Format Wizard Layout Name List

[poco2013]

These questions may have been asked before but I could not follow their threads and find the answer, so pardon me if I ask again;

1. Can a external list template file be edited within the Format Wizard?

2. Can a external list template file be made available for selection within the Wizard Layout Name box? Presently any created new file will disappear after Archicad closes.

3. Does anyone have any documentation or a link to documentation for the list template language so that one can understand how to edit them offline?

[David Maudlin]

poco2013 wrote:
3. Does anyone have any documentation or a link to documentation for the list template language so that one can understand how to edit them offline?

I am not sure this is what you are looking for, it is a guide to the List Template Format, it is almost 20 years old.

David

[poco2013]

yes -- Thank You

That is one of the documents that I did find, the other was a old seminar which only covered the obvious. The template format helps but its example is very confusing as to how it handles levels?

In any event I'm guessing that the the answer to my questions 1 & 2 is: NO. Which makes this feature unusable in my mind. I understand the necessity of not breaking existing projects inadvertently but there are safeguard methods to prevent that.

ONE MORE QUESTION:

Does any know how to insert a picture (associated library symbol) into a formatted list using the Format Wizard? Graphisoft completely ignores this topic. The so called example in the cal list tells me nothing as to why their selections are being made or what their affect may be? A posted Youtube video would be the "dilly- dilly". My efforts to date have been hit and miss. -- meaning I really don't understand it?

IAE: Thanks

[Karl Ottenstein]

poco2013 wrote:
Does any know how to insert a picture (associated library symbol) into a formatted list using the Format Wizard? Graphisoft completely ignores this topic. The so called example in the cal list tells me nothing as to why their selections are being made or what their affect may be? A posted Youtube video would be the "dilly- dilly". My efforts to date have been hit and miss. -- meaning I really don't understand it?

Graphisoft has not updated any of the documentation related to the Format Wizard / List Schemes / property scripts / etc in about 20 years. Very few have ever figured it out in a way to be productive and generate attractive reports.

The only source that has ever provided much detail is a 2007 book by Eric Wilk in English and French - "ArchiCAD from CAD to Quantity Survey" published by his company, FC-Cadlink. It doesn't appear to be in print any longer.

[poco2013]

Thanks Guys I appreciate the responses. Eric's book was one in which i was also already aware -- It is still available but only in French and I don't speak French.

I was able to reverse Eng some more features and I believe this product has some merits. The real problem is the total lack of meaningful documentation. I did note some annoying bugs but since this product has been deprecated, there's little change of those being fixed. Hopefully Graphisoft will enhance the Schedules to include user custom components (not the same as skins) which should satisfy most applications.

ITMT -- i did somewhat figure out the pictures 'thing'. It seems their only brought in at the zero/zero point and you have format fields around that -- dumb?

Until we get better documentation and the limitations are fixed, I agree with most of the previous comments that this feature isn't worth the effort?

[Anonymous]

Ok some tips that might help people interested in lists and graphisoft keep the old system.

tip1: apply a property object to an element and select it while you are designing your form in format wizard so you can see preview of your form.

tip2: in format wizard, in content tab. If you use records to list one by one then you will get the same component for as many elements the property object it is applied. so if you have two walls with the same component it will be listed two times.(this is useful for per element estimation, use with element ID)
If you want to get the classic estimate that will give you all concrete for example for the whole project, then use totals (the second category)

tip3: component name and keyname can hold up to 127 characters, whereas descriptor name can be as long as a whole page.

tip4:if you want to display images write the keyword DRAWING in the property script of the property object

tip5:define header's column widths ONLY then go to fields tab and in drop down "parameter & record" select each parameter and APPLY HEADER FORMAT this way you will define a table. Then go back to header and put texts and borders.Now do the same for first page header (apply heder format).

tip6: now that you defined the table you can add more lines in the header over the column names. There you can put your offices information or project info

tip7: The same way you can add lines over the header, you can do it under the grand total. So for example add another line to calculate VAT, or OP then add again to get the final total. Under this you still can add lines for extra info.

Hope this helps