Export multiple layouts to dwg (model space) from multiple sheet files (dwg)
Thanks @neil96VHF for the heads up, I fixed the link to ScriptPro.
@neil96VHF wrote:
...but assumed the addon it only works with a single Feb containing multiple layouts. ...
Indeed, that's what the product page says
@pendean was saying NOT to use ScriptPro. ScriptPro is a batch utility like smartBatch, but it can be slow, because it restarts AutoCAD for each dwg using the /p switch. It's simple and easy to use, but it has that one drawback.
Ed
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First, I misread @pendean comment about ScriptPro. Comparing it to smartBatch (which I don't have any experience with), ScriptPro is free. Although smartBatch is not free, it includes powerful purging tools, which saves you from writing your own scripts. Both work by executing an *.scr file on a dwg. You build a 'batch' by selecting dwgs with it's UI. Then the script is run on each file.
LayoutsToDwgs is just a single AutoCAD command that you can write a script for. A script is just what you would type at the command line. Since you can type lisp at the command line, a script can include lisp too. From what I read on Jimmy's website, this command creates a dwg with a single layout. It doesn't copy the layout contents to model space like you requested. But you can script that too. Just use the COPY command and then SCALE the layout using the viewport scale. It might be tricky though to get the layout contents to line up with the modelspace contents.
Ed
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Yes exactly, all I want to do is batch export layouts from a whole drawing package (folder). The built in ExportLayout command does exactly what I want on a single open file but has no batch option. I 'm sure, for someone who knows Lisp, writing a simple lisp routine for a single command is very basic.
The workflow is: EXPORTLAYOUT at the command line > specify destination > save.
This results is the paper space layout being saved in model space in a separate file and location at 1:1 ie 594 x 841mm for A1 ect. See attached. There is no need to scale or purge.
Thanks to everyone who has taken time to respond to this ticket, your help is much appreciated.
Paper Space
Model Space
To write a script for that, using the instructions I linked to previously, open Notepad and type what you would type at the command line. In lisp and scripts, a space equals [Enter]. Save it as an *.scr file. Then use ScriptPro to run the script file on a batch of dwgs.
Ed
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Thats really helpful, am I right in thinking that I'd need to include a line in the script file to handle the destination folder dialogue?
On executing EXPORTLAYOUT at the command line you are taken to:
This save as dialogue:
Would it be possible to tell the script to save all of the batch files to a specified folder?
You can't do a batch if you have to respond to dialogs. Set FILEDIA to 0. The easiest way is to just hard code the path to the folder to save to. Remember to set FILEDIA back to 1 at the end of the script. Here's a sample script. It saves each file to the same folder as the host dwg and suffixes the filename with the layout name. Save the contents to a scr file. Make sure that Notepad doesn't add txt to the end. Test it out on one dwg. Then run it in ScriptPro.
;;; *********************
;;; setq global variables
;;; *********************
(vl-load-com)
(setvar "filedia" 0)
;;; get the application object
(setq *acadObj* (vlax-get-acad-object))
;;; get the currently active dwg
(setq *CurDoc* (vla-get-activedocument *acadObj*))
(setq f (vla-get-name *CurDoc*))
(setq layouts (vla-get-layouts *CurDoc*))
(vlax-for layout layouts
(setq dwgpath (strcat (getvar "dwgprefix")
(substr f 1 (+(strlen f)-4))
"-"
(vla-get-name layout)
".dwg"
)
)
(command "EXPORTLAYOUT" dwgpath)
)
(setvar "filedia" 1)
Ed
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Is that the log file from ScriptPro?
To save the file, copy the text to Notepad. Click File>Save and change the files of type to All Files, then change the extension to ".scr". If you don't change it to All Files, Notepad will add the txt ext and you end up with ExportLayouts.scr.txt.
Test the script in AutoCAD on one file. Open a project file and type SCRIPT, then browse the the scr file.
Ed
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Do script files work like that on lt mac?
Im getting this as a warning.
I tested with ScriptPro on a pc with full version but dont have access to it right now. The mac allows me to put script command in and locate the file though so should work right?
I've never used acad on a mac. The LT versions that support lisp, only do basic lisp. My script uses Visual Lisp, the functions that start with "vl-, vlax-". So it won't run on LT, Mac or pc. You have to use the full version.
Automatic Save is not a warning. AutoCAD saves the current dwg every 15 minutes (or whatever you have the interval set for).
Ed
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Yes, I tested it on ScriptPro with a dwg that had a dozen layouts. I'm not sure why it failed, since I don't know what your did. Maybe it failed on Mac? But at least it's working now.
Ed
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How to post your code.
