VTXINS-bgol (Batch Vertex Insertion Along Alignment)

Command Type: AutoLISP routine (works in AutoCAD, BricsCAD, ZWCAD and most AutoLISP-compatible CAD platforms)
Developed by: BGol Community, bgol.in

Inspired by the general concept of annotation-driven, batch vertex-insertion utilities used to prepare alignment polylines in survey and infrastructure drafting. This is an original, independently written routine, new file name, new command name, new source code, created so the CAD community has a free, editable, open-source alternative.

Overview

VINS scans one or more selected alignment polylines for nearby TEXT entities on a designated marker layer (Extra) and inserts a new vertex into each polyline at the point closest to each matching text label, turning what would be many manual "find location, edit polyline" steps into a single batch command.

How to Use

1. Load VTXINS-bgol.lsp into your CAD session (drag-and-drop the file onto the drawing window, or use the APPLOAD command).
2. Make sure the locations where you want new vertices are marked with TEXT entities on a layer named Extra.
3. Type VINS at the command line and press Enter.
4. Select all the alignment polylines you want to process (multiple polylines can be selected in one window/crossing selection).
5. The routine automatically finds every Extra-layer text within tolerance of each selected polyline, inserts a new vertex at that point, and flags the insertion with a small circle on layer BGOL-VINS (magenta) for a visual audit trail.
6. A summary of how many vertices were inserted, across how many polylines, is echoed to the command line.

Why Use It

• Batch operation, processes multiple polylines and multiple insertion points in one run instead of repeating manual edits for every single vertex.
• Annotation-driven accuracy, vertex locations come directly from existing drawing text (chainage marks, point-of-interest labels, etc.), keeping the process traceable and consistent.
• Visual audit trail, every successful insertion is flagged on its own layer, making it easy to confirm what changed.

Where to Use It

• Adding design/reference vertices to an alignment polyline at locations already marked with text (points of interest, chainage marks, feature intersections) on the Extra layer.
• Preparing an alignment polyline for further processing, such as curve design or chainage marking, that requires vertices at specific annotated locations, not just the polyline's original vertices.
• Any infrastructure drafting task needing batch vertex insertion driven by existing drawing annotations rather than manual picking.

Notes

• Proximity tolerance defaults to 0.5 drawing units; edit the *bgol-vins-tol* constant near the top of the .lsp file if your text labels sit farther from the alignment.
• Only TEXT entities on a layer literally named Extra are matched; rename your marker layer to Extra (or edit the routine) if your drawing uses a different convention.
• Source code is fully open, feel free to study, modify, and redistribute it under the same open, free-for-all spirit.

Credits

Developed and shared for the CAD community by BGol Community. Website: https://bgol.in/ Free and open-source, use it, modify it, share it, for personal or commercial work alike.