topic Light object in Libraries & objects

Light object

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 17:07:46 GMT

I've made a 2D light symbol and saved it has an object.
Changed it's subtype to light.
Works fine except I'd like to get rid of (or bring in closer) the outer
4 bounding points shown in the attachment.
I've searched though the 2D script but don't see any obvious place to
adjust this.
Any hints appreciated.
Thanks
2D script
!
! Name : Light High Eff.gsm
! Date : Saturday, November 24, 2012
! Version : 16.00
! Written by ArchiCAD
!

mul2 A/0.442067, B/0.442067
add2 -73'-1.4267", -31'-0.5917"
pen penAttribute_1
hotspot2 74'-3.3062", 31'-9.2938"
hotspot2 73'-10.1289", 32'-2.4711"
hotspot2 73'-4.9516", 31'-9.2938"
hotspot2 73'-10.1289", 31'-4.1165"
pen penAttribute_2
line_property 0
line2 74'-3.3062", 31'-9.2938", 74'-6.8310", 31'-9.2938"
line2 73'-10.1289", 31'-4.1165", 73'-10.1289", 31'-0.5917"
line2 73'-4.9516", 31'-9.2938", 73'-1.4267", 31'-9.2938"
line2 73'-10.1289", 32'-2.4711", 73'-10.1289", 32'-5.9959"
circle2 73'-10.1289", 31'-9.2938", 0'-5.1773"
pen penAttribute_3
fill fillAttribute_1
poly2_b{5} 5, 2, 0, 3, penAttribute_3, penAttribute_3,
0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 3'-3.3701", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 3'-3.3701", 0'-0.0000",
73'-7.2199", 31'-7.5080", 1,
74'-1.6199", 31'-7.5080", 1,
74'-1.6199", 31'-11.1747", 1,
73'-7.2199", 31'-11.1747", 1,
73'-7.2199", 31'-7.5080", 1
define style{2} "AC_STYLE_1" "Arial", 5'-9.4444", 0

paragraph "AC_PRG_2" 4, 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 2'-3.5591"
pen penAttribute_4
set style "AC_STYLE_1"
"H-EF"
endparagraph
textblock "AC_TEXTBLOCK_2" 0'-0.0000", 9, 0'-0.0000", 1'-11.6220", 3'-3.3701", 3'-3.3701",
"AC_PRG_2"
richtext2 74'-1.6199", 31'-7.5080", "AC_TEXTBLOCK_2"

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:55:21 GMT

Hello,

You can erase the 'hotspot2' lines to get
rid of them. The problem is that there needs
to be at least one hotspot or the bounding
hotties are created by default.

You could add desired hotspots in the floor
plan before saving as an object.

I recommend placing the symbol to the origo
(0,0) before saving. That way the code is easier
to read + edit. For example you could just add a
line

hotspot2 0,0

to have one in the
middle.

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 21:36:08 GMT

Hello Juha
Thanks for the reply.
Made hotspot adjustments as you stated (I hope), but maybe I got it wrong as bounding ones are still there.

code:
!
! Name : HighEffLight-3.gsm
! Date : Saturday, November 24, 2012
! Version : 16.00
! Written by ArchiCAD
!

mul2 A/0.294294, B/0.294294
add2 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000"
pen penAttribute_1
hotspot2 0,0
pen penAttribute_2
line_property 0
line2 0'-5.7598", 0'-9.9655", 0'-5.7598", 0'-11.5864"
line2 0'-1.6208", 0'-5.7598", 0'-0.0000", 0'-5.7598"
line2 0'-5.8266", 0'-1.6208", 0'-5.8266", 0'-0.0000"
line2 0'-9.9655", 0'-5.8266", 0'-11.5864", 0'-5.8266"
arc2 0'-5.7932", 0'-5.7932", 0'-4.1725", 0, 180
arc2 0'-5.7932", 0'-5.7932", 0'-4.1725", 180, 0
pen penAttribute_3
fill fillAttribute_1
poly2_b{5} 5, 2, 0, 3, penAttribute_3, penAttribute_3,
0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 3'-3.3701", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 3'-3.3701", 0'-0.0000",
0'-2.5932", 0'-3.9599", 1,
0'-8.9932", 0'-3.9599", 1,
0'-8.9932", 0'-7.6265", 1,
0'-2.5932", 0'-7.6265", 1,
0'-2.5932", 0'-3.9599", 1
define style{2} "AC_STYLE_1" "Arial", 5'-9.4444", 0

paragraph "AC_PRG_10" 4, 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 2'-3.5591"
pen penAttribute_4
set style "AC_STYLE_1"
"H-EF"
endparagraph
textblock "AC_TEXTBLOCK_10" 0'-0.0000", 9, 0'-0.0000", 1'-11.6220", 3'-3.3701", 3'-3.3701",
"AC_PRG_10"
richtext2 0'-8.9932", 0'-3.9599", "AC_TEXTBLOCK_10"

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 23:17:22 GMT

Hi lec,
to get rid off that hotspots you must select the "Details" button on the Parameters window and uncheck the item "Hotspots on bounding box"; then Save the object.

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:24:36 GMT

...and that to happen you must have at
least one hotspot in the 2d code or in the
2d symbol.

HTH

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 00:32:11 GMT

Hi Andro and Juha again
Thanks for the replies.
Got the bounding box turned off per you suggestion, thank you.
(And added extra hotspots near the light as I'm sure you can see.)
But the wires still don't go to the light or my inner hot spots.
They still seem to go to the bounding box corner locations even though they are turned off now.
Maybe I should explain a bit.
I've just purchased Cadimage's Electrical object and it works fine for standard
AC lights (the round ones I'm showing).
However AC doesn't have several of the light symbols I want, so I'm trying to create my own.
Problem is if I can't get my lights to have wires come all the way to the light, (as the others are) it can be a confusing view, ie. (is it to that light or not?)
Don't think this is a Cadimage issue, as it works fine with AC lights but will try Monday if no solution by then.
Current script follows:

!
! Name : DimCanLight 3.gsm
! Date : Saturday, November 24, 2012
! Version : 16.00
! Written by ArchiCAD
!

mul2 A/0.377748, B/0.377748
add2 0'-2.8684", 0'-2.6455"
pen penAttribute_1
line_property 0
line2 0'-0.0000", 0'-9.7559", 0'-9.4771", 0'-9.7559"
line2 0'-9.4771", 0'-9.7559", 0'-9.4771", 0'-0.0000"
line2 0'-9.4771", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000"
line2 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 0'-9.7559"
circle2 0'-4.5676", 0'-4.7905", 0'-4.2064"
circle2 0'-4.5676", 0'-4.7905", 0'-3.8148"
circle2 0'-4.5676", 0'-4.7905", 0'-3.4401"
line2 1'-0.0036", 0'-4.7905", 0'-8.7740", 0'-4.7905"
line2 0'-4.5676", 1'-0.2265", 0'-4.5676", 0'-8.9970"
line2 -0'-2.8684", 0'-4.7905", 0'-0.3612", 0'-4.7905"
line2 0'-4.5676", -0'-2.6455", 0'-4.5676", 0'-0.5841"
pen penAttribute_2
hotspot2 0'-0.3612", 0'-4.7905"
hotspot2 0'-4.5676", 0'-8.9970"
hotspot2 0'-8.7740", 0'-4.7905"
hotspot2 0'-4.5676", 0'-0.5841"
hotspot2 0'-4.5676", 0'-4.7905"
hotspot2 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000"
hotspot2 0'-0.0000", 0'-9.7559"
hotspot2 0'-9.4771", 0'-9.7559"
hotspot2 0'-9.4771", 0'-0.0000"
define style{2} "AC_STYLE_1" "Arial", 9'-0.3368", 0

paragraph "AC_PRG_26" 1, 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 0'-0.0000", 3'-3.3701"
pen penAttribute_3
set style "AC_STYLE_1"
"D"
endparagraph
textblock "AC_TEXTBLOCK_26" 0'-0.0000", 1, 0'-0.0000", 3'-3.3701", 3'-3.3701", 3'-3.3701",
"AC_PRG_26"
richtext2 0'-2.3864", 0'-8.5857", "AC_TEXTBLOCK_26"

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 08:35:27 GMT

Hello,

Did you save the object with the center of
it in the origo, not the lower left corner?

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:09:08 GMT

Juha wrote:
Hello,

Did you save the object with the center of
it in the origo, not the lower left corner?

Hi Juha
Not then, but now I have.
Did not seem to change anything.
I noticed that if I shortened the 4 lines leading out from circle then the connection point would follow to the effective intersection.....
So, by having the 4 lines inside the box is better but still elect lines are only going closer to the lower left of box no matter how I place the light, unlike AC's lights which have connection points at the center.
I tried a version where there was only one hotspot at the center of my object and centered on the origin, which did not help.
So somehow there is something different about a factory AC light and my
AC generated "D" light.
Certainly much more usable now, but still curious why not to the center
hotspot when there was only that one.
Thanks for all the help All.

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 18:21:30 GMT

Close up view.

Re: Light object

David Maudlin — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:26:03 GMT

lec:

If the wires are generated by the Cadimage Add-On, then you will need to contact them or look into the scripts of their objects to see how this is handled.

David

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 13:53:13 GMT

David wrote:
lec:

If the wires are generated by the Cadimage Add-On, then you will need to contact them or look into the scripts of their objects to see how this is handled.

David

Hi David
Thanks for the response.
I do plan to inquire at C.I. today, but the light objects that connect properly are stock AC's, not Caddimage's so I'm betting it's got to be something in the way stock AC lights are coded vs the one I had AC Save Selection as... Object... subtype light, which don't.
I'll post back C.I.'s take on it.

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:52:55 GMT

Here's the solution sent to me by Andrew Watson from Cadimage, which worked perfectly.
I just want to say how nice this new Electrical tool from Cadimage works not only with the stock AC lights, but now also with the simple 2D ones that AC can make on the fly, and made even better with the simple modification below.

"The wiring symbol will link to the origin of your object's 2D symbol.
You can visually see where this is by adding the following code at the start of your 2D script:
hotspot2 0, 0
circle2 0, 0, 0.1
This will draw a circle of radius 0.1m at the origin of the object.
You will see that the circuit wiring links directly to the center of this circle.
When you create your light objects, be sure to make them centered on the origin.
To move your current symbol to the origin:
1. Measure the distance between the object's origin (the center of the 1m circle) and the symbol center = x, y. Write these values on the back of an envelope.
2. Remove the code you entered above (i.e. hotspot2 0, 0 ... circle2 0, 0, 0.1)
3. Add the following code at the start of your 2D script:
add2 -x, -y
where in place of x and y you should enter the values you measured in step 1."

Re: Light object

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 01:59:29 GMT

And here is an update (simplification) from Andrew.

"It looks like things may have changed a little in the way ArchiCAD creates objects.

Previously, saving the object from the origin as you were advised to do, would have worked fine. Now (ArchiCAD 16) all objects made in this way are set up so their origin is at the front, left corner of their bounding box.

My guess is that it is related to the new Morph function, where Graphisoft wants it to be as easy as possible for people to create morphs from any location in the project. It would be a pain for people to have to drag their morphs to the origin before they could save them as objects.

A better solution would have been to allow people to select the object origin with a mouse click.

This is all a bit of a pain, but after doing some tests here it looks like it might be easier than I thought to fix.

First, you should definitely construct the object pieces on the project origin, then save as an object/lamp or whatever.

When you open the object, the first few lines of script seem to be the key. You'll see one line that starts with the command 'mul2'. Leave that one as it is. The next line though will start with the command 'add2'. Comment this one out (type a '!' at the start of the line), and that should directly fix the problem without having to do any measurements.

I hope this helps."

It did.
Worked perfectly.
Thank you Andrew/
Cadimage for such prompt help, especially beyond regular tech support!!
http://www.cadimage.com/Products/Tools/Electrical