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Copy2Layouts

Short description

  • Opens a dialog to pick objects once, then copies them to multiple selected paper-space layouts, showing only the total selected object count.
  • Includes a wildcard layout filter and multi-select layout targeting with Select All and Select None actions.
copy2layouts 000

Command:

  • Commands: Copy2Layouts and macro-friendly alias _Copy2Layouts

Description:

  • Creates a temporary DCL file each run and assigns a unique dialog name so the dialog definition cannot collide with older cached DCL definitions.
  • Lets the user pick a selection set from the drawing and displays Total: N only, without any object-type breakdown.
  • Lists only paper-space layouts (excludes Model) and supports filtering layout names using wildcard patterns * and ?.
  • Copies selected objects to the target layouts using ActiveX CopyObjects into each destination layout’s paper-space block, wrapped in an UNDO Begin/End group for one-step rollback.
  • Runs as a looped dialog workflow: Apply Filter and Pick return to the dialog, Copy completes the operation and exits on success, Close exits without changes.

Helper function: (if any)​

  • lc:unique-dialog-name generates a unique DCL dialog name from DATE to avoid dialog name collisions.
  • lc:_dcl-text builds the DCL definition lines, including object picking, total count text, layout filter row, multi-select list, and copy/close buttons.
  • lc:write-dcl writes the DCL lines to a temp .dcl file and returns the filename.
  • lc:cleanup unloads the dialog and deletes the temp DCL file to prevent leftovers across runs.
  • lc:get-paper-layouts returns layout names excluding Model.
  • lc:parse-indexes converts the list box multi-select index string into a usable list of integers.
  • lc:make-index-string builds “0 1 2 …” index strings for Select All behavior.
  • lc:fill-layouts fills the layout list box and reapplies the stored index selection string.
  • lc:get-ss-count returns the current selection set count, or zero if none is present.
  • lc:set-copy-enabled enables or disables the Copy button based on whether the selection set contains objects.
  • lc:apply-layout-filter applies wildcard filtering to the full layout list and resets selection to avoid index mismatch after filtering.
  • lc:populate-dialog refreshes the dialog fields: filter text, layout list, total count, and Copy button availability.
  • lc:select-all-layouts selects all layouts in the filtered list only.
  • lc:select-none-layouts clears all selected target layouts in the dialog.
  • lc:do-pick prompts the user to select objects and stores a valid PICKSET only if it has at least one entity.
  • lc:copy-to-layouts converts selected entities into VLA objects, builds a safearray variant, and calls vla-CopyObjects into each destination layout block, skipping the current tab.
  • lc:do-copy validates prerequisites (objects, filtered layouts, layout selection), maps indexes to layout names, runs the copy inside UNDO, and reports success or blocking errors.
  • lc:bind-actions wires all dialog controls with action_tile handlers and uses dialog return codes to drive the reopen loop.
  • c:Copy2Layouts controls the dialog lifecycle loop and ensures cleanup via a custom *error* handler; c:_Copy2Layouts provides an underscore alias for macros.

Functionalities:

  • • Runtime DCL generation writes and loads a temp dialog with a unique name on each run.
  • • Pick from drawing captures a selection set once and displays only Total: N in the dialog.
  • • Layout filtering supports wildcard patterns * and ? and applies case-insensitive matching.
  • • Multi-select target layouts copies to any subset of filtered layouts, with Select All and Select None for fast control.
  • • Copy enable/disable disables the Copy button when no objects are selected to reduce invalid runs.
  • • ActiveX CopyObjects copies converted VLA objects into each destination layout’s paper-space block to avoid command-based copy/paste issues.
  • • UNDO grouping wraps the copy operation in UNDO Begin/End so the entire multi-layout copy can be undone in a single step.
  • • Looped dialog workflow Apply Filter and Pick reopen the dialog, while a successful Copy ends the command.

Result:

  • On successful copy, selected objects are duplicated into each chosen paper-space layout and a confirmation alert reports completion.
  • If objects are not selected, shows No objects selected and instructs to use Pick first.
  • If no layouts match the filter, shows No layouts match the current filter and does not copy.
  • If no target layouts are selected, shows No target layouts selected and does not copy.
  • On close or cancel, exits cleanly after unloading the dialog and deleting the temp DCL file, without copying anything.

Images, animations etc.

copy2layouts 000
copy2layouts 001
copy2layouts 002
Pixel

XAML code:

<ResourceDictionary
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:src="clr-namespace:Autodesk.Windows;assembly=AdWindows">
    
<src:RibbonToolTip x:Key="Copy2Layouts">
<src:RibbonToolTip.ExpandedContent>
<StackPanel>
<TextBlock Background="AntiqueWhite" TextAlignment="Copy2Layouts">
<Bold>Function Syntax: Command</Bold>
<LineBreak/>
<Bold>Version: 2 Date: 24.12.2025</Bold>
<LineBreak/>
<LineBreak/>
<Hyperlink>AI+https://www.lee-mac.com/copytolayouts.html</Hyperlink>
<LineBreak/>
<Bold>Description</Bold><LineBreak/>
<Run>This program provides a dialog-driven workflow to </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">pick objects from the drawing</Run><Run>, then </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">copy the selected objects</Run><Run> into one or more </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">selected paper-space layouts</Run><Run>.</Run><LineBreak/>
<LineBreak/>

<Bold>Primary User Actions</Bold><LineBreak/>
<Run>1) The user runs the command </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">LCOPYLAYOUTS</Run><Run> (or the macro-safe alias </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">_LCOPYLAYOUTS</Run><Run>).</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>2) The dialog opens and the user clicks </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Pick from drawing</Run><Run> to select objects on screen.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>3) The program shows the </Run><Run Foreground="Red">total count</Run><Run> of the selected objects.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>4) The user filters layout names using a wildcard pattern, selects one or more layouts, then clicks </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Copy to Selected Layouts</Run><Run>.</Run><LineBreak/>
<LineBreak/>

<Bold>Functionalities</Bold><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Pick from drawing</Run><Run>: prompts the user to select any objects in the active drawing and stores the selection set for reuse.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="Red">Selection count only</Run><Run>: displays only the number of selected objects and does not classify objects by entity type.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Layout list with multi-select</Run><Run>: presents a list of paper-space layouts and allows selecting multiple targets.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Select All</Run><Run>: selects every layout currently visible in the list (after filtering).</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Select None</Run><Run>: clears all currently selected layouts.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Layout name filter</Run><Run>: filters the layouts list using wildcard matching with </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">*</Run><Run> and </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">?</Run><Run>, then refreshes the list when the user clicks </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Apply</Run><Run>.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Copy to selected layouts</Run><Run>: copies the selected objects into each chosen layout’s paper-space block using COM automation.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="Red">Conversion safety</Run><Run>: skips objects that cannot be converted to VLA objects (commonly proxy or custom objects) so the copy operation can proceed without failing.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• </Run><Run Foreground="Red">Unique dialog name each run</Run><Run>: generates a unique DCL dialog name and temporary file each time the command is executed to avoid naming collisions.</Run><LineBreak/>
<LineBreak/>

<Bold>Important Notes and Constraints</Bold><LineBreak/>
<Run>• Targets </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">paper-space layouts only</Run><Run>: the layout list excludes </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Model</Run><Run>.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• By default, it </Run><Run Foreground="Red">skips copying to the current layout tab</Run><Run> to reduce accidental duplication.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• Copy is executed with an </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">UNDO Begin</Run><Run> and </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">UNDO End</Run><Run> wrapper, allowing the user to undo the full copy operation in one step.</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• The program disables </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Copy to Selected Layouts</Run><Run> until a valid selection set exists.</Run><LineBreak/>
<LineBreak/>

<Bold>Recognizable Commands and Controls</Bold><LineBreak/>
<Run>• Command name: </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">LCOPYLAYOUTS</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• Alias for macros: </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">_LCOPYLAYOUTS</Run><LineBreak/>
<Run>• Dialog buttons: </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Pick from drawing</Run><Run>, </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Select All</Run><Run>, </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Select None</Run><Run>, </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Apply</Run><Run>, </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Copy to Selected Layouts</Run><Run>, </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Close</Run><Run>.</Run><LineBreak/>
<LineBreak/>

<Bold>Example Usage Narrative</Bold><LineBreak/>
<Run>This program will require the user to </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">select objects</Run><Run> from the drawing using the </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Pick from drawing</Run><Run> button. The program will then show the </Run><Run Foreground="Red">total number of selected objects</Run><Run>. The user can optionally apply a </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">wildcard filter</Run><Run> to reduce the list of layouts, then </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">select one or more layouts</Run><Run> and run </Run><Run Foreground="DarkRed">Copy to Selected Layouts</Run><Run> to copy the selected objects into the chosen layouts.</Run><LineBreak/>

</TextBlock>
            
<Grid>
<Image Source="Copy2Layouts_000.jpg" Stretch="Uniform"/>
</Grid>

<Grid>
<Image Source="Copy2Layouts_001.jpg" Stretch="Uniform"/>
</Grid>

<Grid>
<Image Source="Copy2Layouts_002.jpg" Stretch="Uniform"/>
</Grid>



<Grid>
<MediaElement
 Source="GIF"
 Stretch="Uniform"
 Visibility="Visible"/>
 </Grid>

</StackPanel>
</src:RibbonToolTip.ExpandedContent>
</src:RibbonToolTip>
</ResourceDictionary>
Copy2Layouts.xamlDownload XAML file

Additional info:

Based on / Source code: Open Website

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    Tags: 🏷️ Autocad Lisps, 🏷️ Layouts, 🏷️ Layouts_menu, 🏷️ Paper Space
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