GDL Cookbook - requests, demands, ideas, testimonials

[david nicholson-cole]

GDL Cookbook - requests, demands, ideas, testimonials...[/size]

I am now into the task of writing the new GDL Cookbook. I have been sidetracked all autumn, but have now got down to it during the new year holiday.

Requests and Demands and Reminders. I am eager to hear from GDL users of things they would like to see covered or not forgotten.

Also, if you have done some cool GDL things that you would like to contribute, please make an offer, all good contributions are attributed in the book with bylines.
Short but powerful demos of techniques are the best. Dont worry about writing up the text or the theory, I can help you with that - it can be built around the germ of the idea.

I am also interested in updating the section on testimonials of why people use or like GDL and how they have found it useful.

I would also like to add to the "How do they do that?!" section, so will be grateful for contributions to that.

You can post things here, but if you have enclosures or longer things to contribute, or are nervous about airing your suggestions in public forum, email them, please, to:
davidnc@gdlcookbook.com

Don't miss ACUWest!
As long as the atlantic travel situation doesnt get even worse than it is, I intend to be at ACUWest in March, and will be offering some seminars on GDL, looking at advanced capabilities with ArchiCAD 8 and 8.1. (friends will be doing GDL for beginners.)

[TomWaltz]

Our company is new as well, and we bought the whole stack of books: OMWAC, Cookbook, Project Framework, Archicad for AutoCrap users, and Illustrating in Archicad.

I'll know by the end of today if it's "likely" that I can go, and hopefully know by the end of the week if it's definite (the whole management approval thing).

[Dave Jochum]

david wrote:
I do hope you will let Duane know you are interested in coming to ACUWest, numbers are important...

I registered several weeks ago. Air tickets in hand (computer, actually). I do hope there is a good turnout. For anyone who makes a living with this stuff (AC, SketchUp, ArtLantis, etc.) on the west coast of the US who hasn't registered yet, this should be a no-brainer. Air fare on SW from OAK to ONT is (or at least was when I bought) $29 ea. way. You can't afford not to go!

[James Murray]

david wrote:
I do feel that Archiforma and Toolbox have saved a lot of people from developing GDL skills, the graph of sales of GDL Cookbook have almost exactly followed the curve of the growth of these helpful addons - in the opposite direction!

David,

I don't use the GDL add-ons, haven't kept up with their development, couldn't say for sure if they obviate the cookbook.

I seriously, seriously doubt it.

It's fun/sometimes useful to make custom specialized objects, and I think the add-ons serve the market of people who would like to do that. I've never been one to script a sofa. I'll get by with the AC sofas, and if the day came that I couldn't, I'd try an add-on. (I know sofas are more important to some users than others.)

The essential thing in AC is not building the perfect sofa. It is building a thorough model and documenting it properly, accurately, efficiently. It's important to differentiate between model-making and tool-making.

The AC tools are good, but they're not good enough, and they can't know each firm's standards. The value of using GDL and actually getting good at it is the ability to develop tools, to get AC to behave exactly how you want, to enforce document standards by making it impossible to break them. It allows you to keep modeling rather than having to draw because the objects won't display properly. It allows you to have consistent, efficient interfaces. (Instead of being stuck with AC objects where not only does the plan symbol not use the SYMB_VIEW_PEN, the pen parameter is buried under a subheading. I digress.)

GDL knowledge is essential. Add-ons are a compromise. Their success shows they fill a need, but they will never have the flexibility and power of pure code.

I guess I intend this as encouragement, which I don't think you really need, but I'm happy to give it since the cookbook has been indispensable to me. Here's your testimonial; I'll post again with some actual requests, demands, & ideas.

[david nicholson-cole]

I am very tempted to say that i will extract part of your message as a piece in the section on 'why should I do GDL?'. thankyou fo r your contibution!! and I look forward to what may be a longer one. I am not looking for testimonials for the CB (have had plenty of them), but for GDL itself. an enlargement perhaps of what you wrote earlier.

And thankyou, James, for your support for ACUE last year. I know you are in the wrong part of the country for ACUWest, but if you do get there, it will be great to see you again, and I wont be so harassed this time, being a mere workshop presenter, so we can have a longer chat. You wont be the longest distance traveller - I am sure it will attract some others from the east coast. How about renting an old mustang and driving over....

jamesm wrote:

david wrote:
I do feel that Archiforma and Toolbox have saved a lot of people from developing GDL skills, the graph of sales of GDL Cookbook have almost exactly followed the curve of the growth of these helpful addons - in the opposite direction!

I don't use the GDL add-ons, haven't kept up with their development, couldn't say for sure if they obviate the cookbook.

I seriously, seriously doubt it.

It's fun/sometimes useful to make custom specialized objects, and I think the add-ons serve the market of people who would like to do that. I've never been one to script a sofa. I'll get by with the AC sofas, and if the day came that I couldn't, I'd try an add-on. (I know sofas are more important to some users than others.)

The essential thing in AC is not building the perfect sofa. It is building a thorough model and documenting it properly, accurately, efficiently. It's important to differentiate between model-making and tool-making.

The AC tools are good, but they're not good enough, and they can't know each firm's standards. The value of using GDL and actually getting good at it is the ability to develop tools, to get AC to behave exactly how you want, to enforce document standards by making it impossible to break them. It allows you to keep modeling rather than having to draw because the objects won't display properly. It allows you to have consistent, efficient interfaces. (Instead of being stuck with AC objects where not only does the plan symbol not use the SYMB_VIEW_PEN, the pen parameter is buried under a subheading. I digress.)

GDL knowledge is essential. Add-ons are a compromise. Their success shows they fill a need, but they will never have the flexibility and power of pure code.

I guess I intend this as encouragement, which I don't think you really need, but I'm happy to give it since the cookbook has been indispensable to me. Here's your testimonial; I'll post again with some actual requests, demands, & ideas.