Multiple Visibility Lisp routine

[Charles_Shade]

Could the users of this Lisp post the several Versions here for others to find?

I have come across a few in the AUGI Dynamic Block Forum who would like to make use of the Lisp but may be running into Version problems.

(And I thought that using the subject line would help.)

Link to visibility-add-eng discussion thread:

Original Thread

[Anonymous]

The updated 1.6 and 1.61 lisps won't work on AutoCad 2012. Having tried the command to add vis.state (VSPADD) I get a mistake - smth like wrong associative list: (nil nil nil....).

I so don't want to install Autocad 2010 😞

[Anonymous]

Having added the standard autocad vis parameter made it possible to use VSPADD. But the problem is, that I cannot split objects between several visibility states. I've tried to clean states with use of (VSPDELSEL and VSPDELALL) and then added required objects to particular vis state (VSPADDSEL) but no success. Each vis state resets the other one (I suppose because they have the same objects). Instruction in lisp a bit complicated, it reffers to using Lookups. I've failed to repeat it step by step. But the workflow I used in AutoCad 2010 won't work.

[Libbya]

Unless you are dealing with an inordinate number of visibility states (200+) IMO it's easier to just use the lookup method that works for all versions that allow dynamic blocks. 

[Anonymous]

I use multivisibility in 3D database with elements that may encounter 400 000 visibility states.

Here is one of the elements for example 3D showcase. I use it in AutoCad 2006, and create in AutoCad 2010 (now want to migrate to 2012). And here is the video I've made to show how it works for my colleagues.

So unfortunately there is no workaround with lookups for me.

[Libbya]

For the linked block I would use a single visibility state with the selections made via lookup to scale the 'unseen' objects to 1/1000 of a unit.  

[Anonymous]

Wow, thanks a lot. Very interesting workaround. 

So instead of visibilities I the lookup tables, add scale parameters with 1 and say 0.00001 values for each element that may need to be hidden, and add to lookup tables scale parameters for particular objects (that needs to change the visibility within the lookup table). Clever!

Will give it a try. The only thing is, I am a bit worried that I will have dots in printed wireframe views for those scaled to 0.00001 objects.

I liked the workflow with visibility-add-eng, and I would love to stick with it if it worked in AutoCad 2012.

[Libbya]

You can adjust the 'large' parameter value to whatever you would like, e.g. 100.  The shrunk objects will leave a dot, but if you place the parameter base point at the endpoint of a line that is always on, it will not ever be visible.  I personally prefer not to have the 'dots' but the linked block could be done in such a manner that they would not have any discernible effect.  

[Anonymous]

 I had the same idea of placing the "dot" to a place where it the visible object was. But sometimes there is no such objects to hide the "dot". But that's not very big issue anyway.

Thanks a lot for your help and advices.

[Scott_Loadman]

DBdj1,

Have you had any luck fixing the VSPaddSel and VSPDelSel commands?

ScottL

[Anonymous]

hi 

visibility parameter,

property labes,

How is it done parameter type change name ?

[rapidcad]

You are not going to be able to change the parameter type through the properties palette, you will want to change the Visibility Name and Visibility Description to suit your needs.

[Anonymous]

Hi!

My problem is that when I change one visible it reset all others.

I use Autocad 2016 with Polish language pack and visibility-add-eng_1_61.

Could you please record a screencast - how to properly do from start to finish, multivisible dynamic block?

[Anonymous]

Whats the command? how do I use it? if i have multiple visibility parameter, will it link separately with lookups?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone help me?

What I does wrong ?

Steps:

1. Create a block with any object
2. Load lisp script
3. Enter in block editor
4. Add Visibility from dynamic block panel
5. Add another visibilities, what you need with VSPADD command
6. Add still one extra block with same command for multi-visibility
7. Set active first visibility with command VSPSET and click on them
8. Insert or draw objects in active visibility parameter
9. Set active extra block before exiting from block editor

Visibility set changes both, how to separate VS'es ?

[rapidcad]

@Anonymous, unfortunately the lisp program that opened up the possibility of creating multiple visibility parameters appears to be impossible to update so that it will work with AutoCAD versions newer than AutoCAD 2011. I did quite a bit of research on the program and came to the conclusion that something changed within the AutoCAD object model between the 2011 format and the 2012 format (and probably many other things subsequently) that will not allow the loophole that the original author, Andre Lazebny (who sadly passed away a few years ago) had found and exploited when he created the program. 

If you can find a legal copy of AutoCAD 2011 (I have maintained one for all these years just for this purpose), MVP blocks can still be made using the program, I made some yesterday. However many others have followed Libbya's well documented way of making dynamic blocks with a similar outcome buy using double-lookups and a long list of visibility states in a single visibility parameter. Here is a link to the thread that has the author's excellent screencast tutorial: https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/dynamic-blocks-forum/lookup-multi-vis-how-to-screencast/m-p/5849853#M19084 

While it is easier to create MVP dynamic blocks using the lisp program, I would not recommend it any longer since it is getting harder to maintain such an old version of AutoCAD and may become harder with each subsequent OS version that makes current OS's obsolete (Win10).

I hope this helps you figure out how to go forward with your dynamic block needs.

[jamel.benariba]

Hi,

Do you know if the LISP (visibility-add-eng_1_61) works with AutoCAD 2024 LT? We can load the LISP on the LT version now, but I think this one is no longer working.

Thank you,

[mj.harris]

Sadly, I do not know.

[Libbya]

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@jamel.benariba wrote:

Hi,

Do you know if the LISP (visibility-add-eng_1_61) works with AutoCAD 2024 LT? We can load the LISP on the LT version now, but I think this one is no longer working.

---

It hasn't worked for many releases.  I haven't tried for a while, but I doubt it ever will again unless someone with decent LISP skills takes it upon themselves to get it working.  I asked before on the LISP forum if anyone would be able to help and the only response was crickets.

[rapidcad]

I had an opportunity earlier this year to have the Director for AutoCAD  software development and his team review the visibility add engine. They said there was no way to update the engine because it was based on a flaw in code that was corrected in the 2012 version. They did take a long look at my examples and asked a few questions that seemed to indicate that the idea of assigning objects to unique visibility sets is quite interesting. My takeaway was that such a feature was interesting to them but it would probably need more interest to raise it to a higher priority for future development. On the other hand, they were quite impressed with the examples I sent them. Maybe if enough people elevate such a request on the wish list it may eventually be added. Lately they have been adding new features to blocks. 

[jamel.benariba]

Hi,

Thank you for your answer.

Let's see if one day we can add two or more visibility functions with AutoCAD!