GDL objects with adjustable materials

[Anonymous]

How do I create a GDL object where I can adjust the materials individually? The only way I know how to do it doesn't save the individual materials, and the only way to change material is to un-tic the "Use Object's Materials" box and choose a different material, but this changes the entire object.

Your help welcomed! Thanks!

[MMontgomery]

In a nutshell, you define different materials while modeling, then change those definitions to a variable parameter in the GDL script.

*******

When you create your object, define a different material for each part of the object that you would like to be able to adjust individually.

For example, a chair with different materials for the legs, seat, and back. Assign Paint-01 to legs, Paint-02 to seat, and Paint-03 to back.

Save object as editable GDL object.

Place the object in your plan, select it, the open object using CTRL+SHIFT+O

Create a new material parameter for each item, in this case 3 of them. For this example, use the variables 'leg_mat', 'seat_mat' and 'back_mat' and choose a default material for each.

Then open the 3D script, use the 'search and replace text' command to replace "Paint-01" (include quotes since it is not a variable) with leg_mat (no quotes around variables), "Paint-02" with seat_mat and "Paint-03" with back_mat.

Hope that helps ~

[Anonymous]

I have written an article about this subject for ArchiMAG. You can download the entire article from my website for free.

[vfrontiers]

That's how it's done... Just been doing a lot of this lately...

So... Let's make this a WISH...

We know that GS "blessed" us by using a SPECIAL command that turned any slab with an ID "WALLHOLE" into a WALLHOLE command for windows and doors...

Here, I am proposing something much the same...

1. GS to create some special character like asterisk at the beginning AND the end of a material name

*LegMat*

2. Users then create a Material Named *LegMat* in their materials library.

3. When used as the material for an element in a SAVE AS LIBRARY PART...AC would create that PARAMETER and assign it as a parameter to the objects gdl..

Sounds so simple when I write out...

GS?

[Laszlo Nagy]

Hi Duane,
Can you make this wish into a separate Wish post where we can vote for it?
I am anxious to click the ESSENTIAL button.
Great idea. Might be extended to other attribute types.
Or, the element could be dimensioned before being saved as GDL and all dimensions would be converted into parameters. The Dimension Text would be changed to the intended GDL parameter name prior to saving.

[vfrontiers]

Done!

---now go vote!

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=37083

[Laszlo Nagy]

Done.

[vfrontiers]

And... you might as well vote here too....


http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=192471#192471

[Anonymous]

Success! Thank you all for your help!

[Anonymous]

Can anybody tell me how i define materials in the master script???