Sklight tool object -what command cuts the hole in the roof

[Anonymous]

Hello,
I looked at the 3D script of one of the skylight tool objects
to find the equivalent command to wallhole that cuts the
hole in the roof. I looked in the GDL manual but could not find
such a command. I noticed that the subtype of the roof tool
object was "Skylight" but there is no "Skylight" subtype in
the list of subtypes.

Does anyone know what GDL command cuts the hole ?
Perhaps it is not a command but some internal function
like what cuts the hole for a window or door when the
3D script does not contain a wallhole command.
Thank you,
Peter Devlin

[Laszlo Nagy]

I think the Skylight subtype cuts a rectangular hole by default into the Roof.
Just like basic Doors and Windows do in Walls when no WALLHOLE or WALLNICHE commands are defined in their script.
I am not aware of any GDL command that would cut a non-rectangular hole into a Roof that could be used with a Skylight.
I checked the Dormer Skylight object and even that cuts a rectangular hole.

[Erika Epstein]

Juha,
I notice your skylight object sits only half in the hole created like the ones I have made. It doesn't seem to make a difference where I place the slab I turn into a skylight relative to 0,0,0.

Do you know why?

[Anonymous]

Hello Juha,
Thank you very much for your information.
I think I can do some experimenting now.

Hello laszlo,
I suppose one could script fill bodies like we
did for non-rectangular windows and doors
before the wallhole command was introduced.
Thanks,
Peter Devlin

[Ralph Wessel]

Peter wrote:
Does anyone know what GDL command cuts the hole ?

The hole-cutting is managed by an add-on. You can't do it with GDL. The add-on simply monitors the placement and editing of object of a particular subtype and manages the hole placement accordingly.

[Laszlo Nagy]

Peter wrote:
Hello laszlo,
I suppose one could script fill bodies like we
did for non-rectangular windows and doors
before the wallhole command was introduced.
Thanks,
Peter Devlin

Yes, that would be interesting if you can obtain the A and B parameters of the roof hole.
What I don't know is whether you can make the edges of that hole disappear ( set their status to hidden, like you could do it with wall holes).
If you can do that, then I guess it is feasible.

[Ralph Wessel]

laszlonagy wrote:
What I don't know is whether you can make the edges of that hole disappear ( set their status to hidden, like you could do it with wall holes). If you can do that, then I guess it is feasible.

The hole-cutting is performed by an add-on, i.e. using the ArchiCAD API via C/C++. You can't do this with GDL, and hence it won't be possible to control the edges etc.

[Anonymous]

Hello Laszlo and Ralph,
I did an experiment with the "Skylight round 10" object.
I placed an instance of the object into a roof with the
flange set to circular. In 3D it shows as a circular object
sitting in a rectangular hole in the roof. With the roof tool,
I made four infill roofs to fill in the voids between the object
and the hole edges. In 3D, since in AC 10 and later, co-planer
surfaces clean up, the edges of the hole in the roof were not
visible. I am puzzled that the programmers at GS did not
put into the script infill bodies, since I believe that GDL objects
can clean up with AC tool elements with certain caveats.
This may have changed in later versions of the object.
Thanks,
Peter Devlin

[ztaskai]

I see a pair of patching planes in the circular dome in the AC14 library. I think this is pretty much what can be done with the current technology.

There's something more advanced coming up but that won't solve your problems this year...

Best,