Efficiency of imported objects

[derekjackson]

Hi, I'm just beginning to get my head round GDL for the first time.

To create a cube, obviously the BLOCK command is the simplest.

However, when I open a GSM object that's been imported from a 3DS file constructed in other software, cubes come in as a full list of vertices, edges and polygons, several lines long.

My question is, if using BLOCK is simpler in terms of reading the script, is it also more efficient in terms of memory management? Is it best to change all box-shaped forms in imported objects into BLOCKS to make them less memory-hungry? (and likewise with PRISMS, CONES, etc.)

Thanks,

Derek

[Erika Epstein]

Depends what you want to do with the object. How much control over the object and its possible settings do you want? there are a number of PRISM s which give you increasing control over the object.

[derekjackson]

Well I certainly want to make it parametric for its basic dimensions, so in that case I'd use BLOCK.

It was mainly rendering efficiency I was worried about - surely the more lines it has to process, the more memory-hungry it is?!

[ztaskai]

Hi,

Just two fast facts for an answer 🙂

1. The model will be (should be) the same in the end. So in case the original imported model was clear enough, the generated GDL model will be all right. After the GDL generation the two methods can be the same for the 3D visualization of ArchiCAD.

2. The GDL compilation and interpretation take much much longer for imported objects. It has a simple reason: the generated script is much bigger and this is what counts for GDL.

Regs,
Zsolt

[derekjackson]

Think that's the info I was after - the same level of efficiency once it's rendering, it's just the import process that's affected.

Thanks!

[ztaskai]

OK, I wasn't clear enough then:)

GDL interpretation is done when ArchiCAD wants to generate a 2D or 3D model (among some other situations I don't mention here) of an object. The trick is that this is done only once for each parameterization of each library part. This means that if you place 100 pieces of the same library part with the same parameters, only one GDL interpretation will be done, but the 2D model of the element will be created 100 times. Fortunately, the 3D engine of ArchiCAD knows this trick too, consequently the total size of the 3D model won't be 100 times bigger.

I guess I haven't made my point any clearer... The point is that GDL interpretation time is an important concern but the quality and the size of the final model can be the same.

HTH,
Zsolt