Macro Command Reference

Comments can only be inserted in the .mac file outside of MACRO/ENDM boundaries. See fcw32.mac for examples.
A macro is defined by the sequence:

MACRO name

....

.....macro commands

....

ENDM

Note that neither MACRO or ENDM is valid from the command line.

Variable names start with letters, (_) or ($) followed by digits, letters, (_)s or ($)s. Variable names are limited to 32 characters.
In macros, scripts, or menu items, the sequence:
^Dprompt

displays the prompt text (ended with CR only!) and waits for live input.

^D forces live input for an entire getdata, which may be more than one point. For example, use BOX ^D not BOX ^D ^D.

^D keeps the appropriate cursor and allows an entire pick cycle (MOVE ^D 0,0 1,1).

^D can be interrupted by a modifier or zoom from the menu or a toolbar, but only if the menu file has a ^D for each command line input. Look at the modifiers and icons in fcw32.mnu.

Any ^D that doesn't have a prompt spelled out "inherits" the prompt from the last ^D that had one, even if it's in a completely different macro!

The variable setting commands are:

FUNCTION		SYNTAX
Append Word. This concatenates variables		APND variable text.word.string
Get Point		GP variable point.expression
Get Entity		GE variable point.expression
Get Extents low left point		GETEXTL variable
Get Extents high right point		GETEXTH variable
Get Extents width		GETEXTX variable
Get Extents height		GETEXTY variable
Get Current Symbol Scale		GETSYMSCALE variable
Get Reference (frozen) Entity		GR variable point.expression
Get Value		GV variable real.expression
Get Number		GN variable integer.expression
Get Word		GW variable text.word.string
Get Line		GL variable text.string (not delimited by space or tab)
Get Open File Name		GFNO variable filename.extension
Get Open File Name w/pattern		GFNOP variable filename.extension (can use * or ?)
Get Save File Name		GFNS variable filename.extension
Get Save File Name w/pattern		GFNSP variable filename.extension (can use * or ?)
Gets the relative relative path		GRFN variable filepathname
Store distance between points		GDIST variable point.expression point.expression
Store angle point to point		GBRNG variable point.expression point.expression
Store X coordinate of point		GETX variable point.expression
Store Y coordinate of point		GETY variable point.expression
Save variable values in a file		SAVEVARS

Transcendental functions ( for example, GSIN MySin 30 stores 0.5 in MySin ):

FUNCTION	SYNTAX
Store result of Sin(X) in variable	GSIN variable argument
Store result of Cos(X) in variable	GCOS variable argument
Store result of Tan(X) in variable	GTAN variable argument
Store result of Arc Sin(X) in variable	GASIN variable argument
Store result of Arc Cos(X) in variable	GACOS variable argument
Store result of Arc Tan(X) in variable	GATAN variable argument

Values stored by these functions are formatted as numeric with 9 decimal places. The expressions are delimited by : a space, a semicolon, the equal sign, the ENTER key, or the TAB key. They can contain variable names defined above, the math operators (+ - * / ( ) ), and units operators ( ' , " ,cm ,mm ,m ,km). Note: The expression analyzer does not support unary minus. This means that if A=2, -A doesn't work. But 0-A works fine (-2).

Nothing is case sensitive. The order of operations are:

parenthesis (highest priority)

multiply or divide

add or subtract

units conversion operators

add or subtract after a units postfix operator (lowest priority)

Labels are a colon followed by a letter and then optionally more letters or digits or the _ character. Labels cannot contain spaces or tabs. Do not use the starting colon on a label reference (GO/IF) but use it where the label occurs:

:MyLabel

.....

..... other macro commands

.....

GOTO MyLabel

The control transfer commands are:

	GO label
	GOTO label
	IFP real.expression label (if expression >0 then go to label)
	IFZ real.expression label (if expression =0 then go to label)
	IFN real.expression label (if expression <0 then go to label)
	IFERR label (if error then go to label)
$image\SHORTCUT.gif$	IFDEF variable label (if variable is defined, go to label)
$image\SHORTCUT.gif$	ASKBOX title line…line blank.line ("No" response = IFERR flag on)

Use the PAUSE command to suspend macro execution for a designated number of seconds. Code syntax:

PAUSE n.nnn

where n.nnn represents a real number of seconds.

Any keypress or left mouse button click will terminate the current pause early, without that key or click being treated as input data. PAUSE can be used to load and display several files in sequence. PAUSE will force a redraw after each file and ask for a keypress to continue.

Use the WAIT command to pause a script or macro until a user closes a message box..
Use ECON and ECOFF to suppress echo of text on the prompt line. If a macro goes wrong while echo is off, it's almost impossible to tell what is happening. Don't add the ECOFF command to your macro until the macro is completely tested and debugged.
Use the RUNAPP command to start another Windows application. RUNAPP can accept command line arguments.
If a .mac file has the same name as an .fcw drawing file located in the same folder, the .mac file will automatically load when the .fcw file is loaded. This feature is helpful when creating macros that only work with specific drawings.
The GE command (get entity) works like the GP command (get point), except that it displays a pick box cursor when expecting input. After an entity is selected, the nearest point (x,y coordinates) on the entity is stored in the variable. GE uses an implied ON modifier to ensure that the point is actually on an entity. IFERR is returned if no valid entity is picked. Use the GR command to select entities on frozen layers.
The macro command SAVEDXF saves the current drawing as a DXF file "CurDwgName.DXF" with no input required. Note that the SAVEASM command can also save DXF or DWG files - but you must specify a file name as well as type: SAVEASM MyFile.DXF or SAVEASM MyFile.DWG.
The APND command concatenates strings. If AA = "alpha", then APND AA beta changes AA to be "alphabeta". The APND command can be used to concatenate to string variables (i.e., APND vara varb). If the second variable, varb, consists of a null value, or is not specified, then a semicolon is appended to vara.
Use the OPENDOC <filename.type> command to open the application associated with the file. As an example, OPENDOC WORK.TXT opens Notepad with the file work.txt. If your system has a different application associated for .txt files, then it will open with work.txt instead.
The KEEPTHA command copies the final height and angle of the last text entered to the current text specs, even if these settings were determined using dynamic cursors.

Commands to bypass dialog boxes

Although you can drive the Select Entity dialog boxes from a macro (MOVE A D 0,0 1,1) and the dialog boxes will not display, there are some commands intended for use in macros and scripts when you want to bypass other dialog boxes. Note: these commands do not ask user confirmation before destructive actions (like loading a different file).

Bypass status buttons/dialogs with:

CSNAPON, CSNAPOFF	Cursor Snap action control
FRAMEON, FRAMEOFF, FRAMETOG	Frame view control
GRIDON, GRIDOFF, GRIDT	Grid view control
ORTHON, ORTHOFF, ORTHT	Orthogonal effect control
SNAPON, SNAPOFF, SNAPT	Snap action control
ATCHON, ATCHOFF, ATCHT	Attach mode control
LOCKON, LOCKOFF, LOCKT	Group Lock control
XHON, XHOFF, XHTOG	Crosshairs effect control

At any prompt for a filename, precede the filename with (#) to have CC3 substitute the directory where CC3 (fcw.exe) is installed. For example, if CC3 is in c:\CC3, then,

"menum #custom" loads the menu c:\CC3\custom.mnu,

and

"loadm #dwgs\sample\square" loads the drawing c:\CC3\dwgs\sample\square.fcw.

similarly, $ is a substitute for the current directory.

Bypass file-selection dialogs with:

CATALOG	Load FSC symbol catalog file by name
CPARYM	Insert circular part array by name
LOADM	Load FCW drawing file by name
LOADMACM	Load MAC macro file by name*
MENUDM	Load MNU menu by name*, becomes session default menu
MENUM	Load MNU menu file by name*
OPENDOC	Opens file in associated application
PARTM	Insert part by name
PARYM	Insert part array by name
SAVEASM	Save drawing file as name
SAVEDXF	Save drawing file as DXF file
SAVEMACM	Save macro file
SCRIPTM	Run script by name
TEMPLATEM	Load FCT template file by name
TFILEM	Insert text file by name
WRITEM	Create part file by name

*Because loading a menu replaces the existing menu table in memory, CC3 ignores everything in a menu item after MENUM <filename>. Same story with "code" in a macro after LOADMACM <filename>.

Bypass text-entry dialog with:

TEXTM

Insert text typed on command line

Bypass symbol attribute dialog with:

ATTRIBM

ATTRIBM <tag> <prompt> <value>

Bypass select by dialog (set selection method for subsequent List, Move, etc.) with:

	SELBYD	Select by: dialog
	SELBYE	each, multiple
	SELBY1	each, single
	SELBYW	window
	SELBYL	layer
	SELBYC	color
	SELBYP	prior selection
	SELBYA	all
$image\SHORTCUT.gif$	SELSAVE	Save current SELBY mode
$image\SHORTCUT.gif$	SELREST	Restore saved SELBY mode

Preset any select method with SELBYA, SELBYE, etc. See "spiral" macro in fcw32.mac.

To preserve the current selection method, use the SELSAVE command at the beginning of the macro, and the SELREST command at the end of the macro. Since the save stack is nested four levels deep, you can also use these commands during a macro.

At any prompt for a layer, style or dimension style, you can:

· Enter a name (including spaces) delimited by (;) or CR, or

· Enter an ID number preceded by (#), or

· Use the LIKE modifier, or

· (If live) right-click to get the dialog box.

Bypass layer dialogs with:

SETLAYER

Make a layer the current layer.

Bypass style dialogs with:

LSTYLE	Set current line style
FSTYLE	Set current fill style
LWIDTH	Set current line width

Bypass sheet dialogs with:

SHEET	Set named sheet current
DELSHT	Delete named sheet
HIDESHT	Hide named sheet
SHOWSHT	Show named sheet
SHOWSHTF	Shows sheets matching a text wild card
HIDESHTF	Hides sheets matching a text wild card

Bypass text specs dialog with:

TSPECF	Set font by name (or LIKE mod)
TSPECH	Set text height
TSPECA	Set text angle
TSPECP	Set text spacing
TSPECT	Set text stretch factor
TSPECJ	Set text justification*
TSPECS	Set text style**

*Text justification codes:

	Far Left	Left	Center	Right	Far Right
Above	16	17	18	19	20
Top	--	6	7	8	--
Mid	9	3	4	5	10
Bottom	--	0	1	2	--
Below	11	12	13	14	15

**Text style flags (can be added, i.e. 16+32=bold italic):

1	Vertical
16	Bold
32	Italic
64	Underline
128	Strikeout

Bypass Units dialog with:

UNITM	Set inches per drawing unit
SETDECP	Dec. places for dialogs, list, etc (not dimensions)
DISTFMT	Distance format code*
SETFRAC	Fraction rounding code for fractions of inches**

*Distance format codes:

0	Straight numeric
1	Decimal inches
2	Fractional inches
3	Feet and Inches
4	General Metric
5	Millimeters

**Fraction rounding codes - display to nearest:

0	Whole number
1	1/2
2	1/4
3	1/8
4	1/16
5	1/32
6	1/64
7	1/128