Statuscodes

[Frank Beister]

Here a question to one very old and basic GDL feature:
Polylines may have certain status codes to control their shapes and especially with 3D elements to control their edges and surfaces.
That's all clear so far, but two codes I haven't used anytime:

s=16 and s=32 (j5 and j6):
j5: horizontal edge in line elimination (for PRISM_ shapes only)
j6: vertical edge in line elimination (for PRISM_ shapes only)

What are these for? Here an example, but it does not show any effect:

prism_ 5,0.5,
  0,0,8,
  1,0,8+16+32,
  2,0.5,8,
  2,1,15,
  0,1,15

[Anonymous]

Frank,
I am just now looking at Prism_ and Extrude and
Prism_ has the mask values j1, j2, j3, j4 and j7
there is no j5 or j6.
Extrude has the mask values j1, j2, j3, j5 and j6 but no j4.
I would not expect j5 or j6 to do anything in the Prism_ command.
Peter Devlin

[Frank Beister]

Thanks Peter, but I am not looking for the mask values, but the status codes. Have a look to AC-Help.


j1-j4, yes, curved side with j7, yes, but j5/j6? Never used.

[Anonymous]

Frank,
You are right. and it is also new in AC 9.
I looked at the GDL manual for AC 8.1 and
there is no j5 and j6.

I copied this from the 8.1 GDL manual.

8.1 Status Code Syntax
The si number is a binary integer (between 0 and 15 or 64 and
79) or -1.
si = j1 + 2*j2 + 4*j3 + 8*j4 + 64*j7 [+ a_code]
where j1, j2, j3, j4, j7 can be 0 or 1.
The j1, j2, j3, j4 numbers represent whether the vertices and the
sides are present (1) or omitted (0):
j1: lower horizontal edge
j2: vertical edge
j3: upper horizontal edge
j4: side

This is different than the same paragraph in the AC 9 manual.

This is a mystery to me.
They introduce these new values but you say they don't
do anything. Maybe they are for "future use".
Peter Devlin

[Frank Beister]

I haven't mentioned, that it was new in AC9. Normaly the GDL extensions do something, what was introduced in the normal AC surface and needs a GDL expression (as SEOs). Maybe this can give us a hint. That the status codes seem not to do anything has not to say, that they are without function j7 brings up his functionality not from every view too.

I have first to sleep. I have studied the manual now more than 10 hours. I see only j5s and j6s. Good night.

[Frank Beister]

Now I found one usage of j5. You can use it in the CUTPOLYA command. Add 16 to the normal mask value (as e.g. 1+2+4) and the end polygon, which "stops" the endless cutting tube becomes visible.

Another not documented.

a=0.75
msk=1+2+4+16
SET MATERIAL "Glas"

FOR abstand=-1 TO 1
 CUTPOLYA 3, 0, abstand,
  0.10,0.10,msk,
  0.65,0.10,msk,
  0.10,0.65,msk,
  0,0,1
 ADDX a
 NEXT abstand

DEL TOP
ADDZ -1.5
BLOCK 3*a,a,3

FOR i= 1 TO 3
 CUTEND
 NEXT i