calculation menu overhaul needed

[Rick Thompson]

This could obviously be a mile long, but a start

The simple -
make the "set up list schemes" and "Link property objects" panels stretchable, like the rest of them.

The important -
Have a built in format you can actually manipulate, rather than having to export/import to excel. You can't even use a non-fixed width font without the tabs going crazy. It is hard on some list to make them fit a single 8.5" wide sheet, without exporting. The easy way is to print to pdf, but you can't (within publisher/AC) combine sheets into a book. The List Text format (the only option for most of us) allows very little formatting options.... changing the font size is about it.

Eliminate the graphic template as most architects without computer degrees waste too much time trying to figure it out, only to end up screaming.

There must be an easier way to access the data base to add parameters to properties. Leave the data base open to where you just linked to, rather than close it after linking, only to have to re-open it again to add the next parameter.


If an overhaul is scheduled, please don't eleminate the hard work we have already done to link property objects, and build our templates. That works fine, but the formatting options are terrible.

[Richard Morrison]

My big complaint about property objects is that you can't have variable parameters when you attach a property object, like a "real" GDL object does. It would be SO much more useful if you could attach a single "paint color" object, say, to all walls, and then be able to edit the color parameter for each wall, rather than coming up with a different property object for each different color.

At least this is my current (perhaps naive and incorrect) understanding of property objects. That the property object/calculation process is so difficult to comprehend in the first place, bugs me, too!

[vfrontiers]

I proposed this very idea to the development team in 2000!... I called it PROPERTY TEMPLATES. Here each individual could create a Template (much like the PARAMETERS of a normal GDL OBJECT)... The FILL INS would then be done AFTER it gets ATTACHED (the same way property objects are attached now; via criteria or individually)... Then you would be able to attach to WALLS and ROOFs as well as other OBJECTS.

Envision, if you will, a Property Template that is for DOOR SCHEDULE (for example). Here this template would have ID, LOCATION, W , H, etc..... All the parameters that can be DERIVED from the object itself would be (In the property template you would make W = A and H = B for example)... Then the other information (that is not really pertinent to the GRAPHIC description of the object) like U-Factors, Hardware Group, Manu, Model, ICBO report, etc., would simply be filled in this property template. It would bring up a dialog of its own or NOW fill inside the INFO BOX for everyday use.

I'd like to hear other comments on this..

Richard wrote:
My big complaint about property objects is that you can't have variable parameters when you attach a property object, like a "real" GDL object does. It would be SO much more useful if you could attach a single "paint color" object, say, to all walls, and then be able to edit the color parameter for each wall, rather than coming up with a different property object for each different color.

At least this is my current (perhaps naive and incorrect) understanding of property objects. That the property object/calculation process is so difficult to comprehend in the first place, bugs me, too!

[Richard Morrison]

Duane,
Yes, this is exactly what I'm talking about!

I could see this working very well if the attached Property Object parameters would be in the Listing and Labeling section of each entity.

In other words, you'd get a parameters section, just like a GDL object, maybe right next to the "Matching Properties" window.

Sign me up!

[Djordje]

Rick wrote:
This could obviously be a mile long, but a start

Poll?

[Karl Ottenstein]

Great ideas Duane, Richard and Rick! Maybe Duane's wish will be heard this time!

If I'm understanding your proposal, Duane, the result would in essence be a way of extending the parameters of standard drawing elements in a scripted way that allows computation and subsequent extraction of database info. This would be fantastic, and a huge leap ahead over the present situation that Richard rightfully complains about. If you integrate this extended object information (the property object instance parameters/etc) into the interactive scheduler, think of the editing and reporting environment that we'd have!

Looks like only Rick can add a poll, since he started the thread? Did this get too far off your wish, Rick, or can one poll do it all?

Karl