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I think it was release 2.18, retroactively named R6 maybe. John Walker and I hacked up a p.d. thing called xlisp by David Betz, removing some of the best bits (

by creeble 11y ago

I think it was release 2.18, retroactively named R6 maybe. John Walker and I hacked up a p.d. thing called xlisp by David Betz, removing some of the best bits (the 'X' parts) and fitting it into its own 64k 'small model' (x86) segment. I was a bit of a lisp nut, but even I (product manager at the time too) thought lisp as a 'macro language' for AutoCAD was a tinge crackers. Glad we did it though!

brudgers 11y ago
Yes, according to the timeline, it was 2.18, but it lists 2.1 as R6, so despite it's huge impact in allowing the creation of tools like AEC-Architectural it apparently doesn't get its own integer. As a scripting language it seemed to me a pretty good choice, because sat reasonably well with the command-line based interface in that it somewhat reflected its <command> <argument>* format. And of course in the 1980's Lisps were tech's "the sharing economy". One of the reasons I went to vocational school to study drafting was to get my hands on AutoCad to get my hands on AutoLisp to get my hands on a Lisp. In 1991, I was doing timed Cad competitions using R10. My secret weapon was twenty minutes writing my own "PGP" command aliases in AutoLisp with edlin before I started drawing. That's how I won my copy of R11. So I'm glad you did it too. Thanks.
- JoshTriplett 11y ago
  > And of course in the 1980's Lisps were tech's "the sharing economy". One of the reasons I went to vocational school to study drafting was to get my hands on AutoCad to get my hands on AutoLisp to get my hands on a Lisp. In 1991, I was doing timed Cad competitions using R10. My secret weapon was twenty minutes writing my own "PGP" command aliases in AutoLisp with edlin before I started drawing. That's how I won my copy of R11. That sounds like a great story. Would you consider sharing it?
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
pavlov 11y ago
John Walker's The Autodesk File has his original strategy paper on this topic: https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/www/chapter2_35.html https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/www/chapter2_35.html "Lisp?!?! Why the Hell did you pick the most arcane, obscure, and hopelessly-rooted-in-the-computer-science-department language in the world for an AutoCAD programming language? Over the next six months, all of us will have the opportunity to answer this question." That was in 1985. Not so much has changed in 30 years :P
- brudgers 11y ago
  The AutoDesk File is a great resource for understanding startups and business.

by creeble 11y ago

brudgers 11y ago

Yes, according to the timeline, it was 2.18, but it lists 2.1 as R6, so despite it's huge impact in allowing the creation of tools like AEC-Architectural it apparently doesn't get its own integer. As a scripting language it seemed to me a pretty good choice, because sat reasonably well with the command-line based interface in that it somewhat reflected its <command> <argument>* format. And of course in the 1980's Lisps were tech's "the sharing economy". One of the reasons I went to vocational school to study drafting was to get my hands on AutoCad to get my hands on AutoLisp to get my hands on a Lisp. In 1991, I was doing timed Cad competitions using R10. My secret weapon was twenty minutes writing my own "PGP" command aliases in AutoLisp with edlin before I started drawing. That's how I won my copy of R11. So I'm glad you did it too. Thanks.

JoshTriplett 11y ago
> And of course in the 1980's Lisps were tech's "the sharing economy". One of the reasons I went to vocational school to study drafting was to get my hands on AutoCad to get my hands on AutoLisp to get my hands on a Lisp. In 1991, I was doing timed Cad competitions using R10. My secret weapon was twenty minutes writing my own "PGP" command aliases in AutoLisp with edlin before I started drawing. That's how I won my copy of R11. That sounds like a great story. Would you consider sharing it?
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]

pavlov 11y ago

John Walker's The Autodesk File has his original strategy paper on this topic: https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/www/chapter2_35.html https://www.fourmilab.ch/autofile/www/chapter2_35.html "Lisp?!?! Why the Hell did you pick the most arcane, obscure, and hopelessly-rooted-in-the-computer-science-department language in the world for an AutoCAD programming language? Over the next six months, all of us will have the opportunity to answer this question." That was in 1985. Not so much has changed in 30 years :P

brudgers 11y ago
The AutoDesk File is a great resource for understanding startups and business.