1. () parenthesis enclose both the command/function name and the argument
   • (alert “Hello World”
   • Visual Basic
   • alert (“Hello World”)
2. “AutoLISP expressions can be nested one inside of another, and they are evaluated from the innermost to the outermost expression.” (AutoCAD Platform Customization AutoLISP by Lee Ambrosius, p. 2)
   • (- 10 7) ; returns 3
   • (- 10 (- 4 3)) ;returns 9 not 3
     • 10 - (4 - 3) = 9
     • 10 - 4 - 3 = 3 WRONG
3. Typing AutoLISP code
   • AutoCAD Command prompt
     • !var = view or echo the value of variable var at the AutoCAD command prompt
   • Visual LISP Console Window
     • _$ var ; view or echo the value of variable var the the Visual LISP Console Window, don't need !
     • application sensitive, not document sensitive so no matter what drawing is open
     • Esc key clears the console
     • highlight the lines of code to run, then Tools → Load Selection
       • To Run Selected Lines of AutoLISP Code in the Visual LISP IDE
   • Text Editor (Notepad or VLIDE/VLISP)

1. Do simple math expressions

3(4^2-8+2) = 30

• AutoLISP

  • (defun C:hello()
      ; x = 3(4^2-8+2) math order of operations question
      (setq x (* 3 (+ (- (expt 4 2) 8) 2)))
      (setq y (strcat "3(4^2-8+2) = " (rtos x)))
      (alert y)
    ) ;end defun hello

1. How do you draw a rectangle on the layout to represent a title block border?
2. Options

• Display the background color setting (uniform background RGB 33,40,48 or Hex# 212830 dull black)
  • vlax-get-acad-object
  • Registry Key
    • vl-registry-write (AutoLISP)
    • [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R22.0\ACAD-1000:409\Profiles\«C3D_Imperial»\Drawing Window]
    • “Background”=dword:00302821

  • ;
    ; registry access code
    ;
      (setq new_support_path (strcat "C:\\temp\\acad\support;" (getenv "ACAD")))
      (setenv "ACAD" new_support_path)
      (setenv "Background" "dword:00302821")

• Plotting Edge of Paper
• References
  • Robert Green: Customizing with AutoLISP Part 8
• How do you run a block of code in the if statement?
• PROGN PROGN Core AutoLISP Function

• How do you start the Visual Lisp Integrated Development Environment (VLIDE)?
  • Command: VLIDE
• How do you run LISP program?
  • Command: APPLOAD

• How do you write “Hello World” to the screen or alert box?
  • Command: (alert “Hello World\nFrom Jeff”)
  • VLIDE

    • ; C: means call this function
      (defun C:hello()  
        (alert "Hello World\nFrom Jeff") ; writes to the screen
        (princ "Hello Command Prompt")   ; writes to the command prompt
        (princ)                          ; gets rid of the last function return value of nil
      ) ;end defun hello

    • save as M:\dwg\MansukhVisualLISP-Tutoring\hello.lsp
    • Command: APPLOAD
      • M:\dwg\MansukhVisualLISP-Tutoring\hello.lsp
      • Load button
    • Command: hello
    • Note - this must be done every time you restart AutoCAD unless you click the Startup Suite button

• What is the difference between AutoLISP and VisualLISP?
  • VisualLISP uses VBA? All commands start with vla- or vl- or vlax-
• Is LISP case sensitive?
• Can you have a multi-line LISP comment? Yes

  • ;| start of multi line comment
    (alert "Hello World")
    |; end of multi line comment
    (princ "Hello Jeff")
    (princ) ; needed to remove nil return value from previous princ function

• How do you run a LISP program?
  • APPLOAD
• How do you add the path to LISP programs?
  • OPTIONS → Files → Supported File Search Path
• Can you have multiple paths for LISP programs? Say one path to Network drive, another path to local project folder.
• What is a trusted folder?
  • OPTIONS → Security tab
• How do you verify publisher?
• Where do I put LISP programs that automatically run when I open AutoCAD or a DWG?
  • Acad.lsp - run when AutoCAD starts
  • AcadDoc.lsp - run when a drawing opens
  • what about using APPLOAD → Startup Suite

1. What is a .vlx file type
   1. Visual Lisp Executable and it is used to combine multiple AutoLISP (.lsp) tools/files into a single.
   2. VLIDE → File → Make Application → Expert (simple is only for .lsp)
   3. creates a .prv (used to rebuild the application, say you got new .lsp file)
2. What is a .fas file type
   1. Fast loadable

• prompt - displays string at the AutoCAD Command prompt
  • prompt (AutoLISP)
• princ - displays a value at the AutoCAD Command prompt or to an open file. Strings are displayed without the enclosing quotation marks
  • About Exiting a Function Quietly (AutoLISP)
• prin1 - displays a value at the AutoCAD Command prompt or to an open file. Strings are enclosed in quotation marks
  • prin1 (AutoLISP)
• print - displays a value at the AutoCAD Command prompt or to an open file, but a blank line is placed before the value and a space is placed after the value. Strings are enclosed in quotation marks.
  • print (AutoLISP)
• alert - displays a dialog box containing an error or warning message
  • alert (AutoLISP)
• terpri - prints a newline to the AutoCAD Command prompt
• write-char
• write-line
• References
  • About Displaying Messages (AutoLISP)

• Tutorial: Getting Started (AutoLISP)
• AutoLISP Expression

  • ; assign variable dRadius the value 1.25
    (setq dRadius 1.25)

  • setq is setq Core AutoLISP function
  • Return the variable at the Command prompt, instead of using echo dRadius, in AutoLISP we use ! in front of the variable name

  • !dRadius

• Draw a circle using a LISP variable

• (command "circle" "0,0" dRadius)

• Using operators and nested expressions. To add two number like 5 + 3 in AutoLISP we do

• (+ 5 3)

• So lets try a nested expression which is the same as Order of Operations in Pre-Algebra math class

• (
    (setq dRadius (+ 5 3))
    (command "circle" "0,0" dRadius)
  )

• How do you get input from the user at the command line? Use getreal to input value such as 1.23

• (setq nDist (getreal "\nEnter a distance: "))

• How do I concatenate strings and display information in a message box to the user? Use alert AutoLISP function and the strcat AutoLISP function

• (alert (strcat "Hello World" " from The Great!"))

• defun AutoLISP Core function
• / divide non-alphabetic Core AutoLISP function
  • (defun myfunc (x / temp) …) ;| One argument x, one local variable temp |;

• ; defun = Define Function
  (defun c:divide8 ()
    (/ 8 2)
    )

• to call this function in AutoCAD, need to load it, then type divide8
• If we didn't include c: in the function name, then to call it, use parentheses (divide8)

• if (AutoLISP) Core Function
• Converts a String to a Float ATOF, ATOF (AutoLISP) Core Function
• The if function normally evaluates one then expression if the test expression evaluates to anything but nil. The following example uses progn to evaluate two expressions following if:

  • (if (= a b)                       ; test if a = b but in AutoLISP evaluator is first
      (progn
        (princ "\nA = B ")            ; expression 1
        (setq a (+ a 10) b (- b 10))  ; expression 2
      )
    )

• References
  • Equality and Conditional Functions Reference (AutoLISP)

• About Formatting and Spaces in Code (AutoLISP)

• Integers
• Reals
• Strings
• Lists
• Selection Sets
• Entity Name
• VLA-objects objects in a drawing can be represented as ActiveX (VLA) objects
• File Descriptors is a point to a file opened by the AutoLISP open function
• Symbols and Variables - AutoLISP uses symbols to refer to functions and data holders
• References
  • About Data Types (AutoLISP)

• About Selecting Objects and Selection Sets (AutoLISP)

• AutoLISP Function Comments - provide program title, purpose, author, creation date, revisions. Document the WHY not HOW.

• ;---|----1----|----2----|----3----|----4----|----5----|----6----|----7----|----8
  ;     Title:
  ;   Purpose:
  ;    Author:
  ;  Creation:
  ;    Inputs:
  ;   Outputs:
  ; Revisions:
  ;   YYYY-MM-DD:
  ;---|----1----|----2----|----3----|----4----|----5----|----6----|----7----|----8
  ; 
  ; Loads the extended AutoLISP functions related to ActiveX support
  ;   see http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-6C7A8632-C12F-42BD-909E-68D804863AE2
  ;
  (vl-load-com)
  ;
  ; Comments 
  ; single line
  ;| inline comment |;
  ;| multiline
  comment |;
  ; http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-4D4664AD-301F-4E6E-AD65-4B7CE6A258B8
  ;
  ; exiting quietly, see http://help.autodesk.com/view/ACD/2018/ENU/?guid=GUID-58A6EE05-20AD-4F5E-A067-1E891C99E726
  (princ)
  

• About Comments in AutoLISP Program Files (AutoLISP)
• vl-load-com see vl-load-com (AutoLISP/ActiveX)
• VLIDE = Visual Lisp Intergrated Development Environment
• Apropos - autocomplete About the Apropos Feature (Visual LISP IDE

• References
  • The Basics in a Nutshell Part 1 by Kenny Ramage

• Antonio Mamenta Fiverr - Antoniomamenta - Philippines
  • years of experience in civil design using AutoCAD and Civil 3D
  • sample screenshots

• Visual LISP function = ActiveX method
• vla-addline
  • the beginning of any AutoCAD Object Model specific function in Visual LISP starts with “vla-” then add the ActiveX method name

• (vl-load-com)
  (vla-get-length)

• References
  • AutoCAD and its Application - Advanced: AutoLISP
  • AutoLISP Tutorial saved in C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2018\Tutorial\VisualLISP, 7 Lessons
  • AutoLISP Extensions Reference (AutoLISP/ActiveX)
  • Autodesk AutoCAD 2018: ActiveX Reference Guide (C:\Program Files\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\en-US\acadauto.chm)
  • AU - Advanced AutoLISP - from Hack to Expert by Darren Young
  • Autodesk Help - Functions Reference (AutoLISP)