(command ".open")

So I have this custom Open dialog that I've written in OpenDCL, all is working great.

{2}

The dialog gets all our active projects from our Office database & displayed them in my custom open.
Last night we ran into the problem where our web sever went down & of course the custom open wouldn't work because it couldn't find the database.
So I want to update my code to fall back to the standard AutoCAD Open dialog box & exit my code when this happens in the future.
As you know (command ".open") doesn't work with SDI=0, & I don't want to use (getfiled ...)
So does anyone else know of a way to call the standard AutoCAD Open dialog from inside Lsp or maybe VBA?
I guess my last resort would be to write a new OpenDCL "File Dialog Box" if I had to, but I'm hopping I don't have to...

One trick I do is use VL to send a command to the command line...

(vlax-invoke-method (vla-get-ActiveDocument (vlax-get-Acad-Object)) 'SendCommand ".open\n")

YES, you're the man, works perfectly.
That's exactly what I needed. :)

Barry, here's mine - it uses VBA so there's no flipping back to the calling document.
Also if the document is already opened it is set active.

;;; Sub to return the active documnet list

(defun jb:doclist (/ doc docs1)

  (vlax-for doc	(vla-get-documents (vlax-get-acad-object))

    (if (=(vla-get-fullname doc) "")

      (setq docs1 (cons (strcase (vla-get-name doc)) docs1)

	  docs1	(cons doc docs1)

    )

    (setq docs1	(cons (strcase (vla-get-fullname doc)) docs1)

	  docs1	(cons doc docs1)

    ))

  )

  (reverse docs1)

)

;;; Open a drawing

;;; Requires a full path - checks if file exists

(defun jb:OpenDrawing(name / docs)

  (if(not(member "acvba.arx" (arx)))

         (arxload (findfile "AcVBA.arx")))

  (if (findfile name)

    (if (not (setq docs (member (strcase name) (jb:doclist))))

      (progn

        (command "vbastmt"

           (strcat "AcadApplication.Documents.Open "

                        (chr 34)

                        name

                        (chr 34)))

        (vla-activate (cadr docs)))

      (vla-activate (cadr docs))

      )))

Thx JB,
But that only opens a given file: (jb:OpenDrawing "C:\\path\\name.dwg")
I'm trying to display the standard Acad Open Dialog box, so I don't have to open it programiclly.

P.S. on a side note. VBA stopped working on my Vista x64 PC.
I.E. If I try to open the VBA editor or run (arxload (findfile "AcVBA.arx")) it freezes Acad.
Any ideas?
I guess I can re-install Acad.

Ouch!  that's right - there is no 64 bit VBA is there.  I guess that's where Lisp & OpenDCL has everyone else beat!  8)

Well, I guess that means I'm going to have to find a solution for that one. (I'm still on 2006 BTW).

Ok, re-reading the original post -sorry.