Get the Modular Joinery object!

[Thomas Holm]

I'd just like to push this http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=135321#135321
a little more.

Ralph Wessel has created a hugely flexible window/door/panel/storefront/curtain wall GDL object, called Modular Joinery. It was commissioned by Graphisoft U K and is distributed to their Archicad subscribers, and for similar purpose to other distributors.

I've been using it for a week or so now, and I find it extraordinarily good, and something I've been wishing to have for a long time. Not only is the object itself working very well, it also has a new, simple yet very creative and useful UI (user interface), and also comes with a 22-page user manual!

If you have an Archicad subscription, immediately ask your distributor to supply you with this GDL object, and if he/she doesn't have it, to get it from Graphisoft U.K.!

I'd also like to send my sincere thanks to Graphisoft U K who've had the wit to engage one of the most distinguished GDL programmers for this task, and to share it with the user community this way. And of course, to Ralph!

[Thomas Holm]

Ralph wrote:
I may as well chip in at this point.

Not much to add now, is there

I have to admit that since I did not RT (very excellent) M enough, it took me some clicking to understand. And when I got it, I understood that it was much simpler than I'd thought and completely logical at that. It's just that in Ralph's settings dialog, every bit has a meaning. There is no crap. Or wasted space. Which means you have to check every bit! A true masterpiece of an object!

I just wish I had a brain as clearly organized as Ralph's!

(As for stepped sides etc, I want to add that if you can't do what you want in just one singular instance of these objects, you can of course combine two or more just as you can with the standard windows.)

[Anonymous]

Thomas wrote:
................
I can only thank Ralph and GS UK for sharing this with us. If you have an ongoing Archicad 12 subscription, I recommend you contact your reseller to get it, because GS UK has made it available for resellers everywhere.

With the 1st posting I called my resellar, he started the ball rolling and the ball stopped at GS US. Called several more times and no one could provide me with a way to buy it. It is funny but I though only money call not buy you love, but it must be true also about a good GDL!!!

Still, if any one could help me get it, would be appreciated, hint hint.

Joseph

[Thomas Holm]

The information I got is that GS UK has made it available for free for distributors everywhere (I'm sorry I wrote resellers previously). I got mine through Graphisoft Sweden. If you have an Archicad subscription, you should not have to pay for this object.

I have no idea what policy they have towards other customers. My hope is that they'll include it in the next Archicad version's standard library. It's possible that other distributors think it's too much work to concern themselves with it. Bad karma, if so.

[Erika Epstein]

Joseph wrote:

Thomas wrote:
................
I can only thank Ralph and GS UK for sharing this with us. If you have an ongoing Archicad 12 subscription, I recommend you contact your reseller to get it, because GS UK has made it available for resellers everywhere.

With the 1st posting I called my resellar, he started the ball rolling and the ball stopped at GS US. Called several more times and no one could provide me with a way to buy it. It is funny but I though only money call not buy you love, but it must be true also about a good GDL!!!

Still, if any one could help me get it, would be appreciated, hint hint.

Joseph

I have the same reseller as Joseph and am on subscription. So, Where do we get it? Is it only of UK and Sweden?

[Thomas Holm]

Seems you'll have to lean on GS US then

I've no idea if there might be a problem to use this object with your ancient obsolete Imperial units, though ...

[Anonymous]

If GraphiSoft is watching I hope they will choose to make this available to all. I am a Cadimage DWB user and that product has been a godsend. Modular Joinery appears from the images on this thread to have a very nice intelligent user interface.

cheers

[Anonymous]

Thomas wrote:
Seems you'll have to lean on GS US then

I've no idea if there might be a problem to use this object with your ancient obsolete Imperial units, though ...

May be Ralph could tell us if it is also available in Imperial units? May be this is the hold back who ever?
Thanks,
Joseph

[Ralph Wessel]

Joseph wrote:
May be Ralph could tell us if it is also available in Imperial units? May be this is the hold back who ever?

No, I don't think so. Like all GDL objects, it will adopt whatever units are set in your project preferences. It's preferable to have imperial defaults, but this is quick to do for a single object. I'm not sure what's behind the delay.

[Thomas Holm]

This object was mentioned there so I thought I'd add some more info here - I didn't want to hijack that topic.

Please note that I had to lean on GS Sweden to get this tool. Seems the distributors and resellers generally are not aware of it, or how useful it might be. (Not surprising really, since thay can't make money out of giving us this free tool, or marketing it. And as they generally are not AC users themselves, they don't really understand how useful and creative it is.

I find it interesting not only in the way it makes it easy to specify Velfac windows, but especially in the innovative user interface, which makes it easy to specify customized irregular window grids if you like. Much easier than with the standard windows, even if not as easy as with the CW tool - but you can't use that as a regular window.

Also, it is modularly programmed too, so it loads only the modules needed for the window you specify. That means that archicad doesn't have to parse numerous macros for each window, and that makes it faster to load and faster to redraw.

I have tested this myself in a condo project, where I originally had AC11 standard windows throughout, and some problems with them to (for instance, suddenly a wall would disappear because of a misbehaving window - I had coupled together a pair that didn't like each other).

I exchanged all of them with various windows based on Modular Joinery objects, and suddely redraws and 3D generating was faster and less problematic. I have no standard windows left behind in this project.
And I have yet to find a bug in Ralph's tool!

I'm not saying it couldn't be better, though. Two things come to mind:

- I'd like it to have some traditional window types and profiles pre-defined, not just Velfac. (I know I can do my own, but I'm lazy 😉

- I'd like it to allow slanted reveals like the AC12's standard windows do. Here in Sweden, insulated exterior walls are now reaching 40 cm thickness or more as a standard, due to rigorous energy consumption regulations. With the deep niches that follow, a slant to the reveals does a lot for the feeling in ahome, especially here where daylight is scarce in the winter time. Ralph? (I might have to add that I could have missed something )

[owen]

Thomas wrote:
This object was mentioned there so I thought I'd add some more info here - I didn't want to hijack that topic.

Please note that I had to lean on GS Sweden to get this tool. Seems the distributors and resellers generally are not aware of it, or how useful it might be. (Not surprising really, since thay can't make money out of giving us this free tool, or marketing it. And as they generally are not AC users themselves, they don't really understand how useful and creative it is.

This is a real problem with the way the whole ArchiCAD sales & marketing system works via local resellers. Some of them are great, but some are really shithouse (excuse the language). Resellers not being regular AC users really isn't good as they often have little idea of the day-to-day needs of users using ArchiCAD to actually design and document a building. Their job should be to actively seek out improved ways of doing things and relay these to customers ... but this never happens.

Ralphs window object is an example of this problem.

Graphisoft HQ needs to centrally manage all the content available via all their resellers and make it available to customers globally ... the current system just doesn't work IMO. We shouldn't have to hassle our local resellers to then get in touch with GSUK, etc ...