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Archicad C++ API
About Archicad add-on development using the C++ API.

Getting PolyCount data to another program

Sam Karli
Enthusiast

I'm about to write a sort of a project health checker script/addon that keeps track of basic project info like filesize, number of elements, number of SEO operations and similar. I'm asked to extract polygon count of the project that the Archicad has an addon for.

By (C++ API) documentation it is stated that one can communicate with Addons, so there is a theoretcial possibility of communicating with PolyCount if it's written to do so and, for example, I know its MDID.

Is there a possibility to do so?

Or, alternatively, is there a way (API function) to get the polycount of an element (wall, libpart, whatever)? (I mean something that will end the same polycount as the factory PolyCount addon gives back; reproducing its functionality).

 

Is there a way to get these counts programmatically?

 

I think now I can program Archicad in every possible way (C++, Python, whatever), so we can assume that there are no such limitations.

GDL/Python/C++ dev
3 REPLIES 3
DavorP
Enthusiast

Sign me up for beta testing! It's astonishing how little information BIM managers can get about the project out of a BIM software! And how many road blocks there are. Drawing manager can't export a report. No way to list model crippling SEO's. Polygon count tool exists, but again, no way to export results.

 

With polycount tool though - Archicad generates geometry based on a number of things. Model view options, layer interactions so depending on settings in those, polycount will be different.

I am currently looking for a way to do this outside Archicad, perhaps exporting to IFC and using another software to get element polycount along with an ID and merge the data afterwards. I've started using power BI to analyse a lot of data about the project. Attributes were one that works really well with power BI.

BIM manager

@DavorP wrote:

"Drawing manager can't export a report. No way to list model crippling SEO's. Polygon count tool exists, but again, no way to export results."

 

It depends on what you mean by "export the results".   You can print the Reports or any part of them you want.   And the Reports are automatically updated when you click on Refresh of the PolyCount tool.

You print out any or all of the Report with simple select-copy-paste as a text file.  The same way you would print Project Notes.  I usually paste it into a Windows Notepad.  Pasting first to Project Notes is also a convenient way to give it a time stamp.   Copy the time stamp and paste it in as the name of the note you save. 

 

That may not be what you were asking about.  ?  

 

You can also save reports as a View to help manage them for future reference. 


 

ArchiCAD 25 7000 USA - Windows 10 Pro 64x - Dell 7720 64 GB 2400MHz ECC - Xeon E3 1535M v6 4.20GHz - (2) 1TB M.2 PCIe Class 50 SSD's - 17.3" UHD IPS (3840x2160) - Nvidia Quadro P5000 16GB GDDR5 - Maxwell Studio/Render 5.2.1.49- Multilight 2 - Adobe Acrobat Pro - ArchiCAD 6 -25

DavorP
Enthusiast

@Steve Jepson Thanks!
Had no idea report would store info from the polycount tool. Nice one! An export button on the tool itself would be more intuitive way but hey, beggars can't be choosers. I mainly use reports to review geometry errors. Would be good to know what other info it can capture - will definitely keep a closer look from now on. 
Still on the lookout for SEO and Drawing manager info.

BIM manager
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