XDTOOLS - an open project for creating tools for XData

[АлексЮстасу]

I invite to participate in an open project to create the common free user tools for XData - XDTOOLS.
It would be better to solve this problem based not on XData, but on Xrecord. But doing this is more difficult, and I did not find ready-made developments.

The goal is to give users in base AutoCAD a convenient and productive opportunity to add descriptive/additional information to graphic elements and use it.
And thus, make it possible to make the models/drawings more informative, and use AutoCAD more productive.
Naturally, this should be expected from Autodesk itself. But he limited himself to two weak, uncomfortable, with errors commands in Express, 20 years ago.

For Xdata, there are many free Lisp's, which can be use for creatting the desired set of commands - see archive on googledisk, XData_32_collection_Readme.zip .
But these tools need to be made convenient, productive, fully functional and safe.

Can be 10-12 commands in XDTOOLS for:
I. Managing XData Apps descriptions.
Create/edit Apps descriptions, detect problems and errors.
II. Using XData Apps:
Adding/removing Apps to graphical elements, entering values, viewing/editing values, searching for objects with Apps and specified values.
III. Transfer, communication with XData Apps:
Saving/loading data from XData to another representations. Exchange data with vertical applications AutoCAD and other software.

I am not a programmer at all, I propose this project as a user. And I hope for the participation of programmers.

Don't need much to create. It's not hard to create. But this can help to qualitatively improve the use of AutoCAD.

Added later:

20 XDTOOLS commands have now been made - see attached archive with Palette commands.

Added later:

A development of the XData use and a continuation of the XDTOOLS project is the XDLabel pilot-project - bulk inscriptions creation from the XData fields values, the creation of a link between inscriptions and their objects, and the restoration of inscriptions.

See from #37 and XDLABEL.fas. Last - #41-43. Five commands. Commands are updated and improved.

Added later:

The second XDPoint subproject is creating and using links for "point" objects: Points, Blocks, Circles, 3DSolids, Tables, Lines. The first three basic commands are. 

See from #38 and XDPoint.fas.

Added later:
The command common to XDLink and XDPoint for selecting related labels and/or point objects is XDLINK_SINGLESEL. Performed for one specified object - for unambiguity.

See #39.

[АлексЮстасу]

New version of XDLabel with significant additions:
1. Possibility to save and load objects-inscription links parameters into txt files.
2. Creation and updating of inscription related to vertex and segment properties of objects.

In addition, many small improvements and refinements were made: definition of prefixes and suffixes, rounding to the required number of characters, etc.
Fixed an infinite number of bugs. 🙂

Saving and loading linkage parameters allows to prepare such parameters for standard or large or long projects. In this case, can create all the necessary inscriptions semi-automatically at once.
It also makes it possible to simplify the creation and editing of objects-inscriptions links parameters.

Added more than 28 variants displaying properties of vertices/segments/longitudinal: angles, directions, lengths, coordinates, increments, slopes etc.

Changes of shapes, positions, sizes of objects and their parts are displayed in inscriptions after XDLABEL_UPDATE.

[АлексЮстасу]

XDLabel subproject - experiment. It is made by non-professional lisp-programmers.
But he gives real results. And already close to successful completion.

XDLabel is based on the idea that all inscriptions in models are not independent, not obligatory objects of the models themselves, but auxiliary, illustrative elements only for human perception of models.
And on the idea that all inscriptions in models display properties of objects themselves: graphical, geometric properties of objects and non-graphical, descriptive properties. Lengths, coordinates, angles, etc. Names, materials, purposes, etc.

Accordingly, for all inscriptions it is necessary to define their relationship to their objects and to the corresponding properties of these objects.

XDLabel allows to create such links between existing inscriptions and objects (XDLABEL_LINK command), to create inscriptions on objects with the desired content and position (XDLABEL_CREATE command) and to restore the position and content of inscriptions (XDLABEL_CREATE command).

XDLabel turns any regular AutoCAD inscriptions (Text, MText, Leader, MLeader) into an attribute-like label. With almost any AutoCAD primitive, not just Blocks.
AutoCAD inscriptions remain regular primitives, rather than becoming special objects as in vertical applications.

Inscriptions do not literally become attributes, but they acquire the basic properties of attributes:
- are linked to specific objects both logically and physically,
- displays the specified properties of their objects.

Links in XDLabel are provided by means of XData.
XData is used in the project only because the programmers are not professionals and the project is in lisp.
It is not the method that is important in the project, but the useful features that users get to simplify, speed up, and improve the inscription experience.
Could use not XData, but Xrecord or the like. - it doesn't matter for the experiment (and the result).

The ability to save descriptions of inscription-object relations parameters to txt-files allows to simplify and speed up the creation of inscriptions, their modification and checking their completeness and correctness. Allows to create semi-automatically all necessary inscriptions in models at once.

[АлексЮстасу]

The XDLabel subproject is generally complete.
Now the XDLABEL_MANAGE command is added for general management of inscriptions. It can be used to create, delete, select, hide inscriptions.
If XData with necessary data for all inscriptions are added to objects and descriptions of parameters of all inscriptions are prepared in txt-file, then "in one action" you can create all inscriptions on necessary places and with necessary content.
This is especially useful for large projects or when one or few drawing standards are used all the time.

Inscription parameter descriptions are created by XDLABEL_CREATE or in txt-files by analogy with previously created descriptions. XDLABEL_CREATE will help to attach XData as well.

But it is better to create and attach XData by XDTOOLS commands - XDTOOLS_MDEFINE, XDTOOLS_ADD, XDTOOLS_VEDIT.

A hypotetical example of creating all inscriptions with "one action".
In sample_manage.dwg call XDLABEL_MANAGE, load the prepared inscription parameters from sample_manage.txt, Create.

The created inscriptions are already linked to their objects. If any object is moved, its shape is changed, and XDLABEL_UPDATE is executed for the object and its inscriptions, the position of these inscriptions and their content will change accordingly.

The XDLabel subproject is generally complete, but not closed. There are always fixes to be made, and can always redo things. 🙂

[АлексЮстасу]

A new XDPoint variant that creates and honors block attribute relationships with XData.
Difficulty due to the multiplicity and diversity of relationships: base objects -- blocks -- attributes -- XData -- XData fields.
In general - as in XDLabel and the previous XDPoint variant:
XDPOINT_CREATE - creation of blocks or other point objects on the specified objects. It is possible to save and load parameters of block-object relations and attribute- XData relations. It is possible to insert simultaneously different point objects with different linkage parameters. Valid for many selected basic objects.

It is possible to save 57 objects properties to XData and attributes.
If properties are specified for attributes, when blocks are inserted, these properties will be displayed in attributes and saved to the specified XData fields of the base objects.
If no properties are selected, attribute values can be taken from the XData of the base objects.
Links will be preserved at blocks.
XDPOINT_LINK - linking point objects to their base objects.
Can define links between the attributes of selected blocks and the XData of the base objects. These links will be saved at blocks. Can also save these links in txt - they will be saved as strings:
block name -- attribute name -- XData -- XData field.
This txt structure is similar to the txt structure of XDTOOLS and XDPOINT_ATTR correspondence files.
XDPOINT_UPDATE - update the position of point objects relative to their base objects when the position, shape of base objects changes. And updating the content of attributes related to the properties of base objects.

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Added possibility to create point-objects for images - the same as for other objects types .

Also now works for Hatches and Regions from Splines.

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Errors have been corrected, clarifications have been made. Added possibility of separate linking of point-objects with start and end points of objects.

[АлексЮстасу]

Bugs have been fixed in XDLabel.
Added ability to create inscriptions for images - same as for other object types.
Added "Image Name" property specially for images.

Improved parameters for numbering - similar to those previously made in XDPoint.

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Also now works for Hatches and Regions from Splines.

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Fixed bugs and improved the properties accounting “By Sample”.

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There has been a marked improvement in speed. I wish it were faster, though.

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Errors have been corrected, clarifications have been made. Added possibility of separate linking of inscriptions with start and end points of objects.