Topic Title

D4D: Programmers Wishlist. Contribute ideas for modifications, new features and limitations in the DataCad / macro interface.

Several follow-up issues from DCAL Limitations

The ability to open and close files with a running macro is still important. Project information is rarely contained in a single document and some means of updating information between files would be nice. I can use a file to store update information for use in separate drawings, but the user must manually open each and start the macro. It would be much easier and more effective if this exchange could be automated. Would it be possible to provide a means for a macro to open another drawing file and invoke itself in the new running file stack? Instructions between running macros could be handled by messages. I have not dug too deep into Windows messaging yet, but I assume that means that Datacad must pass messages to the macro expanding the "Main" procedure and "State" types.

Xrefs. Although I can make changes in Xrefs by adjusting their attributes, How can I generate a new one? Access to an Xref dialog would help, but it would would be better if the macro could provide input as well. This is similar to the problem with managing hatching through DCAL The only oiption appears to be invoking a user dialog to generate a hatch pattern. It would be nice if the macro could set-up the field information and generate the hatch pattern without user input. I am more interested in access to Xrefs than hatching however.

Re: XRefs in previous post:

I had forgotten that Devinder had addressed this issue. Xrefs are a super polyline and the data to set it up is handled through attibutes. I examined the attributes for an X Ref and got a few problem readings. The "atr" macro fails to idntify the type of attribute for several attribute fields and returns nonsense values. For example, DC-File has no type and returns a value of 384. Similarly I am getting confusingtypes or values for DC-Xclip Min & Max and DC-Clip000. I assume that DC-file is a string with either a relative or complete path. The meanings of the other three are not clear without values to demostrate how they are used. Are there anyother attribute names, I have found 10 associated with xRefs.

Is there any macro code to manage these new attribute types or possibly arevise macro ? Adapting to a str255 is not a problem. How are point attributes handled? As a point with x,y,z fields? For clip cubes is each atribute a polyvert with a max of 15 (000 through 014)? What is XRef-Min & Max vs. DC-ClipMain & Max? I thought that an Xref is brought in to another drawing to its full extents and that clip cubes modify the extent shown so I'm not sure how to manipulate them. An example of code handling the attributes would help if it is available.

Thanks again for your help.

Either is fine, D4D is preferable. A source sample showing how you are reading the attributes would be helpful.

Thanks!

I reviewed the field declarations for attrib in D4d and do not see atr.shstr Were you refering to atr.str255?