I'm trying to study ArchiCAD API & GDL. Is there a free license?

[LeeJaeYoung]

I'm trying to study ArchiCAD API & GDL.
Is there a free license?
I think it will take about 1 to 2 years.
I think you need to study at least that much to use it in practice.

[Karl Ottenstein]

This is a Developer Forum topic, so I am moving it.  Note that there are separate forums for GDL and the API if you do jump into this and have questions on either.

Free license for Archicad itself?  No.

Free use of API and GDL:  "yes".  With GDL, it is part of every version of Archicad.  With the API, anyone can freely develop plug-ins using the API devkit that will only work with Archicad running in Demo Mode.

GDL, similar to the ancient Basic language, is easy to learn... and you can open the code of any library part to see it as part of the learning process.

API coding requires solid C++ programming skills to create a robust plug-in that does what it is intended to do and nothing more (e.g., by erroneous data access actually destroying some model data).  Learning C++ is something for any of the various online learning sites.

[Barry Kelly]

In addition to what Karl said, you can register as a developer and you will be able to create add-ons that work with the full commercial version.

You can also (optionally) purchase a developers license if you want direct support (not just this forum).

Barry.

[LeeJaeYoung]

It seems like you can't save GDL in the demo version.
How can I study GDL?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Please post GDL questions in the GDL forum.... This thread is in the API forum.

The quick answer is that you can study existing library objects in the Demo version, and can create your own - knowing that you cannot save them, so you would just have to play with trivial things.  I'm confused though... from your many posts over the past year, I thought you had a licensed version?

[Lingwisyer]

Might it be possible to use the XML to GDL converter, or similar compiler, without a licence? In that way you could code and compile externally then load it into a DEMO. Far from ideal, and if you do not quite know what you are doing, extremely clunky...

[LeeJaeYoung]

I think I saw somewhere that coding is possible with visual code, but I can't find it.
Did I misunderstand something else?

[Barry Kelly]

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@LeeJaeYoung wrote:

I think I saw somewhere that coding is possible with visual code, but I can't find it.
Did I misunderstand something else?

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Does this answer your question?

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Archicad-C-API/Using-the-Development-Kit-with-Visual-Studio-2022...

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Developer-Insights/How-To-Get-Started-Using-the-Development-Kit-...

I have no idea how it all works.

I am sure you would have seen this?

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Developer-Insights/Getting-started-with-Archicad-Add-Ons/ba-p/39...

Barry.

[Lingwisyer]

I do believe someone wrote an extension for GDL in VSCode, but I believe it was only highlighting and completion, so you would still need to manually compile.

https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=GRAPHISOFT.gdl