topic Re: Help making basic editable Library Item in Libraries & objects

Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:19:18 GMT

Im trying to make the below item a little better to use.

Basically its just a 2d image with text as a library item.. where the red # is I have left blank and I just drop text over the top of it in my plans
I was wondering if someone could show me or point me to a place I could see how I could add editable text to where the red # is so that I could edit it in objects setting box. And do away with the whole droping text boxes on top of it

Thanks

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

vistasp — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:41:36 GMT

A simple object like this is a great way to get your feet wet with GDL. For starters, you might like the "Introduction to Object Making" by David Nicholson Cole. That - and his "GDL Cookbook 4" can be downloaded from ArchiCad East.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

rocorona — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 09:05:41 GMT

What are the variables in the "##" text?
- You want it to be RED, as shown, or same color (and size and font) of the other text?
- Has it a fixed length (i.e. 2 digit) or can be any text?
What are your knowledge of GDL? did you script the basis object, or you just saved some plan element "as GDL"?

Strings in GDL can be combined simply with the "+" operator. If you create in your library part a text parameter called "texty", for example:

ystring = 'Y-' + texty + 'kN'
TEXT2 0,0, ystring

If the parameter has a value of "00" you will get Y-00kN

Hope this can be a good starting point for you.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

David Maudlin — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:59:27 GMT

GeNOS:

You can also look at some of he simpler 2D symbol objects in the ArchiCAD Library (for instance, in the US Library "Revision Indicator_NCS 12") to see an example of how this can be done.

David

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:07 GMT

vistasp wrote:
A simple object like this is a great way to get your feet wet with GDL. For starters, you might like the "Introduction to Object Making" by David Nicholson Cole. That - and his "GDL Cookbook 4" can be downloaded from ArchiCad East.

cheers for the link.. ill have a read through it

rocorona wrote:
What are the variables in the "##" text?
- You want it to be RED, as shown, or same color (and size and font) of the other text?
- Has it a fixed length (i.e. 2 digit) or can be any text?
What are your knowledge of GDL? did you script the basis object, or you just saved some plan element "as GDL"?

Strings in GDL can be combined simply with the "+" operator. If you create in your library part a text parameter called "texty", for example:
ystring = 'Y-' + texty + 'kN'
TEXT2 0,0, ystring
If the parameter has a value of "00" you will get Y-00kN

Hope this can be a good starting point for you.

the red part just needs to be a 2 or 3 digit number. its just a saved as GDL item from AC.

David wrote:
GeNOS:

You can also look at some of he simpler 2D symbol objects in the ArchiCAD Library (for instance, in the US Library "Revision Indicator_NCS 12") to see an example of how this can be done.

David

i tryed looking at a few, but all the ones i found were editable 3d objects and couldnt really tell what was what.. ill have another look for a editable 2d item.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:12:54 GMT

rocorona wrote:
What are the variables in the "##" text?
- You want it to be RED, as shown, or same color (and size and font) of the other text?
- Has it a fixed length (i.e. 2 digit) or can be any text?
What are your knowledge of GDL? did you script the basis object, or you just saved some plan element "as GDL"?

Strings in GDL can be combined simply with the "+" operator. If you create in your library part a text parameter called "texty", for example:
ystring = 'Y-' + texty + 'kN'
TEXT2 0,0, ystring
If the parameter has a value of "00" you will get Y-00kN

Hope this can be a good starting point for you.

because i just saved it form AC as a GDL object it wouldnt know that the black text was actually text tho.. correcT?

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:41:39 GMT

GeNOS wrote:
because i just saved it form AC as a GDL object it wouldnt know that the black text was actually text tho.. correcT?

No, AC would not treat it as normal text, as produced using the text tool.

What do you need to do with the text? If you just needed to change the ## text simply add a new 'texty' parameter in the parameter list of the object. This will then be available to edit when you open the object dialog box.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:24:13 GMT

yeha i tried that before i made this thread.
i just need teh ## to read a 2 or 3 digit number..
but adding a text feild to the parameters it just alows me to put a value in the objects setting box.. but i dunno how to getit to show up when i actually place the object.. iv got it placing some text but its about 30 meters away from where i place the object

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:37:52 GMT

There are probably a number of reasons why that could be happening. Did you move the 2d lines in ArchiCAD to the 0,0 point before saving as GDL? Have you put some add2 and rot2 commands to move the text to the right position? Have you previewed the part in the 2d symbol box?

If all else fails, post the object up and I'm sure someone will point you in the right direction!

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 01:48:43 GMT

ah ok.. probably wasnt on 0,0 when i saved it.. ill fix that up and a few other things and post it up.. ill have a bit more of a read of that cook book thingo aswell 1st..

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:44:36 GMT

these what i have.. iv played for ages and dunno how to get the text in the right spot and or rotate it 90°

also im guessing i need to remove the original text from the item?
i noticed in the script it sees the orginal text there.. am i able to just get my net values to link in with them?
i can get teh "texty" text feild in the right spot between the original text but i cant edit it

edit....... i just tryed to attach it but wont let me.. how can i post the item up on the forum?

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Barry Kelly — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:51:12 GMT

GeNOS wrote:
edit....... i just tryed to attach it but wont let me.. how can i post the item up on the forum?

ZIP the object file.
ZIP files are allowed if they are not to big - which it shouldn't be.
Barry.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Barry Kelly — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:08:33 GMT

In the 2D script I am guessing there will be a line saying something like ..... TEXT2 0, 0, "X- kn"
and another for .....TEXT2 0, 0, "Y- kn"

The 0, 0 part may actually be co-ordinates for the text location.

If you have created "Textx" and "Texty" parameters (as text parameters) then you can alter the above lines to .....

TEXT2 0, 0, "X-" + Textx + "kn"

and

TEXT2 0, 0, "Y-" + Texty + "kn"

Now as you change the text parameter the object should display the value.

If you have set up the new parameters as numbers instead of text then the parameter will need to be converted to a text value before they can be linked together as above.
Or you can just add a new text command for just the number if you can work out the location.

It will be much easier to show you if you can post the object or copy and paste the 2D script.

Barry.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

rocorona — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:34:14 GMT

Here is a quick release of the object. The script is very tidy and you can really try to learn something reading it, and do changes to suit your needing.

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:16:31 GMT

Barry wrote:

TEXT2 0, 0, "X-" + Textx + "kn"

and

TEXT2 0, 0, "Y-" + Texty + "kn"

Barry.

i tryed this but couldnt get it to edit the text. objiously somethign ive done wronge.. just couldnt work out what... ill post mine up

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 03:26:16 GMT

rocorona wrote:
Here is a quick release of the object. The script is very tidy and you can really try to learn something reading it, and do changes to suit your needing.

thank you heaps for this

looking at it and at mine (even tho mine is messy as hell) i think i see when my problem was.. i had the TEXT 0,0 part in the wrong spot which was stoping it from editing the actual text, even tho when i placed the object it had the "text_x" in the spot where i wanted the edited text to go..

thanks again, really appricate it.
Gene

Re: Help making basic editable Library Item

rocorona — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 07:32:46 GMT

Obviously the text can only be edited in the Object parameters, not in the plan symbol itself.

If X and Y values are, for example, real project coordinates, we can make them automatically updatable.