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Loading AutoLISP applications automatically

14 Comments Oct-01-2007 | Posted by Erhan Toker | Printable Version | Level |

AutoCAD 2006 and higher versions

It is a little bit laborious for the user to load AutoLISP files automatically each time drawings opening. That’s why I choose this topic of automatically loading AutoLISP files. Before starting, we’d better clarify some of the terminology:

Multi document interface (MDI) : Opening more than one document in the same program interface similar to some office applications like Microsoft Word™ and Excel™ was enables in AutoCAD starting from 2000 version. By this way, there is no need to open a new AutoCAD program in order to start another drawing without closing the first program. This logic of working is called multi document interface.

Application level : In applications with multi document feature, this is the application that works on the top of all, independently from others.

Document level : It is the level of working that is loaded separately for each document in applications that has multi document feature.

AutoLISP does not allow creating a program that can be executed at application level. Thus, when you load an AutoLISP application, program is only available for the drawing which is currently open. When you close the drawing and open a new one, then you have to reload the program. Now, let’s start from the beginning and look at how the AutoLISP files are loaded into the drawings: To load a LISP file, we use ( load … ) function. For example, let’s load ‘tal_utils.lsp‘ file:

Command : ( load “tal_utils.lsp” )

By this way, we load the file into the drawing. However, at this stage, we should pay attention to the directory where the files exist. If our file is not in AutoCAD directory, then its location must be entered into support directory listings of AutoCAD. You can access to this setting from ‘Tools/Options‘ menu (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1 – Settings for AutoCAD support directory.

If you don’t want to add loading directory to these settings, then you have to give full path for file directory. While doing this, you should use ‘/‘ instead of ‘\‘.

Command : ( load “c:/talia/lisp/tal_utils.lsp” )

We learned how to load a simple LISP file. But, it is a very laborious to do this everytime we open a new drawing and there should be an easy way of doing this. So, Autodesk has put some specific mechanisms for automatically loading into AutoCAD. Now, let’s examine these mechanisms all together:

1 – Automatical loading: It is not possible to automatically load LISP files that you have created yourself. However, there are two files, “acadXXXX.lsp” which is loaded every time when AutoCAD is opened and “acadXXXXdoc.lsp“, which is loaded every time a new drawing is opened. So, we can load our own applications inside these files by using (load … ) function. XXXX inside the file names correspond to version of AutoCAD you are using. Thus, file names will be “acad2007.lsp” and “acad2007doc.lsp” correspondingly for AutoCAD 2007. “acad2007.lsp” file is loaded one time when AutoCAD is opened (application level); however “acad2007doc.lsp” file is loaded every time when a new drawings is opened. For this reason, we will make our additions on this file. I strongly suggest that you should take a back-up of these file before starting. Final part of the default contents of the file at the end is as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 – Default contents of acad2007doc.lsp file.

We will make our additions before ‘;; Silent load.‘ row ( Fig. 3 ).

Fig .3 – Edited acad2007doc.lsp file

Yes, from now on, our programs will be loaded automatically every time a new drawing is opened.

2 – Loading together with Menu: Until AutoCAD 2006, extension of menu files were MNU. Experienced AutoCAD users know how to edit menu files. Starting from AutoCAD 2006, development of command buttons and menus were rearranged according to Windows™ standards and new menu file extension has become CUI (Custom User Interface file). In both cases, user can customize his/her own menus or make additions to standard AutoCAD menus. If your are customizing your own menu, it means that you use a name you want like TALIA.MNU or TALIA.CUI; or if you are making additions to existing AutoCAD menus, then you use ACAD.MNU or ACAD.CUI name. In this article, I assume that we are using our own menus and our menu is correctly loaded into the drawing. Menu files are also document based and once they are loaded, they need to be loaded every time with a new drawing. You must place another file with the same name but MNL extension “talia.mnl” in the same directory with the menu file. AutoCAD will load LISP functions and commands together with the menu automatically. If you insert a line as written in Fig. 3 into these files as I mentioned above, then your lisp files will be loaded automatically.

3 – STARTUP SUITE:

Fig. 4 – Application loading dialog box.

From ‘Tools/Load Application…‘ menu, dialog box shown in Fig. 4 will open up. On the lower right corner of this window, there is a start up suite (Fig. 5).

Fig . 5 – Start up suite contents window.

Every application ( LISP / ARX / DBX / NET ) that we place here is automatically loaded every time with a new drawing.

4 – (autoload … ) function : As a little bit more advanced that automatically loading, there is LISP function that is used to load LISP functions on demand. This function is intended for heavily loaded LISP files not to allocate unnecessary memory space when they are not used. You can use this function inside either acad2007doc.lsp or talia.mnl files as shown below (Fig. 6):

Fig. 6 – Edited version of acad2007doc.lsp file.

By using this definition, when you use TTT and PRF commands for the first time, ‘tal_utils.lsp‘ file will be loaded automatically.

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