Can I create a new parameter with GDL?

[Anonymous]

I often use another application (RealBASIC homebrew) to process GDL code that ArchiCAD creates. Specifically, I'll save some slabs as a GDL object, open the object, then process the 3d GDL script to simplify and suit my needs at the time. A common task is to change out the slab's hard-wired material ("Brick-Standard"), for a variable name that I can pass to the object when called from another object.

Trouble is, I need to take the step of creating and defining the new material parameter(s) to the new object, so the call from elsewhere can properly pass on a material value. (Alternatively, I paste my processed text into an object already saved with the material parameters in place).

Ideally, my text processing step could include some code that would create the parameter without additional intervention, or in some way make the object aware of the material variable so it could be called by another object.

Is that possible? Is that clear?

thanks.

[Karl Ottenstein]

I'm not sure what benefit you're deriving from the process you list over just editing within the GDL editor...you can only create new parameters by manually clicking the buttons in the editor window...

Or... you can use the GDL XML toolkit, which converts GDL objects to XML code which can be edited in a text editor (or xml editor). Once in XML, all parameters are XML text entries, and you can create, delete or edit them at will. This makes sense when modifying lots of objects (like an entire library), but might also make sense in your example if you set up scripts to do the editing automatically for you...something that makes sense only for users on Mac OS X IMHO since you have all Unix tools at your disposal in Darwin and command mode.

Cheers,
Karl