Calculation Unit Struggles

[vfrontiers]

So we finally get access to some information from our model thru the AUTO TEXT function of the label tool...

Here's my dilemma..

1.  Autotext is governed by the CALCULATION UNITS set up

2. I have a label that finds the diagonal measurement of a TV (sadly, I cannot just query an object PARAMETER, so I have to do some Pythagorean math to get it.... but that's a different topic)...

3. I also have a REFLECTED ceiling plan that uses labels to extract the ceiling heights... 

4. So I carefully go the CALCULATION UNITS and set to FRACTIONAL INCHES for my TV's

    -  I save CURRENT WINDOW as my view

    -  All looks good

5. Then i carefully go to Calc units and set to FEET AND FRACTIONAL INCHES for my Ceiling Plan

    -  I save using CURRENT WINDOW settings and all looks good

6.  I click on the original Floor Plan and all my TV Tags are in feet and fractional inches... UGH...

7.  If I change the system back to FRACTIONAL INCHES, you guessed it... my Ceilings turn to fractional inches.

So clearly, the CALC UNIT setting is NOT being saved by the VIEW MAP....

This is then completely useless!

I had previously done a bunch of GDL Scripting where I can FORCE the unit of display for each piece of text...  I guess I'll have to do that again...

Also, some periphery questions.

A.  Is it possible to "script" units into PROPERTIES?

      Seems like this could be a solution to have access to any unit at any time in the same plan..

      But i'm a PROPERTY ROOKIE and don't know my way around there.

B.  Can properties be linked to a specific PARAMETER inside an Object?

      There's a perfectly good DIAGONAL DIMENSION in the TV object, but I can't extract that into a label

       (Without gdl)...

Any insight would be welcome!

[Barry Kelly]

A. Yes, properties can have their own units specified.

An example can be seen here in the second example shown.

https://help.graphisoft.com/AC/25/INT/index.htm?rhcsh=1&rhnewwnd=0&rhmapid=#t=_AC25_Help%2F045_Prope...

It is metric, although you can also set imperial units.

B. Unfortunately properties and expression in properties can not access parameters in objects.

Just the main parameters such as object length, width and height - not the actual parameters defined in the object parameter list.

Barry.

[vfrontiers]

Again Archicad gets me half way there... or even 90%... but either one = useless... waiting for Archicad 57....

[vfrontiers]

I suppose I should say HAPPILY WAITING... 

Overall, Archicad is still the best thing going!

[vfrontiers]

So, Barry, Thanks for responding, but the example does NOT clue me into how to force Feet and Fractional inches onto an Expression... I've dived into you tube for help, but nothing quite gets me what I want...  

I'd like a PROPERTY to FORCE the expression into ffi for my Ceiling plan... Then have a different property to FORCE an expression for my diagonal of TV to FRACTION INCHES.  I'd like them BOTH to appear in the same drawing...

If you can show me exactly how this is done, I'd appreciate it.

I've tried to use the STRING definitions in a property, but the editor does not like my syntax... So in effect, I'm trying to change the HEIGHTS to STRINGS only to get the desired units displayed....

Anyway... I can't seem to get there on my own... 

[vfrontiers]

Maybe you meant EXAMPLE 3?... walking thru that now

[Barry Kelly]

No, I was thinking example 2.

But then I just read this, which is probably something you don't want to hear.

Your function can be run using any of the units listed here. (However, the calculated property value will be shown on the ARCHICAD interface according to the Calculation Units in effect).

When I get a few moments to play around, I will try to have a look.

Being metric, it is not really a problem I have ever had to deal with.

Barry.

[vfrontiers]

Thanks Barry!

BTW, my government told me we were going to switch to metric... when was that... oh yeah ... the 1970's!

I have a feeling that I'll be MAKING my own tag (GDL) for the TV that forces the units... I will still have SCHEDULES that need to show BOTH in the same set of plans, so I'll likely also have to HACK the TV's with a STR representation of the diagonal...

While I'm on my soapbox... I am going to go back to a request from 20+ years ago...  Allow us to DEFINE the units PER STRING in dimensions (yes, I still want Feet & Fractional Inches in a dimension alongside a Fractional Inches dimension (interior elevations)...  It would be more of an ATTRIBUTE of each dimension string (or dimension text)...

[Barry Kelly]

I had a little play with this.
I am not sure how easy this will be to understand and it still may not be what you need if you need fractional feet and inches.
Seems to all work fine for decimal feet and inches.

The ‘units’ in the expressions are not for the output of the final figure.
It is just so that you can, for example, subtract 2 inches from your initial length that might be in feet (or whatever your calculation units are set to).
(Length of Reference Line - 2 in) … will deduct 2 inches from the length of your wall no matter what the calculation units are set to.
The result will be in given in what ever your calculation units are.
So if your calculation units are ‘decimal feet’ and your wall is 4 feet long, you will get a result of 3.8333 feet (3.8333’).

The output will always be in the calculation units as set in project preferences.
The only way I can see to convert units is to manually calculate it.
You need to change the data type to ‘Number’ – otherwise leaving it as a ‘Length’ you can only use the calculation units as they are set in the project preferences.
So regardless of you calculation units, to convert to inches it would be something like … (Length of Reference Line / 1 in )
The length divided by 1 inch will effectively convert from inches to a number
That is fine for decimal inches.
If you want to go to fractional inches I assume you need to capture the decimal component and do some more conversion calculations – possibly in another parameter and then combine the parameter and I think you will have to change to ‘String’ data type somewhere along the way as well.
It can’t remain as a number as that has to be decimal.
Which also means as a string, you can schedule it but you can never add a total.
With the decimal numbers you should still be able to get a total if you need it.

Barry.