Advance Steel custom commands-share your ideas

[acbsdesign]

Hello,

It will be nice to learn more about custom commands / combination of Autocad and Advance Steel commands improving productivity. 

To colleagues willing to share-Thank you.

Here is a tiny example:

"Hide parts with identical numbers"-used when parts are detailed using drawings styles.

^C^C_AstM5equalpartsMarkSame \;AstM4CommSelectMarkedObjects ;_AstM4SwitchReprMode off

And another one:

"Hide Similar Advance Steel Objects":

^C^C_SelectSimilar \;_AstM4SwitchReprMode off

Regards, 

Ilko Dimitrov

ACBS

[bigcarl5000kg · Accepted solution]

Because I´m big fan of LISP in AutoCAD and because Advance Steel does not allow direct creation of drawings into multiple sheets (see standard in Autocad) in one DWG file and I don't use (yet) the Sheet set, I received a LISP from Autodesk LISP Forum (many thanks again to @pbejse ) to find out the total number of files, which are related to the given model (manual directory selection) and insert this value (number) into the corner stamp / defined attribute as the total number of sheets - e.g. I have 10 DWGs, the order is read from the token DRAWING_NO and the total number via this LISP at the end - eg. 1 / 10, 2 / 10, ...

Conditions / prerequisites:
- counts DWG files only, in the selected directory, no sub-directories
- none of the counted drawings may be open!
- for use in Advance Steel the corner stamp must be a block "HYPELSTELPAGEHEADER"
- corner stamp contains the attribute (TAG) "TOTAL"

- the selected directory must not be write-protected

- when you change the number of DWG files, simply execute the command again, it will be overwritten

- command "TNOF"

bigcarl5000kg_0-1630588071017.png

Pro:

- get the total number without which this value has to be entered manually in each drawing

- big time saver

LISP see attachment. Please test it carefully on test data bevor use

[acbsdesign]

@bigcarl5000kg 

Great..., thank you for sharing.

We were asked a few times to put these until they have given up. 

Did not test on my side, just it is crazy busy nowadays. Like always.

Thank you again.

[S.MANICKAVASAGAM]

Dear expert,

                 Thanks. Your lisp very useful one. 

            Please share any simple screencast for that one for easy workout and how to work.

[bigcarl5000kg]

I can post some pictures only.

For new drawings (before create these):

- get you prototype file(s),  create new or use the current corner stamp with block name HYPERSTEELPAGEHEADER (eg. from ASDETPROTO-A0.dwg) - the block name in capital letters important. In block editor you have to create a new attribute TOTAL / change the name of a suitable existing attribute to TOTAL, save the block and close the block editor, if you just changed the name of attribute - perform ATTSYNC (attribute synchronization). 

For existing drawings:

- open block HYPERSTEELPAGEHEADER in the block editor, add an attribute TOTAL or change current name of suitable attribute to TOTAL. Save the block and close the block editor, perform ATTSYNC.

Enjoy the LISP and give some feedback 😀 

Block editor - example for corner stamp with name HYPERSTEELPAGEHEADER:

bigcarl5000kg_1-1630648937414.png

[bigcarl5000kg]

Another example - corner stamp in block editor:

bigcarl5000kg_3-1630649300170.png

Example for attribute definition for current sheet number DRAWING_NO

bigcarl5000kg_4-1630649352391.png

Example for attribute definition for total sheets (files) number TOTAL

bigcarl5000kg_5-1630649447793.png

The "x" as default is a help "message" - if the number of current sheet / total sheets is not specified, then x indicates to me that something is wrong / not working (LISP, ...)

[S.MANICKAVASAGAM]

Dear expert,

                 I tried your lisp, working is fine.

            Can be possible use only selected drawings in that folder?

Capture.JPG

[bigcarl5000kg]

Hi @S.MANICKAVASAGAM,

I'm not author of this LISP, user only. Please look my thread in the LISP forum, here can you post your question:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/visual-lisp-autolisp-and-general/the-total-number-of-dwg-files-in-the...

[mick-CNF]

Hide Joint Box Objects.

^C^C_AstM4SwitchReprMode FROMCONOBJ _AstM4SwitchReprMode_ off

Hide Joint Box Objects | Advance Steel | Autodesk Knowledge Network

Thanks to @Sebastian_Eiche  for his assistance.😁

[mick-CNF · Accepted solution]

Sorry wrong one.

^C^C_AstM4SwitchReprMode;FROMCONOBJ;_AstM4SwitchReprMode;off;

[bigcarl5000kg]

I have  old / new toolbars for this...see attachment ... have also posted these somewhere here

[sdonohoedesign · Accepted solution]

This makro copies an AS 'exploded dwg' from paperspace into model space.

This is especially handy for making x-ref files to use in normal AutoCAD.

1. Run makro.  Specify base point

1.JPG

 

2. Select the view you want to create 

2.JPG

3.  Specify the scale factor (add scale factor to your drawing title to make this easy)

3.JPG

4. View will be placed as a scaled block at with your basepoint at 0,0 in model space

4.JPG

[vuk.vukanic · Accepted solution]

Maybe I have mentioned this, but I place beam elements on separate layers named 00_profile name, and assign color to stand out in from the reset. One might think that placing beams on the wrong layer might be an issue, but because I use Match Properties, this never happens. Alsow the layer name is never shown in any of the documentation. Checking the model is much faster, and equally important is that GA drawings can be setup in a way so the layer from the model elements is assigned in drawings.

Important: There is one downside to this. If you have already generated drawings, and at some point change the profile on an element in the model. The drawing will be updated (as excepted), but the element (on the drawing) will remain on the previous layer.

GA drawings is something I do last, so there is usually little to no issues.

Dosent save clicks, but would be working blind without it.

"https://screencast.autodesk.com/Embed/Timeline/c1168683-273c-431f-8458-ce1daaf3fb26"

vukvukanic_0-1631012232718.png

Model

vukvukanic_1-1631012232727.png

Drawing

[acbsdesign]

@vuk.vukanic 

Thank you for sharing.

This may be useful for some truss projects for example, similar to the second screenshot, with a color scheme applied.

Also-if a floor plan has 8-9 types of shear plate or any other type of connections, we can easily check these in the model, they are usually unified to minimize sketches and calculations for approval anyway and the number of added layers will be minimal.

Thank you again.

[acbsdesign]

Hi everyone,

Is it possible to change what happens when we double click on the following items:

1. ASTXATOMICDETVIEW

2. ASTDIMLINE

Tried with double click actions in cui file but no luck.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[acbsdesign]

Hi Everyone,

We would like to add a custom command CREATE SIMILAR or CREATE IDENTICAL (exact dimension properties to be matched)

Example: existing dimension chain, ordinate, right click+Create Similar:

acbsdesign_0-1631042555449.png

Any idea would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[johnjmbennett]

You need to turn off the object highlighting;

this is an autocad setting

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/autocad/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-c...

[acbsdesign]

Hi @johnjmbennett 

Thank you for the input. 
I meant the possibility to change the behavior of AS instead of opening Advance properties when we double click on a contour line, a different command to be executed. 

Thank you again.

[Ryan-J]

you could possibly do that in lisp, create a command that looks at the element type selected and then runs the command used to create it. then you could add this lisp command to your right click menu

[sdonohoedesign · Accepted solution]

Perhaps everyone knows this command already, but only found this myself recently.

Click a item and type LS (list).   This shows a list of properties so you can quickly compare 2 items.

This is a handy one if you are having problems with your numbering. 

Capture.JPG

[acbsdesign]

@Ryan-J 

Thank you for the suggested workaround.

The reason I ask is I want to double click on the contour line of a detailed part and this to trigger the dimension linear command, not the AS dialog with lines/colors etc.

acbsdesign_0-1631136357674.png

My logic is as follows: We need to add a dimension to a beam or column much more often than changing the properties of the lines. Maybe with ratio  100/1 = add dimension /change representation.

So instead of double click to open the dialog above, I want double-click to execute dimension linear in AS.

(_AstM16CommDetAddUCSLinearDim)

Any idea how to tweak the cui file would be great. 

Thank you and have a great rest of the day / eve.