make Param-O coder-friendly

leceta · ‎2022-05-15

I want to double click a GDL component in paramO and have the GDL IDE in front of my eyes.

I want that the GDL component has as many parameter/variables inputs as I want (currently only 4), each one showing it's name not a "A,B,C,D" mapping that makes not sense at all.

I want a param-O component that knows how to read XML/HSF files of a gdl object, and that prompt which parameter/variables I want to use as inputs of the param-O component.

I want a python component in param-O with a minimal python interpreter to write python code, that is able to read *.py files, executes python code and outputs the result of desired variables used in the python code.

Param-O shouldn't be only for users who don't want/can't learn to code GDL scripts.

gavinNZz · ‎2022-05-16

Param-0 should have been an amazing addition to Archicad but it is severely undercooked! I have no idea why GS didn't build it to incorporate all GDL functions?? It's like it was only ever a 'proof of concept' and the fact that there users out there that want to use it to build objects, but can't due to its limitations, seems irrelevant to GS. Personally I think GDL has had its time and GS needs to rebuild Archicad based on a current 3D scene structure like USD. This lack of core development will unfortunately be the demise of Archicad (and other 'CAD' packages) in the coming decade.

leceta · ‎2022-05-16

param-O, GHconnection and JSON Api should all be designed to boost GDL usage, not to ONLY offer alternatives.

All of them have great potential to do so, but seems (it cannot be the case, but it definitively seems) that GDL is out of Graphisoft's agenda.

leceta · ‎2022-05-16

I'm long time grasshopper user and coder and I do know, by experience and by shared experiences in the GH community, that visual programming and code excellently complement one the other: Visually its easy to construct the "architecture" of the logic. Code helps to prevent spaghetti monsters packing in a single component a particular piece of logic and also extending "out of the box" functionalities ( because of that, this particular wish, the possibility to extend param-O with "inside-component" GDL and Python scripts)

for the purist, the current GDL ide isn't also a great environment to develop complex logic. It's pre-Object Oriented scripting, with a terrible (from UX side of view) encapsulation system i.e Macros

Francois_MCD

@gavinNZz wrote:

"Param-0 should have been an amazing addition to Archicad but it is severely undercooked! ...users out there that want to use it to build objects, but can't due to its (Param-O) limitations..."

I absolutely agree with you @gavinNZz and we know we are not alone. If only GS will realize how the limitations in it's current form is also limiting it's use.
Param-O is basically unchanged since it's release in 2020 (Archicad 24).

I believe with you @leceta that Param-O have huge potential. Especially for us as architectural designers not familiar with coding & programming. I am not a coder by any means and Grasshopper is intimidating to me. I have tried, but my time for a learning curve like Grasshopper between regular work is just not allowing me to get there. So I was excited when Param-O was released, hoping it would help me, an architectural user of Archicad, to get into the visual programming methods of design. I did the Param-O course in the GS Learn site but that was just an intro, no different to the basic promo videos on YouTube & the online help.

GS wants more use of Param-O before putting more development into it, but it have really come through as expected from the promos making it not that useful to start with. We are not unwilling to learn. We want an "easy" to use tools to design & build within our project workflows and Param-O can be such a tool.

It is impressive & inspiring what Bart Cuppens managed to achieve with Param-O in the Snow Globe Challenge. It means to me it's possible. But what other skills do I (& other keen users like me) need to learn to get what we want from Param-O?

This topic obviously have 2 or more sides to the story. I really hope that GS will keep Param-O development alive.