Selecting objects in ULP

On 22.09.2016 15:33, Olin Lathrop wrote:

I'm updating a ULP that moves around text strings to simplify the process

of cleaning up the silkscreen and documentation layers after routing.

 

It has always bothered me that some objects, like text strings, can only be

identified by their coordinate in commands like MOVE.

 

First, is this really true?  If so, that seems dangerous since you're

relying on multiple objects not having the same coordinate.  To minimize

the chance of error, I make sure only one layer at a time is displayed.

Multiple text strings shouldn't be at the same place, but stuff happens,

even if just by accident.

 

If it is not possible to unambiguously identify specific text strings in

command like MOVE, ROTATE, and the like, then something like a unique "ID"

or "handle" would be useful in the UL_TEXT data structure.  The commands

would be able to accept that in place of the starting coordinate.  The

syntax around this doesn't need to be pretty, since it would only be

intended for writing by a ULP.

 

Any other suggestions how to perform actions on a particular text string by

writing a script from a ULP?

 

You can use the setgroup() function to group unique objects selected

from different parameters in the ULP code, then moving the [single item

in] group. But beware of the bugs. 7.6.4beta got the lastest ingroup

bugs cleaned out.

But I'm not sure if this will make your problems easier.

Morten Leikvoll wrote on Thu, 22 September 2016 10:27

You can use the setgroup() function to group unique objects selected

from different parameters in the ULP code, then moving the [single item

in] group. But beware of the bugs. 7.6.4beta got the lastest ingroup bugs

cleaned out.

Interesting idea, but that only allows for creating a single group.  Since

things can't actually be changed from inside a ULP, it has to write a

script, which is executed automatically after the ULP.  However, these

functions only seem to control the grouping during the ULP, so could create

at most one group that a script can act on.  My ULP is for moving around

all the NAME and DOCU text of all the devices in a board.

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.

Morten Leikvoll wrote on Thu, 22 September 2016 10:27

You can use the setgroup() function to group unique objects selected

from different parameters in the ULP code, then moving the [single item

in] group. But beware of the bugs. 7.6.4beta got the lastest ingroup bugs

cleaned out.

Interesting idea, but that only allows for creating a single group.  Since

things can't actually be changed from inside a ULP, it has to write a

script, which is executed automatically after the ULP.  However, these

functions only seem to control the grouping during the ULP, so could create

at most one group that a script can act on.  My ULP is for moving around

all the NAME and DOCU text of all the devices in a board.

--

Web access to CadSoft support forums at www.eaglecentral.ca.  Where the CadSoft EAGLE community meets.