla-load (list (vla-get-Linetypes doc) LineTypeName FileName ) ) ) ) nil T ) ) (defun existLinetype (LineTypeName / item loaded) (vlax-for item (vla-get-linetypes doc) (if (= (strcase (vla-get-name item)) (strcase LineTypeName)) (setq loaded "Yes") ) ) (princ) ) ;load missing linetypes ;;; returns: T if loaded else nil (defun c:chgln ( / ) (setq doc (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object))) ; open database (setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object (car (entsel "Pick a custom line ")))) (setq lt (vlax-get obj 'Linetype)) (setq new (strcase (getstring "\nPlease enter alpha Character A-Z "))) (setq char (substr lt 1 1)) (if (and (= new "D")(> (strlen lt) 1)) (progn (Alert "There is no DX linetypes \nWill exit now") (EXIT) ) ) (if (> (strlen lt) 1) (progn (setq num (substr lt 2)) (setq newstr (strcat new num)) (LoadLinetype newstr "D:\\acadtemp\\arpan.lin") ) (alert "do single ") ) (vlax-put obj 'LInetype newstr) (princ) ) (c:chgln)

Limited testing.

I did notice there are no "Dx" line types.

Re: Lisp to change alphabet in line type.

arpansark0544TCX — Tue, 16 Jan 2024 04:38:09 GMT

Dear hak_vz

I thought that the problems were related but unique so it would be a good way to track them and get solutions to them. But as per your instruction, I will post in the same post.

I have just started learning Lisp. Given the learning curve, I want to thank you for helping me out.