topic Re: MACROS in Libraries & objects

MACROS

Conrado Dominguez — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:04:15 GMT

I created several Library parts and save them as Macros.

With the use of these Macros, I placed them in my drawing, related to each other (heigth,layer,etc) and then created a New Library part.

To avoid the clutter of .gsm files in this particular folder, I created a sub-folder, where I moved the Macros.

Later, when I try to place the Library Part (the one with the combined Macros) I received the messages that the Macros could not be found.
My question is: Once the Macros are combined for further use,do they have to remain in the same place? How does a CALL function in the Library Part Script, points to the location of a given Macro?

I hope this is clear enough to get some help here.

Conrado Dominguez

Re: MACROS

Anonymous — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 20:41:46 GMT

Obvious question, but did you reload the libraries after you moved stuff?

Re: MACROS

Conrado Dominguez — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:16:23 GMT

Your obvious question was not so obvious to me.
Reloading is the answer.

Thanks

Re: MACROS

Karl Ottenstein — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:24:20 GMT

Hi Conrado,

As Peter notes, you must reload your libraries after moving things around.

Many macros are not intended to be placed directly. If that is the case with your macros, do note the checkbox for 'Placeable' shown in the attached screenshot. If that checkbox is cleared, your macro will not be visible to select in any of the object settings dialogs, thus reducing clutter in the user interface.

Regards,
Karl

Re: MACROS

Conrado Dominguez — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 01:13:09 GMT

Hello Karl,
Good to hear from you.

Now that you clarify what the "Placeable"button is, can you explain what is the otherone"Template" for?

Conrado

Re: MACROS

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:15:23 GMT

Conrado wrote:
Now that you clarify what the "Placeable"button is, can you explain what is the otherone"Template" for?

'Template' lets you create your own named entries in the subtype hierarchy ... thus letting you choose your entry from the subtype hierarchy ("Select Subtype" button) which in turn would populate any new object based on your template with all of your template's parameters. This assures that a family of library parts will have all similar parameters identically specified...which simplifies work, guarantees that called 'family' macros will get parameters with the right names (no typos), and guarantees that the parts can be scheduled properly (all corresponding parameters guaranteed to have the same internal name).

Regards,
Karl

Re: MACROS

David Maudlin — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 13:35:16 GMT

Karl wrote:
This assures that a family of library parts will have all similar parameters identically specified...which simplifies work, guarantees that called 'family' macros will get parameters with the right names (no typos), and guarantees that the parts can be scheduled properly (all corresponding parameters guaranteed to have the same internal name).

In addition to Karl's list, it also assures that parameter transfer between similar library parts will work, for example, when injecting parameters from one window to another window inside the Window dialog box.

David

Re: MACROS

vistasp — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:45:59 GMT

Thank you, Karl and David. This information on macro templates is extremely interesting. It's not documented in the Reference Guide, is it?

Great question, Conrado. I never even thought to ask.

Re: MACROS

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 19:23:35 GMT

vistasp wrote:
This information on macro templates is extremely interesting. It's not documented in the Reference Guide, is it?

No, it's not. Neither in the GDL guide nor the Reference guide. It used to be there in older versions. Currently, the printed or PDF guide for 12 and 11 tells the user to refer to the online Help for "GDL Master Window". Personally, this business of not having a single, central document (Help or PDF) with everything in it drives me crazy - how can you expect to teach people ArchiCAD with a bit of info here, a bit there, etc?

I talked about the checkboxes three years ago here:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=7502

Attached is a screenshot of the online Help file. Lots of info there, including the color-coding scheme used for parameters in the subtype hierarchy.

The extra info on usefulness that David (thanks!) and I mention, are not included there. Nor are there screenshots or illustrations. (The older manuals at least had screenshots of the GDL Editor (Master Window) explaining each graphic element.)

Cheers,
Karl

Re: MACROS

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:03:09 GMT

vistasp wrote:
Thank you, Karl and David. This information on macro templates is extremely interesting. It's not documented in the Reference Guide, is it?

Great question, Conrado. I never even thought to ask.

Vistasp, there is some documentation in Online Help, doing a search for GDL Master Window (a bit tricky).

In addition to Peter, Karl and David's excellent explanations, some info on parameter transfer (since AC9).
Object Editor > Parameters Window > Display > U button (fourth).

Unique toggle: if you switch this toggle on, this parameter will not accept parameter values from the default settings,
during a parameter transfer (CTRL-ALT-click [Win] / CMD-OPT-click [Mac]).
Interactive training guide, Creating GDL objects, chapter 6.

Unfortunately, this point is missing in the Online Help.

Re: MACROS

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 20:20:09 GMT

Sorry, I didn't read carefully the previous answer (Karl). I get tired.

Re: MACROS

Anonymous — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 22:43:31 GMT

Thank you Karl!

"Personally, this business of not having a single, central document (Help or PDF) with everything in it drives me crazy - how can you expect to teach people ArchiCAD with a bit of info here, a bit there, etc?"

After three partial yrs (design then build) of trying to learn this behemoth of a program, no wonder I'm still at such a entry level, even after personal trainers coming to my home/office, etc, etc, and this wonderful learning spot forum.

I've always done a fair amount of different technical reading and computer stuff and yet:
Just a few days after getting my 10 and manual, I knew it wasn't right.
For those who started when AC was much simpler or for the young drink-it all-up info sponges, (sponges in a positive way), it's one thing, or to work in a multi. person office with all encompassing support must be great. Or to have unlimited training funds, wow.

To be starting at this level, as a one man shop, (which I think many are), has been much more daunting for the price, that it should be
Again Thanks for recognizing and summarizing 3yrs of frustration.
Hopes this helps GS figure out a comprehensive solution.

Bier

Re: MACROS

Karl Ottenstein — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:45:27 GMT

Olivier wrote:
Sorry, I didn't read carefully the previous answer (Karl). I get tired.

No problem, Olivier! 😉 We all do it. The important thing is that whether we repeat ourselves or not, we are all helping each other here.

Thank you for adding the explanation of the relatively new 'U' parameter tag!

Cheers,
Karl

Re: MACROS

Erich — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 00:12:40 GMT

Olivier wrote:
Unique toggle: if you switch this toggle on, this parameter will not accept parameter values from the default settings,
during a parameter transfer (CTRL-ALT-click [Win] / CMD-OPT-click [Mac]).
Interactive training guide, Creating GDL objects, chapter 6.

Unfortunately, this point is missing in the Online Help.

Oliver, Thanks for that piece of information. I have been wondering and searching for the function of the "U" button for awhile now and could not find it. This helps ever so much.

Re: MACROS

vistasp — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:32:46 GMT

Karl wrote:
Personally, this business of not having a single, central document (Help or PDF) with everything in it drives me crazy - how can you expect to teach people ArchiCAD with a bit of info here, a bit there, etc?

Is there a wish for this we can vote on? I searched but didn't find one.

Re: MACROS

Karl Ottenstein — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 03:42:48 GMT

Yes, the "U" button seems to have slipped off of the documentation team's radar.

When it was introduced, our beta documents made a note of it, but I cannot find a reference to it anywhere at the moment. I cannot remember if it was introduced in 10 or earlier.

Worse, the 12 Help file is still not updated... referring to three buttons vs the actual four. Of course, U is not format-related, so perhaps that paragraph is OK ... they just forgot to add the sentence to explain the U.

Cheers,
Karl

Re: MACROS

Anonymous — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 20:43:03 GMT

Karl wrote:
Yes, the "U" button seems to have slipped off of the documentation team's radar.

When it was introduced, our beta documents made a note of it, but I cannot find a reference to it anywhere at the moment. I cannot remember if it was introduced in 10 or earlier.

Worse, the 12 Help file is still not updated... referring to three buttons vs the actual four. Of course, U is not format-related, so perhaps that paragraph is OK ... they just forgot to add the sentence to explain the U.

Cheers,
Karl

Karl,

The unique toggle feature was introduced in AC9.
Doing a search on Online Help, I was surprised, like you, to don't find it.

What is the interest to add new features, if they are undocumented?

Oh ... please, Karl, since you are GS moderator, and sorry for the extra work,
could you remind them about new status code 128 for TUBE? STILL not documented. 😉

Cheers,
Olivier

Re: MACROS

James Murray — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:01:22 GMT

Olivier wrote:
new status code 128 for TUBE?

OK I'm curious.

Re: MACROS

Anonymous — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:32:54 GMT

James wrote:
Olivier wrote:
new status code 128 for TUBE?
OK I'm curious.

James,

It refers to this thread. Three month ago.
Open the curved ramp 12 object, you will understand.
A good improvement, but some documentation would not hurt.

I get heavy ... I know.

Re: MACROS

ztaskai — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:05:50 GMT

Thanks for the reminder. The 128 mask bit description is available in the on-line GDL manual: http://www.graphisoft.com/ftp/gdl/manual/12

It will be there in the AC13 version, too.

Regards,
Zsolt