PrinterConfigPath with two paths

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm trying to set two locations in PrinterConfigPath, but it crashes with fatal error

Dim pref As AcadPreferences = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application.Preferences
pref.Files.PrinterConfigPath = "T:\wPlotters;T:\Plotters"

note 1: one location works fine, but i can't figure out, how to put 2 locations there

note 2: when i set those paths manually, the property contains exactly that string

[Anonymous]

Hmmm..

What version of Autocad and what version of Visual Studio? 

[Anonymous]

AutoCAD 2012, VS Express 2008

[Alexander.Rivilis · Accepted solution]

I did not try your's code but the same can be done with help of setting environment "PrinterConfigDir" (ObjectARX functions acedGetEnv/acedSetEnv and lisp functions (getenv) and (setenv).

How to call acedGetEnv/acedSetEnv from .NET: 

http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=33594.0

http://www.theswamp.org/index.php?topic=20237.msg362493#msg362493

http://www.caduser.ru/forum/index.php?PAGE_NAME=message&FID=49&TID=36668&MID=208004#message208004

[Anonymous]

Okay so Here's some sample code I don't have any problem using the Autocad Preferences Object

    Public Application As Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices.Application 'VB.NET Application Object

 Try
            'Acad Preferences Objects
            Dim acPrefComObj As AcadPreferences = Application.Preferences

            'Set Support Paths & Preferences
            With acPrefComObj.Files
                'Editor.WriteMessage("Entered Loop")

                'Change Value in Autocad Preferences if Variable is NOT empty---------------
                .CustomIconPath = sCustomIconPath
                .DriversPath = sDriversPath
               .PrinterDescPath = sPrinterConfigPath
               .PrinterConfigPath = sPrinterConfigPath
               .PrinterStyleSheetPath = sPrinterStyleSheetPath
                .SupportPath = sSupportPath
                .TempFilePath = sTempFilePath
                .TemplateDwgPath = sTemplateDwgPath
                 .ToolPalettePath = sToolPalettePath
                .AutoSavePath = sAutoSavePath

                '---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                '---------------------------------------------------------------------------

            End With


            Editor.WriteMessage(vbTab & "<<[Support Paths Set>>" & Environment.NewLine)

            '---------------------------------------------------------------------------
            'AUTOSAVE SET
            With acPrefComObj.OpenSave
                .AutoSaveInterval = 11
            End With

            Editor.WriteMessage(vbTab & "<<AutoSave Interval Set>>" & Environment.NewLine)

            '---------------------------------------------------------------------------

            '---------------------------------------------------------------------------
            'DefaultPlot File Path & Printer
            With acPrefComObj.Output
                .DefaultPlotToFilePath = _
                Environment.GetFolderPath(Environment.SpecialFolder.MyDocuments)

                .DefaultOutputDevice = DefaultPrinterName()
            End With

            Editor.WriteMessage(vbTab & "<<Default Printer Set>>" & Environment.NewLine)
            '---------------------------------------------------------------------------


            Editor.WriteMessage(vbTab & "<<Support Settings Done>>" & Environment.NewLine)

            Editor.WriteMessage(vbTab & "<<----------------------------------------------->>" & Environment.NewLine)

        Catch ex As Exception

            Editor.WriteMessage("[ERROR:" & ex.Message & vbTab & ex.ErrorStatus.ToString)

        End Try

[Anonymous]

I tested your code on my machine. Invalid Argurment error. 

Doesn't like two different paths. Huh? 

Who would have thought. 

[Alexander.Rivilis]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

I tested your code on my machine. Invalid Argurment error. 

Doesn't like two different paths. Huh? 

Who would have thought. 

---

The previous version of AutoCAD was not allowed to have more than one path in PrinterConfigPath. That is why there is a problem with Autocad Preferences Object (IMHO). If so, then the only solution - to use acedSetEnv as I wrote above.

[Anonymous]

---

@Alexander.Rivilis wrote:

The previous version of AutoCAD was not allowed to have more than one path in PrinterConfigPath. That is why there is a problem with Autocad Preferences Object (IMHO). If so, then the only solution - to use acedSetEnv as I wrote above.

---

OK, I will give it a try. I was waiting for another possible solution, because I don't fully understand that invoke voodoo, so I try to avoid it, if I can.

[Alexander.Rivilis · Accepted solution]

Minimum testing with AutoCAD 2013.

C#:

using System;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry;
using Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput;
using AcRx = Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime;
using AcEd = Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput;
using AcDb = Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices;
using AcAp = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices;
using AcWin = Autodesk.AutoCAD.Windows;

[assembly: CommandClass(typeof(SetEnvInNet.MyCommands))]

namespace SetEnvInNet
{

    public static class Env
    {
        static int Ver = AcAp.Application.Version.Major;
        // AutoCAD 2007...2012
        [DllImport("acad.exe", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint = "acedGetEnv")]
        extern static private Int32 acedGetEnv12(string var, StringBuilder val);
        // AutoCAD 2013...
        [DllImport("accore.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint = "acedGetEnv")]
        extern static private Int32 acedGetEnv13(string var, StringBuilder val);
        static public string GetEnv(string var)
        {
            StringBuilder val = new StringBuilder(16536);
            if (Ver <= 12) acedGetEnv12(var, val); else acedGetEnv13(var, val);
            return val.ToString();
        }
        // AutoCAD 2007...2012
        [DllImport("acad.exe", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint = "acedSetEnv")]
        extern static private Int32 acedSetEnv12(string var, string val);
        // AutoCAD 2013...
        [DllImport("accore.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint = "acedSetEnv")]
        extern static private Int32 acedSetEnv13(string var, string val);
        static public void SetEnv(string var, string val)
        {
            if (Ver <= 12) acedSetEnv12(var, val); else acedSetEnv13(var, val);
        }

    }
    public class MyCommands
    {
        static public void AddPath(string var, string path)
        {
            StringBuilder oldpath = new StringBuilder(Env.GetEnv(var));
            oldpath.Append(";"); oldpath.Append(path);
            Env.SetEnv(var, oldpath.ToString());
        }

        [CommandMethod("SetPath", CommandFlags.Modal)]
        public void TestAddPath()
        {
            AcWin.OpenFileDialog dlg = new AcWin.OpenFileDialog("Select Directory:", "", "", "", 
                AcWin.OpenFileDialog.OpenFileDialogFlags.AllowFoldersOnly);
            DialogResult ds = dlg.ShowDialog();
            if (ds == DialogResult.OK)
            {
                AddPath("PrinterConfigDir",dlg.Filename);
            }
        }
    }
}

 VB.NET (converted from C# with http://www.developerfusion.com/tools/convert/csharp-to-vb/)

Imports System.Runtime.InteropServices
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.Geometry
Imports Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput
Imports AcRx = Autodesk.AutoCAD.Runtime
Imports AcEd = Autodesk.AutoCAD.EditorInput
Imports AcDb = Autodesk.AutoCAD.DatabaseServices
Imports AcAp = Autodesk.AutoCAD.ApplicationServices
Imports AcWin = Autodesk.AutoCAD.Windows

<Assembly: CommandClass(GetType(SetEnvInNet.MyCommands))>

Namespace SetEnvInNet

	Public NotInheritable Class Env
		Private Sub New()
		End Sub
		Shared Ver As Integer = AcAp.Application.Version.Major
		' AutoCAD 2007...2012
		<DllImport("acad.exe", CallingConvention := CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint := "acedGetEnv")> _
		Private Shared Function acedGetEnv12(var As String, val As StringBuilder) As Int32
		End Function
		' AutoCAD 2013...
		<DllImport("accore.dll", CallingConvention := CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint := "acedGetEnv")> _
		Private Shared Function acedGetEnv13(var As String, val As StringBuilder) As Int32
		End Function
		Public Shared Function GetEnv(var As String) As String
			Dim val As New StringBuilder(16536)
			If Ver <= 12 Then
				acedGetEnv12(var, val)
			Else
				acedGetEnv13(var, val)
			End If
			Return val.ToString()
		End Function
		' AutoCAD 2007...2012
		<DllImport("acad.exe", CallingConvention := CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint := "acedSetEnv")> _
		Private Shared Function acedSetEnv12(var As String, val As String) As Int32
		End Function
		' AutoCAD 2013...
		<DllImport("accore.dll", CallingConvention := CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet := CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint := "acedSetEnv")> _
		Private Shared Function acedSetEnv13(var As String, val As String) As Int32
		End Function
		Public Shared Sub SetEnv(var As String, val As String)
			If Ver <= 12 Then
				acedSetEnv12(var, val)
			Else
				acedSetEnv13(var, val)
			End If
		End Sub

	End Class
	Public Class MyCommands
		Public Shared Sub AddPath(var As String, path As String)
			Dim oldpath As New StringBuilder(Env.GetEnv(var))
			oldpath.Append(";")
			oldpath.Append(path)
			Env.SetEnv(var, oldpath.ToString())
		End Sub

		<CommandMethod("SetPath", CommandFlags.Modal)> _
		Public Sub TestAddPath()
			Dim dlg As New AcWin.OpenFileDialog("Select Directory:", "", "", "", AcWin.OpenFileDialog.OpenFileDialogFlags.AllowFoldersOnly)
			Dim ds As DialogResult = dlg.ShowDialog()
			If ds = DialogResult.OK Then
				AddPath("PrinterConfigDir", dlg.Filename)
			End If
		End Sub
	End Class
End Namespace

[Rob.O]

I know this topic is a couple of years old, but I am trying to replicate this in 2015 with no sucess.

Has anyone written an update that works in 2015?

Strange thing... if I strip out all of the Initialization functionality, and turn it into a class library, I can get it to work through an Visual Studio debug session.  But if I build the solution and startup AutoCAD detached from Visual Studio, it will not run properly after NETLOADing the function.  It runs, but after I open the Options dialog, it hangs for about 2 minutes before it finally opens.  Then, the paths are only displying the latest value entered instead of both values I have added.

Anyone know of a reason why it would work through a debug session, but not through a detached session of AutoCAD?

TIA!

Rob

[Alexander.Rivilis]

Function acedGetEnv in ObjectARX 2015 has new signature:

int            acedGetEnv (const ACHAR *sym, ACHAR  *var, size_t nBufLen);

 instead of ObjectARX 2014 and early:

int            acedGetEnv (const ACHAR *sym, ACHAR  *var);

 So code have to look like this (not tested):

[DllImport("accore.dll", CallingConvention = CallingConvention.Cdecl, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode, EntryPoint = "acedGetEnv")]
extern static private Int32 acedGetEnv15(string var, StringBuilder val, UIntPtr valLen);

[Rob.O]

Thank you Alexander!

I saw that the function changed when I was looking through the 2015 arxdoc.chm for info on it, but I kind of glazed over it!

Works perfectly!

Keep up the great work!

Rob