GDL: Maybe Im in the wrong place

[Aurasphere]

Maybe I was posting on the wrong board or something but where is the best place to get more advanced GDL help

eg I am trying reimplement some legacy quanities etc and the List layout text file no longer works for the listing component listing scheme.

I previously used 

FORMAT "#(TOTAL[7]):16.2 " to format output in the layout...now the output is simply 16.2 instead of the formatted value previously displayed...see pic below in (TOTAL[7])

Who would I talk to about what has changed ie why it no longer works...last time was back in v18 I think

EDIT: It seems that it no longer allows maths like this

FORMAT "#(TOTAL[7]/QUANTITY[7]):12.2"

?

Cheers

[Karl Ottenstein]

I wasn't clear I guess?  If there are bugs, they won't be fixed... the code for this has not been touched in 20 years. There is no point in talking about what doesn't work 🙄

[Aurasphere]

Yes sorry, you were clear but must have been clouded by my optimism...that some others actually might see the value in it.

All of that was working quite nicely...until at least v18 but something broke along the way

Cheers (sobs loudly on pressing send 😞

BTW it could have easily been made useful if it simply followed the 2 principles of BIM qs

1. Recipes (Tick 🙂

BUT 

2. Allow attachment of multiple property objects which I asked for many times...must have been good coders on board but not necessarily QS guys

[Barry Kelly]

The old List Scheme was quite good in that you could create quite complex calculations in the Property Objects, so you could get very detailed quantities.

I never did get into the database side of things, so I am not sure if that was better for costings with the ability to link a costing database to multiple files.

I haven't used in it at least 15 years, so I can't comment on why the format command no longer works - I don't even recall using it.

I only ever just spat out simple lists of quantities, I didn't bother with formatting them so they were printable in their own right.

Most can be done now with Interactive Schedules and Expressions in Properties.

Although you can not do such complex calculations - and if you can it it much harder to achieve (in my opinion).

It is also not a good place to do actual costings, because the costs/rates can only be maintained in that one file.

It is not like having a central database that you can update that will be reflected in all files linked to it.

Barry.

[Aurasphere]

Thanks Barry

Actually the full costings database was easily executed out of the estimating data base as a text file that was read directly into archicad. The estimating package was upstream of course and AC was the executor so it was always sync in round trip back into the (estimating) database but now with the accurate quantities filled out.

ie the lib folder with comp.txt etc IS actually linked to all downstream/cyclic files and you can easily set multiple suppliers

I wrote the data (in this case) directly to a text file that was actually linked back into the estimating system (via the est. ODBC and was reasonably fast with the lean text files that AC can put out)

It was also very cool to create all your key notes in the same format and use the property add on to look it all up and be able to admin via the Edit database actions.

The main strength for me was transparent connection to the estimating department...still unable to do it...get close with CostX but unfortunately the I.S. are a very long way behind but def simpler and faster

Cheers