I'm glad to hear that there are plans for a 'getting started' tutorial. In the meantime, we now have this forum!
😉
I agree with Stefan that it is a challenge to get started, even though GS delivers many working sample add-ons with the SDK.
Let me try to summarize for newbies. (Writing an actual tutorial with screenshots will take more time than I have just now.) The API SDK samples compile just fine as downloaded, but will only run in the demo version of AC without inserting registered developer ID and add-on codes.
You can obtain a developer ID and authorization code at no charge by filling out the application on the page given by Akos:
http://www.graphisoft.com/support/developer/policy/index.html
Once you have your own ID, you can run the AddOnAdmin tool to generate an add-on ID and also get the decimal equivalent of your four-character Developer ID. For Windows users, the AddOnAdmin tool is by default in
Program Files\Graphisoft\API Development Kit 5\Support\Tools\Win\AddOn Management
Click Create a New Addon to generate a new ID. Select the first line of the database tree (shows your Dev ID), click Save Database As, and choose *.h as the file type. Personally I don't use the names in that file, but grab the numbers.
[NOTE: Keep these numbers to yourself.]
You can only create 256 (I think?) add-on ID's from your single Developer ID. The pairing of DevID/Add-on ID uniquely identifies an add-on and AC will only load one add-on with that pairing. Of course, it also uniquely identifies your add-ons to Graphisoft should a user ever have a problem because of one.
I suggest just generating a single add-on ID and using that one for all of your exploration of the samples and your first real add-on just so you don't have to manage the extra ID's. Up to you!
Take the two numbers that were generated in the *.h file and copy them into the *.grc file (Graphisoft Resource Compiler) for the Example add-on which can be found in the sample's RFIX folder. Part of the *.grc file for the "Goodie_Functions" example add-on reads:
@ #include "MDIDs_APICD.h"
'MDID' 32500 "Add-On Identifier" {
MDID_APICD
MDID_APICD_GoodieFunctions
}
The ID's for the MDID are coming from the MDIDs_APICD.h file. For quick and dirty testing, ignore that file and edit things to read
'MDID' 32500 "Add-On Identifier" {
MyDevID
MyAddonID
}
where MyDevID and MyAddonID are the two numbers you copied from the AddOnAdmin *.h output. Alternatively (the proper way), edit the MDIDs_APICD.h file that can be found in
\Program Files\Graphisoft\API Development Kit 5\Support\Inc
and substitute your developer ID for the value of MDID_APICD, and edit the add-on ID's too.
Compile, and the add-on will work in the full version of AC. If you use the same AddonID for testing each example as I do, then of course you have to unload the previous one before you can load and test the next one.
Other ideas / corrections? Maybe we can do something prettier with screenshots later if there is demand...
Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 28 USA and earlier • macOS Sonoma 14.7.1, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
