Weblog
1/12: Lotus Notes and AutoCAD
One of my clients wants a system to automate some of their AutoCAD drawing. They do a lot of surveying and they want a system that will take the survey data that has been typed into their PDAs, validate the data, calculate some data and then draw it using AutoCAD. Much of this is done manually at present.I have proposed a Lotus Notes system that can use LotusScript to access the AutoCAD ActiveX classes much as you can do this with Excel or any other application that has VBA. I have tried it and it seems to work very well.
Anyone have any experience of programming with AutoCAD? I think that there may be plenty of other opportunities with my other clients once I have written this. They all seem to use AutoCAD.
Author: Rob Wills Categories: Domino
1. John Head wrote:
Rob ... I lived in AutoCAD when I was basically an electrical engineer (without the degree) ... and have done some COM/OLE automation from Notes to AutoCAD. The VBA piece is just like driving Word, but you have to understand AutoCAD to make it work. Contact me if you want to discuss any time
2. Rob Wills wrote:
John, Thanks for that. My partner Julie (in the office and in life) used to be an AutoCAD Contractor so had plenty of multi-discipline experience with AutoCAD. I have none and you're right that you need it. When I was testing the concept, I was asking her the most basic questions! I have quoted a fixed price for a basic prototype and if that is successful, we would then jointly specify their more detailed requirements. So let's see ...
3. lanzdale wrote:
I spend a couple of years writing AutoCad in VBA. Easiest way is to write the app in AutoCAD where it's easy to debug drawing and code. Then link up to outside application VB, Access, Excel, even Notes. And how do the PDA's link, USB to a file? Would be nice to drag the file onto your application or have a Windows Service automatically detect new file in special folder, pp up your program. Some kind of management console, web access.
4. Robin Wills wrote:
I'm still waiting for the client to come back to me at the moment but thanks for your comments ...