Can I use "request" to obtain a composite information?...

[Anonymous]

Hi Folks,

Can I use "request" to obtain a list of wall, slab or roof composites names and respective core thicknesses?...

If so... Could you please tell me which is the exact request statement?...

[Anonymous]

Required parameters:
X_COMPS_NAME
X_SKINS_NUMBER
x_SKINS_PARAMS
"X" substitute for the WALL, SLAB or ROOF
Click here for details:
http://www.archicadwiki.com/Global%20GDL%20Parameters?highlight=(CategoryGdl)#WALL_SKINS_PARAMS

[Anonymous]

Hi Valery,

Thank you for your feedback... But I'm afraid I didn't express myself clearly...

I didn't mean the wall, roof or slab individual composites... but a list of all composites and its parameters, used by ArchiCAD... Similar to what we do with text fonts...

[Anonymous]

... I guess its a no...

I give up...

I think GS should put a list of all available "request" information in the AC GDL manual...

p.s.: Or those one in pages 241-251 of the AC GDL Ref Manual are the only ones?...

[Laszlo Nagy]

Braza wrote:
... I guess its a no...

I give up...

I think GS should put a list of all available "request" information in the AC GDL manual...

p.s.: Or those one in pages 241-251 of the AC GDL Ref Manual are the only ones?...

Yes, I think there is no REQUEST function for this one.

In the index of the GDL Reference Manual you will find a list of all REQUEST functions starting on page 294 in the AC12 manual.

I was going to say that you should look into SQl because using that you may be able to extract this info out of the Project File, but in case you want to use that in GDL then it is problematic.
On the other hand, if you get this data with an SQL query, save if into a TXT or XML file then you could read that info back in GDL.
Just guessing, I do not know what you need this for.

[Anonymous]

Hi Laslo,

Your guess was right on target...
I want to use the composite information in a gdl object...
It would be great to use this stored information instead of inputting it manually for each object...

Anyway... Your SQL workaround at first seems great!...
I'll give it a try. Thank you!

[Laszlo Nagy]

Cool.
You may want to check out the "SQL in ArchiCAD" section found in the AC12 Calculation Guide PDF file. It contains some basic stuff about how to use SQL in ArchiCAD.

[Anonymous]

Great!... I manage to extract all the information I need...
Now I have a question...
If I save an SQL query as a xml file... The query is static or dynamic?...
I mean... If I change the composite information, when the gdl object access the xml file the information will be updated?...

[Laszlo Nagy]

Braza wrote:
Great!... I manage to extract all the information I need...
Now I have a question...
If I save an SQL query as a xml file... The query is static or dynamic?...
I mean... If I change the composite information, when the gdl object access the xml file the information will be updated?...

You will have to resave the SQL result overwriting the XML file.
Then the GDL script will be able to work with that updated info the next time it is executed.
For exampe, if the code that reads these values is in the Master Script or the 2D Script, then there is that CTRL-SHIFT-ALT-R command (Rebuild and Regenerate command, I think). That should re-execute the GDL script with the new values.
I am giving this from memory, I believe this is how it should work.

[Anonymous]

laszlonagy wrote:
You will have to resave the SQL result overwriting the XML file.

Well... In this case this is not a workaround.
It would make the object too complex for the average AC user...

But... I was reading this in the AC12 GDL Reg Manual (page 260):

"REQUEST (extension_name, parameter_string, variable1, variable2, ...)
If the question isn’t one of those listed above, the REQUEST() function will attempt to use it as an extension-specific name. If this extension is
in the Add-Ons folder, it will be used to get as many values for as many variable names as are specified. The parameter string is interpreted by
the extension."

If I got it right... We can use an extension name as a request and extract information stored inside it...
So... I found in the folder addons/standard an extension named "attribute manager"...
Maybe some of our api gurus here in the forum could point to a good solution for this...

For me its definitely the "Dark Side of the GDL"...