AutoCAD Platform Customization

Take control of AutoCAD for a more efficient, streamlined workflow

AutoCAD Platform Customization is the most comprehensive guide to streamlining and personalizing the AutoCAD platform. The AutoLISP and VBA programming languages open up a myriad of customization options, and this book provides expert guidance toward applying them to AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Plant 3D, and other programs based on the Autodesk AutoCAD platform. Detailed discussions backed by real-world examples and step-by-step tutorials provide user-friendly instruction, and downloadable datasets allow for hands-on learning. Through customization you can increase screen real estate, streamline workflows, and create more accurate drawings by unleashing powerful programming languages that allow the user to command the software how to work, instead of the other way around.

AutoCAD customization is commonly performed by system administrators and CAD managers, but senior drafters and savvy users are increasingly taking customization into their own hands. AutoLISP and VBA are two popular and versatile tools that allow for going beyond the boundaries of normal user interface customization options, allowing users to:

• Enforce drawing and CAD standards, and automate repetitive tasks
• Customize the workspace, including tool sets, ribbon tabs and panels, and palettes
• Modify graphical objects, set system variables, integrate with external software, and more
• Manage blocks, change the interface, create dialog boxes, and communicate with Microsoft Office applications

The ideal design environment puts the tools you need right at your fingertips, removes unnecessary steps, and fosters precision through good communication. Customizing, including applying AutoLISP and VBA to AutoCAD, enables all of this and much more. For the designer who needs to work smarter because it's impossible to work any harder, AutoCAD Platform Customization provides the key information, insight, and techniques that will help to increase your productivity with AutoCAD.

Auteur

LEE AMBROSIUS is a Principal Learning Content Developer for the AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT products at Autodesk. He has worked on end-user and API documentation for eight releases, presented customization and programming sessions at Autodesk University for a decade, and has authored and coauthored several AutoCAD-related books.

Texte du rabat

Take control of AutoCAD for a more efficient, streamlined workflow AutoCAD Platform Customization is the most comprehensive guide to streamlining and personalizing the AutoCAD platform. The AutoLISP and VBA programming languages open up a myriad of customization options, and this book provides expert guidance toward applying them to AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Plant 3D, and other programs based on the Autodesk AutoCAD platform. Detailed discussions backed by real-world examples and step-by-step tutorials provide user-friendly instruction, and downloadable datasets allow for hands-on learning. Through customization you can increase screen real estate, streamline workflows, and create more accurate drawings by unleashing powerful programming languages that allow the user to command the software how to work, instead of the other way around. AutoCAD customization is commonly performed by system administrators and CAD managers, but senior drafters and savvy users are increasingly taking customization into their own hands. AutoLISP and VBA are two popular and versatile tools that allow for going beyond the boundaries of normal user interface customization options, allowing users to: Enforce drawing and CAD standards, and automate repetitive tasks Customize the workspace, including tool sets, ribbon tabs and panels, and palettes Modify graphical objects, set system variables, integrate with external software, and more Manage blocks, change the interface, create dialog boxes, and communicate with Microsoft Office applications The ideal design environment puts the tools you need right at your fingertips, removes unnecessary steps, and fosters precision through good communication. Customizing, including applying AutoLISP and VBA to AutoCAD, enables all of this and much more. For the designer who needs to work smarter because it's impossible to work any harder, AutoCAD Platform Customization provides the key information, insight, and techniques that will help to increase your productivity with AutoCAD.

Contenu

Introduction xxxi Part I AutoCAD Customization: Increasing Productivity through Personalization 1 Chapter 1 Establishing the Foundation for Drawing Standards 3 Chapter 2 Working with Nongraphical Objects 35 Chapter 3 Building the Real World One Block at a Time 69 Chapter 4 Manipulating the Drawing Environment 99 Chapter 5 Customizing the AutoCAD User Interface for Windows 121 Chapter 6 Customizing the AutoCAD User Interface for Mac 167 Chapter 7 Creating Tools and Tool Palettes 183 Chapter 8 Automating Repetitive Tasks 201 Chapter 9 Defining Shapes, Linetypes, and Hatch Patterns 221 Chapter 10 Using, Loading, and Managing Custom Files 249 Part II AutoLISP: Productivity through Programming 261 Chapter 11 Quick Start for New AutoLISP Programmers 263 Chapter 12 Understanding AutoLISP 277 Chapter 13 Calculating and Working with Values 301 Chapter 14 Working with Lists 333 Chapter 15 Requesting Input and Using Conditional and Looping Expressions 359 Chapter 16 Creating and Modifying Graphical Objects 405 Chapter 17 Creating and Modifying Nongraphical Objects 461 Chapter 18 Working with the Operating System and External Files 489 Chapter 19 Catching and Handling Errors 513 Chapter 20 Authoring, Managing, and Loading AutoLISP Programs 533 Chapter 21 Using the Visual LISP Editor (Windows only) 567 Chapter 22 Working with ActiveX/COM Libraries (Windows only) 587 Chapter 23 Implementing Dialog Boxes (Windows only) 611 Part III AutoCAD VBA: Programming with VBA and ActiveX (Windows only) 643 Chapter 24 Understanding the AutoCAD VBA Environment 645 Chapter 25 Understanding Visual Basic for Applications 665 Chapter 26 Interacting with the Application and Documents Objects 701 Chapter 27 Creating and Modifying Drawing Objects 727 Chapter 28 Interacting with the User and Controlling the Current View 757 Chapter 29 Annotating Objects 795 Chapter 30 Working with Blocks and External References 819 Chapter 31 Outputting Drawings 865 Chapter 32 Storing and Retrieving Custom Data 891 Chapter 33 Modifying the Application and Working with Events 923 Chapter 34 Creating and Displaying User Forms 953 Chapter 35 Communicating with Other Applications 983 Chapter 36 Handling Errors and Deploying VBA Projects 1019 Index 1053