Insert block along arc or polyline

Can anyone point me to an example for inserting a block multiple times along
an arc or polyline?

 

;;; INSBLOCK.LSP A program to insert a block at a
;;; specified distance along a polyline. The block
;;; is aligned with the tangent of the polyline.
;;; by Tony Hotchkiss


Go to cadalyst.com

 

why not look at the measure command in autocad

 

measure? divide?

 

Gary, I found ...

;;CADALYST 11/03 AutoLISP Solutions INSBLK.LSP
;;(c) 2003 Tony Hotchkiss
;;; INSBLK.LSP Insert blocks as specified in an external file. The ;;;
;;; file can be edited by adding new block information. ;;;

Looked at everything Tony submitted but could not the one you identified. Do
you have a copy, as this seems to be what I am looking for.

 

Not practical for what I need. I normally use Robert's flex lisp to produce
flex duct but I have a requirement that all ducts be two line and to scale.
So I am thinking about inserting a block along an arc while rotating to draw
the flex. I'm hoping to find a snip of code that I can use. Another thought
is to offset an arc and change the linetype to zigzag but I'm not too
thrilled with how it looks.

 

Chip,

Here is a quick code, might help, you can easily adapted to suit:

Code:

(vl-load-com)

(defun C:TEST  (/ obj len d dis dif lst)

(setq obj (vlax-ename->vla-object (car (entsel))))

(setq	len
(vlax-curve-getdistatparam obj (vlax-curve-getendparam obj)))

(if (not def)
(setq def 2.0))

(setq d (getdist (strcat "\nDistance <" (rtos def) ">: ")))

(if (not d)
(setq d def)
(setq def d))

(setq dis d)

(setq div (* n d))

(setq n (fix (/ len d)))

(setq dif (- len (* n d)))

(repeat (1+ n)

(command "point" (vlax-curve-getpointatdist obj d))

(setq lst (cons (vlax-curve-getpointatdist obj d) lst))

(setq d (+ dis d)))

;;;(foreach pt (vl-remove-if 'null lst) (command "point" pt))

(princ))

(princ)

 

Code:

;;; INSBLOCK.LSP  A program to insert a block at a
;;; specified distance along a polyline.  The block
;;; is aligned with the tangent of the polyline.
;;; by Tony Hotchkiss
(defun IBIT () (ins-block) (princ))
(defun dxf (code ename) (cdr (assoc code (entget ename))))
(defun ins-block  (/ n bname ss p-ent dist m i)
;;(setq bname (getstring "\n* Enter Block name: ")
(defun GETBLOCKNAME  (/ bn ent)
(setq bn (getstring "\n* Enter Block name, or <return> to select. *"))
(if (= bn "")
(progn (setq ent (entget (car (entsel)))) (setq bn (cdr (assoc 2
ent))))))
(setq bname (GETBLOCKNAME)
ss    (ssget "X" (list (cons 2 bname)))
p-ent nil)
(if ss
(setq n (sslength ss))
(setq n 0)) ;_ end of if
(prompt "\n* Select a polyline *")
(while (not p-ent)
(setq p-ent (car (entsel)))
(if (not p-ent)
(prompt "\n* No object selected; select again: *") ;_ end of prompt
(progn
(if (and (/= (dxf 0 p-ent) "POLYLINE") (/= (dxf 0 p-ent)
"LWPOLYLINE")) ;_ end of and
(progn (prompt "\n* Not a polyline, select again *") (setq p-ent
nil)) ; progn
) ;_ end of if
) ;_ end of progn
) ;_ end of if
) ;_ end of while
(setq dist (getreal "\n* Distance along polyline: "))
(command "MEASURE" p-ent "B" bname "Y" dist)
(setq ss (ssget "X" (list (cons 2 bname))))
(if ss
(progn (setq m (sslength ss)
i (- m n)) ;_ end of setq
(if (> i 0)
(repeat (1- i) (entdel (entlast))) ; repeat
(prompt "\n* No new blocks inserted. *")) ;_ end of if
) ; progn
(prompt "\n* No blocks inserted. *")) ;_ end of if
(princ)) ; insblock
[code]

 

Why not use dline.lsp by AutoDesk. I have a modified version that will
also do arcs if that will work for you.

 

I don't understand what you're trying to do that Measure (or Divide) won't
do. It will put a Block instead of a point, and it will align it with the
curvature (if you choose that option), and it will do it along an arc or
polyline or line or spline (or circle, for that matter, but I've never seen
flex duct in a circle). You just have to define your block carefully enough
to make it come out looking the way you want. Am I missing something?