Attaching Document file to autocad civil3d Tool palettes?

[Anonymous]

Hi

Is attaching word document file or pdf to Autocad civil3d tool palettes or in anyother manner, in which the document can be viewed as an help file. and document should be permenantly stored in template?

Please guide me.

Thanks & Regards

Ravishankar H S

[lim.wendy]

Hi there,

You mean embedding object in AutoCAD similar like below:

Regards,

[Anonymous]

Hi @lim.wendy

Excellent Solution, thank you.

is this possible to add this OLE object to toolpallets? or in any customized menu?

[Jowennl · Accepted solution]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Hi

Is attaching word document file or pdf to Autocad civil3d tool palettes or in anyother manner, in which the document can be viewed as an help file. and document should be permenantly stored in template?

Please guide me.

Thanks & Regards

Ravishankar H S

---

Hi Ravi,

You can do something like this in your tool palette. See attached animated gif.

You can open a browser via Tool Palette

(command "_Browser" "http://autodesk.com.au/")

You can open a pdf via Tool Palette

(command "start" "C:/docs/TEST.pdf")

You can open a docx via Tool Palette

(command "start" "C:/docs/TEST.docx")

For Subassembly composer help file, go to this <LINK> Brian H. explains CHM Help file really well.

Cheers,

Jowenn

[cwr-pae]

These things are great. I use the command and start in tool pallets for launching programs and files (a whole pallet full and more). How ever I think @Anonymous was looking to attach a help/instruction file to a tool on the pallet similar to the help attached to subassembly tools.

[Anonymous]

Hi @Jowennl

Yes, i needed something like this. Excellent solution, Thank you. 

But what happen is, i did exactly as mentioned by you, please check the screen shot

After i click the command, instead of opening the document ,it is going to explorer and it opens the plotter location. 

Please tell me did i done anything wrong?

Thanks & Regards

Ravishankar H S

[Jowennl]

Hi Ravi,

I rarely create any folder structure with space that is why I don't encounter those issue. But if you have spaces in your folder structure then you might want to consider a lisp routine to open a pdf or docx in Tool Palette. I haven't tried this but may guide you that it is doable. <Try this guide>

For your current format there are two issues I can see.

1) Folder structure with space

2) File name with space

For folder structure - I can't find ways to ignore space aside from LISP routine.

For file name - I found option that you can use ^Z in each space. For example file name= Test Only.docx can be written as Test^ZOnly.docx and It open. But this will only work if folder path is working and in most case no space.

If you can send all your help documents to a folder structure that have no space then that would be faster to fix. Are you ok to relocate all help file to different folder? If not please consider Lisp instead.

^C^C(command "start" "C:/NewFolderNoSpaces/Label^ZInformation.docx") <- This will work if you want space with file name but folder structure needs to be no spaces.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,

Jowenn

[Anonymous]

Hi @Jowennl

Thank you Very much, i have not tried that Lisp. But as you said if file or folder name have space in that , then it will not work.

Thanks & Regards

Ravishankar H S

[cwr-pae · Accepted solution]

I agree with you on not using spaces in folder names. Unfortunately I don't have control over that in this office. So I had to learn how spaces can work:

Format the command string as a simple macro, drop the parenthesis and word command, and use the semi colon as enter at the end. replace all backslach (\) with foreslash (/).  This will open folders or file depending what is last

^C^C_start "explorer" "M:/nnnnn - RUNWAY 9-27 - REHAB - AF Previous Project Plans";

^C^C_start "explorer" "M:/nnnnn - RUNWAY 9-27 - REHAB - AF Previous Project Plans/8479 - Runway Lighiting.pdf";

Nor am I in charge of spell checking the servers 

[Jowennl]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I agree with you on not using spaces in folder names. Unfortunately I don't have control over that in this office. So I had to learn how spaces can work:

Format the command string as a simple macro, drop the parenthesis and word command, and use the semi colon as enter at the end. replace all backslach (\) with foreslash (/).  This will open folders or file depending what is last

^C^C_start "explorer" "M:/nnnnn - RUNWAY 9-27 - REHAB - AF Previous Project Plans";

^C^C_start "explorer" "M:/nnnnn - RUNWAY 9-27 - REHAB - AF Previous Project Plans/8479 - Runway Lighiting.pdf";

Nor am I in charge of spell checking the servers 

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Hi cwr,

This is a better approach. Thanks for sharing this code to us. I like this new solution well done.

You can open a pdf via Tool Palette

(command "start" "C:/docs/TEST.pdf")

You can open a docx via Tool Palette

(command "start" "C:/docs/TEST.docx")

Better Approach (This will work even if you have space in folder or in file name) Just make sure you got ; at the end after last "

^C^C_start "explorer" "C:/docs/folder space bar/test help file.pdf";

^C^C_start "explorer" "C:/docs/folder space bar/test help file.docx";

Cheers,

Jowenn

[Anonymous]

Hi @cwr-pae

Great solution to the problem. Now i do not have to worry about spaces in my file or folder names.

Thank you so much.

Regards

Ravishankar h S

[Anonymous]

Hi

I have been trying to use the same macro command for toolpalete but it's not working in Autocad 2020.

Please refer the screenshot, earlier i was using 2018 version that time command was working fine now in 2020 it's not.

[cwr-pae]

You have and underscore between start and explorer that should not be there. ^C^C_start "explorer" not ^C^C_start_"explorer"