topic Re: Update hyperlink based on field text. in Visual LISP, AutoLISP and General Customization Forum

Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 14:28:27 GMT

Hey all!

I am looking for some help with how to get a hyperlink to match a "field" text in a drawing. The "field" that I have is one that points to a drawings location and name and what I want is for the hyperlink to match the "field" text.

Please look at the video found here https://imgur.com/a/5cOyKkR for an example. In the video you will see that I have the drawing location as a "field" in my title block, and to make the hyperlink match this text/location I have to copy the text from the "field" and paste it into the hyperlink box.

My desire is, that the hyperlink gets updated to match the "field" entry because currently doing the whole copy paste thing is very repetitive for each new drawing or if the drawing gets moved to a new folder. I understand if I have to issue a lisp command or something for this updating of the hyperlink to occur, it would be fantastic if that the hyperlink would get updated automatically anytime the text in the "field" changes which of course occurs if the drawing file is moved or renamed. But anything is better than coping and pasting that text.... 🙂

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 16:51:01 GMT

If I'm understanding the problem, give this a try:

(defun c:foo (/ s str)
  ;; RJP » 2019-08-07
  (cond	((setq s (ssget "_X" '((0 . "mtext,text") (1 . "https*"))))
	 (regapp "PE_URL")
	 (foreach x (vl-remove-if 'listp (mapcar 'cadr (ssnamex s)))
	   (entmod (append (entget x)
			   (list (list -3
				       (list "PE_URL"
					     (cons 1000 (setq str (cdr (assoc 1 (entget x)))))
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     '(1071 . 1)
					     '(1002 . "}")
					     '(1002 . "}")
				       )
				 )
			   )
		   )
	   )
	 )
	)
  )
  (princ)
)

*Edit .. to filter mapped paths you'll need to change the text filter to this"

(setq s (ssget "_X" '((0 . "mtext,text") (1 . "[A-Z]\:*"))))

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 17:28:30 GMT

Hey! Thanks for taking the time to try to help me. Please see the attached drawing. In this drawing I need the hyperlink to match the drawing file path field, I currently have the hyperlink set to "xxxxxx" as a place holder.
I tried to run your lisp but I couldn't get it to really do anything for me, probably something I did wrong :(.

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:24:30 GMT

Try this:

(defun updatefield (/ s str)
  ;; RJP » 2019-08-07
  (cond	((setq s (ssget "_X" '((0 . "mtext,text") (1 . "@:\*.dwg*"))))
	 (regapp "PE_URL")
	 (setq str (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname)))
	 (foreach x (vl-remove-if 'listp (mapcar 'cadr (ssnamex s)))
	   (entmod (append (entget x)
			   (list (list -3
				       (list "PE_URL"
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     '(1071 . 1)
					     '(1002 . "}")
					     '(1002 . "}")
				       )
				 )
			   )
		   )
	   )
	 )
	)
  )
  (princ)
)
;; Update on drawing open
(updatefield)
;; COMMAND REACTOR
(or *fieldpathreactor*
    (setq *fieldpathreactor* (vlr-command-reactor nil '((:vlr-commandwillstart . strtcmd))))
)
;; Update on publish or print
(defun strtcmd (calling-reactor strtcmdinfo)
  (and (wcmatch (car strtcmdinfo) "*PLOT*,*PUBLISH*") (updatefield))
  (princ)
)

Curious as to why you hyperlink to the current directory?

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:14:33 GMT

This is perfect!!!!

We make PDF's of all of our drawings to share with the engineers in house to review. If they want to make a change on the drawing themselves instead of browsing to the file themselves by looking at the info along the side of the drawing they can now just click on that piece of text in the PDF thanks to you, 🙂 , and the drawing will open up for them automatically in Autocad.

I do have one last question, is there a way to get this lisp you created for me to run every time that somebody issues the plot/publish command? I ask this because if somebody saves the drawing in a new place the "field" autoupdates with the drawings new location and I would want the hyperlink to update as well. I can add it to my "Startup Suite" but I don't know how to trigger it to run every time another command is issued.

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:25:22 GMT

I updated the code above to use a command reactor .. give it a go!

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:35:36 GMT

This is perfection! HONESTLY, THANK YOU 🙂

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 18:38:14 GMT

@Jonathan.Gray68UQW wrote:
This is perfection! HONESTLY, THANK YOU 🙂

Glad to help 🙂

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Wed, 07 Aug 2019 19:30:23 GMT

Not sure if you use XREFS in paperspace, but this will assign hyperlinks to all of them 🙂

(defun c:xrefhyperlinks (/ s path)
  ;; RJP » 2019-08-07
  (cond	((setq s (ssget "_X" '((0 . "insert") (410 . "~Model")(2 . "~`*U*"))))
	 (regapp "PE_URL")
	 (foreach x (vl-remove-if 'listp (mapcar 'cadr (ssnamex s)))
	   (if (setq path
		      (findfile (cdr (assoc 1 (entget (tblobjname "block" (cdr (assoc 2 (entget x))))))))
	       )
	     (entmod (append (entget x)
			     (list (list -3
					 (list "PE_URL"
					       (cons 1000 path)
					       '(1002 . "{")
					       (cons 1000 path)
					       '(1002 . "{")
					       '(1071 . 1)
					       '(1002 . "}")
					       '(1002 . "}")
					 )
				   )
			     )
		     )
	     )
	   )
	 )
	)
  )
  (princ)
)

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 20:59:03 GMT

Hey! I have been using this code for a while now and love it!

But I have one request, could you make it so that it updates on regen instead of plots or publishes?

I ask this because if you publish and don't publish in the background it does something crazy and makes the hyperlink go to a location on my C drive instead of the files actual location on a server. So my thoughts were, I believe Autocad always regens right before it publishes, and if it does in fact do this, the lisp should capture a good file location and not a bad one to a location on my C drive.

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 13:20:18 GMT

Why would it go to a path on your C drive? That seems quite odd.

You can try this version below to regen after the hyperlink is set.

(defun updatefield (/ s str)
  ;; RJP » 2019-08-07
  (cond	((setq s (ssget "_X" '((0 . "mtext,text") (1 . "@:\*.dwg*"))))
	 (regapp "PE_URL")
	 (setq str (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname)))
	 (foreach x (vl-remove-if 'listp (mapcar 'cadr (ssnamex s)))
	   (entmod (append (entget x)
			   (list (list -3
				       (list "PE_URL"
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     '(1071 . 1)
					     '(1002 . "}")
					     '(1002 . "}")
				       )
				 )
			   )
		   )
	   )
	 )
	 (vla-regen (vla-get-activedocument (vlax-get-acad-object)) acAllViewports)
	)
  )
  (princ)
)
;; Update on drawing open
(updatefield)
;; COMMAND REACTOR
(or *fieldpathreactor*
    (setq *fieldpathreactor* (vlr-command-reactor nil '((:vlr-commandwillstart . strtcmd))))
)
;; Update on publish or print
(defun strtcmd (calling-reactor strtcmdinfo)
  (and (wcmatch (car strtcmdinfo) "*PLOT*,*PUBLISH*") (updatefield))
  (princ)
)

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 12:47:41 GMT

Hey! Yes, it is a really odd problem. The hyperlink gets screwed up if I publish and "do not run in the background". If I publish and "do run in the background" the hyperlinks are good and match the field path. I ran your updated code and still had the same problem. Do you have any ideas on how to fix this? The folder they hyperlink gets pointed to is a temp folder on my c drive named "Ac_publishxxxx".

Edit: I meant to say I ran the updated code and still get the same error.

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 15:19:12 GMT

I cannot replicate that behavior? I tried publish in foreground and background and the path / hyperlink stayed intact. Not sure if this part of the problem but what is your DEMANDLOAD set to?

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

Jonathan.Gray68UQW — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 15:30:00 GMT

Hey! DEMANDLOAD is set to 3 for me. I just noticed something and wanted to share it, if you look at the file path across the top of the screen in the video link autocad actually changes where my file is at when that I use the publish command... this is crazy.. follow my mouse and you will see that it starts on the "H:" drive (where it should stay) then after I publish the file path changes to a temp folder on my "C:" drive.

https://imgur.com/a/i9jL7mm

Re: Update hyperlink based on field text.

ronjonp — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 17:17:47 GMT

Give this a try .. will not update if the path is on C drive.

(defun updatefield (/ s str)
  ;; RJP » 2019-08-07
  (cond	((and (/= "C" (strcase (substr (getvar 'dwgprefix) 1 1)))
	      (setq s (ssget "_X" '((0 . "mtext,text") (1 . "@:\*.dwg*"))))
	 )
	 (regapp "PE_URL")
	 (setq str (strcat (getvar 'dwgprefix) (getvar 'dwgname)))
	 (foreach x (vl-remove-if 'listp (mapcar 'cadr (ssnamex s)))
	   (entmod (append (entget x)
			   (list (list -3
				       (list "PE_URL"
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     (cons 1000 str)
					     '(1002 . "{")
					     '(1071 . 1)
					     '(1002 . "}")
					     '(1002 . "}")
				       )
				 )
			   )
		   )
	   )
	 )
	)
  )
  (princ)
)