Table of Contents.

Part 1 Introduction.   

Chapter 1 AutoLISP/Visual LISP.   

1.1  Visual LISP.   
1.2  New LISP functions.   
1.3 Summary.   

Chapter 2 A Visual LISP Project, Step by Step.   

2.1 Work Space and Project Structure.   
2.2 A custom dictionary.   
2.3 The calculus function.   
2.4 The drawing function.   
2.5 The user interface.   
2.6 Placing the labels.   
2.7 Updating the dictionary.   
2.8  On error…   
2.9 Compiling the program.   
2.10 Demand loading the program.   
2.11 Summary.   

Part 2 The Language and its Development Environment.   

Chapter 3 The Visual LISP IDE.   

3.1 The Visual LISP IDE user interface.   
3.2 Interactivity: The Visual LISP Console.    
3.3 The Programming Editor.    
3.4 Interaction between the Editor and the Console.   
3.5 Summary.   

Chapter 4 Evaluating Expressions.   

4.1 Data.   
4.2 Expressions.   
4.3 Symbols and assignment.   
4.4 Lists.   
4.5 Variables and data types.   
4.6 Manipulating the elements of a list.   
4.7 Lambda.   
4.8 Summary.   

Chapter 5 User-defined Functions.   

5.1 Defun.   
5.2 Loading and executing user functions.   
5.3 Global and local variables.   
5.4 Predicates and Conditionals.   
5.5 Recursion   
5.6 Iteration   
5.7 Summary   

Chapter 6 ActiveX Data and Structures.   

6.1 Safearrays.   
6.2 Variants.   
6.3 VLA Objects.   
6.4 Collections   
6.5 Working with methods and properties.   
6.6 Collections Processing.   
6.7 Managing exceptions.   
6.8 Summary.   

Chapter 7 Data Entry   

7.1 Integrated error control.   
7.2 Default Values.   
7.3 Prompting for data with options.   
7.4 Input control through INITGET.   
7.5 Data coded as binary values.   
7.6 File search dialog box.   
7.7 Summary.   

Chapter 8  File Operations.   

8.1 Opening files.   
8.2 File reading.   
8.3 Writing files.   
8.4 Files and Folders.   
8.5 Summary.   

Chapter 9 Debugging Visual LISP Code.   

9.1 Finding the error’s origin.   
9.2 The debugging session.   
9.3 Data inspection tools.   
9.4 Error Tracing   
9.5 Summary   

Part 3 Controlling AutoCAD from Visual LISP.    161

Chapter 10 Drawing with Visual LISP.   

10.1 Three ways to draw.   
10.2 The COMMAND/VL-CMDF interface.   
10.3 Creating entities with ENTMAKE.   
10.4 Creating complex entities with ENTMAKE.   
10.5 Using Visual LISP in the Block Editor.   
10.6 The ActiveX interface.   
10.7 Complex objects with ActiveX methods.   
10.8 Non-graphic objects.   
10.9 Non-graphic objects from ActiveX extensions.   
10.10 VLA-Objects and the use of available memory.   
10.11 Summary.   

Chapter 11 Selecting Entities.   

11.1 Selection sets.   
11.2 Creating selection sets.   
11.3 Preselected sets.   
11.4 Modifying selection sets.   
11.5 ActiveX selection sets.   
11.6 Groups.   
11.7 Summary.   

Chapter 12 Modifying Entities   

12.1 Modifying properties using COMMAND/VL-CMDF.   
12.2 The ENTMOD function.    
12.3 Differences between 2D and 3D entities.   
12.4 AutoLISP non-Com property modification functions.   
12.5 Modifying entities through the ActiveX extensions.   
12.6 Object Properties and Methods.   
12.7 Modifying ActiveX properties.   
12.8 ActiveX methods equivalent to editing commands.   
12.9 Summary.   

Part 4 3D Programming.   

Chapter 13 3D Objects.   

13.1 Programming options from Visual LISP.   
13.2 How does AutoCAD work in 3D?   
13.3 Transformation matrices.   
13.4 Transformation between Coordinate Systems.   
13.5 Viewpoint and Visual Style.   
13.6 Summary.   

Chapter 14 NURBS Curves: The Spline Entity.   

14.1 Creating SPLINE entities.   
14.2 Spline Methods and Properties.   
14.3 Creating a Helix shaped Spline by Control Vertices.   
14.4 Summary.   

Chapter 15 VLAX-CURVE... Measuring Curves and Something Else.   

15.1 Visual LISP’s VLAX-CURVE Extensions.   
15.2 Common arguments.   
15.3 Determining a curve's length.   
15.4 Distance between points along a curve.   
15.5 Measuring Areas   
15.6 Calculating the first and second derivatives.   
15.7 Determining points on a curve.   
15.8 Finding intersections.   
15.9 Summary.   

Chapter 16 Legacy Polygon and Polyface Meshes.   

16.1 Mesh building procedures.   
16.2 PolygonMesh.   
16.3 Smoothing the PolygonMesh.   
16.4 PolyfaceMesh.   
16.5 Modifying Polygon and Polyface Meshes.  
16.6 Summary.   

Chapter 17 Solid Modeling.   

17.1 3DSolid Primitives.   
17.2 Creating a Primitive.   
17.3 Creating 3DSolids from 2D or 3D objects.   
17.4 Creating Regions.   
17.5 AddRevolvedSolid: Solids of Revolution.   
17.6 Physical and Geometric Properties.   
17.7 Summary.   

Chapter 18 Editing 3DSolids.   

18.1 Non-Com properties of 3DSolid primitives.   
18.2 Working with 3DSolid entity properties.   
18.3 2DSolid modifications through ActiveX methods.   
18.4 Slicing Solids.   
18.5 Sectioning 3DSolids.   
18.6 Boolean operations on 3DSolids.   
18.7 CheckInterference: Interference operations.   
18.8 Section objects.   
18.9 Summary.   

Chapter 19 Subdivision Surfaces.   

19.1 Programming MESH objects with Visual LISP.   
19.2 Creating MESH entities with ENTMAKE.   
19.3 Creating meshes using command/vl-cmdf.   
19.4 Modifying Subdivision Surfaces.   
19.5 Generalizing MESH transformations.   
19.6 Meshes created from 2D entities.   
19.7 Summary.   

Chapter 20 Procedural and NURBS Surfaces.   

20.1 Creating surfaces.   
20.2 ActiveX properties exposed by Surfaces.   
20.3 Surface entities non-Com properties.   
20.4 Programming possibilities for Surfaces.   
20.5 Summary.   

Part 5 Advanced Programming.   

Chapter 21 Reacting to Events: Reactors.   

21.1 The VLR functions.   
21.2 Events that trigger a reactor.   
21.3 Actions.   
21.4 Tutorial: An application using Reactors.   
21.5 Enabling persistent reactors functionality.   
21.6 Summary.   

Chapter 22 DCL: The Graphical User Interface.   

22.1 The DCL language.   
22.2 Programming a dialog in the Visual LISP Editor.   
22.3 Tutorial: Dialog box for generating Parametric models.   
22.4 Controlling the dialog.   
22.5 Event callback functions.   
22.6 Assignment of the callback functions.   
22.7 Activating the Dialog Box.   
22.8 Generating the Model.   
22.9 Summary.   

Chapter 23 Associating Information to Graphic Objects.   

23.1 Blocks with attributes.   
23.2 Extended Entity Data (XDATA).   
23.3 XRECORD objects and Dictionaries.   
23.4 LDATA Dictionaries.   
23.5 Access to external databases.   
23.6 Summary.   

Chapter 24 Tables.   

24.1 Fundamental Methods for working with TABLES.  
24.2 Sample Program: Block attributes Table.   
24.3 Summary.   

Chapter 25 Visual LISP as an ActiveX Client.   

25.1 Tutorial: From AutoCAD to Excel.   
25.2 Writing in the Worksheet.   
25.3 The Dialog box.   
25.4 Project Structure.   
25.5 Summary.   

Chapter 26 VLX: The Visual LISP Executable.   

26.1 Managing an Application.   
26.2 The VLISP Project Manager.   
26.3 Namespaces.   
26.4 Creating the Application Module.   
26.5 Summary.   

Chapter 27 OpenDCL.   

27.1 The OpenDCL project.   
27.2 The OpenDCL development environment.   
27.3 Form Types.   
27.4 Control Property Wizard.   
27.5 Tutorial: An application developed with OpenDCL.   
27.6 Adding the necessary controls.   
27.7 Distributing the Application.   
27.8 Summary.   

Epilogue.