HVACPAC app now with AutoCAD 2017 support

HVACPAC AutoCAD app for HVAC and Piping work is now available with AutoCAD 2017 support.

HVACPAC includes all In-line duct fittings and equipment, air terminals and HVAC associated pipe work.

Free trial is available for HVACPAC.

SmartPurger 3.8 AutoCAD batch processing and cleanup

SmartPurger 3.8 is now released.

SmartPurger is a batch and script utility for processing multiple AutoCAD drawings with full control. Execute LSP or SCR files on multiple drawings. SmartPurger handles crashes so the AutoCAD batch processing continues to the end and leaves bad drawings to be corrected manually. Many purge and cleanup settings available.

SmartPurger can make use of AutoCAD Core Console that was introduced in AutoCAD 2013 making the scripting process faster then ever as the Core Console takes less than a second to open per drawing.

-With this version it’s possible to only delete certain “garbage” files without having to also run AutoCAD to purge and process custom scripts. See the “Only delete files, don’t process any DWG files” checkbox on Delete tab in Settings.
-Quick access to deleted files log file through new button on Delete tab.
-Minor bug fixes related to usage with AutoCAD 2017

I received below screenshots and statement from Clinton Hill at Innophos. This functionality was added based on his wishes.

“You provided an excellent product in “SmartPurger”. This application suits us perfectly.”

These are the steps to take to only delete specified files with extensions like .BAK, .BK?, .SV$, .$$$, .AC$, .DMP, .ERR, .XLG, .DWL, .DWK or PLOT.LOG.

First click on Add Folders Only and select one or many folders. Sub folders will also be processed.

Next click on Settings and on the Delete tab check the “Only delete files, don’t process any DWG files” checkbox as well as what type of files you want to delete.

Now go back and click on the Run button.

When ready go back to Settings and click on Open log file to see what files were deleted.

Download the updated version or a free trial here. The upgrade is free if you already have purchased a license.

JTB Layouts2PDF 1.0 AutoCAD app released

JTB Layouts2PDF for AutoCAD helps you print selected layouts with selected plot style to one pdf file. Your current Page Setup on each layout will be used. Free trial available.

Here’s the app in action:

JTB Spot Elevation 1.2 AutoCAD app released

JTB Spot Elevation is an app to insert surveying Spot Elevation blocks and manage them on an Edit Properties spreadsheet.

Run SPINSERT command to insert Spot Elevation block. You can enter elevation value at command prompt or via a dialog window.

If your drawing have these spot elevation already drawn by lines and texts, you can run SPCONVERT command to convert these lines and texts to standard Spot Elevation blocks.

Run SPEDPROPS command to open a design spreadsheet window for editing many Spot Elevations all at once. On this spreadsheet, you can renumber Spot Elevations in increasing order, adjust their elevations by a specified distance, change their colors, scales, unit settings, and many more. This is a powerful command to manage Spot Elevation properties.

The free Trial version usage is limited to drawing file size of less than 700 objects only.

JTB Spot Elevation is available as an AutoCAD app on the Plug-ins or Add-ins tab.

More about and download for JTB Spot Elevation here.

AutoLISP error: no function definition: VLAX-ENAME->VLA-OBJECT

Have you got this error in AutoCAD running some command or app that is AutoLISP based?

First thing to ensure is that Visual LISP is loaded so run (vl-load-com).

Below shows a result that is expected and all is working. Note that the drawing needs to have at least one object in it.
Command: (vl-load-com)
Command: (vlax-ename->vla-object(entlast))
#<VLA-OBJECT IAcadLine 0000005ce02af728>

If you get below result then something is broken in AutoCAD.
Command: (vlax-ename->vla-object(entlast))
; error: no function definition: VLAX-ENAME->VLA-OBJECT

I have not got this problem myself but a repair or reinstallation of AutoCAD has helped a couple of customers, one with AutoCAD 2016 and another with AutoCAD 2017. Suspected cause of this could be having run some registry cleaner or anti-virus that deleted vital registry settings that AutoCAD needs. One had run Malwarebytes the day earlier.

There might be an easier remedy but until this is found you know what to do to solve this problem. If you haven’t install any recent service pack or hotfix (that comes with an installer) this might also be a solution.

Update, solution found in this article.

JTB Batch Change 1.4 for AutoCAD released

JTB Batch Change 1.4 is now released.

Updates in version 1.4:

• Add ObjectDBX Disabled Mode to process drawings with proxy objects if Save Error happens in Normal Mode.
• Fix bug in Import sheet - Find Value formula.
• Add Xref Layer object.

In version 1.3 this was fixed and added:

• Fix bug in Owner Name (the owner block's name) of Attribute Reference.
• Add Width Factor and ObliqueAngle properties to Text, Attribute and Attribute Reference objects.

JTB Batch Change allows you to automate and batch process AutoCAD through Excel. Some examples of usage are:

With Batch Rename Objects you can rename layers in hundreds of drawing by substituting text "Concrete" with "CONC", or add a prefix of "AC " to each layer's name

With Batch Find and Replace you can find and replace text on multiple drawings.

You can import and update all blocks from a standard drawing to hundreds of other drawings.

You can replace all inserted blocks "DOOR-BD3" in layer "Archs" with block "DOOR-AC1", and move them to layer "ARCH-FURN"

You can change all texts whose styles are not prefixed with "ELEC" to "ELEC Standard" style, then change all block's attributes whose tag is "DATE" to current date.

You can convert all your inserted blocks from dynamic to static, or to anonymous blocks.

You can flatten all your drawing objects by setting all Z coordinates to 0.

Batch change drawing properties

Additionally, you can perform Batch Audit and Purge as well as much more.

When done with a batch processing you can see what has been processed in the log.

This is a great tool in the hands of AutoCAD users or CAD managers that want to save time doing manual work doing updates on many drawings.

JTB Batch Change is available as a trial.