How to extract Polyline coordinates and export them to a text file in AutoCAD using an AutoCAD Lisp

How to extract Polyline coordinates and export them to a text file in AutoCAD?

If you are an AutoCAD user, you know how useful it is to work with polylines. Polylines are a series of connected line segments that can form complex shapes and curves. Polylines can help you create accurate and efficient drawings, as well as perform calculations and measurements.

However, sometimes you may need to extract the coordinates of the vertices of a polyline and export them to a text file, for various reasons. For example, you may want to use the coordinates for analysis purposes, import them into another software, or share them with other users.

Introduction to AutoCAD.

But how can you do this task easily and quickly? AutoCAD does not have a built-in command to export the coordinates of a polyline to a text file. You have to use the LIST command, which displays the properties of a selected object, including the coordinates of its vertices, but it is not very convenient or flexible. You have to manually copy and paste the coordinates from the command line to a text editor, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.

But what if I told you there is a way to extract the coordinates of a polyline and export them to a text file in just one click? Yes, you heard me right. One-click. And you don’t need any special software or plugins to do it. All you need is a simple AutoCAD LISP routine that you can load and run in your AutoCAD session.

What is the AutoCAD LISP and how do you upload it to AutoCAD?

After you have uploaded the LISP file, you can type 'PLXY' to activate it.

Then select a Polyline.

Finally, select a text file to export polyline coordinates to it.

That’s it. You have successfully extracted the coordinates of a polyline and exported them to a text file in one click using a LISP routine. You can use this LISP routine as many times as you want, on any drawing that you want. You can also customize the LISP routine to suit your needs, such as changing the delimiter or the precision of the coordinates.

You can download the lisp from here.

Conclusion:

In this blog post, I will show you how to use a LISP routine that can extract the coordinates of a polyline and export them to a text file in one click. I hope you found this blog post useful and interesting. If you want to learn more about AutoCAD LISP routines, you can check out my blog, where he has many LISP routines for various AutoCAD tasks, tips, and tricks on AutoCAD programming and development.