MACROS

[Conrado Dominguez]

I created several Library parts and save them as Macros.

With the use of these Macros, I placed them in my drawing, related to each other (heigth,layer,etc) and then created a New Library part.

To avoid the clutter of .gsm files in this particular folder, I created a sub-folder, where I moved the Macros.

Later, when I try to place the Library Part (the one with the combined Macros) I received the messages that the Macros could not be found.
My question is: Once the Macros are combined for further use,do they have to remain in the same place? How does a CALL function in the Library Part Script, points to the location of a given Macro?

I hope this is clear enough to get some help here.

Conrado Dominguez

[Anonymous]

Obvious question, but did you reload the libraries after you moved stuff?

[Conrado Dominguez]

Your obvious question was not so obvious to me.
Reloading is the answer.

Thanks

[Karl Ottenstein]

Hi Conrado,

As Peter notes, you must reload your libraries after moving things around.

Many macros are not intended to be placed directly. If that is the case with your macros, do note the checkbox for 'Placeable' shown in the attached screenshot. If that checkbox is cleared, your macro will not be visible to select in any of the object settings dialogs, thus reducing clutter in the user interface.

Regards,
Karl

[Conrado Dominguez]

Hello Karl,
Good to hear from you.

Now that you clarify what the "Placeable"button is, can you explain what is the otherone"Template" for?

Conrado

[Karl Ottenstein]

Conrado wrote:
Now that you clarify what the "Placeable"button is, can you explain what is the otherone"Template" for?

'Template' lets you create your own named entries in the subtype hierarchy ... thus letting you choose your entry from the subtype hierarchy ("Select Subtype" button) which in turn would populate any new object based on your template with all of your template's parameters. This assures that a family of library parts will have all similar parameters identically specified...which simplifies work, guarantees that called 'family' macros will get parameters with the right names (no typos), and guarantees that the parts can be scheduled properly (all corresponding parameters guaranteed to have the same internal name).

Regards,
Karl

[David Maudlin]

Karl wrote:
This assures that a family of library parts will have all similar parameters identically specified...which simplifies work, guarantees that called 'family' macros will get parameters with the right names (no typos), and guarantees that the parts can be scheduled properly (all corresponding parameters guaranteed to have the same internal name).

In addition to Karl's list, it also assures that parameter transfer between similar library parts will work, for example, when injecting parameters from one window to another window inside the Window dialog box.

David

[vistasp]

Thank you, Karl and David. This information on macro templates is extremely interesting. It's not documented in the Reference Guide, is it?

Great question, Conrado. I never even thought to ask.

[Karl Ottenstein]

vistasp wrote:
This information on macro templates is extremely interesting. It's not documented in the Reference Guide, is it?

No, it's not. Neither in the GDL guide nor the Reference guide. It used to be there in older versions. Currently, the printed or PDF guide for 12 and 11 tells the user to refer to the online Help for "GDL Master Window". Personally, this business of not having a single, central document (Help or PDF) with everything in it drives me crazy - how can you expect to teach people ArchiCAD with a bit of info here, a bit there, etc?

I talked about the checkboxes three years ago here:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=7502

Attached is a screenshot of the online Help file. Lots of info there, including the color-coding scheme used for parameters in the subtype hierarchy.

The extra info on usefulness that David (thanks!) and I mention, are not included there. Nor are there screenshots or illustrations. (The older manuals at least had screenshots of the GDL Editor (Master Window) explaining each graphic element.)

Cheers,
Karl

[Anonymous]

vistasp wrote:
Thank you, Karl and David. This information on macro templates is extremely interesting. It's not documented in the Reference Guide, is it?

Great question, Conrado. I never even thought to ask.

Vistasp, there is some documentation in Online Help, doing a search for GDL Master Window (a bit tricky).

In addition to Peter, Karl and David's excellent explanations, some info on parameter transfer (since AC9).
Object Editor > Parameters Window > Display > U button (fourth).

Unique toggle: if you switch this toggle on, this parameter will not accept parameter values from the default settings,
during a parameter transfer (CTRL-ALT-click [Win] / CMD-OPT-click [Mac]).
Interactive training guide, Creating GDL objects, chapter 6.

Unfortunately, this point is missing in the Online Help.