topic Archicad Dictionaries and UI commands in GDL

Archicad Dictionaries and UI commands

Nader Belal — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 10:34:45 GMT

Hi Graphisoft GDL Development Team,

I would like to draw your attention to something I have stumbled upon yesterday.

While trying to use ArchiCAD "UI_" commands for objects' GUI with a Dictionary Parameter, the commands did not accept it. Whether it was a normal or an array parameter.

I don't know if the issue is in my PC or the way I have scripted the code, but I do firmly believe that if that was not the case, this issue should be fixed for the benefits it can make GDL scripting more dynamic and terse.

Best regards.

Re: Archicad Dictionaries and UI commands

Sam Karli — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:59:48 GMT

Note that per GDL Reference Guide: "values for a dictionary type parameter can only be set via the Parameter script (no direct user input is available through Parameter list or UI controls), the VALUES command is disabled for this type", so this is stated.

My approach is to define exclusive UI parameters, i call them like sUI1 (for a string data) and iUI2 (integer), do the ui_infield commands for setting these in Interface scripts, and then in the Parrameter sctipt I write something like:

if gs_ui_current_page = dPageIDS.SelectedPanelPage.iUiID then values "iUI4" 1, 2, 3 if GLOB_MODPAR_NAME = "iUI4" \ then dDict.iOverrideS[iOverrideEdited].source = iUI4 parameters dDict = dDict else parameters iUI4 = dDict.iOverrideS[iOverrideEdited].source endif endif

Note that for this i define dPageIDS.SelectedPanelPage.iUiID in a Master script to be seen both in Parameter and UI script. This has an advantage that the UI parameter's values can be limited independently from anything.

I recycle these UI params among the tabs, so an iUI4 can mean different "real" params on different tabpages.

Re: Archicad Dictionaries and UI commands

Nader Belal — Wed, 24 Sep 2025 07:56:19 GMT

Hi Sam,

Thank you for your reply.

My issue is not about how to use the dictionaries under those circumstances as you have mentioned, my issue is that the full potential of dictionaries is not being used.

Best regards