Is there a updated List guide?

[Anonymous]

I have been looking for the last two days for an updated List manual.
The help menu is no help whatsoever, and I need to understand how to format a simple element list.
My need is NOT about components, but rather on how to design a list with more than one line per element, probably through the format wizard.
Thank you.

[David Maudlin]

Miguel:

I don't know exactly what you need, but you can check this thread:
Editing an existing List Scheme Template - HOW?

HTH

David

[Anonymous]

Hi David and thank you for the link.

Rick Thompson's link of the excelent Duane Valencia's PDF, although a bit outdated, is a good basis for exploring the Format Assistant.
http://www.thompsonplans.com/files/TappingCalcMenu.pdf

Still it bothers me that GS does not produce any documentation on this.

[Anonymous]

So there's no other documentation on list scedules but that Calculation guide? We've been using plain text lists and Filemaker for ages so I thought it would be about time to try out if AC could do it more effectively - and to get rid of FileMaker.
This is quite disturbing: Yes IS are easy to use and so on, but when it comes to making your own lists with bit complexier grouping and using data from your own gdl-objects it just impossible as I've understood it.
List Schemes with graphic templates seem to be able to do what I want, but the UI of Format Assistant is just beyond words…

[Anonymous]

There's also Eric Wilk's book. I have found that the most comprehensive guide.

As I understand it the current quantity functions are unchanged from the major rewrite done back in the mid nineties. I remember being in a room in Oak Park with a bunch of the other top AC users for its introduction. Even after a full morning of explanations by the guys who created it we were still scratching our heads.

I have also heard that those guys are no longer at GS and there may be nobody around who understands the old, arcane stuff. This would explain the lack of improved or updated docs.

This is something long overdue for a major overhaul.

[Anonymous]

Right… this is really confusing. Making lists of, say, doors and windows is essential part of my work but for some reason tools for that in AC are terrible.
It's just plain stupid that you need to use other apps like File Maker for making layouts for AC data. Yes, Interactive Schedule is way easier to use, but you can make only really simple groupings with that.

So I'll still try to learn to make my layouts with AC list schemes:
If I start to build my own graphic list scheme and save it by uncheking "include in list scheme" how can I edit it later? I can load the .txt into library but if I try to edit it with "start format wizard" I get only the default lists listed.
Please don't tell me that you have to finish your list setup at once and you cannot edit them later on.

[David Maudlin]

MudShark wrote:
Please don't tell me that you have to finish your list setup at once and you cannot edit them later on.

It has been a long time since I used List Schemes (and wrote my own), but the basic list schemes (I had one for doors, another for windows, a third for objects) were part of the loaded libraries, then saved and customized (Story, Layer, etc criteria) for each project within the Set Up List Schemes dialog box. The basic list schemes were edited with a text editor, and could be re-edited this way.

David

[Karl Ottenstein]

MudShark wrote:
Right… this is really confusing...

As someone else pointed out - the List Schemes / Database / etc have not been changed at all since the year 2000 (or 1999?) when they were last revised. The only documentation on their use is the Eric Wilk book - so if Lists are essential to what you're doing, purchasing the book is really the only advise I can think of.

Edit: corrected spelling of Eric

[Laura Yanoviak]

There is the AC Calculation Guide available from the Help menu. This has been updated somewhat, although all of the screenshots are clearly out-of-date. I've found Duane Valencia's "Tapping the Power of The Calculate Menu" PDF very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Hi guys, I've been reading through this topic, and since there hasn't been any easier way to create dynamic database and customizable list that can be easily created or tweaked directly inside AC 17 without tinkering with the whole scripting things, can anybody here point me out how to do that with filemaker?

I'm thinking of using filemaker, because although it's outside the AC environment, it looks easier to use because it's more graphical rather than real scripting work.

Thanks in advance

John.