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Linnet

Introduction

Linnet is a small program that takes a DWG and extracts the preview and turns it into a slide file, providing a way to show a preview in AutoLISP dialogue boxes. If the DWG does not contain a preview, the Linnet will create an emtpy slide.

Usage

LINNET []

 The first parameter is the name of your drawing file. The Linnet makes no assumptions on file extensions, so include the ".DWG". Note that you can specify BAK files as well as autosave copies.

 The second parameter is the name of the slide file to be created. It will be overwritten if it already exists. If you leave that parameter blank, the Linnet will take the drawing file name, change the extension to SLD and create a slide with the resulting name.

Misc

The Linnet also uses the file time of the slide file to communicate the version of AutoCAD that created the file. Look for the minutes. The value are as follows:

• 02: Version 2
• 09: Release 9
• 10: Release 10
• 12: Release 11/12
• 13: Release 13
• 14: Release 14
• 15: AutoCAD 2000/2000i/2002
• 18: AutoCAD 2004/2005/2006
• 21: AutoCAD 2007/2008

Remember, there were no previews before Release 13. Even then, previews don't have to be present.

Example

The zipfile (see below) comes with a sample FileOpen dialogue in AutoLISP. It consists of the files:

DEMO.LSP
DEMO.DCL

The file-open dialogue looks like that:

Nothing special, but you have got your preview, and it is not slow.

NB: this sample uses the DOSLIB.ARX.

History

Linnet 2.3 (April 2007)

• The Linnet now supports R2007 drawings.

Linnet 2.2 (August 2004)

• The Linnet does support R2004 drawings.

Linnet 2.1 (April 1999)

• The Linnet does support R2000 drawings.

Linnet 2.0 (February 1999)

• The Linnet comes in two flavours now, a DOS version for AutoCAD for DOS and a 32 bit version for use with long filenames.
• Linnet 2.0 will no longer support WMF previews in R13 drawings. This is because all the compilers graphic handling routines have been replaced by self-written ones and only the bitmap format has been done so far.
• For the same reason the Linnet is much slimmer, 30kB for the windows version and only 10kB for the DOS version (Linnet 1.0 was 170kB).
• The slide file is smaller as well. This is because more attention has been paid to the convertion BMP->SLD.
• The RGB values of the bitmaps are now properly matched to the corresponding AutoCAD colours.
• Linnet doesn't accept the revision parameter anymore (13 or 14) which in Linnet 1.0 specified your preferred size of the image tile. Now the slide will ideally fit into a tile with a width:height ratio of 4:3.
• The Linnet sets the minutes in the file time of the slide to indicate the AutoCAD version that created the drawing. Linnet 1.0 used the file attributes.

Download

Linnet is freeware. By downloading the installation file you accept the license agreement.

Please download here
linnet23.zip (60kB)
The sample file-open dialogue needs the fabulous DOSLIB. Get it from Robert McNeel.

If you need WMF preview as well you might want to download the old linnet1.zip (128kB).