Curtain Wall Display (section)

[Jere]

Does anyone know how to get the curtain wall details to display properly in section? When I cut a section, all the fills just blend in together. When I select the curtain wall, the lines show up.

All fills are different and different materials too.

The attached images show the curtain wall unselected and selected.

The curtain wall sections are custom frame, cap, and panel components, though I have the same problem with default components too.

[Jere]

Curtain wall when selected:

[Jere]

Components in 3D

[Anonymous]

Jere wrote:
Does anyone know how to get the curtain wall details to display properly in section? When I cut a section, all the fills just blend in together. When I select the curtain wall, the lines show up.

The problem is that there are no sectional cut fill definitions saved into the GDL code when you save a custom component. There are a couple of ways to fix this manually.

You can open the custom frame/cap using the 'File'> 'Libraries & Objects'> 'Open Object' option, go to the 3d script and add your own sectional fill definition for each part that needs a separate fill in the script using SECT_FILL fill, fill_background_pen,fill_pen, contour_pen

e.g-

SECT_FILL wFill, wBkpen, wPen, wCtpen

Then create four parameters named wFill, wBkpen, wPen, wCtpen in the parameters list and choose the correct fill and pen for each one. This will control how this individual fill will look in plan and section.

You will need to create unique names for each of the parameters, and refer to them in the 3d script if there are multiple parts in the component.

When finished, press save, then reload the libraries in ArchiCAD to see any changes.

Unfortunately, You can't access these new parameters to control the fills within the curtain wall tool, so to modify the fills again you will have to open the object, choose a different fill in the parameter list, then resave it again. All instances of that component will be updated at the same time.

The second more complex option is to create a fully parametric custom frame library part with the subtype set to 'GS Curtain Wall Frame', to which you can add any material, fill or dimension parameters you like, and will be fully adjustable from within the curtain wall tool like any other frame.

The first option is probably 5-10 mins work for each component if you know roughly what you are doing, so give it a try!

[Jere]

Thanks Peter. I have zero knowledge of GDL, but I might give it a shot.

So what you're saying is if I add parameter in the script, it won't show up in the object settings?


OK, i just tried it. Forget it. I have no idea how to add parameters. Though maybe I could try in the future.

When you say I need different parameter names, you mean for example, the following?:

Part one (a slab)
SECT_FILL wFill, wBkpen, wPen, wCtpen

Part two (a slab)
SECT_FILL wFill2, wBkpen2, wPen2, wCtpen2

Part three (a slab)
SECT_FILL wFill3, wBkpen3, wPen3, wCtpen3

Does it matter where in the script these parameters go? Can they just go at the end of each part?

[Anonymous]

Hi Jere,

As you have found out, fiddling about with GDL coding can be tricky if you haven't done it before!

Adding parameters are easy to do; just press the 'New' button at the top of the parameters list as many times as necessary and change the variable names and types to match each of the parameter names you have written in the various SECT_FILLs.

The SECT_FILLs need to go before each of the prisms/parts in the 3d script.

The parameter names aren't too important. I used a prefix letter (w) to signify that that particular fill was controlling the part that I was expecting to be made of wood in my object. A metal part might have similar named parameters all starting with 'm' perhaps - it doesn't really matter; it is more a guide to help you remember what parameter controls what in the scripts without having to keep looking back into the parameters list.

If you get completely stuck, add the object to a zip file and attach it to your post. I'm sure someone will help you!

If you're interested in GDL, these guides are very useful to look through -

'Introduction to Object making' can be viewed here

'Cookbook 3' can be downloaded here

'Cookbook 4' - here or here

[Jere]

yay! Success. Thanks so much Peter.

Now a question though, as I'm not 100% sure why it's working: how does ArchiCAD now what parameter to use where? Meaning, I add the four parameters including one fill and three pens. How does it know which pen parameter is for the background, fill, and contour?

I'm assuming the answer is that SECT_FILL is a standard thingy (not sure what to call it) and the four variables are a set order. Something like that? E.g. if I wrote:

SECT_FILL Chuck, Linus, Sally, Lucy

AC would know that Chuck is the fill pattern, Linus is the background fill, etc.

[Anonymous]

Yes that's right - after the word SECT_FILL, ArchiCAD always interprets the next four pieces of information separated by commas as the following parameters in this order-

SECT_FILL fill, fill_background_pen, fill_pen, contour_pen

It works much the same for all the GDL commands; they all have a set number of parameters that need filling in before they will work. If you accidently make any kind of mistake, like forgetting a comma or spelling a parameter incorrectly, ArchiCAD wont know what to do and an error will appear!

Have a quick look in the 'GDL Reference Guide' under the 'Help' menu in ArchiCAD for a full explanation of all the available commands in GDL. The SECT_FILL command is on page 201.

[Jere]

It's like a whole new world has opened to me.