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Calculation: Attach multiple property scripts to an object

Anonymous
Not applicable
Archicad has a way to calculate materials. Its called property scripts.
For example i create a wall. The property scripts says that the wall has bricks insulation stucco, paint, and gives the quantities per unit. I can even add a manual cost field and propably have some hard estimations.

The problem with this approach is, it instead of a 2cm of stucco i decide to have a 3cm stucco, and instead of polyesterin as an insulation i decide to have something else, i have to create alternative property scripts.
So if a wall has 7 layers of information (two wallparts, two stucco parts[in and out] two paint parts and 1 insulation part, and i want to have just 2 options per layer i have 2*2*2*2*2*2*2 = 2^7 alternative propety scripts.
Isnt that TOO MUCH?

On the other hand if i could assign multiple property scripts at a single object i could create amazing detail schedules, containg even manufacturers details.
For example i would assign a paint property which will contain info such as color manufacturer covering capability and price.
This could be usefull to all archicad objects and would make archicad very efficient in calculation.

It would be nice to see additional comments
11 REPLIES 11
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
You're making this way too hard. But, if I try to provide a lengthy answer, I'll never write or finish my book...

Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Anonymous
Not applicable
i guess i will have to wait for you book
But i think my proposal will enable us to create manufactur oriented databases and have cost estimation insite archicad
Anonymous
Not applicable
Do you mean Karl that there is no need for multiple properties and that it can be accompished inside archicad with current means?
(i mean the functionality that i describe)

I know i can export the geometric parameters outside the program and do all calculations outside archicad (in excel for example) but in archicad i dont think its possible

A simple yes or no will do
I am really waiting for your book. Will it be ready this year?
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
oreopoulos wrote:
Do you mean Karl that there is no need for multiple properties and that it can be accompished inside archicad with current means?
IMHO, yes. Although in the broadest sense, I think there are flaws in the way that GS represents building elements and that better solutions exist by re-thinking the entire thing ... which is beyond we mere users. 😉
I am really waiting for your book. Will it be ready this year?
Thanks! If my schedule doesn't keep filling up, I hope to have it ready when AC 10 ships. It will be based on AC 10 (with comments that address differences for people still using older versions). I have no idea when AC 10 will ship, but my schedule itself will keep me from having the book ready before early 2006.

Cheers,
Karl
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Anonymous
Not applicable
I see
I know i can create a mechanism that will export the required info and proccess them outside, but the whole issue is to do ti inside archicad.

Anyway.

Thx for the answer.
Anonymous
Not applicable
oreopoulos wrote:
Archicad has a way to calculate materials. Its called property scripts.
For example i create a wall. The property scripts says that the wall has bricks insulation stucco, paint, and gives the quantities per unit. I can even add a manual cost field and propably have some hard estimations.

The problem with this approach is, it instead of a 2cm of stucco i decide to have a 3cm stucco, and instead of polyesterin as an insulation i decide to have something else, i have to create alternative property scripts...
Oreopoulus,
I, too, remain perplexed about the proper process flow of setting up and "actually" using these property scripts. Your example adresses attaching properties to entities like walls, slabs, etc....

But what about properties that can be scripted inside actual objects? Every ArchiCAD object has a script window for property scripts specific to the object . These scripts can even actually be written to parametrically adjust based on the users parameter settings in the object.

If we just had a better road map and/or some working examples, life would be so much easier. Surely there's some magical combination of attaching properties and/or scripting properties in objects that can get us all where we need to go.

I'm enthusiatically waiting for Karl's book and any tidbit of additional info Graphisoft can provide...It's looking more and more like we will all have to wait for version 10 to roll out before we get any real answers

somebody please shine more light on this area...go Karl go
Anonymous
Not applicable
Dan

If i could attach a script and additional parameters to every archicad object, then ofcourse everything is solved.

For example i could attach a parameter "stucco" in cm and the property script would read that value. But for now i cannot parametrically create property scripts (or can i ?? ).

I really wait for Karl's book and AC10
Anonymous
Not applicable
oreopoulos wrote:
Dan

If i could attach a script and additional parameters to every archicad object, then ofcourse everything is solved.

For example i could attach a parameter "stucco" in cm and the property script would read that value. But for now i cannot parametrically create property scripts (or can i ?? ).

I really wait for Karl's book and AC10
I'm waiting for Karls book as well so i don't think I can really offer any answers. I just know that all objects have a "Property Script" window. I don't know of any standard objects that have scripts written in this window...I just kow its there. It would be nice to see an example...I just don't know of any. Open any object and see. As far as I can tell you could write scripts in all of your objects specifically and parametrically related to that object.

Have you ever looked at the property scripts in the Parametric Assemblies 9 directory? If you don't have the US version you may not have this folder...mine is in List Templates 9/Property Data 9/US_Property Data 9/Parametric Assemblies 9

Probably just added to the confusion

Dan K
Anonymous
Not applicable
I use property scripts a lot.
This is way asked for multiple property scripts to one object.
Perhaps it is equivalent to asking for parametric property scripts