extend then trim? need advice w/ lisp...

[orbii]

i just recently got contracted to clean up autocad files at a set price per file... now i've gotten the basic of autocad down i was hoping i can find ways to shorten the ammount of time it would take me to clean up the files.

i know that LISP is the way to go, but not sure where to even start. i'm very overwhelm with the amount of unorganized information all over the web. i'm hoping the experts n pros here could help a fellow noob out, maybe point me in a good direction...

this is basicly what i get... and its at a very deep zoom before i'm even able to actually see the gaps, crossover, semi-parralle overlaps. and i have about average of 40 to 70 objects like this on each file that i have to clean up and join the 4 segments so it becomes 1 object or whatever u call it. so, imagine to yourself how many times i'd have to press "br" "tr" "ex" and "z rclick a" like a mad dog just to make some boxes.

http://www.orbii.com/drawing1.gif needs to look like this when i'm done > http://www.orbii.com/drawing2.gif

i'm hoping someone here would have a good idea how i'd approach this delima of mine.

would be awsome if i can select all the objects (which i "have" to spread boxes apart so i can work on them 1 box at a time) hit a command like "extrim" and it would extend only end segment of the line (so it doesn't change the curved lines), then trim them, then join them. and any semi-parralle overlapped lines would be marked w/ a circle or something on another layer then i can manually fix it and delete that circle mark layer off later.

if someone knows of a lisp that already does this i'd appriciate much if u can point me to it, if not then would be really helpful if u could give me some guides as to what i should do. thank you very much!!!!!!

btw, i have some experience in vba, hope that helps...

[Exxit]

Hi orbii,

first, I have to say, that Your Q is very good explained, so everybody can follow the problem. It's better to attach the *.dwg. So all helpers can work at the problem itself.
2nd Why did You make an enigma of Your AC-version?

I think You will get a lot of tips.
Here's one: If You use the command "_fillet" with the radius 0 (zero), two lines would join together...

Search in the help for the command "_mpedit" or "_pedit", and search for the lisp "pljoin" from the Express Tools 1-9. It's like the pedit command.

I don't know anything about the marks and the red circles. Maybe anyone else can help. I think You have to work by Yourself-a little bit-...;)

Lothar

[orbii]

Dear Exxit,

fillet works great when i'm zoomed in deep, but when i'm zoomed out, its a bit danger to use that. the mpedit u suggested i think is doing very close to what i have in mind. thanks a lot for ur suggestion. i'ma have to spend sometime messing w/ it to see if it does the job w/o messing up the curves.

i am very happy, ur tips are super helpful! now i'll be hunting for more tools...

orbii

ps: coming from a design background, autocad is kinda killing me... the way that layering and grouping objects is soooooo off compared to the conventional way of handling those tools logically.

[hyposmurf]

Also if you use the trim command hold down the shift key and it becomes extend.

[orbii]

i got trim, extend, and fillet commands down good now, but i think the mpedit has solve my problems...

now the 2nd part to my dilema is to figure out how to make the entire process of other stuff i have to do the file even faster. i'll need to think of a better way to ask this next question which will be on another post soon.

thanks for all the inputs...

orbii

[CarLB]

Look into the OVERKILL command (Express Tools); it will join endpoints, combine colinear lines, etc. based on a tolerance you supply.