Command from lisp into tool palette does not work correctly on the first call, but works on the subsequent calls

[spyros.n7]

Hi, I am facing a weird issue with a command from a lisp I created and the tool palette.

My lisp (which I have heavily stripped down for demo/debugging purposes) just creates a rectangle from 2 points. From this lisp I created a tool which I placed in a palette. In the properties of the tool, I set the layer to my liking. The problem is that when I use this tool for the 1st time when I open Autocad, the rectangle is not created on the specified layer, but in whatever the current layer is. But every subsequent time I use the tool, either is the same drawing or in a new drawing, the rectangle is drawn on the correct layer (the one that is specified inside the tool properties)! This works correctly until I close autocad. Next time I open it, the same happens. The 1st time the layer is wrong, all subsequent times the layer is correct.

In sort, the steps to reproduce are:

1. Open Autocad.

2. Load the attached lisp file.

3. Create a line or whatever tool in a palette.

4. In the tool properties, set use flyout to no and change the command string to this ^C^C_topogridcross

5. In the tool properties, set the layer to any layer you like, except 0 or the current layer of your drawing.

6. Use the tool. --> You should get the rectangle on the wrong layer.

7. Use the tool again. --> You should now get the rectangle on the correct layer!

8. Create a new drawing. Use the tool. --> You should get the rectangle on the correct layer!

9. Close Autocad.

10. Repeat steps 1-8. --> You should see the same results.

Can anyone explain what's going on? It's driving me crazy. I guess something is not set correctly or initialized when I first use the command from the lisp file, but what is it? And how is it set automatically after the first call?

[Sea-Haven]

Maybe a little rearrange press Enter to exit when asked for point 1

(vl-load-com)
(regapp "AcAecLayerStandard") ; For being able to set layer description


(defun C:topogridcross ( / *error* x1 y1 x2 y2 pt1 pt2)

  (defun *error* (msg) ; restore osnap mode in case of error or cancelation
    (if (not (member msg '("Function cancelled" "quit / exit abort")))
      (princ (strcat "\nError: " msg))
    )
    (princ)
  )

    ;pick first point of the grid
  (while (setq pt1 (getpoint "\n Give 1st point: ")
    x1 (car pt1)
    y1 (cadr pt1))
    ;pick second point of the grid
    (setq pt2 (getpoint "\n Give 2nd point: ")
    x2 (car pt2)
    y2 (cadr pt2))
    (command "rectangle" (list x1 y1) (list x2 y2))
  )
(princ)
)

[spyros.n7]

Hi, thanks but still doesn't work. Same behavior.

Does it work for you? were you able to reproduce the issue I described?

What are we looking for as the cause of the problem? I happen to be a programmer, but this kind of behavior is very strange to me...

Regards.

[Moshe-A · Accepted solution]

@spyros.n7  hi,

First of all you are right, it looks like it's a bug in tools palette and the solution i found for this is to modify the command string tools palette:

^C^Clayer m ccccc c N ccccc; topogridcross

copy & paste the above macro into command string field. 

replace ccccc with your preferred layer

replace N with color number (1 for read, 2 for yellow, 3 for green....)

if it's hard to modify it on the command string field, modify the command in your notepad than copy & paste it.

and if i may advice a more well design for your topogridcross command 😀

enjoy

moshe

(defun c:topogridcross (/ *error* pt1 pt2)

  (defun *error* (msg) ; restore osnap mode in case of error or cancelation
   (if (not (member msg '("Function cancelled" "quit / exit abort")))
      (princ (strcat "\nError: " msg))
   )
    (princ)
  )

  (while (and
	  (setq pt1 (getpoint "\nPick 1st point: "))
	  (setq pt2 (getcorner pt1 "\nPick second point: "))
        )
    (command "._rectangle" "_none" pt1 "_none" pt2)
  )

 (princ)
)

[ВeekeeCZ]

It's weird. But it's just the RECTANG. No other command. So I guess... PLINE seems more than a convenient substitution.

BTW it's so weird that if you use LINE and RECTANG right behind each other, the layer is applied to LINE but not to RECTANG.

[spyros.n7]

Hi, thanks for the workaround. So, where am I supposed to report this bug? I 've never done this before.

Also, thanks for the optimization of the code, but as I wrote in my first post, this is part of a bigger lisp, that does way more than creating a rectangle. I stripped it down for demo purposes. I 'll find a way to include your suggestion to my code though.

Thanks.

[Moshe-A]

@spyros.n7 ,

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@spyros.n7 wrote:
Hi, thanks for the workaround. So, where am I supposed to report this bug? I 've never done this before.

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