AutoM8 Tips and Tricks

AutoM8 Tips, Tricks and Trouble Shooting
Plotting Tips Rename views or layouts with an NP prefix to make AutoM8 skip over these while batch plotting via the "Plot All MS Views" or "Plot All Layouts" methods. This new Plot option was added to version 3.72 September 15, 2002. Are there views or layouts in drawings that you don't want to plot, AutoM8 now has the capability to filter out these views or layouts. When AutoM8 plots via the "Plot All MS Views" or "Plot All Layouts" option, it will not plot any views or layouts that have a prefix NP. This method will work under any of the three plot methods "Plot using Layout settings" "Plot using Layout settings w/ Plot Style" "Manual Settings"

*Change Tips* The following examples show uses of AutoM8's CHANGE command. Some of these functions were widely used by some of our development staff when they were in a production drafting environment and were making batch changes with one of the earlier versions of AutoM8. In the following listings, these commands can be entered into the AutoM8's Change Command entry box. Note: Be sure to add all the required returns designated with the semicolon ";" Examples: Text replacement Attribute replacement Define drawing views Make corrections to drawings Layer changes Attribute extraction Pack & go Bind external references to drawing

Text Replacement Goal: To search through an entire drawing for a string of text to change and replace it with a new text string. (Note this example uses a lisp program called chtext.lsp from Autodesk circa 1992, because the current find command does not have a command line equivalent).
*Command script*	*Description*
(load "chtext") CHT ALL ; TEXT GLOBAL WRONG TEXT RIGHT TEXT ;	Command line loading of AutoLisp program. Run CHT command. Select objects: Enter a required return to end object selection. Height/Just................./Text/Undo/Width: Search...../Retype/<Globally>: Match string : New string : Enter a required return to exit CHT command.

Attribute Replacement Goal: To search through an entire drawing for a blocks attribute text string to change and replace it with a new text string. Note: this works on inserted blocks with visible attributes.
*Command script*	*Description*
-ATTEDIT NO YES * * * WRONG TEXT RIGHT TEXT	Run command line version of attedit command Edit attributes one at a time? [Yes/No] <Y>: Edit only attributes visible on screen? [Yes/No] <Y>: Enter block name specification <>: Enter attribute tag specification <>: Enter attribute value specification <*>: Enter string to change: Enter new string:

Drawing View Goal: Zoom drawing to your specifications and then save a view.
*Command script*	*Description*
ZOOM E VIEW S EXT	Run zoom command. Run extents sub-option. Run view command. Run save sub-option. Name a view name.

Make Corrections Goal: Erase some wrong objects and replace them with an exploded block.
*Command script*	*Description*
ERASE W 0,0 500,500 ; -INSERT *FIX 0,0 1 0	Run erase command. Run window sub-option. 1st corner coordinates. 2nd corner coordinates. Enter a required return to erase selected objects. Run command line version -insert command. Block name (exploded option). Insertion point. Insertion scale. Rotation angle.

Layer Changes Goal: Change features of a layer.
*Command script*	*Description*
-LAYER LTYPE HIDDEN LAYER-1 ;	Run command line version -layer command. Run ltype sub-option for line type. Change to hidden line type. Name of layer to change line type on. Enter a required return to exit layer command.

Attribute Extraction Goad: Extract attribute information from drawings.
*Command script*	*Description*
-ATTEXT CDF Template.txt Outfile.txt	Run command line version -attext command. Run Comma Delimitated Format. Extraction template file name. File name to extract to.

Pack & Go - For AutoCAD 2000, 2000i and 2002 Goal: To copy drawing file(s) and all support files associated with them.
*Command script*	*Description*
-PACK COPY NO ; YES YES NO	Run command line version -pack command. Copy/Report/<eXit> : Report custom and proxy applications? Yes/<No>: Copy to folder: Overwrite existing files? Yes/No/<Yes>: Preserve sub directories Yes/<No>: Save Drawing as: Autocad2000/Release14/<Noconversion>:

eTransmit - For AutoCAD 2004 and 2005 Goal: To copy drawing file(s) and all support files associated with them.
*Command script*	*Description*
(setq old_texteval (getvar "texteval")) (setvar "texteval" 1) QSAVE -ETRANSMIT Z (strcat "c:/" (getvar "dwgname") ".zip") add as many lines of text as needed ; Y N Y N N ; (setvar "texteval" old_texteval)	Lets grab a system variable Set system variable Do a quick save so etransmit wont prompt us Run command line version -etransmit command. Transmittal type Transmittal name and location: Transmittal note: Include fonts? [Yes/No] <Yes>: Convert all drawings? Preserve directory structure? [Yes/No] <No>: Remove xref and image paths? [Yes/No] <Yes>: Make web page files? [Yes/No] <No>: Password (press ENTER for none): Set the system variable to its default value.

Bind External References (XRefs) Goal: Save any and all Xrefs to the current drawing.
*Command script*	*Description*
XREF BIND *	Run command line version -xref command. Enter an option [?/Bind/D....../Attach] <Attach>: Bind all xrefs in drawing.

These examples only begin to touch on the uses that the Change option in AutoM8 can do for you. Just experiment and make it work for you. Advice: Test your command line sequence before using it in AutoM8. For command sequences that you might need again, save them out in an easily accessible folder and import them the next time you need them.

Trouble Shooting
Error message displayed by AutoCAD Error: bad argument type: fixnump: nil Cause: One of the defaults AutoM8 saves for a printer/plotter has gotten corrupted. Remedy: After this error appears, type AM8FIX. then select the name(s) of the Printer/Plotters that you might suspect

Error message displayed by AutoCAD Error: ActiveX Server returned an error: Invalid index Cause: The path to the folder that contains the plot styles is not valid or the folder doesn't contain any plot styles. Remedy: Verify path to plot styles is valid and contains plot styles. At the AutoCAD command prompt type: Preferences, pick the Files tab, expand Printer Support File Path, expand Plot Style Table Search Path. Here is the location of your plot styles.

Error message displayed by AutoCAD Error: quit / exit abort Cause: AutoM8 can not find the Am8-2000.dcl file (dialog file). Check and make sure that the folder you copied AutoM8 to is in AutoCADs' search path. Remedy: At the AutoCAD command prompt type: Preferences, pick the Files tab, expand Support File Search Path.

Error message displayed by AutoCAD Error: Automation Error. Invalid input Cause: A programming error in AutoM8 caused this error, this error has been corrected. Remedy: Download the latest version of AutoM8 and replace your current copy. Contact M8tools if your registered version reverts back to Demo mode.