Listing Property object components

[Anonymous]

Hi

I would like to list the components of a property object that are linked to a database eg: (DB set, Key, Code, Name etc).
Is this possible? Idealy i'd like to export them into excell but if i could list them in any form this would be useful.

Essentially i'm trying to find which property objects use database items with a custom measurement. I can then determine if the
"Proportional with (Custom):"
text field at the top has an error in the formula. I will do this by comparing similar items and checking they contain the same formula.

Any ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks
Kieran

[Anonymous]

Hi Kieran,

You could try to create a SQL query...

Do a simple search for "SQL" here in the forum or the AC manual...

I think it can do the job.

HTH.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the idea.

Unfortunately I can't access the data I need through using SQL. For example SLABS.COMPONENTS has the reference unit but doesn't contain a field stating what this is proportional with. I am trying to access what is saved in the text field at the top of the property object box.
So for example 'WALL_AREA*0.55'
Which is used in 'Proportional with (Custom):'.

Do you think it is possible to get at this data? I am considering downloading the API Developement Kit to attempt to create an add on that could access this data and create a report, but I have not used the kit and I don't know if this would be possible or how difficult it would be.

Any thoughts appreciated.
Kieran

[Anonymous]

You might try going through ArchiFM which has a fairly accessible dtabase, and using MS SQL Server Management Studio Express to look directly into its tables. I found htis helpful, although I did not psecifically look for Property Object data when I did this.

Have you looked at ArchiQuant?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Kieran wrote:
I would like to list the components of a property object that are linked to a database eg: (DB set, Key, Code, Name etc).
Is this possible? Idealy i'd like to export them into excell but if i could list them in any form this would be useful.

Essentially i'm trying to find which property objects use database items with a custom measurement. I can then determine if the
"Proportional with (Custom):"
text field at the top has an error in the formula. I will do this by comparing similar items and checking they contain the same formula.

Are your property objects linking to the components purely through the "Components" interface (GUI)? Or, have you also programmed linkages into your Property Script?

Karl

[Anonymous]

Hi Karl

We are simply added them through 'components' in the GUI by clicking 'new' and then 'link to DB item'. We don't have anything in the property script.

Kieran

[Karl Ottenstein]

Hi Kiernan,

The only way I know of to view and check that information is a little tedious - but a script can automat parts of the process.

On the Developer pages of the GS web site, you can download the XML converter tool which converts GDL objects into XML formatted text. The XML can be opened in Excel and you can search for the 'custom' entries there. Download the Library Developer Kit here:
http://www.graphisoft.com/support/developer/downloads/index.html

Part of the trick is that the property data is part of a database scheme, and so while you see text entries such as 'Custom' in the GDL editor, you will see values in the actual xml - a zero in the case of 'custom'.

Here is the XML equivalent to four component items in a test object I created. You'll notice the <prop_with> values - which I'd have to look at the source to see if that was volume, length, etc ... but I left the second item at Custom - which shows up as zero (0) here.

<CompDef NumComps="4" SubIdent="0" SectVersion="3" SectionFlags="0">
	<CompRec>
		<Code><![CDATA["300-01000"]]></Code>
		<Name><![CDATA["concrete"]]></Name>
		<Quantity>1</Quantity>
		<Measure><![CDATA[""]]></Measure>
		<Keycode><![CDATA["CSI.03"]]></Keycode>
		<Unitcode><![CDATA[""]]></Unitcode>
		<DBSetname><![CDATA["AC_12_US"]]></DBSetname>
		<Prop_with>4</Prop_with>
		<Reference>yes</Reference>
		<Prop_expr><![CDATA[""]]></Prop_expr>
	</CompRec>
	<CompRec>
		<Code><![CDATA["f001"]]></Code>
		<Name><![CDATA["Anchor bolts"]]></Name>
		<Quantity>0</Quantity>
		<Measure><![CDATA[""]]></Measure>
		<Keycode><![CDATA["CSI.03"]]></Keycode>
		<Unitcode><![CDATA["1"]]></Unitcode>
		<DBSetname><![CDATA["AC_12_US"]]></DBSetname>
		<Prop_with>0</Prop_with>
		<Reference>no</Reference>
		<Prop_expr><![CDATA[""]]></Prop_expr>
	</CompRec>
	<CompRec>
		<Code><![CDATA["200-00000"]]></Code>
		<Name><![CDATA["Rebar #5"]]></Name>
		<Quantity>0</Quantity>
		<Measure><![CDATA[""]]></Measure>
		<Keycode><![CDATA["CSI.03"]]></Keycode>
		<Unitcode><![CDATA["3"]]></Unitcode>
		<DBSetname><![CDATA["AC_12_US"]]></DBSetname>
		<Prop_with>1</Prop_with>
		<Reference>yes</Reference>
		<Prop_expr><![CDATA[""]]></Prop_expr>
	</CompRec>
	<CompRec>
		<Code><![CDATA["05102"]]></Code>
		<Name><![CDATA[""]]></Name>
		<Quantity>0</Quantity>
		<Measure><![CDATA[""]]></Measure>
		<Keycode><![CDATA["E-WF.07"]]></Keycode>
		<Unitcode><![CDATA[""]]></Unitcode>
		<DBSetname><![CDATA["AC_12_US"]]></DBSetname>
		<Prop_with>3</Prop_with>
		<Reference>yes</Reference>
		<Prop_expr><![CDATA[""]]></Prop_expr>
	</CompRec>
</CompDef>

Excel on Windows (but not Excell 2004 on Mac - perhaps Excel 2008 on Mac will do it) can open XML files. Attached is a screenshot of a few of the columns generated from the above.

You could link the Excel files to Access for more complex queries / reporting.

Not really sure what you're after still, but hope this helps a little?

Cheers,
Karl

[Karl Ottenstein]

Kieran wrote:
I am considering downloading the API Developement Kit to attempt to create an add on that could access this data and create a report, but I have not used the kit and I don't know if this would be possible or how difficult it would be.

If you look at this option, start a new thread in the Developer forum. (From a quick look at the documentation just now, I found where you can retrieve the computed components for an element (not what you want), and where you can retrieve the script for any section of a GDL object - but it was not immediately clear how the component data would be retrieved.)

Cheers,
Karl

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the replies. We have decied to put this 'on the back burner' for now as it looks difficult if not impossible to get the info from the text box.

Thanks again to every one who has posted.
Kieran