topic Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements in GDL

GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

Bawar Tanay — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:50:36 GMT

Hi Everybody,

Quick question, hopefully someone knows the answer.

Is there a way to add an invisible box / block which cuts automatically through other elements

like, for example, a wall hole / wall niche does for door/windows in walls.

I want to make a display object which automatically cuts the surrounding wall. Without having the problem of choosing a material which has a high intersection priority.

My first idea was to have an extra block with a high intersection priority building material, I.E., SEO material.

Still not tested yet.

Maybe you know better ways.

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

SenecaDesignLLC — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 12:38:31 GMT

Gdl objects do not work with intersection priority. A window or door object doesn't have to be a window or door either.

I have several objects with invisible parts but it requires an invisible material to be created.

You can define in gdl what parts of the object participate in SEO as well.

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

Bawar Tanay — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 13:06:38 GMT

i just searched on the GDL reference guide i found this:

GLOB_SEO_TOOL_MODE = 1 generating as an operator for Solid Element Operations
The generated 3D model is used as a parameter for solid (CSG) operations. This can be useful, when the object's space demand is larger than
the object itself. E.g. when you subtract a stair from a slab, you'd expect that the stair cuts a hole for the walking people, too. To achieve this,
in this context the stair should generate a model containing that walking space.

but it doesnt really explains how to define a part of a object to participate in seo.

the invisible material could be just air no?

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:55:43 GMT

@Bawar Tanay

As @SenecaDesignLLC said, a window or door object does not have to be a window or door... but such objects will cut walls, which seems to be your main question... vs cutting all elements (SEO). But, making a custom window/door object means it has to be placed with the window or door tool (vs object tool) and if the visible part of the object is offset from the cut wall (only a single wall - the host - will be cut), then if that should be a dynamic offset, you'll have to provide a parameter for that. (Editable hotspots are your friend here.)

An object itself cannot cause a solid element op to be executed though if you are thinking of something more complicated.

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

Bawar Tanay — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:13:39 GMT

Hi Karl,

For a client who works a lot in exhibition design,

I want to make a parametric exhibition case,

everything workout fine, but the only thing is that I would like to cut through most of the elements, not only walls.

So it is not a window or a door object.

But a custom library object. I hoped there was a way like, for example, to make a block made of air which is slightly bigger than the case.

And this air (invisible) should be able to automatically cut out from slabs/walls.

So I wondered if there was a possibility to add a high (999) building intersection priority to the building material of that (invisible) air material and this should automatically cut out, but @SenecaDesignLLC said that it wasn't possible.

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

runxel — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 15:49:47 GMT

Something like that is not possible, in the way you describe at least.

Why not having a morph that sits in a invisible layer and cuts everything that you want to cut with SEO?

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

DGSketcher — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:33:28 GMT

I am guessing the Opening Tool doesn't cover all options? But combined with @runxel suggestion of SEO you should be close?

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

SenecaDesignLLC — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 18:56:25 GMT

You would need to wrap what you don't want cutting in an if statement using GLOB_SEO_TOOL_MODE

However you still would need to use SEO to make the cut. It won't be automatic

Re: GDL - object with a invisible box witch cuts away on other elements

Bawar Tanay — Tue, 15 Aug 2023 20:55:00 GMT

Using the SEO is no problem at all,

at least, you don't need to use more than 1 object for the cut.

Downside of opening tool. If moving a case, then you need a second command for moving the opening.

If you change dimension, the opening needs to be adjusted, resulting in more time spending.

The way of @runxel is normally the way to do, but again takes more steps, resulting in more time lost.

Exhibitions are assignments with a deadline within 16 hours or less

so every second is important.

For me, I solved it using the method of @SenecaDesignLLC

so if you have a case, it doesn't matter whether it is a simple cube/rectangular or a complex prism.

For other people, the way I used it for a simple cube:

adding a parameter :

Setting_space = 0.1

if GLOB_SEO_TOOL_MODE = 1 then

add -Setting_space/2, -Setting_space/2, -Setting_space/2

block a+Setting_space, b+Setting_space, zzyzx+Setting_space

else

block a, b, zzyzx

endif

this looks like this :

When changing setting space to 50 mm in the custom settings. The case will look like this.

Love this method once placed using de Solid Element Operator.

And that's it. You can change the case without having to change any other objects.