Utilities

Included utilities can be started from the command line using the shortcuts shown in the table below.

The equivalent command as shown on the menu is listed along with a description of the function.

Shortcut commands are defined in the file Auto_Load.LSP located in the PlantManager installation directory.

This can be opened in a text editor like notepad and the shortcuts modified to avoid conflicts as required.

ShortcutCommandDescription
aPolyline ArcStarts polyline arc creation.  First indicate the starting direction of the arc then add new segments tangent to the previous segment.
artQuantity ToolCalculates the cumulative areas / length / perimeter of all selected objects. You can filter the selection by specifying a layer prior to making a selection.
bpBoundary polylinePick a point within a closed area (surrounded by lines etc) and a polyline will be drawn around the perimeter.
bpoPolyline offsetDoes the same as above except you can specify the offset of the new polyline from the surrounding edges.
jJoinJoin two or more lines or polylines together without going through the PEDIT command. Assumes some fuzz distance so endpoints may be joined if not meeting exactly!
llLayer Linetypeenter a (Bylayer) linetype to to apply to the current layer
loLeave OnSelect a layer to leave on and turn all other layers off. Layer visibility is saved and can be restored with the ‘ol’ command. (This is a shortcut for the native ‘Layiso’ command for versions which support the command. )
olOn LayersRestores previous state (Shortcut for ‘Layuniso’)
lcLayer ColourSelect a colour to be applied (Bylayer) to the current layer from a dialog box.
lmLayer MakeShort cuts the command line version
offTurn OffSelect layers to turn off. You can turn off layers within Xrefs and Blocks. A list of the currently selected layers is built up and is listed at the command line. This command can also be used in Paper Space to select objects in a viewport which are to be frozen in that viewport only. (This is a shortcut for the native ‘Layoff’ command)
onTurn back onTurn layers previously turned off back on. (Shortcut for native ‘Layon’ command)
slSet LayerSet the current layer to that of the selected entity.
mbMeasure BlockSet out blocks on a line/polyline/arc/circle etc. by specifying a block and distance between each. To set out PM objects on a linear element, set the desired block current in the palette before using the command.
dbDivide BlockSame as above but uses the divide command.
mscModel ScaleReports and sets the viewport scale (Easier than Zoom XP….)
scaPlotting ScaleSets text height for labels and schedules based on the specified plotting scale.
trsTree SubstituteSubstitute one tree for another
topTwo PointGiven two survey points and their elevations, this routine will place a POINT at the calculated position of a given elevation between these two survey points. Note the point will be placed with a z (elevation) value. (Credit: Alan Williams)
grdGradeA simple grading utility – pick a point with a known level and specify the grade as a percentage to a new point. Pick the new point on the screen and a text label is created with the value of the new level using the default text style and height.

Other command line utilities

Command Description
baddAdd a block to an existing labelled array by picking the new block/s and then selecting the existing label
pmauditRun the pmaudit utility to check the drawing for errors
pmkeynameOpens a dialog to specify the key characters to be included in the generation of key names during import. When running this command, the checkbox included at the lower left of the dialog can be set to apply key name changes to the current list, updating any drawing objects in the process.
mcpOpen the Move / Copy dialog to drag and drop items from one list to another
tpzCommand to open the tree protection zone calculator
pmtstyleThis command sets a custom tablestyle for schedules. If not set, a default name is generated automatically
offscaleControls the scale factor for planting boundary offsets during plant area placement and labelling – default is 1. This is also set in the options tab
pmplacesSets the number of decimal places displayed in area calculations – default is 1
symalignControls the symbol alignment in schedule columns – Middle (Default) or Top
pmsetSets the selected plant or finish current, enabling subsequent assignment or insertion of the same item
assetexpExports drawing finish treatment data defined in geometry and its associated data in the fields named A_Amenity, A_Material, A_Cost, A_Completed,  A_Comments and A_Asset

Page Contents