xref attachment routine

[vbcad]

Below is a piece of code that function fine, however i would like to make it better(of course). The code lets me select a directory to use for the current folder and the opens another dialog to prompt for the actual reference name, it them renames the xref using the "wcmatch" statement. What I would like to do is do away with the dialog boxes. I need to select the current directory and then select the drawing I would like to use as an xref using wildcards. Area that needs revising is in red. Help please!

 ;START NEW ATTACH
        (COMMAND "CLAYER" "XREF-NEW")
        [red](setq dir
        (vl-filename-directory
	(getfiled "Select Drawing in directory desired..." "" "DWG" 4)
	)
	)
        (setq ref (getfiled "Select A1 plan..." dir "DWG" 16))
  	(COMMAND "-XREF" "ATTACH" ref "0,0" "1" "1" "0")[/red]
	(vlax-for blk (vla-get-Blocks (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-Acad-Object)))
		(if
			(and
				(equal (vla-get-IsXref blk) :vlax-true)
				(wcmatch (setq OldName (vla-get-Name blk)) "*a1")
			)
			(vla-put-Name blk "NEW"))
	  	)
	;END NEW ATTACH

 

[vbcad]

I have tried this code and I am getting closer. The path selects fine and i can get the filename but I can't get the name to pass from the (setq ref... statement to the xref attach statement. Problem areas still in red.

  (setq dir (vl-filename-directory (getfiled "Select Drawing in directory desired..." "" "DWG" 4)))
	(setq ref (vl-directory-files dir "*a1.dwg"))[red];returns ("Go01a1.dwg")[/red]
  	[red](COMMAND "-XREF" "ATTACH" ref "0,0" "1" "1" "0")[/red]
	(vlax-for blk (vla-get-Blocks (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-Acad-Object)))
		(if
			(and
				(equal (vla-get-IsXref blk) :vlax-true)
				(wcmatch (setq OldName (vla-get-Name blk)) "*a1")
			)

 

[CarlAK]

Since "vl-directory-files" returns a list of files, you need to extract item from the list. Perhaps:

(setq ref (CAR (vl-directory-files dir "*a1.dwg")))

 

[vbcad]

thanks works excellent. I knew I was getting close. one more item. Is there a better method of attaching the xref than the [red](COMMAND "-XREF" "ATTACH" ref "0,0" "1" "1" "0")[/red] statement?

 

[CarlAK]

Not that I know of (maybe with vba code), and if it works fine, why bother?
You could "internationalize" it and use reals & points instead of strings but it's essentially the same;

(command "_.-xref" "_attach" ref '(0.0 0.0 0.0) 1.0 1.0 0.0)

 

[vbcad]

Correct me if i am wrong but isnt this line of code:
[red](setq dir (vl-filename-directory (getfiled "Select Drawing in directory desired..." "" "DWG" 4)))[/red] is supposed to set the directory for use? If I start a new drawing in "my doucuments" for example and browse to the directory where the drawings are stored for the xrefs, the program cant locate the drawings. If I start the new drawing in the folder where the xref drawings are located the program works fine. Am I missing something?

 

[CarlAK]

Yes "dir" includes the complete path, but "vl-directory-files" is a list of filenames, without the path.

To include the path with the filename, try this:

(setq refname (CAR (vl-directory-files dir "*a1.dwg")))
(setq refnamepath (strcat dir "\\" refname))
(COMMAND "-XREF" "ATTACH" refnamepath "0,0" "1" "1" "0")

 

[vbcad]

Thank you problem solved!