Chadwick wrote:
Fine - but its still ridiculous. First off, I shouldnt have to learn how to be a coder to be an architect. Second, if the curtain wall tool doesn't work properly I feel that it should either A: not be included in the software or B: a note somewhere that says it doesn't work properly. Should I not assume when I purchase a seat of ArchiCAD that it wont do what it says it should? I think its ridiculous that I would have to spend an hour trying to figure out how to 'trick' the object into doing, not only what I want it to do, but what it should be doing in the first place. I don't really think this is too much to ask at all - especially from the leader in virtual building solutions.
I'm not sure I agree that they do not work properly, since I have seen them work perfectly fine in some situations. I feel the problem is that they are not flexible enough for all situations.
I've never been a fan of the more complex objects, like storefronts and stairs They work for most situations, but if you have anything even remotely unusual, you are back to making things out of individual components manually out of slabs, columns, beam, etc. While you cannot place doors & windows in them as easily that way, the flexibility to add members randomly at will is really nice. The objects have so many parameters that even a simple situation can take a while to create, and makes people consider making them manually.
I think my biggest complaint is that they are all-or-nothing. You cannot use the storefront object to get close, then explode it and modify the parts.
To me, some things just do not belong in GDL objects. They should be full-blown add-ons more like what Cigraph or CADImage does. The Object Tool just does not allow enough flexibility to such complex elements.
Tom Waltz
