Middle Button Menu to Include Open Drawings 3

[JanekPop]

Working on AutoCAD 2000:

I have my middle button set up to show a short menu of frequently used commands. I would like to include at the bottom of this pop-up menu the list of drawings currently open in the session (the same list that appears at the bottom of the "Window" pull down menu).

Does anybody know how to do customize the menu to do this?

Thanks.

 

[cfee]

Absolutely! Actually, what you're wanting to do is an excellent way to add functions conveniently. All you have to do is use Notepad or some other text editor (Notepad REALLY will do).
1. Copy your acad,mns file to a safe filename in case of disaster...
2. Open acad.mns in notepad.
3. Use Find to locate the menu area dedicated to the pop menus. Find...pop0 (that's popzero). (Also look at pop501. I think you'll be VERY interested!)
4. Look up and down the pop0 menu to see how they use command names and their options to perform particular functions. Add your own function using the same format. Remember, spaces mean "return", etc. Also, that stuff (code)on the left edge is useful, but its not necessary for your particular situation right now. Just type in your command like other commands on the menu, along with your favorite option (seperate with a space: command space option [no need for a space or semi-colon on the end of the line. ACAD inserts the necessary "return" at the end of the command line). Save your work. (you don't need to close it in Notepad. I just save, and keep it open in Notepad for more work, like debugging, etc.)
5. Inside ACAD, use "MENU" to reload the newly modified menu. Choose ACAD.mns (NOT ACAD.MNX...) from the available choices. The menu will reload, will NOT affect your ICONS, and when you hit your middle button your new entry will show up on the pop list. If you're lucky, you won't have to debug your entry. If you DO have to, don't worry. Re-try your function a couple of times and watch what goes wrong, and change how that's typed into your line entry by going back to STEP-2 above.
*** If you completely screw up, simply re-copy your safe acad-mns file back on top of the edited ACAD.MNS file you messed up, reload it like STEP-5 above. Everything'll go back to where it was before you started. You can start over again and go from there.

** READ ABOUT THIS IN YOUR ACAD MANUAL. The one included with the program is adequate for this purpose.**

Hope this helps. You'll prob'ly have more questions like spaces, positioning, auto-escapes, etc.
Good luck!

 

[architech]

good post, cfee

 

[JanekPop]

Thank you, cfee, for that very good explanation of customizing menus. But it didn't help my problem at all. My question and Thread title is specific.
The ACAD.MNU file section for the "Window" pull-down reads:

***POP10
**WINDOW
ID_MnWindow [&Window]
ID_WINDOW_CASCADE [&Cascade]
ID_WINDOW_TILE_HORZ [Tile &Horizontally]
ID_WINDOW_TILE_VERT [&Tile Vertically]
ID_WINDOW_ARRANGE [&Arrange Icons]

...and there it stops. When in your drawing and you pull down the "Window" menu, there is a break line under which is a (changeable as drawings are open and closed) list of current drawings open, with the drawing you are working in ticked.

It is this list of open drawings that I would like to add to the bottom of my already customized middle button menu.

I have a heavily customized menu, which I have been amending for 15 years! There's just some things you can't manage to do.

Hope this helps you help me!

 

[JanekPop]

So nobody can help then??????

 

[tendai1]

Add the following to your custom menu

ID_MRU [Drawing History]
[--]

 

[JanekPop]

No that shows Drawing History not currently open drawings as in the Window pull-down menu. Thanks anyway - looks like we're beaten!

 

[tendai1]

Sorry, for the drawing history.
Try the following for just one drawing,

[$(eval,!.$(getvar,dwgprefix)$(getvar,dwgname))]

 

[JanekPop]

You're getting closer, but as this gives only the current drawing it's fairly useless. Maybe its an ActiveX thing.