topic Re: How to call a command and define it's variables? in Visual LISP, AutoLISP and General Customization Forum

How to call a command and define it's variables?

septembertiger168 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 22:37:07 GMT

I use a lot of other people's lisp, they're all wonderful and I appreciate it greatly.

I never modify other people's lisp because I respect all the hard work that needs to be put in, but I sometimes simplify it's command to make it easier to use for myself.

For example I'm using a Lisp called BreakObjects21.lsp by Charles Alan Butler right now, it has a great function call c:BreakAll that breaks all lines at intersection, and it give you the option to enter a "gap" value.

However BreakAll is too long for me to type, and the "gap" I don't use much, so I create my own short Lisp to try to make it easier and it goes like this:

(LOAD "C:/ACAD/LSP/BreakObjects21.lsp")

(DEFUN C:BA()
(C:BREAKALL "0")
)

I will hoping to simplify c:BreakAll to c:BA, and skip the "gap" option, but instead I get at prompt saying "too many arguments" on the command line, what am I doing wrong?

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

dlanorh — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 23:18:18 GMT

(defun c:Breakall..) is designed as a command function i.e. to run like a command from the command line just by typing its name Breakall. It has the special characters "c:" before its name that allows this (and only this) and therefore like all commands it cannot take an argument.

The lisp would require reworking to be able to accept an argument.

If you still want to shorten the name remove the "0". i.e. (defun c:BA () (c:breakall))

Hope that helps.

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

phanaem — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 04:45:47 GMT

try this

(defun c:ba ( / ) (vl-load-com) (vla-sendcommand (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object) ) "BREAKALL 0 " ) (princ) )

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

Moshe-A — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 06:32:00 GMT

@septembertiger168 ,

also you can invoke the command from a menu macro (like a toolbar)

^C^CBREAKALL 0

when calling a command from menu macro (or script file) you can supply command options or a value in advance.

Moshe

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

dlanorh — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 10:48:49 GMT

I have found the latest version of CAB's brealobjects23.lsp, and have inserted a new command C:BA that will only ask for a selection set and then break all objects with a zero gap. (attached)

Hope this is what you required.

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

john.uhden — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 14:04:18 GMT

All true, but he could use (vlax-add-cmd) to make an AutoCAD command that could accept input just like the (command) function, AND shorten the name.

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

septembertiger168 — Mon, 04 May 2020 17:06:44 GMT

Thank you all for your answers, I was able to get it to work with the codes provided in the answer. But I don't understand all the "vl" and "vla" commands, I'm so new to coding I need to study what these commands mean.

Re: How to call a command and define it's variables?

john.uhden — Tue, 05 May 2020 00:08:05 GMT

All that vl- stuff is Visual Lisp which uses something called ActiveX. It
is object oriented, which means a system that can treat AutoLisp entities
as vla-objects that have alphabetic properties instead of DXF codes, and it
has many methods for handling objects not otherwise available in plain
AutoLisp. The neat part is that it can be used in conjunction with
old-time AutoLisp functions like mapcar and lambda. It may be daunting at
first, but once you start thinking in terms of objects and properties, it
becomes quite logical. To help you learn, you must study the VBA help.
Just remember that methods are like verbs and objects are, well, objects;
you know... lines, arcs, circles, polylines, etc.
There will be an open-book quiz on Friday. 🙂