API documentation

[Raul Aguilar]

Can somebody point me to the document that describes the nXt API? I am using AutoCAD 2007.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

We have a pretty limited set of AutoLisp tools at the moment. What are you looking for?

[Raul Aguilar]

Right now, I am using AR4 and I have a .lsp routine that opens a 3D model, loads a scheme file with all my default settings, sets the screen resolution, and then loads 9 previously stored camera/target coordinates and renders each of those views to a file. I run this .lsp routine in a loop with hundreds of 3D models. I would like to switch to nXt, but I want to make sure I'll be able to automate the rendering process the same way as I do now in AR4.

I am enclosing a copy of the .lsp file for your reference.

Will the API currently available in nXt allow me to do something similar? If so, can I see the list of commands that I would be interfacing to?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Roy Hirshkowitz]

Currently I've got API to render and to save. Nothing to set resolution, views, or "schemes".

The concept of schemes has changed quite a bit as well-- so you'll probably need to first evaluate whether what we've got will meet your needs.

It wouldn't take much to add a couple of AutoLisp commands.

[akinlolu olugboji]

@Raul Aguilar. When you finally got the lisp sorted out do you mind sharing it?

[Raul Aguilar]

It doesn't look like the API I need is available yet. In addition to render and save to a file, I need to set all my default values (i.e. resolution, units, views, material assignments, etc). I don't understand why that is, but it doesn't look like there is much interest in developing the API. I have hundreds of 3D models and I generate 9 renders out of each model, doing them manually is simply not an option. It would take me months to do that. I have to be able to automate the process. I doubt I am the only one who is doing this.

I'll keep an eye on nXt, I hope someday they'll make the API interface available for us to use.

[Ros. Riha]

It would be good indeed to have an access to nXt from AutoLisp not only to render+save. Once implemented fully, the whole Batch rendering thing could be handled outside nXt, which would save your time... for example, Batch render is still missing some important options/commands:
- to save a rendering prematurely
- to automate paths selection (while selecting lighting scheme, it should open up the folder where these presets are, while selecting name of the resulting render it should point me to the directory where renderings are stored...)
- automate naming

...I firmly believe if there was an access to nXt from AutoLisp, all batch rendering thing will be rewritten by somebody interested...

[Raul Aguilar]

I couldn't agree more. I believe anybody can write loops within a program to do their own versions of batch rendering. I don't need to have a restricted version of batch rendering available in nXt, what I need is access to the API so that I can customize and create my own batch rendering routines.

I am failing to understand the reason for not having the API available. We are talking about probably less than 50 commands that need to be available. It doesn't seem like it should be that big of a deal.