Creative uses for property-based expressions?

[Richard Morrison]

Expressions within properties in AC22 are clearly a powerful feature, and as I watched the video from the Key Client Conference in Budapest, I was very impressed with the possibilities. However, I am finding very little information about creative ways that they MIGHT be used. Has anyone compiled a list of useful things you could do with them, or willing to share some useful things that they are currently using them for? It also seems like GS could compile some sample expressions for our use in various situations, as some of the more advanced functions are not intuitively obvious.

[poco2013]

Richard wrote:
....as some of the more advanced functions are not intuitively obvious.

That's because there aren't many advanced functions. Built in limitations, chiefly Archicad's decision to re-invent another language & the limited scope of this feature, confine usage to mostly single objects - wholly unrealistic.

However, for examples, you might look at the supplied expressions in Archicad's default template.However, some are wrong?
Usages include:
Calculation of materials within single objects like walls,slabs,etc., like #of bricks, ft of sheathing, nails, gals paint & sealing,floor &ceiling tiles, cost based on quantities within object -- whatever.
Elementary key notes scheme for small number major notes.
Use of a 'smart label' which can change content based on the object. This can be extended to object cals.
Code calculations for objects like ventilation requirements, occupancy ,lighting, parking spaces
User fields to display special advanced calculations as required by area analysis.
Calculation of FAR's for a single site zone and reduced area fills.


Take a look at the 7-8 videos by Archicad on Youtube, & the Archicad help topic on this subject. Generally very Good.
Other than that --- Don't expect much!!!!!

[Anonymous]

@Richard Morrison

Richard wrote:
Has anyone compiled a list of useful things you could do with them, or willing to share some useful things that they are currently using them for? It also seems like GS could compile some sample expressions for our use in various situations, as some of the more advanced functions are not intuitively obvious.

I agree! If anyone has worked examples of using expressions on projects please share.

[arg617]

I'd love to get one worked out for adding Occupant Load to a Zone Stamp, but can't figure it out at all

[Laszlo Nagy]

arg617,

How would that Occupant Load be calculated in your case?

[arg617]

I'd like a tag which looks like this:
http://8studio8.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/occupancy_tag-e1548211526101.png

I'd like to set up Occupancy Groups based on building code based on number of occupants per square foot. I'd like ArchiCAD to automatically calculate the occupant load based on the square footage of the zone.

I'm having a hard enough time trying to get my zone tag set up to even look like that

[Erwin Edel]

Our local subscription library (NL version, thanks Kubus!) allows you to show any expression in zone stamp. You can setup model view specific display options for a single zone.

So for example, I want to re-number zones. I can grab the zone number, convert it to numerical expression, add a value to that and show this custom expression instead of the zone number in a different view.

Useful little trick I could pull off recently. Before we would've had to have two sets of zones for this.



Basic calculation stuff: say you know the kg/m³ value of your building material, you can calculate the weight of elements. Recently been asked to design a boat suitable as house. Basic rule of Archimede, water of course is 1000 kg/m³, so I can calculate displacement of water and get a good estimate of the weight of the model.

So far as I can tell, you can pretty much do what you could do in Excel with formulas and there are some options to convert for numerical to textstring and back.

I suppose if you have some cost per element tables that you use for cost estimation, you could setup a lot of rules for this, however you would still miss out on things that shouldn't be modelled (unless you have time to spare), but should be calculated and things like on site costs (toilets, cranes, etc etc).

@arg617, occupant load per m² is part of NL subscription library, maybe push your reseller to offer more service in this regards. I see quite a few topics crop up about missing library parts / options that baffle me, since we have it available in NL and then when I check the part, it has been supplied by our reseller as part of their subscription library.

Come to think of it, we can also combine text strings in the zone stamps. You would also be able to make a custom property to combine this information as needed in to single strings for schedules / zone stamp usage (provided your zone stamp allows you to show properties).