Auto-Soil-Profile-Drawer

Description

Automatize the creation of borehole profiles on AutoCAD, reducing the time from days to minutes. This script finds usage in the industry of geotechnical engineering, environmental remediation, and site contamination managing.

Wondering how is it at work? Check on my YouTube -> https://youtu.be/6THJVKVzmAA

Why?

Drawing borehole profiles on AutoCAD was too time-consuming in the company.

How was the problem solved?

AutoCAD's command "script" allowed some time-optimization (2-3 days of work could be reduced to some minutes). Coworkers now fill "1_title_block.csv" with client and project information and "2_borehole_data.csv" with the field data, run "run.bat", which calls interpret.py. Python interprets the data, translates it into the syntax of AutoCAD and saves in "4_script_borehole_acad.scr". On AutoCAD, one must select the "No Template-Metrics" and click on "Start Drawing", use the "script" command, and navigate to "4_script_borehole_acad.scr". The borehole profiles will be drawn.

What did you learn?

I learned how to automatise drawings on AutoCAD and that by running a ".py" from a ".bat" allows me to read any eventual error straight on screen. I developed this tool still in my first month of work and received a big compliment from my boss at the time.

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FIRST TIME USING IT?

1. "Let AutoCAD know where are the Hatches and the CTB (Color Dependent Plot Style)"

On AutoCAD, type "_OPTIONS", go to "Files"
    Under "Support File Search Path",
        add a new path to where the hatches files are stored. (teamplate\hatches\)
    Under "Printer Support File Path > Plot Style Table Search Path",
        add a new path to where the ctb file is stored.   (teamplate\ctb)

2. Set your OS' list separator to ";"

Control panel > Region > Additional settings... > list separator -> ;

3. Make sure you have a python.exe set as an environmental variable in PATH

Control panel > System > Advanced system settings > Environment Variables
Under "User variables", select "Path" > Edit > New > 
Type the path to your python.exe
Move this path to the top of the list

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Create a folder in past_projects and copy "1_title_block.csv" and "2_borehole_data.csv" to it.
2. Fill both csv. Copy them to the root "Auto-Soil-Profile-Drawer", overwriting the existent ones.
3. Run "run.bat" (if any error occurs, check both csv)
4. Start a new drawing with "No Template-Metric" teamplate on AutoCAD, use "script" command, select "4_script_borehole_acad.scr"
5. Double-check for minor adjustments, like the figure number in each title.
6. Use publish to export all figures in a single .pdf

• ¹When filling both csv, mind the formatting: point as decimal sepator, comma as elements separator, semicolon as list separator, and brackets to certain variables
• ²Topo liso above ground must be written negative.

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EXPLANATION TO FILES AND FOLDERS:

Files:

• 1_title_block.csv
  Generic information (client and project)
• 2_borehole_data.csv
  Field data of the boreholes
• 3_run.bat
  Used to run python
• 4_script_borehole_acad.scr
  File to be read in AutoCAD via "script" command.(several lines of telling what AutoCAD must draw)
• LICENSE
  License in GitHub
• README.md
  This readme

Folders

• past_projects\
  directory to keep data from past projects
• template\
  directory where .py and teamplate are stored