Intro Object Making

Introduction to Object Making
GDL for Beginners

Written by David Nicholson-Cole
Graphisoft
Visit the Graphisoft website at http://www.graphisoft.com for local distributor and product availability information.

2004. Originally written 2000, rewritten 2004 by David Nicholson-Cole. All rights reserved. Reproduction, paraphrasing or translation
without express prior written permission of Graphisoft is strictly prohibited.
Cover credits: Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the British Airways London Eye, http://www.marksbarfield.com. GDL model by David
Nicholson-Cole.
Published by GRAPHISOFT R&D Rt.
2004 edition.
The version of GDL described in this manual is compatible with ArchiCAD 8.1, ArchiCAD 9 and ArchiFM 2000.
Trademarks
ArchiCAD and ArchiFM are registered trademarks and PlotMaker, Virtual Building, StairMaker and GDL are trademarks of Graphisoft. IFC
and IAI are trademarks of the International Alliance for Interoperability. Artlantis and PhotoCAD are trademarks of Abvent. Piranesi is a
trademark of Informatix. ArchiFacade is a trademark of Cigraph. Lara Croft is a trademark of Core Design. Lightworks is the trademark of
Lightwork Design. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
About this Book

Introduction to Object Making is designed to help you get more
enjoyment and productivity from ArchiCAD: it takes you beyond the
confines of the standard ArchiCAD Tool palette into the realm of
object making. We hope that this little primer will open up new
worlds for each user. Part I, Object Making Without GDL, shows you
how to make objects using existing tools, without having to touch any
GDL script. Part II, Beginners Guide to GDL Scripting, eases you
into the possibilities of GDL scripting. We hope you will find the
transition enjoyable, but please note that you dont have to read the
whole book to get useful information: even if you never get to the
GDL script, the initial object-making tips will greatly enhance your
confidence and productivity with ArchiCAD.
Some of the examples used in the book will be available from the
support website or from the installer CD.
about object making from other sources, including the reference

manuals, for which all the authoring team should be thanked. It takes
object making a lot further than the original volume.
The author would like to thank his editing team at Graphisoft - Anett
Csaki, Tibor Szolnaki and Akos Pfemeter - for their regular emails of
advice and support. He would also like to thank Karl Ottenstein of
Sandpoint, Idaho for his critiques and technical proofreading during
the writing.
Printing Note
We have provided this as a .PDF file, but we have designed it with
chapters starting on odd numbered pages. This is to enable you to
print out your own copy and run it off on a double sided photocopier
if you wish to save paper.
About the Author

David Nicholson-Cole is an architect and teaches at Nottingham
University in the UK. He has been an enthusiastic evangelist for
GDL and a prodigious producer of GDL objects since discovering
the power (and the pleasure) of GDL.
He made his mark in the GDL world as the author of the series of
GDL training books, the GDL Cookbook. David founded the
ArchiCAD University series of user conferences, and is a founder
member of the GDL Alliance.
The GDL Cookbook 4 logically follows after the book you are now
reading. It is an A-Z of GDL technique, and is usable in its own right
as a GDL manual. David has also travelled around the Globe at the
invitation of ArchiCAD dealers and their customers, teaching GDL.
Acknowledgements
Introduction to Object Making with ArchiCAD: GDL for Beginners was
developed in concept by Graphisoft as a means of filling the gap
between the GDL Cookbook and the existing reference manuals. The
first edition was in 2000 for ArchiCAD 6.5 and 7.0.
This edition has been completely rewritten during 2004 to include
ArchiCAD 8 and ArchiCAD 9 thinking and techniques. It contains
easy to follow exercises in object making, and pulls together wisdom
IIntroduction to Object Making
IIntroduction to Object Making
CONTENTS
PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL______________ 9
Chapter 1: Introduction to Object Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
1.1 About Object Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Library Parts in ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Sources of Library Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Add-ons that make Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
1.2 Making your own Library Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Without GDL using ArchiCADs Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Making Objects with GDL Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
How do you make an Object? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Does it need to LOOK right, or BE right? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
The idea of an Investment Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Can you learn GDL?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
The ArchiCAD experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Read about Object Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Chapter 2: Object Making without GDL 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
2.1 Making Objects without GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Getting started with Object Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
2.2 Lets make something in 2D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
2.3 Bring a file in from DXF/DWG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
2.4 Lets make a 3D Object a Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
2.5 Lets Make a 3D Window with slabs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
2.6 Lets make a Chair using Wall tool. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
2.7 Lets make a Roof Truss with Fills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25
Summary of Object Making in this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Chapter 3: Object Making without GDL 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
3.1 Using Basic Shapes from the Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Make a Banana Truss or Mullion object. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
3.2 Lets make an Object by Cutting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
3.3 Urban Modelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Urban modelling entire buildings as objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Urban modelling entire sites can be objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Urban modelling the Camera is the mightiest weapon! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
3.4 Making Objects with Add-ons and Solid Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
Profiler for extrusions and lathing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
3.5 Make a Flywheel with Profiler! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
3.6 Convert Mesh to Roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
Other free Add-ons within ArchiCAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37
3.7 Carving Walls with the Roof tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38
Solid Element Operations (SEO) to the rescue! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Notes on the naming of parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Why bother to make objects? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
Are you using the Student version? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Summary of Object Making in this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
PART TWO: BEGINNERS' GUIDE TO GDL SCRIPTING _____ 42

Chapter 4: Starting with GDL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
4.1 Starting with GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
The Scripts and Buttons in the Parameter Table. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42
3D Entities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
First steps in 3D GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
3D View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Check Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
3D Space and the 3D Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45
Do not forget the 2D script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Summary of GDL, to this point. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
4.2 Lets build a 3D Object a Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47
4.3 Lets make this chair parametric. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48
4.4 First steps in 2D scripting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Subtypes you can put this into a category. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Summary of GDL, in this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Chapter 5: Providing Options in GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
5.1 Providing Options in GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
5.2 Boolean parameters easy options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
5.3 Popdown Menus: allow many choices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
5.4 The MultiObject concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58
Summary of GDL in this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Chapter 6: The Power of PRISM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
6.1 The Power of PRISM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
PRISM is the most versatile element in 3D GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Instant GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63
Writing Prisms from new. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
About Prism syntax.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
6.2 Apply Prisms to the chair seatframe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
6.3 Learn about Circle Geometry and make the chair more comfortable. . .68
Summary of GDL in this section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70
Chapter 7: Looking into Autoscripted GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
7.1 Looking into Autoscripted GDL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
Examine the 3D script of the autoscripted table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71
The table can be tuned up to be parametric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74
Cautionary note for modifying objects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
7.2 Come back to Instant GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79
Try instant GDL with a REVOLVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Modifying objects made with Add-ons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Summary of GDL in this section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82
Chapter 8: Build on the power of GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
8.1 Subroutines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83
Golden Rules for Subroutines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84
Contents
8.2 Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Subroutines versus Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Complex example of Macros . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
8.3 Textures the big secret revealed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
You could do Texture mapping with a Macro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
More things to note on textures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Summary of GDL in this section. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Chapter 9: Billboard Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
9.1 Billboard Objects use picturereality! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
9.2 Make your own Billboards as accurate Cutouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
9.3 Make your own Billboards using the Alpha Channel with PICTURE . . 95
9.4 Rectangular cutout the combination object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
9.5 The Billboard idea in 2D? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
9.6 Billboard creation the photograph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Summary of Billboarding in this section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Chapter 10: GDL Windows and Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
10.1 GDL Windows and Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
The Rules of Windows and Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
10.2 Revisit the Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
10.3 You can make Skylights too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
10.4 Try a very complex window! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Note for future versions of ArchiCAD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Objects can be better than Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Summary of GDL covered in this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Chapter 11: GDL Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
11.1 GDL Roundup. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The programming language of GDL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
11.2 Loops FOR... NEXT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
The FOR... NEXT Loop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Loop by counting numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Loop by Distance and optimise it! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Smart way to recalculate spacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Loop by Angle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Other ways of Looping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
11.3 Graphical Hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Lets write some Graphical Hotspots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
11.4 Solid Geometry Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Solid Geometry on the chair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
11.5 Defining Text in 2D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
11.6 Other possibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
11.7 Advice for Newcomers to GDL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
11.8 Summary of ArchiCAD 9 changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Index ___________________________________________________ 123
PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO OBJECT MAKING
An introduction to the possibilities of object making in ArchiCAD, with or without GDL.
Architecture is... the conscious, correct, and magnificent interplay of volumes assembled under light. -- Le Corbusier
1.1 About Object Making

The real 3D world can be thought of as a vast assembly of objects
made visible in light. ArchiCADs 3D environment can be thought of
as a large theatrical stage where you assemble the cast (the elements
and objects), the set (the plan) and the screenplay (the design idea).
You bring the objects together, illuminate them, and then let the
play begin!
Most of the objects in the ArchiCAD assembly area are building
elements walls, slabs, roofs, columns, meshes, etc. brought
together to form buildings. These elements are easily made with the
tools given to you in ArchiCAD.
Whenever you need to go beyond walls and floors, you can use special
objects such as furniture, windows and doors, lamps and components.
In ArchiCAD manuals, these are also referred to extensively as Library
Parts. These can be found in your library or made specially. So, why
should we bother to make objects? Well, we can make:
Structural elements that are right for their purpose.
Details of building construction that look authentic.
Furniture that is smart, functional and elegant.
Components that conform to catalog numbers and manufacturers
specifications.
Lamps that can transform the environment of a model.
Windows, Doors that cut holes in walls, open or swivel, offer a
choice of styles for frames, ironwork and leaves or sashes.
Skylights and Dormers that cut holes in roofs like windows cut
holes in walls.
Label tools or blocks of custom text.
Stairs in which you can vary landings, risers and handrails.
Picture objects that can be placed in a model to look like people,

trees, or even whole buildings.
2D drawing objects and tools that can enhance your productivity
and drawing accuracy.
In short, the pleasure and productivity of the ArchiCAD user can be
greatly enhanced with objects. This book is intended to ease the
ArchiCAD user safely into making objects. It is not entirely self
contained; it needs to be read with the GDL Reference Manual, the
Help Menu and the main ArchiCAD Reference Guide. Dip into these
frequently. If you wish to take object making further, your next stages
after this primer are to take a more informed look at the manual and
GDL Help menu, and to work with the GDL Cookbook, all of which
take you progressively into more advanced GDL.
If you have tried making objects in ArchiCAD without GDL (we will
call these Autoscripted objects), you are used to getting an object
whose only possibility for variation is stretchiness. You are not
offered a choice of materials, you have to get these right before saving
the object. This introduction to object making will encourage you to
build objects yourself, but more significantly it will encourage you to
try to make them capable of offering variations thus they could be
partially parametric.
Libraries must be loaded

Whatever you make, however you make it, ArchiCAD must be able to
find the object. Every time you open ArchiCAD, it reads through the
library directories (folders) and makes an index of what it finds.
The Eureka Tower in Melbourne, Australia, by Fender Katsalidis: Object

Technology is not just for pretty renderings it is central to the task of
construction documentation.
Library Parts in ArchiCAD

When you build an ArchiCAD project, you can use the primary
modelling tools walls, slabs, columns, roofs, etc. The ArchiCAD
Tools palette also offers access to library parts: furniture objects,
lamps, windows, doors, skylights etc. In the Tools palette or the Tools
menu or Extras menu, you may also find add-ons such as ArchiTerra,
StairMaker, Profiler or RoofMaker. To place an object in the project
you can use different actions, such as click and stretch, click and click
again to indicate direction, or you may encounter an entire dialog box
containing instructions and many data fields
In your use of ArchiCAD, you will have noticed that most library
parts offer many chances for variation (called parameters) such as the
number of mullions in a window or glazing styles in a door. They may
also offer different ways (in materials, pens and fills) of representing
themselves in the 3D view and in 2D.
10
The existing ArchiCAD Library is a folder in your installed

ArchiCAD directory. ArchiCADs own library will be loaded (by
default) but when you are running a project, or experimenting with
GDL, you should make additional folders of your objects. Make sure
you do not make objects or folders with the same names as ones that
already exist in the libraries. When you are working with ArchiCAD,
make sure that the folder you are saving your objects to is one of your
loaded libraries.
demolition of the built environment. Documentation is vital at every

stage and buildings have to be managed by teams of people who
require access to shared information databases.
Objects in the environment can be classified by Subtype for
example they will be Seating, Windows, Roof structure, Storage or
other similar categories. If your ArchiCAD model uses internationally
sourced GDL components, how does it know the difference between
objects called sedia, janela, fenster, Tr, tepe_penceresi,
iskemle, parathiro? Is a lanterna a lamp or a skylight? ArchiCAD
knows!
You can either make a new library folder that relates to current
projects, or your objects can be stored in a personal library in the
ArchiCAD folder. The main point is that you should know where
they are, and ensure that you have loaded them. Subfolders to keep
furniture objects, building components, window objects, textures etc.,
should be logically named and organized.
Whats new since the last object making book?

There are many small changes in the GDL since the year 2000, but
lets look at the four most notable changes that affect the object
maker.
Subtypes: All object names now end with a .GSM, and they carry a
unique internal ID number which enables ArchiCAD to know if they
are windows, doors, lamps etc. International conferences have agreed
on a way of classifying objects in the virtual world called Industry
Foundation Classes (IFCs). Graphisoft play a leading part in this
movement. A 3D model is in reality a vast database, of which the 3D
form is a visible manifestation, and the design process is just one
stage in the life of the building. The IFC concept considers the
lifecycle stages of conception, design, management and even
All objects now have an internal identity code GUID (Globally

Unique IDentifier) which includes the subtype classification, and
enables the APIs inside ArchiCAD to perform correctly whatever the
objects name so a skylight will cut a hole in a roof but not a wall; a
lamp will have brightness and colour controls but cannot cut holes in
a roof.
The GUID is very powerful more so than the objects name. As a
risky experiment, I changed the name of an object in a library,
reloaded libraries and checked the plan. The object was still in the
11
correct place, with its new name, and looked the same in 3D view
because the GUID was unchanged (dont do this at home!).
You can see a quick sample of the IFC categories in GDL by going to
File>GDL Objects>Open Object by Subtype click open the
cascading groups and you will get a comprehensive listing of the
possibilities even animals, cars and railings are included.
Graphical Hotspots (GHs): GDL objects can now have custom
hotspots in any part of the model for editing its configuration.
Previous versions of GDL only permitted stretching of an imaginary
cuboid around the object. Now an object of some complexity can be
manipulated by the user in a piece of storage furniture, you can pull
or push the drawers, swing open or shut the doors, change the
spacing of shelves or dividers it is easy to do using hotspots in the
3D or the 2D or both, and the hotspot coding is not difficult. For the
GDL writer, GHs are very rewarding to write and get working.
This structural steel tube can be stretched and twisted and rotated in 3D space
and in 2D using graphical hotspots.
Solid Geometry Commands (SGC): We can achieve a far more
authentic 3D appearance and improved line drawing of objects by
adding or subtracting solids. Where intersecting tubes would look
acceptable in 3D render but wrong in wireframe, we can now add
them and get cleancut junctions. We can now subtract 3D outlines
out of a 3D solid surface (for example spherical indents into a slab) to
create shapes that could not be built with positive construction
commands. These are similar to the Solid Element Operations in
ArchiCAD.
12
This carved wood arch is now easy with SGC.

Open GL: This is a new engine for fast 3D visualisation, originally
devised by Silicon Graphics. It is much faster than ArchiCADs 3D
engine, using accelerated routines on dedicated hardware the
graphics card of your computer, Mac or PC. Open GL includes
routines for hidden line, shading, texture mapping, texture filtering,
anti-aliasing, lighting, geometry transformations, etc. This affects you
because previously, textures were relatively unconsidered. Now it
looks blatantly horrid if you are lazy with textures and all your
woodgrain goes the wrong way. It can also cope with models of more
polygons allowing a higher level of detail, more curviness. Open GL
drawings can be preferred to renderings as they include pen lines, as
in most of the illustrations in this book.
Rendering: ArchiCAD 9 introduces the major advance in rendering
technology, Lightworks. It is one of the most popular rendering
engines available on the market. Currently more then 80 applications
are licensing this technology and a total of 1 million end users are
using it.
The Lightworks rendering engine is now built into the ArchiCAD
rendering interface. Lightworks gives you the ability to create high
quality photorealistic images within ArchiCAD. Lightworks offers
ray-tracing, soft shadow and reflection features and complex shader
editing capabilities, and works with ArchiCADs own elements.
Find more details in the ArchiCAD 9 documentation, and see the
website: http://www.lightworks.com/.
Future developments with ArchiCAD

Whichever version you are using by the time you read this, you can be
sure that it will be easy to find your way around. Every new release
has been safely incremental, so that users have been able to adapt
Sources of Library Parts
Internet, you will find an increasing number of websites devoted to

ArchiCAD objects and add-ons such as GDL Central (www.
gdlcentral.com) and Objects On Line (www.objectsonline. com). Try
some of these in Google: Studio Arkada, Arkiklub, ArchiRadar, GDL
Alliance, Cigraph. The Graphisoft website gives you an up-to-date list
of addresses of such sites. From GDL Central, you can discover the
addresses of manufacturers using GDL for products.
You will find that, with the free GDL object web browser plug-in,
GDL objects can be viewed in a browser, changed parametrically, and
rendered, almost as if you were examining them from within
ArchiCAD and then perhaps, downloaded to the user.
The ArchiCAD Library
DXF and DWG Libraries
It is worth going through the ArchiCAD Library included with your

package before you start creating library parts on your own.
Investigate what already exists. This will give you an idea of what you
can use and do not need to make; and the examples in there will give
you ideas of what is possible. You will be able to see how parameters
change and this will make you think about what qualities you might
like to include in objects that you make such as useful 3D options,
clear organization and description of parameters, stretchiness with
hotspots, nice textures, 3D authenticity and intelligible 2D symbols,
pop down menus and even a user interface.
Most building component manufacturers offer disks of DXF/DWG

files, although most of these are 2D only. It is always worth getting
these, as DXF/DWG files can be used in ArchiCAD, and you will be
able to make use of them in GDL. 2D DXF and DWG files can be
brought straight into the Project plan. Where you see the opportunity
to make library parts out of DWG or DXF originals, you may be able
to take advantage of the parametric power available to you in GDL.
For 3D, you can also make objects with other applications from 3rd
parties Zoom, Sketchup, Rhino, Design Workshop, AutoCAD, 3DS
save them as a DXF/DWG, then bring them into ArchiCAD as a
library part. The DXF/DWG Conversion Guide included in your
ArchiCAD package explains this procedure in more detail. Sites like
3D Cafe (www.3dcafe. com) are full of third party objects although
these will be mostly DXF/DWG models requiring import into
ArchiCAD via GDL. However good they may look, they will not be
parametric.
You can also work in the other direction. If you take the time to learn
GDL, you have the advantage over other CAD users in that you can
make a 2D or 3D library part in GDL that is parametrically variable,
and you can save the resulting varied forms as separate DXF/DWGs.
Parts you create in GDL will wholly or partially work in AutoCAD or
ADT using the GDL Adaptor.
readily to new capabilities. The fundamental modelling tools (Walls,

Slabs, Roofs) have changed for the better, but are still familar with
each new release. We have an extra armoury of tools like the Column,
Beam and Mesh, the continuous Line tool and in recent times, we
have the technology of Add-ons custom tools which make
modelling even easier. GDL itself, the internal code of ArchiCAD,
has also changed over the versions, but never so differently that an
experienced user couldnt immediately make use of it, and later adapt
to the new features as they became evident.
GDL is very widely supported the web is full of sites with object making advice
and downloads.
Complementary Libraries
Several specialist libraries are available on the web or on CD from
companies specialising in object making and add-ons, such as People
and More, Theometrics, Hoshino, M.A.D., etc. If you explore the
Using old libraries update library parts

You can use library parts from older ArchiCADs providing they have
3-letter suffices. They will be much slower to load, and may work
13
incorrectly. You can speed this up by opening ArchiCAD with the

Special Menu visible. Boot up ArchiCAD holding down the Opt-Cmd
keys (Mac) or Alt-Ctrl (PC) you will see the Special Menu appear.
Load the library you want to update. Now select Update Library
parts from the Special Menu. It may take 10-20 mins. It is bringing
them all up to date with GUIDs and other AC8/9 characteristics.
Add-ons that make Objects

There are a number of third party programs that can create or edit
ArchiCAD library parts, for example, Zoom GDL, 3NF. You will also
find a growing number of object-making Add-ons working in
ArchiCAD such as RoofMaker, Trussmaker, Profiler, Roof, Floor and
Wall Accessories, ArchiForma, GDL Toolbox.
Objects created by these Add-ons contain GDL scripts as well as
other, application-dependent data.
1.2 Making your own Library Parts

Without GDL using ArchiCADs Tools
Walls, Slabs, Roofs and other ArchiCAD 3D tools are available in the
Tools palette as custom tools for object making, regardless of their
originally intended purpose. You could, for example, model a dining
table easily by using walls and slabs. The legs could be tall, small slabs,
or short thin walls. The tabletop could be a slab. A lipped edge to the
top could be made with a very thin low wall. The resulting structure
can be viewed in the 3D window and saved as a library part.
Library parts originating from the floor plan can be saved either as
Editable scripts or in Binary format. Editable scripts give you some
GDL so you can enhance the library parts 3D appearance by
modifying its script. You can do useful work on a script, mainly in
editing materials and pen values. Binary library parts offer lightning
fast imaging speeds, but do not allow editing, and have no parameters
other than ones enabling stretchiness width, depth and height. If
you want to perform other modifications, you must return to the
original floor plan document, modify the model, and save it again as
the same or as another binary library part.
If you save floor plan elements as a GDL script, the complexity of the
resulting script will depend on the element types you have used. The
14
Slab tool and Roof tool will produce GDL script that is relatively easy
to modify. The Wall tool creates bits of script which are harder but
not impossible to modify, but are easier to build in the first place.
Some of the most interesting possibilities are with the Mesh tool,
which makes surfaces that can be converted to roofs and saved as
objects.
Sometimes the objects you make with ArchiCAD tools are more
easily built on their side, rather than upright. Windows and doors
should be built flat on the floor and ArchiCAD will convert them to
be upright.
Sometimes you will not be able to make an object all at once. You
may have to make the legs first and save those, then make the
superstructure, save that, then make additional parts, and save them.
There are primitives such as cylinders, cones and domes in the
ArchiCAD Library that you might also use as part of your object. You
can then bring all those subsidiary parts together in the floor plan,
and save the whole result as your final library part. Later in this book
there is an exercise to demonstrate this procedure. Be warned,
though, that this final object will only work if all the subsidiary
objects can be found in the loaded libraries.
This bentwood chair is entirely made from small walls.

For the more experienced object maker, it is possible to combine the
use of ArchiCAD tools with a knowledge of GDL. Because you
cannot rotate objects in the ArchiCAD floor plan (other than around
the Z axis), you will quickly see the benefit of learning even a small
amount of GDL, in which you can rotate shapes however you want.
Shapes can be drawn out in the floor plan with the wall, roof or slab
tool, saved as little chunks of GDL, brought back into the plan and
then added into a larger GDL project that the writer is working on
moved and rotated into position, amended or simplified.
Not all objects need to be 3D. It is possible to use the 2D tools of
lines, text and fills to draw standard symbols, select them, and
File>GDL Object>Save selection as... a library part. If you already
have a 3D object that you wish to use purely as 2D, you can select it,
explode it, and save the resulting lines as a new 2D library part. This
does not change the original 3D part.
All library parts are objects, but when you save them you can decide if
they are to be an Object (a piece of furniture or a building component),
a Window, or a Door. If its to be a Lamp or a special furniture object,
place the object in the plan, open it and select a new Subtype for it.
This accurate ship model for the US Coastguard was built entirely by tracing over
the DWG construction drawings in ArchiCAD with 2D fills, dragging the fill
shapes into GDL, and tidying up into 3D subroutines.
Assemblies built with the Tools palette do not have to be lost. You
may want to edit or elaborate and resave. Select your assembly and
save as a Module. This will take a fraction of the disk space, and can be
put in a folder near your Library with a filename that helps you
remember its relation to the library object that it helped you create.
With modules, you may wonder, why bother to save as objects?
The answer is, if you wish them to behave as objects (stretchy) and
allow further editing (improved materials etc.) and appear correctly in
schedules, they must be saved as library parts.
Making Objects with GDL Scripts

Even a small knowledge of GDL allows you to go far beyond the
possibilities offered by the simpler methods above. If you can
describe what you want in words and numbers, you can make objects
with GDL. Thats why its called Geometric Description
Language.
Because GDL has many 2D and 3D commands, you can make
interesting objects that cannot be made with the Tools palette
they can be Complex and Curvy.
Because you can define diameters, spacing, thickness, materials and
pens, your objects can allow variations - they can be
Parametric.
Because you specify elements in a GDL model by precise
dimensions, angles or parameters, the objects will be exactly what
you want them to be - they can be Accurate.
Because you can write IF statements, you can build rules of
behavior into your objects, such as manufacturers requirements,
checks on incorrect parameters, self-sizing components etc. they
can be Smart..
Because you can write routines that loop around and repeat
actions many times, you can economically build large or repetitive
structures that would be futile to build with the Tools palette
your objects can be Tools.
Because you can rotate, slide and resize components in the model,
your objects can change their shape you can make
Mechanisms.
You also have the ability to decide which parts of a GDL model can
cast shadows, which pen colors the object should be drawn with, how
many polygons there should be in curvy bits. You can generate your
own materials shiny, matte, transparent or glowing so that they
will work even with an ArchiCAD in a different language from yours.
GDL objects are independent of dimensional settings because they
are parametric; GDL models can animate, or contain dozens of varied
configurations selectable from a popdown menu.
GDL is an ideal tool for the Internet, for marketing products such as
office furniture or kitchens. GDL Objects are cross platform and
15
economical in size. They can be viewed with a browser, configured in

their parameters, and downloaded.
How do you make an Object?

Look around you, examine the 3D objects that surround you as you
read this book. Observe, if you can, the essential primitive forms that
compose each object. Most objects can be seen as composed of
blocks, prisms, cylinders, cones, tubes or surfaces. Your coffee mug is
a hollowed out cylinder, with a closed bottom. Your laptop is two
flattish brick shapes hinging. Your mouse is an elongated egg shape
with a flattened bottom surface. Ask yourself what detail needs to be
included; discard detail that is not essential to the 3D render you want
to get from it think about the viewing distance that the object will
be seen from. Use a level of detail that is within your abilities to
model either from the Tools palette or with GDL script.
Difficult 3D tasks such as surface rippling or perforation might more
easily be solved by using textures instead of struggling to find a
physical 3D modelling solution.
If you are using the ArchiCAD tools (not GDL), view the object in
terms of the familiar tools of wall, slab and roof, and include in your
vision the primitive shapes from the shapes library or bits you can
make with Profiler or Trussmaker.
If using GDL, look at it in terms of blocks, spheres, cylinders and
cones. As your GDL skills grow, you can add prisms, sweeps, plane
and meshed surfaces and tubes.
CADCAM system (cutting tool) or a rapid prototyping machine. So

you must be satisfied that it IS right. For this, you are better off
working in GDL from the beginning.
The idea of an Investment Object

Ask yourself if the object you want to make is to be used more than
once, if it could be useful in other projects. You might be the one
person in the office making objects for other people, and therefore
you need to make the object usable by others. If you make it
parametric and smart, it might take you longer to make an object that
could more quickly be made with the Tools palette. But if the object
has versatility and can be used in many more projects, the time taken
to make the object well is an investment and your users will be
grateful for the effort.
Does it need to LOOK right, or BE right?

An object that is used to furnish the interior of a house may only be
required to give a luxurious impression of the interior, an authentic
lived in look. It only needs to LOOK right. This could be built with
ArchiCADs own tools or with GDL, and the dimensions could be
eyeballed that is, you use the grid as a guide and get the size as
accurate as your eye tells you it needs to be. But using the Tools
palette, your objects will still have a blocky look to them.
Another object may be required to be totally accurate, so that you can
derive accurately dimensioned sections and plans from it. It may need
to be precise enough to fit a confined space, like a kitchen or
bathroom part. At the top end, it may be required to drive a
16
Investment Objects: This parapet ladder is required un-countable times on the

buildings of Orcutt Winslow (Arizona) and each one is painfully slow to draw in
2D sections with different heights for each ladder. The GDL object took the
author less than an hour to write and is stretchily configurable in every conceivable
direction and provides 2D and 3D data for materials ordering and welding.
Furthermore, objects made with the Tools palette are no longer

editable if the original floor plan file that made them has been lost
(and you also forgot to save them as a module!)
A piece of GDL that is well written can be extended and made more
powerful when your own knowledge of GDL improves or when a
new edition of ArchiCAD offers more features. A well written object
could be taken on by someone else in the office, years after you have
left, and improved to take advantage of greater knowledge or of new
features like graphical hotspots or better texture and detail.
Heres another investment idea objects you make can be used in
AutoCAD and ADT using the free GDL Adaptor how many
people may now be able to enjoy a good parametric object, and
perhaps pay you for it?
Can you learn GDL?

Many objects do not need to be built with GDL the ArchiCAD
tools may be enough. Experienced ArchiCAD users who are scared
of GDL get very skillful in transforming the simple 3D tools of wall,
slab and roof and some add-ons into most complex objects. But they
will never have the pleasure of making their objects parametric.
If you are prepared to go beyond the Tools palette, GDL is an easy
scripting language compared with those available in the other CAD
packages. GDL is based on BASIC, the easiest of the programming
languages. Millions of people learned BASIC during the pioneer years
of microcomputing, and GDL remains the most useful and practical
descendant from BASIC. Experts who used to say that BASIC was
not powerful enough for commercial applications can be confounded
by a well written piece of GDL. ArchiCAD users who make the bold
step of tackling GDL are frequently surprised at how easy it is
compared with what they expected. Users can suddenly find a
practical use for all the mathematics they learned at school.
Total beginners can please themselves with rapid progress up the
learning curve. They can make objects that impress their friends and
colleagues, and genuinely improve the quality of their work.
Experts in GDL continue to find additional depths and techniques in
GDL. With energy and programming experience they can extend the
possibilities. As soon as they begin to feel they have reached the limit,
Graphisofts next edition of ArchiCAD provides new areas of

exploration and power.
The ArchiCAD experience

You may wonder if you can learn to make good objects without
knowing too much about ArchiCAD. Well you can, but it really pays
to have a good knowledge of ArchiCAD as a working tool the use
of the 3D and 2D elements; the use of techniques such as the Magic
wand and the Marquee; splitting, mirroring, resizing and
multiplication.
If you are a regular user of ArchiCAD you will also develop a feel for
what you like or hate about objects do they stretch mindlessly, are
they difficult to pick up or snap to, are they transparent when they
should be opaque, do they look clumsy in 2D, can you understand the
parameter descriptions?
A critical appreciation of the experience of the user will help you
make better objects.
Spelling and grammar

A note for pedants: in the text, some words are capitalised or
italicised for emphasis or because they are titles e.g. the Wall tool. In
other cases you may find spellings that you do not agree with e.g.
colour, metre. Largely, we have used English rather than American
spelling in the English language edition.
For the countries which use commas as a decimal point, please note:
in GDL, commas are separators, period (stop) symbols are decimal
points.
You learn by looking at the objects

Try to get the objects that are illustrated in this book from a CD or
Website, and work through them as you read the book.
17
Read about Object Making

Besides this book, you can read about object making in other manuals
and guides:
ArchiCAD Reference Guide see table of contents and index of that
volume. In particular, peruse the section on Parametric Objects
(Tools chapter). It is an important complement to this book and it
would be repetitive for me to reprint it all here but it contains very
valuable information on object making.
DXF/DWG Conversion Guide: Bringing in objects from other CAD
environments.
ArchiCAD Training Guide: Making library parts (see table of contents
of that volume).
GDL Reference Manual: Syntax of GDL commands, in depth
information on every aspect of GDL except programming.
Help Menu in ArchiCAD: Syntax of GDL commands, more frequently
updated (when versions change) than the Manual, this book or the
Cookbook.
Not included with ArchiCAD, but obtainable:
The GDL Cookbook: Project-based approach to learning GDL that
teaches both GDL and the technique of programming with GDL
from beginner to expert level.
Project Framework: Discussion of how to get the most out of
ArchiCAD in the professional office, with good explanations of
organization of your libraries.
You could also consider keeping a personal notebook of your
progress with object making. By noting your successes, you can build
up a personal fund of expertise.
18
CHAPTER 2: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL 1

Before learning GDL it is wise to become fully conversant with object making using ArchiCADs own tools.
2.1 Making Objects without GDL

Most ArchiCAD users become skilled at making objects using the
normal building elements in the Tools palette before they tackle
GDL. For ArchiCAD newcomers, lets make sure you are fully
conversant with object making before moving on to discover the
power of GDL.
Three methods of saving an object from ArchiCAD

Make the object using the Slab, Wall and Roof tool, and select it in the
floor plan window with the cursor. Then use one of these three
methods:
1 If the object has been made the right way up, or on its side,
view in the 3D window in plan or elevation respectively. Save
the resulting view as a library part use File>GDL
Objects>Save 3D Model as... to save it as a .GSM object,
window or door. Save it into one of your loaded libraries.
2 If the object has been made the right way up in 3D or if it is
2D, use File> GDL Objects> Save Selection as... to save it
into one of your loaded libraries.
3 If the object is 2D, use File>GDL Objects>New Object...
and when the GDL dialog appears, click the 2D Symbol
button and draw it into the 2D symbol window or paste in
something you drew earlier in the floor plan. Set the A and B
dimensions to the size of the object in your drawing.
Processes 1 and 2 are called Autoscripting. ArchiCAD creates a
GDL library part, with 3D form (if any) and either 2D scripts or
symbol, and routines to provide stretchiness. Every object, 2D or 3D,
has an imaginary size-defining cuboid around it of A for width, B
for depth and zzyzx for height. Method 1 and 2 will set this size
automatically; for 3 you have to set the size.
When you have made such objects, open them using File>GDL
Objects>Open Object... you will be able to view the scripts a
highly educational process! The format of GDL script it generates

could be called industrial quite off-putting in appearance and a lot
more complicated than the Creative GDL that you can attempt with
the help of this book.
Getting started with Object Making

Before making your first object with the Tools palette (without
GDL), ensure that you are or you will become conversant with some
of these basic ArchiCAD using skills:
The use of the Magic Wand (for transforming a Fill to a Slab, or a
Slab to a Roof, Line to a Wall etc.)
Setting Grids, large and small, and setting dimensional preferences
to work with Metres or Decimal Inches.
Using the Coordinates palette to make things accurate.
Using the Settings dialogs for the various tools in the Tools palette
to get their materials and heights correct.
Using Add-ons like Profiler and Trussmaker.
Discovering the useful ready-made bits of GDL in the Special
constructions>Basic shapes library.
Using the Marquee tool and 3D Cutaway to cut objects.
Solid Element Operations (new in ArchiCAD 8).
Making curved edges in slabs and fills with the Pet Palette.
Setting up 3D Projection Settings to arrange camera and viewing
angles correctly.
Making Section/Elevation windows and copying and pasting
between those and the floor plan.
Multiply, Rotate and Mirror.
Align texture set origin and set direction.
Setting up
Open a new ArchiCAD file, load your standard library, and load a
new folder to use as your working library and save the new file to that
folder or to somewhere convenient. Set the large grid to 12 or to 300
19
mm and the small grid to 5mm or 0.2. Zoom in to somewhere near

the Origin of the Floor Plan, so that you are viewing an area of the
grid that is a little larger than the furniture you wish to build. Try to
work at or near the real origin, not a temporary one. Hairlines help
with 3D building, True line weight helps with making 2D objects.
2.2 Lets make something in 2D

Lets try making some 2D bathroom fittings. There is no scripting to
do, it can be drawn with 2D tools. You could use this procedure for
electrical symbols, kitchen or bathroom furniture, or as a personalised
symbol for trees and plants.
There are two ways to do this: draw the object in the floor plan using
Lines, Arcs, Fills, Hotspots and Text. Select and File>GDL
Objects>Save Selection as... an object into a loaded library (method
2). You are advised to use mainly the Fill tool with opaque fill, so that
the object is solid against a coloured background and not transparent.
Be warned that the object is not scale sensitive, so text and line widths
and vectorial fills may appear differently according to the scale of the
final drawing.
Bring it straight back by selecting a library part from the Toolbox and
placing it in the Floor plan next to the original drawing. Normally, the
most recent library part saved is the first object that appears when
you place an object in the plan.
from the original drawing. This object may be saved as

bthrm_whb.gsm and the other two objects may be saved with names
to match, e.g. as bthrm_wc.gsm and bthrm_bidet.gsm.
The other method (3) is to create a New Object (from File>GDL
Objects>New Object) and from the GDL dialog, hit the 2D Symbol
button to get a 2D symbol window and draw the symbol directly into
that window (or paste it from the floor plan drawing). Check the size
of the sanitary fitting, and set the A (width) and B (depth) values in
the parameter table correctly, or your drawing will be distorted when
it is an object. One benefit of method 3 is that you can return to add
more detail to the drawing in the 2D symbol window and you can
decorate it with the hotspots of your choice on key parts of the
object, like the corners and the plugholes. If you do not add any
special hotspots, you will get 5 bounding box hotspots so add
those hotspots.
Set the A and B to the correct dimensions

You will not have to do this too often because the ArchiCAD library
is well equipped with 2D objects, and many of the 3D objects from
the ArchiCAD Library have a 2D only mode in which the 3D can be
omitted.
2.3 Bring a file in from DXF/DWG
If you now Open the Object (from the File>GDL Objects menu)
you will find that the 2D view is scripted, including all the hotspots
20
If you want to bring in some 2D from DXF/DWG, bring it in to the

floor plan first. Then you have the option to clean it up, get the scale
right and make it into a 2D Library part as in the earlier section.
When you want to bring the 3D DXF/DWG into ArchiCAD, bring it
in as a GDL library part. The procedure is File>GDL Objects>Open
Object. Look for Files of Type... and select either the DXF or the
DWG. Click on the file you want. You can opt for Default Translator.
The Default Translator brings a 3D DWG in as GDL Script. Save the
object, then place it in the floor plan and open the object: look at the
scripts. All the 2D and 3D data was imported, but you may be faced
with colossal quantities of script.
You may be disappointed with the result. Nothing brought in from
DXF/DWG is solid; it seems to be a vast mass of polygons and lines,
and in no particular order. If you attempt to edit these you will need a
lot of luck and guesswork. The most you can be sure of editing
successfully is the 2D symbol, and in the 3D, some IF statements
added by you to hide or show portions; and insert some material and
pen numbers.
3D objects may come in on their side, or the wrong size due to your
not knowing if they are created in millimetres, inches, feet or metres.
If the object is the size of a pinhead or larger than your town, you
may have to duplicate the Default Translator and amend the scale
conversion of the import. It may also be many kilometres from the
Origin.
Solids may be inside-out hollow things. You may find that the lack of
control over the number of polygons leaves you with a model that has
so many polygons that your rendering times become unacceptable.
Many objects can be found by some smart searching with Google.
Check the file format before downloading. Choose the DXF/DWG
if you have a choice. Always take the opportunity (exert your
consumer power) to ask manufacturers of components to provide
objects in GDL.
side, and only 150m high. You have to be prepared to do some fixing,
e.g. rotating it upright, making a new 2D symbol and resizing it
correctly in height and plan area.
2.4 Lets make a 3D Object a Table

The next object, a Table, is to be made the right way up and for this,
the Slab tool is the most useful tool. Build up the table, starting with
the table top, and add the legs and frame. For each part, use the
settings dialog box to get the height of the slab correct. Remember
that the height (altitude) of the slab is the top and the thickness is the
amount of slab below the top. If you build from walls, the altitude of
a wall is its base, and the height of the wall is above the base.
It helps you later (if you want to tweak some of the GDL) to build
over the main origin. If you have made a temporary origin somewhere
else and the main origin is greyed out, just select the Origin tool and
click on the grey main origin.
We can use the curving function in the Pet palette to soften the edges
of the object. Remember also that you need to set the materials of the
tabletop and legs using the Slab settings dialog box. A cylindrical
element like the chair leg could be made by magic wanding a slab to a
circular arc, or by bringing in a cylinder from the ArchiCAD Library.
Perhaps the best way is to use the Column tool, set to the right
dimension and materials.
This model of the Eiffel Tower comes in perfectly from DXF directly
from the Eiffel Towers own website. Unfortunately, its lying on its
21
To make sure that each leg is consistent, make just one leg correctly at
first. Next, Edit>Drag a Copy to the other end of the table. If this
option isnt available, use Options> Preferences>Miscellaneous to
activate the Show Element copy... button. If you use the grid, you
can make the table reasonably accurate in dimensions. Keep an eye on
the Coordinates palette as you type in your X and Y locations and you
can make the table totally accurate. This is easier if you set Grid Snap
to ON, and use a small grid of say 10mm or 3/8. Make the table
about 750mm (30) high.
When you have built the chair, select it and using 3D Projection
Settings, view it in 3D hidden line, in Plan with the camera at 270.
Save it using File>GDL Objects>Save 3D model as....
Now click on the object icon in the Tools palette and place it in the
floor plan. The result is indistinguishable from the original, but the
GDL object can be placed as often as you need, it will appear in
listings and can be used in other building models. This table will be
stretchy, but if you stretch it, the section sizes will deform so build it
the size you want from the start if you want to avoid distortion.
No matter how well you make it this way, it will never permit you to
make parametric alterations to height, leg spacing or timber sizes
unless you are prepared to dive in and do some editing in GDL.
We will cover the editing of industrial GDL in a later chapter.
2.5 Lets Make a 3D Window with slabs

Windows have to be made flat on the floor, and are best made with
the Slab tool. Again, it is best to build it over the origin, and the origin
22
should be symmetrically at the centre of the lower sill of the window.

The external face of the frame must lie at a height of project zero on
the ground plane. Normally, slabs have their tops on the ground
plane, so be careful to set your window frame at the right height and
altitude.
Draw out a rectangular slab first which defines the overall opening
size. Then select this slab, and with the Slab tool selected draw
another rectangle within the first slab. This draws a hole in the slab
and effectively makes the frame hollow. A better way to do it is to
make the frame from four separate pieces. In this era of Open GL
you want to try to get better texture rendering look at the
woodgrain GDL organises the grain separately for each piece. Set
the material of this slab to frame material. You can now draw another
slab into the window, set this to 20mm (3/4) thick and set it to
Glass for top bottom and sides. Make sure the height of the glass is
well positioned in height, within the frame. For added realism, you
can add a smaller group of frame sections to play the part of a
casement, and a small slab below the project zero to be a sill.
The illustration above shows how the window should sit on the
project zero ground plane. Check that the frame/casement/glass
relationships are working correctly. Use a Section/Elevation view to
get it perfect, including the glass position.
In this case, the project origin is neatly positioned at the centre of the
sill. This is not absolutely necessary because ArchiCAD will make
adjustments when it saves the window so that the origin finishes up in

the right place. But it is tidy and more disciplined to get it right at the
start.
When you are done laying slabs, select all the slab elements of the
window, and view them in Plan (270) just like you did for the table.
Use a wireframe view to show the frame. Although you are viewing it
in plan, ArchiCAD will turn it the right way round for it to work as a
window in a wall.
Save that 3D view as an Object and when asked, click on the
Window icon. Check the box that hides redundant lines. Make sure
you save it into a loaded library. If you have not already done so, make
a folder in your personal library for windows and doors as you save.
If you clicked the window or door icon, ArchiCAD will recognise that
it has to cut a hole in any wall. The hole size will be the width and
depth of the window you made.
Back in the floor plan, build a wall, and then select a window to put
into it. Select the window you have just saved. Place it into the wall,
making sure that the Eyeball cursor is clicked to the outside face of
the wall (the face with more hotspots). You can now view the result
and change its parameters of size only.
One unfortunate finding is that the textures can be perfectly aligned
in the object itself, but in the wider ArchiCAD environment, the
wood textures behave differently. The way to guarantee perfect
textures is to use Edit>Align 3D texture on each part of the frame
before you save the window object.
23
outline of the window, and give it an ID of wallhole. We will explain

that more fully in chapter 10 on windows.
2.6 Lets make a Chair using Wall tool
The technique of making windows is similar to door construction.

But you would need GDL to change the window or door styles, to
make it open and shut, add grilles, or offer a choice of glazing or
ironwork styles.
Before you move on, you would find that the 2D symbol (see figure
at right, in illustration above) is too horrid to use in a plan. The curve
in the window head produces a lot of spurious lines. You should open
the Window as a GDL object, click on the 2D Symbol button and it
will open up a drawing window, enabling you to delete the bad lines
and clean up the pen thicknesses (left side, in illustration above).
Unusually shaped windows wallhole idea

Actually, this example is so simple that you find adequate windows
like this in the ArchiCAD library already. Windows like this only cut
rectangular holes in the wall. What you may need is a window of a
more unusual shape. The trick is to lay a roof or a slab over the
24
Many objects are easier to make lying on their side, because of their
complexity or shape. They may be far easier to build in profile than to
build as a stack of slabs or walls assembled vertically.
You can make skillful use of the Wall tool. Walls are most useful as
they can be set to a thickness and height and can be snapped to
follow lines with the Magic Wand. They are more controllable at
following curves than the Slab tool. Their only trouble is their
annoying tendency to join together and form strange spiky mitring
effects when you least want it. In the Display Options you could turn
off Clean Wall Intersections for straight lined objects. To get these
curvy walls working, we should retain Clean Wall Intersections.
This Bentwood chair illustrates the use of the Wall tool perfectly it
could be made with the Slab tool but only with more difficulty.
Making the Frame and Seat

First, using the 2D line tools, draw the outline of the chair frame,
including the curve of the arms using 2D lines. Then set the Wall tool
to be your choice of Wood material, 30mm (1.25) thick and 150mm
(6) high. Magic Wand the Wall tool to the lines (click with space bar
down); this causes the little walls to follow the lines. Ensure that the
walls are grouped; drag a copy of the wall group to one side. Now use
the Elevate command to raise that wall group by 600 mm (24). Move
that wall group back until it is exactly over the first. You now have the
bentwood frame of the chair. Using the same wall setting, put in the
straight sections for the seat and back. Change their heights to start
from 150mm (6) above the deck and finish 600mm (24) high as in
the illustration.
Duplicate the seat and back walls, and make them about 90mm (3.5)
thick and change material to fabric. You can use the wall-end feature
of ArchiCAD 8.1 to get rounded ends, or get the same outline with
the Slab tool. To finish, the chair has some little black hinge bolts for
the connecting rods, which can be a small but very high slab.
Try using the Log setting in the wall, set to 30mm (1.25) log heights
to simulate bamboo for the arms. It works on the straight bits, but
not on the curves. For this effect, you will need real GDL.
Stand it upright in 3D
When you have something like the Bentwood chair in the diagram,
lying fully on its side, its time to rotate it upright. Set the 3D
projection setting in the parallel views to 90 position for camera
with elevational view selected. Save the 3D view as a library part into
your loaded library; this time, click the object icon (not the window or
door) and tick the Editable radio button, and tick the redundant
lines checkbox.
Give the object a Preview Picture

If you are pleased with your object, capture a small rendered view of
it with the image size set to 128x128 pixels. Select it and copy. Open
the objects GDL dialog, click the Preview Picture button and paste
the image into the Preview Picture of the object. It will look better in
Windows/Finder and will be much easier to pick from the Object
browser.
You can paste any image that is near-enough square into the Preview
Picture, but it will be rescaled by GDL. Pasting in a 128x128 ensures a
distortion free image.
You do not need to use ArchiCAD for the image. It could come from
a photo, or a company logo.
2.7 Lets make a Roof Truss with Fills
Place the chair into your project and enjoy! In this view, the finished
chair object admires its creator with satisfaction. To improve it, you
might edit the 2D Symbol (as you did for the window) to erase
extraneous lines.
Try this exercise, which provides a link between the section/elevation

and the floor plan windows.
Construct a small one-room building, and place a pitched roof over it.
Make the walls higher than the roof and then use the Trim to Roof
command to make the walls and roof fit each other. Insert a window
and door if you like. Now using the Section/Elevation tool from your
Tools palette, draw a section through the building, and view the
section.
25
whole truss. In this case, use a separate Fill for the Steel wires, the
Timber and the Circlebolt.
Now select the fills, copy them, move to the floor plan and paste
them. Move them to a clear space, and it would help if one end corner
of the truss is over the Origin perhaps one of the truss bearings.
The hotspots will help you. Now you can magic-wand the Slab tool to
follow the outline of the Fill, and to cut any holes you might have
(there are none in this truss).
Making the 3D with Magic Wand and Slabs
This homely interior (rendered in ArchiCAD) needs some timber trusses.
Make sure before you use the Slab tool so that it is centered on the
ground plane in this case, for the timber set the thickness to 100
mm, the top of the slab to 50 mm and the material to timber. Thus
the truss is nicely centered above and below ground zero. You will
make similar settings for the Steel wires and the circle bolt.
You may have a bit of trouble with the Magic Wand. Snap-click to the
outline of the fill first to get the outline of the truss. If there are holes
in the truss, select the new slab, select the slab tool again (making sure
it is the slab and not the fill by looking at the Info palette) and then
snap-click any of the holes in the fill. This will drill holes in the slab.
You should finish with a small truss like the one illustrated. If you
make a mistake, delete the waste slabs and try again with the sequence
above. Make yours more complicated if you want to, with more
members, or more varied width of members, and add extra metal
plates for extra realism.
Draw Fills into the Section

View the section. You can make use of the Line tool to set up
guidelines to make sure that your timbers line at the right angles and
have the right depths. When you have the section in the foreground,
you can only draw with the 2D tools. Use the Fill tool to outline a
small truss. This ensures that your future truss will fit the roof
perfectly. Select the fill and continue to draw into it. If you need any
holes, you can cut holes in the fill. Thus you form the outline of the
26
Keep the two sides of the truss separate by splitting the slab at the
apex; do an Align Texture for each side for the wood grain. This will
look good in the finished object. Now select and view the truss from
the 90 camera position in parallel elevation view. Save the 3D view as

a library part, click the object icon and you have your truss, with
texture alignment.
Tidy up the 2D Symbol add hotspots

Now bring this truss into the floor plan. Open it as a GDL object and
edit the 2D Symbol. Place 2D hotspots at the apex and at the bearing
points where the truss meets the wall. This makes it easier to place in
the model. Place one truss into the building and look at the original
Section view. Use the view to get the first one the right height and
position relative to the wall make sure your truss aligns perfectly
with the original fill pattern. Autoscripted objects are automatically
stretchy so be careful when handling them you do not want to
stretch them accidentally. Use Edit>Drag a Copy or Edit> Multiply>
Distribute to move and duplicate them, and use the Coordinates
palette if you want exact spacing.
This same method can be used to make complex structures the
limitation being that they will not be parametric, and they will all be
rectilinear in section. Trussmaker is good for most trusses if made
from a single material. This method is good for composite wood-steel
trusses. Remember that single slab objects made this way will have the
texture all one direction and will not look authentic unless you do it in
separate pieces as we did for this truss.
Summary of Object Making in this chapter

You can make complex objects without GDL using the 3D tools
or using library objects that already exist. They will be stretchy but
not smart, and not parametric in anything except stretchiness.
These can be 2D or 3D and can be saved from the floor plan, or
from the 3D view.
Windows and Doors can be made without scripting GDL.
The Wall tool is powerful for object making without GDL.
Using the Magic Wand, you can steal shapes from 2D ArchiCAD
and turn them into Objects.
Now the inhabitants have a nice steel tied timber roof!
27
CHAPTER 3: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL 2

Even without GDL there are techniques of object making that go beyond the simple use of the standard ArchiCAD tools.
3.1 Using Basic Shapes from the Library

You can make more complex or curvy objects using library parts that
are in one of your loaded libraries. The standard ArchiCAD library
contains a directory of special structures such as cones, curved tubes
and vaults. Before you try to do this, just check which libraries are
loaded (File menu>Load Libraries) and if its not already in, load the
ArchiCAD Library.
If you have an object-making add-on like Trussmaker, ArchiForma or
GDL Toolbox, consider whether you can make your object with one of
these more easily.
Make a Banana Truss or Mullion object

This banana truss has been built entirely from the elbow and
cylinder objects in the existing ArchiCAD Library. The key is placing
and configuring them, and thinking out which way to organise the
camera direction. In this process, you are making parts of the truss,
saving them, bringing them back in, grouping, then resaving
nesting, or encapsulating. Some of these components are
somewhat confusing to manipulate. Once you have done the first
save, you lose control over parametric changes, as the objects which
follow are the ones you saved. So place them correctly at each stage.
This object starts with the Elbow. Lay it down flat on the ground
(centre of the tube at ground zero) and configure it to the length you
want. Use 2D lines as guidelines. Place some single cylinders of a
smaller diameter (see below) to form the bracing tubes.
Here the elbow has been placed and stretchy cylinders laid. Now save this with the
camera at 90 in elevational view.
Bring it back in to the plan, twice, and it should be upright, as in the
next illustration. The upright truss halves can be splayed at the angle
you wish to achieve, and then reviewed and resaved. Add in a column
to form the long straight tube.
For the next step, its easier to rotate it 90, so we can save it as an upright truss.
28
Save again, with the camera at the same viewpoint, in elevation. You need great
precision in placing them in relation to each other.
Bring it back in, this time laid flat on the ground. Its time to add in
linking cross tubes. You will need the sectional view to get the precise
position and height of each cross tube. In the plan make sure that the
cylinder ends are lost inside each main curving tube. View it in 3D
Plan, 270 and you can save it as a horizontal 3D Truss.
You could view it one more time in 3D Elevation, 90, and save a
version of it, upright, for use as vertical wind resisting mullions
which is what I intended to make originally.
Remember that if you ever wish to view the final object, you will
always have to be able to find the constituent parts in a loaded library.
If you alter one of the components, it may result in an error when the
final object is viewed. We have become used to seeing the Missing
objects dialog box coming up at some time or other. This is useful; if
you read it, the warnings of duplicate library objects and of missing
ones require action.
If the composite object never needs to be edited again, then you
could view it once more in 3D plan view from an angle of your choice
and then save as a Binary. This ensures that all the subsidiary objects
are included and wrapped up into a new bundle of polygons and and
you do not need to worry about missing the earlier components.
A final finish would be to open it as a GDL object and plant some

hotspots into the 2D Symbol to remove the bounding box and make
the truss easier to pickup and snap to wall surfaces.
3.2 Lets make an Object by Cutting

The banana truss/mullion is an example of nested objects (objects
within the larger object). As another example of nested objects, we
29
could make a rounded vault, and further refine it with the ability to
form a crossing a groin vault.
This is something we cannot do easily with the Slab tool, nor even
with the Roof tool. Try using the more powerful Wall tool because it
is smoother and more easily manipulated. We will draw a length of
vault on its end, using the circular wall variant of the Wall tool. If you
are more ambitious, follow this example making it as a Gothic vault
(instead of Arched) by having two sections of curved wall meeting
each other.
Set the camera at 90, viewed in 3D elevation, then save as a vault
object. Call it vault_part1.GSM if you like.
Bring it into the floor plan and you now have a stretchy vault. You
can change its length, width and height. So it may have been round
when you first built it, but it could now be elliptical if you wish. Drag
a copy of your vault object, and be careful not to change its width
change only the length. We are going to cut (or mitre) the vault at 45
angles to make it usable as a groin vault for the crossing.
The plan shows the basic wall curved to form a flattened circular vault; above it,
the resulting library part stretchy in three dimensions
The marquee is mostly used as a rectangle but it can be very powerful
when used as a polygonal shape, like a fill. First draw one 2D line
down the centreline of the vault, using the half point tickmarks. When
you hover the cursor over the end of the vault, you should get a little
tick mark to indicate the half width of the vault. Now draw two 2D
lines from this half point at 45 angles to indicate the line you wish to
cut along. By using the Shift key, you can ensure that these lines are at
exactly 45.
Cutting with the Marquee tool

Now you may have noticed that one function of the Marquee tool is
to act as a cutter when you view in 3D. Everything within the
marquee is displayed, and everything outside is ignored. Its a great
way to do instant 3D sections. By the way, with Image>Elements to
show in 3D you can reverse that, and view only things outside the
marquee.
Toolbox icon of the Marquee tool with the polygon and rectangle variants. And the
Elements to Show in 3D allows you to select the way that the Marquee operates.
Now, using the Marquee tool in polygonal mode, Magic wand the
Marquee tool to the 2D lines so that it encircles most of the vault that
you intend to retain.
30
Plan of the shimmering marquee over the vault object. The thin 2D lines ensure
that your cutter is at exactly the right angle. Use the Coordinate Box if you like to
type the angle in. Now you see the groin vault part in 3D.
View this in 3D axonometric and you will find that you have a groin
vault mitred at 45. If the cutting effect does not occur, close the 3D
window, use the Display> Rebuild command, and then try 3D again.
If it is cutting correctly, use the 3D projection settings to set the
camera position to 270 and the view type to Parallel>Plan. Save this
as a library part and you can call it vault_part2.GSM.
Return to the floor plan, and place your new vault piece. Now this
object has default Bounding Box hotspots. You can make your life
easier open the 2D Symbol in the GDL dialog and customize your
hotspots. Place your own 2D hotspots at the corners, including one in
the middle. Zoom in real close and place one at the pointy apex of the
groin-vault.
Personalised hotspots will remove the bounding box. The hotspot at
the pointy corner can now be used as a hinge around which to
Edit>Multiply>Rotate.
Place the result next to a piece of straight vaulting and you can now
group these two. Now use Edit>Multiply to Rotate yourself another
three and you have the complete groin vault!
Picture of the four vaults in 3D axo

You can now add in more uncut vault objects alongside these, stretch
to appropriate lengths and before you know it, you have your church
roof. You can use the same technique with the polygonal marquee to
take a sideways bite out of a large vault and have a pair of smaller
vaults intersecting.
Try making a Doric column with Profiler, add a square base top and
bottom. Bring it all together.
All this can be done without GDL, and yet, when they see it, your
friends and colleagues will be convinced you have become a GDL
expert.
31
Picture of the final structure, with the groin vault, and some columns made with
Profiler, and a window made with little walls.
marquee, and view it in 3D in plan view. Either way, you will get all
stories showing. If you had a basement that you wished to omit, then
use Image>Elements to Show in 3D... dialog and you can decide
which stories to omit. Save as an object.
If you save it as Editable, you are in danger in the long term of losing
the subsidiary library parts (such as windows) that it was built from. It
may also fail to render due to spurious errors such as missing parts or
bad polygons. Save as Binary, and you can safely export it to your
urban model; place it anywhere and at any height and it will work.
You would need a copy of the original if you wish to go back and
modify any part of it, as the only editing you can do to a binary is to
make it stretchy so store the layer combination.
If you do not want the binary building object to be stretchy (to help
with selection), open the 2D symbol window of the GDL object, and
place 2D hotspots wherever you think would be most appropriate
corners, turrets, entrance canopy, ridges, etc. and then save again.
That will turn off the bounding box hotspots.
3.3 Urban Modelling

Urban modelling entire buildings as objects
Entire buildings can be library parts. ArchiCAD is a powerful tool for
building modelling. A finished building is an elaborate combination
of layers, stories, library parts and building elements it is not easy to
transport to another model. In a city, every building has different
story heights and different layer titles. An urban model is going to be
concerned with city blocks, street furniture and landscape, and
buildings are just a small part of this.
If you are doing urban modelling, many buildings will be single
forms, but the special buildings with a higher level of detail are best
built in another plan and brought in as individual library parts.
If you wish to include buildings from another project, open the file of
the building, try to make the windows of Ice or of a less transparent
material, hide all layers to do with internal furnishing and small details
(unless they need to be seen through windows) and hide the site on
which it sits. Then select the entire building using the fat (thick lines)
32
Proposal for a 43 storey tower for Central London by Robert Luck. You can just
see Tower Bridge in the far distance. the entire central area of London is a low
polygon count object.
If you only need facades, you can build an entire facade on the
ground, using the Slab, Wall and Roof tools. Then save it using the
3D view with the camera at 90 in the Parallel>Elevation view. Bring
it back into your floor plan and assemble the building from facade
library parts. Again, we advise that these are binary, to avoid any lost
subsidiary components, and to reduce the risk of rendering errors. A
disadvantage of this method is that you cannot use normal Window
and Door objects in the library but its great for areas of curtain
walling.
If the object is binary, you can change its materials at a stroke to a
single one in the object settings box untick the Use objects own
materials option. Try changing it all to Ice for the Sketchup effect!
Urban modelling entire sites can be objects

The converse of this idea is probably more commonly used. Your
building may have a lot of detail; the site model of its surroundings
may be larger in area but it may have fewer polygons than the
building.
Make the site separately, save it as an object, and bring it into the
building model, in a lower storey. This way, you can hide or show the
site at a single moment using layers, or change its materials from
realistic to Ice or Whitewash Pine, shiny in a moment. You can
update the site by going back to the original site model and reviewing
in 3D and resaving. For this to work best you must not alter the width
and depth. If you alter these, the autoscripting routine will reposition
the bottom left corner and thus the objects position in your other
model. Placing an oversize 2D rectangle around the large model and
magic wanding the marquee to the rectangle will maintain a consistent
boundary size.
Urban modelling the Camera is the mightiest

weapon!
While not wishing to suggest that Lara Crofts environments are

modelled with ArchiCAD, the point here is that you can use textures
more vigorously. Open GL has changed the situation remarkably it
is far quicker to model urban environments with the greatest
simplicity in 3D and then apply textures. If you cannot photograph an
entire building, you can reconstruct its elevation from photos of the
entrance, and main fenestration and roof features, and copy and paste
together the whole facade. This technique is so important, we have
the whole of chapter 9 dedicated to it Billboard Objects.
The textured facades are so much more realistic than trying to use 3D modelling
tools (as in the foreground, above).
3.4 Making Objects with Add-ons and Solid

Geometry
Progressing from the standard ArchiCAD Tools, we can make use of
some of the object making Add-ons or functions. Profiler, Convert
33
Mesh to Roof, Solid Element Operations and Trussmaker are

major assistants to object makers.
There are some non-Graphisoft third party Add-ons, notably
ArchiForma, GDL Toolbox and Zoom, but this book would never
end if we covered all those in brief, those are so good they exceed
all conventional non-GDL methods of object making.
However, true native coded GDL is more powerful than any of these
because it is parametric and almost infinitely customisable in the way
of user interface and 3D options once you have learnt it. Its fair to
say that some of the curvy shapes you can make with ArchiForma or
Zoom would take years of GDL knowledge to equal with native
GDL.
Profiler for extrusions and lathing

Profiler is a popular and essential tool, although it is not an official
part of ArchiCAD its in the Goodies folder. If you do not see it in
your Tools menu, put the Goodies folder into the Add-ons folder,
and re-start ArchiCAD.
In one form, Profiler is able to make Extrusions on the ground plane.
Click out an outline with the Fill tool, select the fill, invoke Profiler
from the Tools menu, click a starting point on the profile, and finally
click out a pathway and you will have an object. If you made a
mistake, you can just make the extrusion again, and save over the
name of the first effort.
The API inside Profiler gets a template of a GDL object, writes the
XYs of the profile and path into the Master, 2D and 3D scripts and
saves a new unique object in your library not dependent on macros
or super-objects. The new object can be emailed or moved to
another disk and will still work.
Profiler offers either Extrusion or Lathing.
Profiler used for Extrusion.
34
Profiler used for Lathing.

In its other form, Profiler is able to make Lathed Objects. The interface
(sequence of actions) is more tricky than when making an extrusion,
but after 2 or 3 tries, you might get something that looks right.
We will make an object based on Lathing, as it is an important
technique, and we can include Solid Element Operations (SEO) in
the same task.
3.5 Make a Flywheel with Profiler!

The horizontal flywheel is an object familar to winter sports
enthusiasts it rotates at the ends of a cable car or draglift, drives the
lift cable and can be 2 metres or more in diameter. We need Profiler
first to make the general flywheel shape, and we can use SEO to cut
out the weight reducing holes. This is done by dropping in some
cylinders, subtracting them, and saving the result. Profiler is able to
make a full 360 sweep, or you can make two 180 ones and group
them together.
The profile is clicked out horizontally (it will be lathed round the
Y-Axis). Summon Profiler from Tools menu. Click on the anchor
point checkbox to tell it that you will decide where the axis will be.
As you progress, read the instructions that appear at the bottom left
of the ArchiCAD window as you click. Use a horizontal 2D line to
give you a line to snap to with all these clicks. Click again at the same
point to start the hole, and the third click tells it how large to make
the hole in the middle. It cannot tolerate a zero hole in the middle.
Your next clicks are to click out the sweep angle. As you near 360, it
bounces back to nothing. You will either get a slice of 5 degrees or
you may get the full 360 sweep. Save it in the library and it will be
placed in your plan by Profiler. Mirror a copy, position it to form a
full wheel and then group, and you have a wheel.
35
Dare you tweak the profiler object yourself ?

It takes about 30 seconds for an experienced GDL writer to modify
the code in the profiler object to force it to sweep through 360 or
any other angle. If you are daring, open the GDL profiler object, click
open the 3D Script, replace the parameter angle in the REVOLVE
command with 360, and save.
You can find out more about Profiler in the instructional html files in
the Goodies folder.
Now select the wheel on its own, 3D view in Plan at 270 and save
the 3D view as Object, Editable. Place the resulting object in the
floor plan. You will get the wheel with the cutting operating in the
GDL, but by calling cylinders from the ArchiCAD library in the
GDL.
If you save it as Object, Binary, the object is completely independent
of the library.
Now try Solid Element Operations!

When you get to know how to use SEO you will be grateful that you
were introduced to the technique it is incredibly liberating for the
object maker.
Now bring in the same Cylinder from the Basic Shapes library that
you used to make the banana truss. Place one upright into and
through the wheel, then multiply that one to make few more, by
rotation. Here we have 6 cylinders at 60 angular separation. Now
group the 6 cylinders to each other, NOT to the wheel. Make sure
that groups are not suspended.
Select Edit>Solid Element Operations (recap with the Solid
Element Operations section (Techniques chapter) of the ArchiCAD
Reference Guide if you are not confident with this). Select the wheel
as the target and the group of cylinders as the operator. Click
Execute. Nothing will appear to happen, as the cylinders are still
there.
36
If you take a quick view of the editable script of an object made with Solid
Element Operations, you will gain a quick tutorial in the syntax for Solid
Geometry Commands in GDL! They are basically the same thing.
3.6 Convert Mesh to Roof

You will find the Mesh tool very powerful in making shapes. It can be
edited in 2D or in 3D, it allows curved edges, it interpolates if you add
extra ridges, edge points or internal points, and there are settings you
can apply to make it look smooth or ridgy. You can cut holes, add or
subtract chunks.
Users are often frustrated that if a mesh is used as a membrane (no
earth sides or fill) it is only one surface of zero thickness and only one
material. There is an answer you can give it thickness.
Select the Mesh, use Tools>Convert Mesh to Roof, and the mesh will
be converted to a surface with thickness and with different materials
on top and bottom. Better still, you can suspend groups and then edit
the collection of joined roofs select them individually to delete,
punch holes, or change the materials as you wish.
With this, you could construct complex roof shapes, eyeballing or

entering heights as you go. When you are ready to, convert to roof
and your structure is tidily jointed and made parametric and you
could save the roof as a module or as an object, as you please.
Other free Add-ons within ArchiCAD
Try this hyperbolic saddle shape. One trick is to make it flat at first
and apply a curve to the edges before you set the altitude of the
corners. This will have the effect of interpolating the points of the
triangles that will be formed at a later stage along the edges. Putting in
the simple inner ridge is easy and you find that the heights of the new
points are interpolated too.
You can profit by having a play with some of the other tools. The
Battered and Canted walls and Roofmaker and the Roof accessories
give opportunities for object making.
Trussmaker is a great benefit, providing incredible versatility. You
can create small structures using different pen lines in 2D for this
the continuous line tool is very helpful. The example here can be
made without Trussmaker. With the 2D lines drawn, you could use
the Magic Wand and get a small Wall tool to run along the line
building rectangular tubing. Save this from the 3D view in Elevation,
90 and its pretty good. Trussmaker will make circular or rectangular
tubing, and it has useful parametric features such as a leaning over
angle and 2D capabilities.
37
Seriously, this was done by someone who knew no GDL!
3.7 Carving Walls with the Roof tool

You can run Trussmaker to create tubular frameworks, bring them
back, rotate slightly, join with others, review in 3D, resave as binary,
bring them back, join them again, and so on until you have built up
complex 3D tubular structures.
This model of the Lovell Radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank by Chris
Jones was done entirely with Profiler and Trussmaker, by progressive
viewing, saving, placing, grouping, re-saving etc.
By saving the tower as a fixed object, and saving the swivelling
telescope reflector and its framework as a separate object, the whole
reflector assembly can be swivelled by providing a simple GDL
command ROTx angleparameter.
38
This ought to be an important part of Object Making. For a long

time, Roofs have been able to cut Walls Trim to Roof .
The theory is that you can make fat pieces of wall, then nudge up to
them with smaller pieces of roof and make shapes by carving out
chunks. The benefit of this idea is that even if you throw the roof bits
away, the cutting effect remains and it can be undone with a simple
Undo rooftrim command.
However, if you try this, it is too unpredictable. Roof bits only cut
reliably if their pitch is along the line of the walls reference line. If they
cross the wall at any angle, then the cutting line is extended a random
amount beyond the edge of the wall. Even if the pitch line is along
the wall line, there are sideways cutting effects that reduce accurate
carving.
The wall under the hyperbolic saddle shape (even if only the edge
roof elements are selected) gets cut in a wrong way because pitch lines
are in many directions, and some of the cutting planes seem to
continue on into space.
this chapter, so it resulted in some research into roof cutting and

carving!
This stone is a piece of ArchiCAD Wall carved in different directions.

The roof that is axial to the wall line cuts the ridge perfectly, but the
sideways cutting plane extends too far. The roofs at angles to the wall
line extend their cutting planes beyond the ridge although their side
cutting is correct.
If you wished to form a wall up to the edgebeam, you could make a
temporary dedicated single roof piece to do the cutting because the
edge is almost straight.
The illustration above shows the use of a curvy roof used to cut a
wall. If you keep the wall line and pitch lines, you get a perfect result
(rear wall). If you rotate the wall and thicken it (as in the foreground
wall, thickened to 7.5m) the cutting is all over the place.
The next example is an attempt to carve a piece of stone. Something
like this was required by a client of the author during the writing of
Solid Element Operations (SEO) to the rescue!

Do not be worried by the erratic roof problem your complete
answer is in SEO. Here is the same block, with all the cutting and
carving working perfectly. Position the roof elements as accurately as
you need (using Section/elevation window).
Invoke the SEO palette (from the Edit menu) and use the
Subtraction with upward extrusion option. The nice thing about this
is that cutting is dynamic you can adjust the position of the roof or
walls and see the difference immediately.
You do not need to worry about putting the roof elements into a
hidden layer. If you are making an object, simply select the wall
element that is being cut (but not the roofs), view in 3D Plan view,
and save it as a GDL Object.
39
Notes on the naming of parts

All saved objects end with the suffix .GSM. Even Mac users must
work with this convention. Do not alter these suffixes when saving or
at any later time. Do not alter the names of objects in the libraries or
your project file will not be able to find them next time it loads. The
subtype selection is what decides if the object is a window, door,
lamp, table or other object type so make sure you select that
correctly.
The best method is to think of a good name at the time of saving.
Avoid using generic names for library parts Table.GSM sounds
like a good name for a table but the next time you open your project
file, you may find a quite different table appearing because one of that
name already exists in a different folder. Table_japonica.GSM is
more likely to be unique it will not match anything already in the
ArchiCAD Library. Use something like that, and your Library
Manager will be able to find it.
ArchiCAD 9s object browser permits you to find objects by name
e.g. you can search on a word like round and all objects with round
in the name will appear: round_table.gsm, round_canopy.gsm,
merrygoround.gsm etc. You can also search on wild cards (*), e.g.
Smith_*.gsm.
The stone block here is shown in Glass so that you can see the accurate cutting on
the far side of the block.
If you wish to modify the stone carving later, you could select the
little bundle of wall and rooves and save the selection as a module, to
bring back later. You can now delete the original wall and roof
elements.
SEO gives you perfect cutting of the wall under the saddle.
40
Why bother to make objects?

Your confidence with the standard Tools palette may now be greater
and you may ask, Cant I just group the walls and slabs and roof bits
together into objects, and duplicate when I need more? Lets
highlight two key reasons for object making:
Unless you have a systematic way of saving, you will lose the
objects you make they will not be stored and indexed
systematically as are the objects in your library. Saving a bunch of
slabs as a Module with a clear naming system is your only chance
of retaining your sanity with a no-object approach. But it lessens
the investment value of your work so my advice is to make
objects.
Schedules get very confused without objects. A room full of
furniture all made of grouped slabs and walls makes the scheduling
function of ArchiCAD report that there are a whole lot of slabs
and walls in the room wouldnt you would prefer the scheduler
to report a clean list of 4 chairs and 2 tables and a 3 sets of
shelves?
Are you using the Student version?

Many people reading this book may be students of architecture and
design, eager to go beyond object making and try the real thing
GDL.
My experience is that students are more willing to dive in and try
GDL than architects because they have a more research oriented
approach, dont mind working in the evenings, and dont cost their
time by the hour. Its also more recently that they were at school and
learning a bit of trigonometry and algebra so they arent scared by
elementary mathematics.
Before we embark on GDL scripting, you may be wondering about
the differences between the professional and the student version. The
PNE, BPE and PAE file types are analogous but different to the
PLN, BPN and PLA files. The files from the student version are
closed to the professional, although the student version can open the
professional files. It is not even possible to copy and paste from one
to the other if you try, only 2D data is copied.
But GDL development is cross platform and cross version. The
student version is an ideal GDL development environment. It has all
the power to develop objects and to test them in an ArchiCAD
environment.
The only drawbacks may be:
You cannot use the .PAE Archive file to send objects to others
outside the education world. You cannot send a Module either.
You just have to put the objects into a .ZIP archive and email or
transfer that archive.
There is a chance that the Preview Picture may be overwritten with
an Education logo, in which case it would need to be re-pasted in
the professional version.
Using the Marquee tool, you can cut library objects into smaller
shapes, or cut bites out of them.
If you wish to place your building in a larger site model for
visualisation, you could save it as an object, but make sure you hide
the layers containing complex interiors.
You can take object making to the other extreme of having entire
surrounding buildings or landscapes as objects and bring them
into your main building model.
Textures mapped to facades of extremely simple building shapes
produce better results than over elaborate 3D modelling.
Take a close look at the Add-ons and special modelling functions
available to ArchiCAD users, particularly Profiler, Trussmaker,
Solid Operations and Mesh to Roof.
Roofs cut walls, but do not try to use them to carve walls. Solid
Operations do it better.
Take care with the naming of library parts avoid using generic
names for objects but make sure the name is descriptive.
Save your assemblies of slabs and walls etc. as modules in case you
need to remake an autoscripted object.
Summary of Object Making in this chapter

Take a look through the existing library and see what use you can
make of the Basic Shapes.
41
PART TWO: BEGINNERS' GUIDE TO GDL SCRIPTING
PART TWO: BEGINNERS' GUIDE TO GDL

SCRIPTING
CHAPTER 4: STARTING WITH GDL
Now its time to gather your courage and make a start with GDL. Its not as difficult as you expect!
GDL Authoring is an intellectual act of creativity and discipline. -- David Sutherland, Fender Katsalidis, Architects of Eureka Tower, Melbourne 2004
4.1 Starting with GDL

Chapter 1 discussed reasons why you might want to build with GDL.
Chapter 2 may have lulled you into thinking you neednt bother with
GDL. Now it is time to decide read on? Do not be nervous. You
will find it easy if you take it in stages.
Open the Object Making window: the GDL Dialog
From ArchiCAD, select a typical object, select from the File
menu>GDL Objects> Open Object. You will get a GDL editing
dialog box like this, with a bar of buttons across the top and down the
left-hand side. In the side bar, the wide buttons allow scripts to be
displayed in the large white window. The small white buttons allow
the scripts to be displayed in floating text palettes.
The GDL Dialog: the list of parameters and their descriptions, types and values
are the Parameter Table.
The Scripts and Buttons in the Parameter Table

Before starting with an easy exercise, lets look at the function of the
scripts and windows available to you. Not all of these will be of use to
the beginner.
42
Parameters button shows you the list of parameters and parameter

titles that the user will see and use when they use your object. By
hitting the New button and filling in the small details, you can create
parameters. By selecting a Subtype you can say if the object is in a
special classification. Dont do this until you have more experience.
Master Script can be used for housekeeping tasks such as checking
user errors and defining materials. This is read by the other scripts. If
you enter a value like the radius of a tube or the width of a chair seat,
it becomes available to all the other scripts saving you from
repeatedly typing the same information into each script. It also
contains routines to correct errors in the users parameters, e.g. zero
for radius.
2D Symbol is a drawing window into which you can paste a 2D
image, or draw using 2D tools. It will only be displayed if there is no
2D script. With GDL knowledge, you are better off trying to write a
2D script.
2D Script can make a 2D symbol in several ways.
It can be used to draw lines, 2D shapes, polygons and text.
It can tell GDL to draw in 2D whatever it finds in the 3D script
(PROJECT2).
It can be used to force the 2D Symbol window to be the 2D
symbol (FRAGMENT2).
Its most creative use is for you to write a parametrically organized
script to draw what the object will look like in 2D, by using 1, 2 or all
three of these options. By designating Hotspots, the 2D script can
make the object stretchy and easy to pick up. If the 2D script is left
blank, the object will display whatever is drawn into the 2D Symbol
window. If you leave both blank, the object will not show in the
project.
2D Full View shows what is generated by the 2D Script. This will
not normally show what is in the 2D Symbol window.
3D Script is the primary means of building parametric 3D objects. If
the object is simple, almost all the work can be done in the 3D Script.
This is the power center of most library parts.
3D View is generated by the 3D Script not to be confused with the
3D window of the main project.
Property Script enables you to write Components and Descriptor

commands if the object is to be in a schedule.
Parameter Script is the place where you can build pop-down menus,
and send updated values of parameters back to the Parameters Table.
Comment is a small text field in which you can write a set of
instructions to your user on how to use the object. You can put the
URL of your website in there with a hash# symbol, so the user will
see a clickable web-access icon.
Preview Picture is a window containing a small bitmap image of a
view of the object. It tells the user what the object will look like in its
setting, and could come from Artlantis Render or an ArchiCAD
photorendering. This becomes the icon of the object in the settings
dialog box.
User Interface Script enables you to build a custom settings dialog
box with your own text fields and images, with buttons and input
fields for the user to enter parameters. It supports multiple pages. It is
great for complex objects where the user might need more
explanation of the purpose of parameters.
Relax! When you start GDL, you only need the 2D and 3D scripts at
first, and then the Master Script.
The purpose of the Parameter Table is to set up the parameters types,

names and default values you are going to use, but it is also the way
you can construct the settings dialog that the user will see. The most
important parameters of A, B and zzyzx are moved into white
boxes alongside the parameters.
43
3D Entities
Dimensions use the decimal system
This book cannot contain comprehensive syntax of all GDL coding.

Please have a GDL manual handy for cross checking. The easiest 3D
elements to build with are Block, Cylinder, Sphere and Cone. Their
syntax is very simple.
BLOCK x,y,z
x being the Width, y the Depth and z the Height.
CYLIND h,r
h being the Height, and r the Radius.
SPHERE r
r being the Radius.
CONE h,r1,r2,90,90
h being the Height, r1 the Radius at the base and r2 the Radius at
the top. The 90, 90 are the angles relative to the cones axis at
which you cut off the top and bottom. You can vary these
numbers to get interesting effects.
The dimensions you are writing here are in metres. The native
dimensioning system of GDL is always metres, no matter what you
set your main project to be using. In your project, you could be
working in feet and fractional inches, centimetres, millimetres. But
GDL is hard coded so you need to work to one dimensional system.
If you wish to script with feet and/or inches, you can, but you must
write them with punctuation, e.g. BLOCK 1,2,3-0. It
reduces a risk of confusion (for humans) if you write dimensions with
a decimal form, as 2.0, not as 2. If a dimension is smaller than a
single metre, foot or inch, write it with a leading zero e.g. 0.55. If you
must work in non metric, write mostly in Decimal Inches we all
know that 54.25 is 4-6 1/4, and its so much easier to write. When
you get further you will write in parameters, and dimensions may not
matter.
First steps in 3D GDL

From File>GDL Objects>New Object, you will get a GDL dialog,
and you can open the 3D Script window. Try writing BLOCK
1,2,3. Look at the result in the 3D window a tall cuboid. Now try
writing, CYLIND 1,1: a short but very fat cylinder appears at the
near left corner of the cuboid. Now try writing SPHERE 1: a
large ball appears at the same corner, partially submerged in the fat
cylinder. Finally, try the CONE: play with the cutting angles. All these
objects have been built at the same location, called the Global Origin.
Even at this stage you will be eager to improve the appearance of the
object. It is all the same color, depending on the default PEN. So
above the Block command, write PEN 1, and write MATERIAL
'Surface, Whitewash' (or use the name of a material that is
known to you in your materials library, or write MATERIAL 18,
ArchiCADs default index for white).
PEN 1
MATERIAL 'Surface, Whitewash'
BLOCK 1, 2, 3
CYLIND 1, 1
SPHERE 1
CONE 4, 0.5, 0.1, 90, 90
44
3D View
Click the 3D View button (of the library part, not the project) and
you will see this. These objects all exist in the same space and overlap
each other, so we need to find a way to separate them. The wireframe
view shows each of the objects and the shaded view shows you how
well GDL permits objects to collide like this in the shaded view
without harm.
Check Script
If, when you click the 3D window, it refuses to draw because of an
error, return to your script and click the Check Script button. This
will point to the line where the error occurred, usually because of a
wrongly placed comma, or a spelling error. Do this often when
writing GDL.
3D Space and the 3D Cursor

You need to move about in 3D space to be able to place elements
such as the legs of a chair, or a tabletop. Movement around the model
is done with ADD commands.
These work on the logical idea that the 3D world can be thought of in
three cardinal rectilinear directions called X, Y and Z. You should be
familiar with the idea of X, Y and Z from the normal ArchiCAD
environment the Coordinates palette allows you to enter a
dimension in X or Y (and you can also enter radial dimensions and
angles). In GDL, we use X and Y; Z is used to provide vertical
movement.
The three-pointed object that you can see in a GDL 3D view reminds
you which ways are X, Y, or Z. This is like a 3D Cursor. When you
word process, you are used to the idea of a cursor wherever you
place the cursor, you can begin typing, and whatever you type
appears. In GDL, there are two of these, one at the origin, and one
where you have moved to. The one labelled G is the Global Origin
of the GDL model. The one labelled L is the Local Origin, referred
to here as 3D cursor, for short. Wherever this is, your next 3D
command will happen. Using the ADD command, you can move the
3D cursor about in 3D space in a single XYZ move. ADDX, ADDY, or
ADDZ move the 3D cursor in those axial directions, in one direction
only.
The importance of DEL

It is a good discipline to return the cursor back to the origin as often
as possible. GDL remembers every cursor move you have made. The
DEL command undoes or deletes these movements, allowing the
cursor to retreat back to the origin, leaving the 3D elements behind.
2D Cursor movement
When you are writing GDL in 2D, you have a similar concept of X
and Y based 2D space. You do not have to worry about height. Using
the ADD2, ROT2 and DEL commands, you can move about in 2D
space providing you specify both the X and Y distances.
Unfortunately, you do not have a visible cursor.
You can Rotate, Shrink and Stretch

In reality, the 3D world is too complex to be defined ONLY in
absolute terms of X, Y and Z. So you will be glad to know that you
are also able to Rotate the 3D cursor (using the ROT command) and
move radially, and work at different angles from the pure horizontal
and vertical. You are also able to shrink or expand the cursor (using
the MUL command which multiplies) so you can easily deform or
mirror elements of your model.
A few simple examples will illustrate how all of these work. Take the
previous script and have fun with it. Expand the dimensions to give
them at least one decimal.
!Cursor Movement
PEN 1
MATERIAL 'Surface, Whitewash'
BLOCK 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
ADD 1.0,1.0,1.5
ROTy 90
CYLIND 1.0,1.0 !Expand dimensions
ADDz 2.0
MULz 0.5
SPHERE 1.0
ADDz -2.0
45
CONE 5, 0.5, 0.1, 90,90

DEL 5
Avoiding spaghetti use DEL frequently

You may be familiar with the difference between Absolute distance
(distance from the Origin) and Relative distance (distance from where
you are now to the next position). In GDL, you navigate around the
3D model making Relative jumps. Because you can also Rotate and
Multiply, you are in danger of getting lost after a few lines you could
be deep in spaghetti. After each set of moves, you should return to
the origin using DEL before doing the next job. For example, in a
chair model, you could build the legs, then return to the origin before
starting work on the seat.
Do not forget the 2D script

The Block is built as in the previous example. The cursor moves in
the X direction, using the ADDX command. Write this as one word
ADDX followed by the distance.
Then, using the ROTY command, the cursor can be rotated around
the Y axis. Now the Cylinder gets drawn although cylinders always
grow vertically, the vertical axis is now laying on its side, so the
cylinder grows sideways. Now you can ADDZ which raises the cursor
vertically in its new orientation. We want to draw the Sphere, but as a
bit of fun, use a MUL command to halve its height and make it
elliptical. MULZ 0.5 makes it half as high, but leaves width and
depth unchanged.
You usually specify a number to delete cursor movements, e.g. DEL
5, but you can also DEL TOP this extends the DEL command so
that it deletes everything back to the origin. Write DEL 5 it is better
because it requires you to count the cursor movements, which means
that you are in full control of the process.
Use Comments frequently

In this example, we have started by adding a Comment. Using the
exclamation mark, you can type anything you like after the mark and
the machine will ignore it. But it is most useful to the human eye and
brain. It is always good to comment your scripts with a name and a
date.
It is also a good typographical discipline to write GDL commands in
upper case and to write comments and parameter names in lower
case.
46
Finally, when you save the GDL model, and bring it into the project
floor plan, you will be dismayed to find that it does not display it
has no symbol, and at best you will have nothing more than a
hotspot. So for now, open the object again, open the 2D script
window and write a single line:
PROJECT2 3,270,2
This is a killer command that in one line, projects a view of the 3D

object in 2D, regardless of its complexity. Later, when we get onto 2D
scripting, the PROJECT2 command can be explained in more detail,
along with other 2D GDL commands.
Summary of GDL, to this point

Start with the easy 3D commands.
Write (!)Comments to define a piece of work.
Write GDL commands in UPPER case, and everything else
(parameters, comments) in lower case.
Set a Material and Pen color.
Use Check Script to see if errors occur.
Be careful with commas and spelling.
Click in the 3D window to see the object build.
Do one bit at a time, return the cursor to the origin using DEL and
then do the next bit; and so on. Avoid DEL TOP.
Do not forget to make a short 2D script: PROJECT2.
4.2 Lets build a 3D Object a Chair

From ArchiCAD, choose File> GDL Objects> New Object. We are
going to build a simple chair. Remember that this tutorial is about
GDL, not chair design, so please do not be concerned that it is a
simple chair. It needs to be.
The Legs
Start in the 3D Script with a CONE command for one leg of the
chair, so that the legs appear to taper from 60mm to 30mm (2.4 to
1.2). Later we can introduce more subtleties of form and size.
Starting from the left-hand front corner, use the ADD commands and
work your way around the chair, planting legs as you go. Lets assume
the seat height is 500mm (20).
!Simple Chair Example, 3D script
PEN 1
RESOL 12
!---All the legs----------MATERIAL "Wood-Pine, shiny"
CONE 0.5, 0.015,0.03, 90,90
ADDx 0.45
CONE 0.5, 0.015,0.03, 90,90
ADDy 0.55
CONE 0.5, 0.015,0.03, 90,90
ADDx -0.45
CONE 0.5, 0.015,0.03, 90,90
DEL 3
Notice that it is wise, even for such a simple object, to write a

comment, and to state the material and pen color. We used a RESOL
statement to set the number of polygons, the Resolution of
Curvature, on each leg to 12.
You may not have the Material name used here, so put in the names
of materials that you know to be loaded. Notice that the textures are
horizontal. At this stage you may have to make a vertical version of
Pine to make it look right on the legs.
The operation to make the legs required three ADD commands, so we
can use DEL 3 to bring the cursor back to the Origin. Then rest.
Click in the 3D view frequently as you develop the script.
The Seat and Back

The seat should be of a different material so start with the comment
and for the upholstery, write a new material statement. When you use
quote marks, it does not matter if they are double or single quotes as
long as you are consistent. Lift the cursor and draw the block. Note
that the seat block goes from centre to centre of the legs not good
joinery, but easy GDL! The upholstery is really a small shallow block
set above the larger seat block.
!---Seat & upholstery--ADDz 0.45
BLOCK 0.45,0.55,0.045
MATERIAL "Surface-Fabric"
ADD 0.025,0.025,0.045
BLOCK 0.40,0.50,0.005
DEL 2
Now for the Back. Note that we are working with CONE and BLOCK
on this chair. As your experience increases, you will expand the range
47
of GDL commands you use to achieve form. There is usually more

than one way to make any shape.
We can use a thin block of upholstery, as we did for the seat.
!---Back Legs, panel and upholstery--MATERIAL "Wood-Pine, shiny"
ADD 0,0.55,0.5
CONE 0.6,0.03,0.02, 90,90
ADDx 0.45
CONE 0.6,0.03,0.02, 90,90
DEL 2
ADD 0,0.54,0.70
BLOCK 0.45,0.025,0.35
MATERIAL "Surface-Fabric"
ADD 0.05,-0.01,0.02
BLOCK 0.35,0.01,0.30
DEL 2
2D Script
To complete this, you will want to see it in your floor plan. You must
write a short 2D Script. Open the 2D script window and write the
single line PROJECT2 3,270,2. Save and close the object, return
to the floor plan. Click the Object tool in ArchiCAD Toolbox, click in
the plan, and your chair will appear, with its own hotspots provided
by ArchiCAD. It will not be stretchy we did not write in this
capability.
The chair may not win a design award, but it is your first GDL object
so reward yourself and then move on with GDL.
First add some parameters

Click on the chair object and open it again for editing. In the
Parameter Table, click the New button 8 or 9 times to make new
parameters. They are given default names, and they always start with a
value of zero.
Click in the parameter name box (Variable) of the first one and
rewrite a name for the leg thickness parameter. Call it lsec, a 4-letter
shorthand for leg section. Write in the larger field something like
Leg sectional diameter or equivalent. This is what the users will read
when they open your object so make your description a model of
clarity.
Then enter a starting value, such as 0.06m. If your system settings are
in another unit system, write in 60mm, or 2.25 or whatever suits you.
Add in more parameter names. Try sthit for Seat height, framat for
Frame material and so on. Do likewise for the other parameters your
user will be allowed to change.
You will find a Type button in the Parameter Table that you can
pop-up to reveal an iconic palette to tell GDL whether the parameter
is a Dimension, a Material, Pen etc. See the example below. Make sure
you set the parameter types correctly its a common source of GDL
errors.
4.3 Lets make this chair parametric

If you stretch an autoscripted object, it deforms proportionally, but
unrealistically. Square table legs become rectangular, cylindrical legs
become elliptical. If you stretch a correctly written parametric object,
it retains important properties such as diameters and thicknesses
stretches intelligently. The primary reason for using GDL has to be to
enable objects to be parametric. So this simple chair needs to be
upgraded.
48
The popup parameter type palette permits 12 types of parameter. Select the
appropriate type.
Rules for parameter naming

A and B and zzyzx at the top of the Parameter Table are Magic
parameters that govern the width and depth and height of objects.
You do not have to use them. You could use wid and dep along
with the other parameters. Lets use A and B and zzyzx here because
they will enable the object to be stretchy. Change them to valid
dimensions for a chair, as above.
The rules for names of parameters are simple. Use more than one or
two letters so that you can remember what the parameter means.
Short named parameters are used as counters or flags when you get
further with GDL.
Its important to be able to read your script weeks later and still
understand what you meant. It is more expressive to write framat
than fm. It takes more typing, but that is a small worry compared
with the importance of understanding.
Its easy to make typing errors with long parameter names, so avoid
over-long names like leg_cross_section. The letters must be
sequential (no spaces) but you can join words with an underscore e.g.
leg_mat. Parameters are not case sensitive, but as a discipline, stick
exclusively to lowercase for parameters, uppercase for GDL commands.
You must not use words that are already GDL commands (or archaic
GDL commands). So names like block, strlen, open tri, tetra or
nod cannot be used. See the list in the manual.
Tidy up the Parameter Table

You can move parameters up and down using the little arrows at the
left. You can also click on the parameter type icon, and set some of
them to be a Title or Separator. With the Title parameter type, you
can organise the parameters into groups. Then by hitting the little
Indent button you can link a parameter such as framat to the Pens
and Materials group.
Now convert the 3D script

The next task is to convert the script from dimensions to parameters.
Once you have written a few GDL scripts, it becomes second nature
to think out the structure of an object in terms of parameters and
write directly into the script using parameters. You develop a personal
lingo of words like rad, diam, and matl that you can use in all
objects. Start by changing all the leg section widths to lsec, then
gradually change all the others.
Everything in the chair can be replaced by parameters even the Pen.
Try it for yourself. Compare this with the previous dimensional script
and convert it, line by line.
!Simple Chair, Parametric 3D
PEN cont_pen
RESOL 12
!--All the legs----------MATERIAL framat
CONE sthit, lsec/3,lsec/2, 90,90
ADDx A
ADDy B
ADDx -A
DEL 3
!--The Seat and upholstery----ADDz sthit-frsec
BLOCK A,B,frsec-0.002
MATERIAL seatmat
ADD lsec/2,lsec/2,frsec
BLOCK A-lsec,B-lsec,0.005
DEL 2
!--Back Legs, panel and upholstery
49
MATERIAL framat
ADD 0,B,sthit
CONE bhit,lsec/2,lsec/3, 90,90
ADDx A
DEL 2
ADD 0,B-0.01,sthit+bhit*0.3
BLOCK A,lsec/2,bhit*0.6 !Back panel
MATERIAL seatmat
ADD lsec/2,-0.01,lsec/2
BLOCK A-lsec,0.01,bhit*0.6-lsec
DEL 2
When you multiply or divide, note that Star (*) means multiply, Slash
(/) means divide.
The idea of Manufacturers Rules a systems approach

The back is a little more complicated than the seat. Now we have to
do a little systematic thinking on the chair and apply some design
rules. You could trouble the user for parameter values for every part
of the chair or you could have some easy system rules that define
the design.
In this case, the gap under the back panel is 0.3 of the back height.
The panel is 0.6, and the final space above is 0.1 of the total height.
This is what we could call a manufacturers rule. We have to apply a
systems approach to all 3D objects if parametric scripting is to work
at all.
Error checking
As you work your way through the script, keep clicking in the 3D
view window of the GDL object to see if the logic of your
arithmetical expressions are making sense. If they are not, it may be a
bad spelling, or a misplaced comma. A wrongly spelled parameter will
result in a value of zero, or could produce an error message. Click on
the Check Script button and read the error message if you get one.
Make sure that dimensions are dimensions and not angles or
something else.
50
3D is more powerful if it is parametric

You can see that it is possible to write 3D scripts that are 100% based
on parameters and not on real dimensions. This is the key to making
objects smart and powerful. Once ArchiCAD users have grasped this
they realize that there was something useful in all that algebra they
learned so painfully at school. Later with GDL, you may find that
your school trigonometry comes in handy too!
Save the chair object, look at it in the floor plan, view its settings
window, and play with it. Change the materials, height and leg
thickness. If you have done everything correctly, it should behave
parametrically.
4.4 First steps in 2D scripting

Use a script for a more effective 2D symbol
In the first version of the simple chair, you used the command of
PROJECT2 3,270,2 that does it all. To achieve this, it has to
generate a 3D solid of the object as seen in plan view and work out
what hidden line drawing will be seen from above meanwhile the
clock is ticking. With too many of these in the project, your floor plan
can take too long to load or regenerate. So we advise that you always
use a 2D script unless the object is too changeable or complex to
script. Lets try a small script for this chair.
The RECT2 command is a 2D command that is equivalent to
BLOCK, and CIRCLE2 is equivalent to CYLIND and CONE. 2D
commands are more flexible as you can specify the X and Y of their
location, e.g. RECT2 x1,y1,x2,y2, and CIRCLE2
x,y,rad. All 2D commands end in the letter 2.
There are two ways of doing this chair. We could follow the same
sequence as the 3D script, using the ADD2 command to move around
and plant each circle or rectangle. Alternatively, we could stay at the
origin and just issue all the LINE2 and CIRCLE2 commands
without having to move anywhere.
We also have to consider how the symbol will look. When we placed a
corner of the seat block into the curved legs, the solid 3D hid the seat
corners. In the 2D, a RECT2 imposed over 4 leg circles would look
wrong, because the circles are transparent. So we will make a smart
use of LINE2 to simulate the rectangle.
!Simple Chair, Parametric 2D Script

HOTSPOT2 0,0
!corner spots
HOTSPOT2 A,0
HOTSPOT2 A,B
HOTSPOT2 0,B
HOTSPOT2 A/2,B/2 !pickup spot
!PROJECT2 3,270,2 !now disabled
s4=lsec/4 !Quarter of diameter
s2=lsec/2 !Half of diameter
PEN cont_pen
CIRCLE2 0,0,s2
CIRCLE2 A,0,s2
CIRCLE2 A,B,s2
CIRCLE2 0,B,s2
LINE2 s2,B-s4, A-s2,B-s4 !back
LINE2 s2,B+s4, A-s2,B+s4 !back
LINE2 0, s2, 0,B-s2 !side
LINE2 A, s2, A,B-s2 !side
LINE2 s2,0,
A-s2,0 !front
We can keep the PROJECT2 command in the script, but make it

inactive by turning it into a comment line in case we make some
changes and want it back. Do not comment it out until you are sure
that your CIRCLE2 and LINE2 statements sit comfortably over
the correct locations.
Note that the s2 and s4 are temporary variables to avoid typing
errors and save time.
Save the object and place it on the floor plan. You will find that it
generates the symbol instantly. The earlier non-parametric chair with
a PROJECT2 is untidily full of lines. The scripted 2D parametric
chair is better to look at in 2D.
Although you may prefer to work in Hairline much of the time, it is essential you
see how your work appears with True Line Weight.
Write your own hotspots

The scripted hotspots now permit stretching because they are on the
leg centres and not on the bounding box. Much better!
If you wish to guarantee that hotspots are where you want them and
that the object will be stretchy, this is a typical small script you can use
frequently! Put the HOTSPOT2 statements before the ones that
contain the 2D drawing commands. 2D Hotspots only need the X
and Y location. The first hotspot you write will become the
placement hotspot of the object when placed in the plan.
HOTSPOT2
HOTSPOT2
HOTSPOT2
HOTSPOT2
HOTSPOT2
0,0
!4 Corner stretch spots
A,0
A,B
0,B
A/2,B/2 !Pick up Centre spot
If you have used ArchiCAD, you will know that hotspots have three
main purposes: allowing objects to be picked up; making them
stretchy; and giving them gravity (helping them to snap against wall
surfaces or each other). Decide where you will need them most
corners, centre, intersections, etc.
51
The distance between the hotspots must be A and B for stretchiness.

Just suppose your Origin was in the centre of the chair, not the near
left corner. You would need this, using half values of A and B:
HOTSPOT2 A/2, B/2!4 Corner stretch spots
HOTSPOT2 -A/2, B/2
HOTSPOT2 -A/2,-B/2
HOTSPOT2 A/2,-B/2
HOTSPOT2 0,0 !Pick up Centre spot
More about Hotspots

It is possible to write 3D Hotspots too these help when viewing the
object in the 3D window, making it easier to pick up and stretch or
move.
It is possible to write Graphical Editing Hotspots! What are these?
Well imagine a furniture cabinet which you can fully manipulate in 3D
and 2D open and shut the doors, pull drawers in and out, adjust the
spacing of shelves and partitions, pull down a hinged work top.
With Graphical Editing Hotspots, you can build GDL objects like
complex articulated mechanisms. This is fun!
3D can be more curvy

Before long, you will want to break out of the rectilinear tyranny of
BLOCK and RECT2. The more curvy commands, CYLIND, CONE
and ELBOW are easy to use. With those three, you can build
interesting tubular structures, such as the frames of steel furniture or
lattice grids.
You can do a lot more with PRISM and POLY2, which enable
complex shapes in 3D and 2D, and permit curved edges. We would
like to make objects with more user options and one of the best ways
to provide this capability is with Popdown menus. And we would
really like to know how to write these magic hotspots!
We will explore all of these in a later chapter. Now that you have got
this far, you may find it an easy challenge to explore further peek
into the GDL manual, or move on to the next chapter.
Selecting Objects
Normally, you can only select objects by clicking on the hotspots of
the 2D symbol in the plan. If your hotspots are in an illogical place, or
52
are on the bounding box, you may have to drag the mouse in a small
marquee in your attempts to find those elusive hotspots.
In ArchiCAD 9 you can make the job easier for users of your object.
In the 2D drawn symbol, you should provide a fill over the area of
your object. In a 2D Script, you should provide a filled POLY2. If
you do this, your user can click anywhere in the fill and they can select
the object easily.
Another AC9 idea is that of making specific lines sensitive to your
mouse. In a 2D Script, you can duplicate instances of LINE2 and
ARC2 with HOTLINE2 and HOTARC2 (using the same syntax)
and the mouse will detect the object anywhere along the line. Even in
an object with PROJECT2 as the main way of drawing the symbol,
you can inject a few HOTLINE2 commands to make it easier to pick
up.
Subtypes you can put this into a category

You could classify this object as Seating. Its early to do this, but you
could try clicking onto the Select Subtype button and choose Model
element, Furniture, Seating. This will give you many more parameters
than you first expected, many of them are to do with ArchiFM
(Facilities Management); they may get in the way of your learning
GDL. For now, select Model Element, and look further at Subtypes
when you have got some more GDL experience.
Summary of GDL, in this chapter

You can write GDL entirely in dimensions, but try not to. If you
must write in non-metric, use decimal inches.
It is better to write GDL in parameters. Try to make the entire
script parametric.
Use parameter names that look logical, like seatmat.
Remember to click the pop-up parameter selector palette to tell
GDL if a parameter is length, material or pen color or one of the
other types.
Organise the Parameter Table into tidy groups with indent buttons
to link parameters to titles.
Describe the purpose of the parameters clearly.
Click in the 3D view window frequently, or Check Script.
After each 3D task is achieved, DEL back to the origin before

starting the next task.
Writing a 2D script is easy and saves time in the long term.
2D Hotspots are vital for making objects stretchy.
Try cylinders, cones and elbows for extra quality and authenticity.
Control curvature of cylinders, etc, with RESOL or TOLER.
You could consider trying to apply the correct Subtype even for
simple objects.
Now, at last, you have a useful application for that algebra you
learned at school.
Check the object

As this object progresses, it gets more complex and you may be
unwilling to type it in yourself. Check the original version out on the
Website or the CD, and you can play with the code, or copy parts of it
to an object of your own. Its a great idea to build a similar object but
to use different parameter names, so you go through the process of
composition, with support from the script in the book, but not
copying entirely.
Do some GDL do it yourself

There is an old educational proverb (its bound to be Chinese, all the
best ones are): If you Hear... you forget. If you See... you remember. If
you Do... you understand.
I am a great believer in pair programing. If you find GDL a bit
daunting, sit down with someone else and work through it together. I
have found this technique to work very well with GDL teaching.
53
CHAPTER 5: PROVIDING OPTIONS IN GDL

Perhaps you are looking at GDL because you like the idea of objects being intelligent lets look at practical examples of this power.
"The Object Genome Project is a project to categorize and create
Intelligence provide it in the Master Script
intelligent building blocks of objects that are used in design projects.
We can add some intelligence and options to an object in various
Object Genomes are used to describe architectural environments as
ways:
large as entire city blocks, buildings and sections of buildings.
IF Statements enable easy decision making by the object.
The intelligent objects evolve over time, new characteristics, and rules
ValueLists (Popdown menus) allow the user to make choices, and
are added as new and adjusted requirements come up. Our
can regulate the variations in the object.
environment and buildings are not static.
The Boolean parameter is a checkbox method for the user to say
Just like the Human Genome can describe mankind, the Object
ON or OFF to something its a binary choice, like Yes or
Genome describes our built environment. Buildings are complex by
No.
nature and The Object Genome Project takes a methodical approach
The PARAMETERS command sends information back to the

of analysing, documenting, and creating tools to master this
Parameter Table.
complexity." -- Kimon Onuma, Webscape, Pasadena, CA and Tokyo.
We have a principle that we want to keep the 3D Script for 3D and
the 2D Script for 2D. So we can use the Master Script for a lot of the
5.1 Providing Options in GDL
thinking and decision making, and this will send parameter values to
The simple chair was useful for breaking the ice with GDL; it is
the other scripts in the object.
parametric, but it doesnt have any sense of intelligence. The first sign
of intelligence in any organism is the ability to make decisions. Non
5.2 Boolean parameters easy options
intelligent organisms still have smart features, such as the regulation
Introducing the IF-Statement
of digestion, temperature, growth autonomic functions. A sign of
higher intelligence is the ability to communicate and respond,
We could add two variations of leg braces to the chair and try two
environmentally and socially.
ways of allowing the user to choose the braces. We could also extend
this to making the chair into a multi object one that offers a number
In our own very humble way, GDL authors can apply these concepts
of preset variations.
to our little objects. Objects can contain data depending on certain
conditions such as user defined width and height changes, or a change
Show or hide the back of the chair
in the drawing scale, they can adapt themselves appropriately, resizing
We could use a Boolean parameter to allow the user to turn the back
the spacing of shelves, deciding whether to omit handles, bolts or
panel ON or OFF. Make a new one called bakon and use the popup
other levels of detail. Objects can offer the user easy options, either
paletter to make it Boolean. Make a new Title parameter called 3D
with checkboxes or with popdown menus. Objects can be self fixing
Options and position the new parameter under it, indented so that
if the user enters negative or bad values, and report back the
its part of the new group.
corrected shelf spacing or drawer height. In a sense, they can delight
the user by being friendly to use and robust enough to survive rough
treatment.
54
We can use an IF statement to decide whether to show or hide the

back. IF statements can be written on a single line or, as in this script,
can be written in the form shown here. The first line ends with the
word THEN, followed on the next few lines with the things to be
done as a result of the IF question. You round off the IF statement
with the ENDIF statement to end it.
Single line IF statements are of the sort:
IF bakon=0 THEN arms=0
But here we need to write more than a single statement as a result of

the IF condition. So we use an IF... ENDIF.
The value of bakon is sent to the 3D Script as a 1 or a zero. If the
condition is not true (bakon is zero) the interpreter moves to the
ENDIF command and continues with the rest of the script. We could
write IF bakon=1 THEN, but as bakon can only be 1 or 0, GDL
accepts the parameter name alone as enough to judge its value to be
True or False.
!--Back Legs, panel and upholstery
IF bakon THEN
MATERIAL framat
ADD 0,B,sthit
ADDx A
DEL 2
ADD 0,B-0.01,sthit+bhit*0.3
BLOCK A,lsec/2,bhit*0.6 !Back
MATERIAL seatmat
ADD lsec/2,-0.01,lsec/2
BLOCK A-lsec,0.01,bhit*0.6-lsec
DEL 2
ENDIF
S
Show or hide the braces
In the same way we could add a new routine for the leg braces and
could provide an additional boolean parameter to the 3D options
group to control the braces.
The braces will be double cones. We could have used cylinders but
they would not look authentic the ends have to be smaller so that
they fit to the legs, mortice and tenon style. Follow the logic of the
script below, and you see its simply a matter of moving and rotating
the 3D cursor to the right place, and pushing out those cones. CONE
can only go vertically, so the cursor has to point horizontally. We
return the cursor to the origin as each brace is installed, with a DEL
command.
!Braces
IF brace THEN
MATERIAL framat
ADDz sthit/3
ROTx -90
CONE B/2,lsec/4,lsec/3,90,90
ADDz B/2
DEL 3
ADD A,0,sthit/3
ROTx -90
ADDz B/2
55
DEL 3
ADD 0,B/2,sthit/3
ROTz -90
ROTx -90
CONE A/2,lsec/4,lsec/3,90,90
ADDz A/2
DEL 4
ENDIF
This arrangement of braces is an H-configuration and we would be in

trouble if we introduced another like an O-configuration because
we would now have three choices, None, H, or O. Boolean cannot
handle more than two alternatives, so we need to consider the use of
a Popdown menu, or ValueList as we call it when writing the code.
5.3 Popdown Menus: allow many choices

Popdown Menus are a great benefit to GDL users and authors. One
popdown menu can offer the user a host of configurations or choices,
and guarantees that the user cannot make a spelling mistake. Users
have all used popdown menus in ArchiCAD Library parts, so its the
most helpful way for your object to be told how to perform by the
user. This makes the users decision more informed. The choices can
be maker- specific with proper names or model numbers. If your
popdown menu offers three distinct choices for the shape of an
object, the user cannot mistakenly enter a wrong choice.
GDL objects can now be much friendlier to the user, and for the
developer, there is less need to write error catching routines. With
numerical values, the ValueList can control lower / upper limits,
providing a form of collision control e.g. preventing an anglepoise
lamp head turning through the arm.
Scripting a Popdown menu : make a ValueList

Technically, we call a popdown menu a ValueList. Making a
ValueList is easy. We have to set up the list of values in the script and
offer them to the user.
First make a new parameter either text or a number and then type
in a list of values for the ValueList menu in the Parameter Script or
the Master Script. The VALUES command is the way to store the
values. This then forms the popdown menu. This will pop out and
56
down in a setting dialog the same way that we get Materials, Pens,
Lines, etc.
A typical ValueList for a text parameter called font would be:
VALUES font Times New Western, Arial,
Verdana, Courier
Note that there is no comma after the parameter name (in quotes),
but the list of menu choices are in quotes with commas. A ValueList
of this form is best put in the Parameters Script.
Simple ValueLists are best built in the Parameters Script, but ones
involving a lot of decision making are best built in the Master Script
GDL prefers it, and it also permits joined-up thinking on your part.
You build the menu and you write the IF statements that follow as a
result. This way of writing ValueLists is an authors special and is
called the Variables Method. It works far better than the standard
syntax.
!Add to the Master Script
!-------Pop down Menu----------bv0="No leg braces"
bv1="O brace"
bv2="H brace"
VALUES "bracetyp" bv0, bv1, bv2
IF bracetyp=bv0 THEN
brace=0
ELSE
brace=1
ENDIF
What we do is to build a list of the words that will appear in the

ValueList, making each choice equal to a simple variable like bv0.
The single line starting with VALUES builds the popdown menu. The
benefit of this way of doing it is that the decision-making that follows
is easily done on the basis of simple variables like bv0. By this
method, we can make popdown menus in English and Norwegian
and French if we so choose, and there can be no risk of spelling

mistakes or upper/lower case confusion.
This variables method of building Valuelists only works if it is done
in the Master Script.
Because the ValueList is the primary decision making point, we can
click the Hide button in the parameter table for the bakon
parameter. Its value is now governed by the Master Script, not by the
user. Here is a rerun of the original brace routine in the 3D Script,
with the IF statements working.
!--------Braces front to rear---------IF brace THEN
MATERIAL framat
ADDz sthit/3
ROTx -90
ADDz B/2
DEL 3
ADD A,0,sthit/3
ROTx -90
ADDz B/2
DEL 3
!---H Brace-----ADD 0,B/2,sthit/3
ROTz -90
ROTx -90
ADDz A/2
DEL 4
ENDIF !brace=bv1
!---O Brace-----ADD 0,0,sthit/3
ROTz -90
ROTx -90
ADDz A/2
DEL 4
ADD 0,B,sthit/3
ROTz -90
ROTx -90
ADDz A/2
DEL 4
ENDIF !brace=bv2
ENDIF !If brace
Add Arms its easy!

This far into the book, we can leap forward in faster moves, as you
will have developed some confidence with GDL coding if you have
tried out the easy stages of this little chair. We can add some arms,
and then the chair is able to adopt a surprisingly large variety of
configurations. Add an arms parameter to the Parameter Table, and
make it Boolean.
!Add this to the end of the 3D Script
!Arms
IF arms THEN
MATERIAL framat
ADD 0,0,sthit !Left
CONE 0.2 ,lsec/2,lsec/3,90,90
ADD 0,-lsec, 0.2
ROTx -90
MULy 0.5 !Squash the arm cone to an ellipse
CONE B+lsec, lsec*0.7,lsec*0.45, 90,90
DEL 4
ADD A,0,sthit !Right
CONE 0.2 ,lsec/2,lsec/3,90,90
ADD 0,-lsec, 0.2
ROTx -90
MULy 0.5
CONE B+lsec, lsec*0.7, lsec*0.45, 90,90
57
DEL 4
ENDIF
can have over a million variations an object genome. CNC

machines now make custom manufacturing possible, even with small
production runs.
We are all indebted to Kimon Onuma, president of the GDLA, for
bringing to our minds the expression Object Genome.
!Add to the Master Script

Make the Chair a MultiObject Master Script magic!
This routine demonstrates the use of MUL to reshape the basic

shapes. The conical arm now becomes pleasingly elliptical. Because
we do not want Arms flapping about in the air if the Back is omitted,
its important to write a small error-avoiding line in the Master Script.
As these arms and braces are similar CONE routines, over and over
again, it seems a pity to keep writing them so often. We need to learn
how to write Subroutines soon.
If the user chooses to keep this chair as a custom chair, it might be

that they intend to commission the furniture-maker to make a special,
and this customisation is a useful visualiser of the end result.
Otherwise, they are happy to use one of the standard products, and
have a choice of fabrics and woods, perhaps.
This chair can be adapted to be a MultiObject. It is amazingly simple
you do not have to change the 3D Script at all the work is done in
the Master Script.
Make a new parameter [text], let's call it 'chairtyp'. Build a Popdown
menu definition in the Master Script.
The number of variations is growing.
5.4 The MultiObject concept

We can make one GSM library part contain the code for many
objects, in effect for it to become a super object. This is more
economical than having a library of many different objects, all similar
because improvements and maintenance are easier to provide to a
few well written objects.
GDL for Manufacturing

The MultiObject is a very important concept in GDL for
Manufacturing. GDL is smarter than a dumb DXF object, but one
facility that makes it appear smartest by comparison is its ability to
operate as a Configurer. The GDL object can contain many
configurations of a designed object, that can be selected by the user,
and which when selected will follow the correct rules a kind of
DNA for furniture making. One good kitchen cabinet GDL object
58
PARAMETERS, LOCK and HIDEPARAMETER

These are three commands which allow you to modify the Parameters
Table as the use will see it. PARAMETERS can pump a new value
into the infield. LOCK can grey out a parameter and its description,
indicating the current value but discouraging the user from trying to
edit it. HIDEPARAMETER can hide the parameter altogether e.g. if
the chair has a choice of square or round legs, the parameter for
diameter could be hidden and the one for square section should be
revealed. These commands should only be used in the Parameters
Script or the Master Script.
If the chair is to be one of the standard items, we should Lock all the
user-customizable parameters like seat and back height. If they were
not locked, it would confuse the user but its good because it can
display the new value to the user. Its like the difference between a
throttle and a speedometer in your car. You cannot make the car go
faster by swivelling the speedometer needle!
We want to transform this object to a MultiObject. To do this, we can
simply use the Master Script to define a new value for the parameters
for each of the standard versions of the chair: for seat height, leg
section, etc, overriding the choice in the parameter table.
You can use the colon to include more than one short GDL
statement on the same line of text. Its a help for compacting code,
but can sometimes lead to your overlooking bugs.
Use the Variables method to build the menu. This example shows
abundantly how good and how easy the method is.
!Cookbook Chair: Master Script
!------Menu for Chair------cv0='Customised chair'
cv1='Foot stool'
cv2='Nursery chair'
cv3='Piano stool'
cv4='Dining chair'
cv5='Dining armchair'
cv6='Kitchen stool'
cv7='Bar stool'
VALUES 'chairtyp' cv0,cv1,
cv2,cv3,
cv4,cv5,
cv6,cv7
IF chairtyp<>cv0 THEN
!Grey out custom parameters
LOCK 'A','B','sthit'
LOCK 'lsec','frsec'
LOCK 'bakon','bracetyp',
'bhit','arms'
ENDIF
IF chairtyp
A=0.35:
lsec=0.04:
bakon=0:
ENDIF
IF chairtyp
A=0.30:
=cv1 THEN !Footstool

B=0.30:
sthit=0.28:
frsec=0.04: arms=0
bracetyp=bv0
=cv2 THEN !Nursery chair
B=0.35:
sthit=0.32:
lsec=0.04: frsec=0.04: arms=0

bakon=1:
bracetyp=bv0: bhit=0.5
ENDIF
IF chairtyp =cv3 THEN !Piano stool
A=0.45:
B=0.40:
sthit=0.45:
bakon=0:
bracetyp=bv0
ENDIF
IF chairtyp =cv4 THEN !Dining chair
A=0.45:
B=0.40:
sthit=0.45:
bakon=1:
ENDIF
IF chairtyp =cv5 THEN !Dining armchair
A=0.50:
B=0.45:
sthit=0.45:
bakon=1:
ENDIF
IF chairtyp =cv6 THEN !Kitchen stool
A=0.35:
B=0.40:
sthit=0.60:
bakon=0:
bracetyp=bv2
ENDIF
IF chairtyp =cv7 THEN !Bar stool
A=0.35:
B=0.40:
sthit=0.65:
bakon=1:
ENDIF
!More parameter checking
IF bracetyp=bv0 THEN brace=0 ELSE brace=1
!Feedback to the user
PARAMETERS A=A, B=B,
sthit=sthit, arms=arms,
lsec=lsec, cpn=cpn
The variations are now easily selected with preset choices.
59
At the end we choose to use the PARAMETERS command to show

all or some of the values in the parameter table.
Cleaning up the object the professional touch

To clean it up, check that you have all your parameters tidily sorted,
indented and titled in the Parameter Table.
Make a nice looking interior view with the chair. Render it at a size of
128x128 pixels. Copy and paste the square image into the Preview
Picture of the GDL Dialog. Your chair will now look nice in the
object browser.
You can also put a small note into the Comment window, including
your internet address. Precede the internet address on the first line
with a hash symbol. The rest of the Comment could be instructions
or a copyright notice.
Another idea is to use Popdown menus as a form of instructions or information.
60
Picture tiles in the User Interface.

With more work, we can build a graphical User Interface that
presents ValueLists as a series of picture tiles. Wonderful!
Unfortunately, its beyond the scope of the book, but its fully covered
in the GDL Cookbook.
Summary of GDL in this chapter

We can try to make objects smarter and more user friendly by
offering options.
Boolean parameters offer ON/OFF options.
ValueLists offer unlimited variations.
ValueLists built with the variables method are easier to make and
its easier to process the result.
IF statements can be long or short, and make decisions.
The Master Script is remarkably powerful.
Keep the user informed with PARAMETERS, LOCK and
HIDEPARAMETER commands.
Give your object a Preview Picture and a URL.
If the object is complex, provide instructions and a graphical user
interface.
61
CHAPTER 6: THE POWER OF PRISM

Prism is a 3D command that adds real 3D power to GDL.
6.1 The Power of PRISM

PRISM is the most versatile element in 3D GDL
We have found that BLOCK is adequate for making elementary
furniture and frames, but you rapidly discover that BLOCK is too
primitive for serious work. Apart from its rigid shape, you have to
move the cursor to the location of the block, and the block always
grows from the near left corner. You have no control over pen lines
or surfaces.
Many objects have specific shapes or curves in them that require you
to draw their outline shape correctly. PRISM is the answer, and there
are several useful variants to play with.
Prisms can be multi-colored, bent, rounded, cut, drilled, chamfered
and hollowed out very versatile.
You can define the outline of a prism by listing the XY locations of its
nodepoints. Your cursor can remain at the origin and your script can
calmly draw prisms that are hundreds of metres away because it is
entering the precise XY locations of each node. By adding
underscores or preceding letters to the primary word PRISM, we
can have a whole family of PRISM with related syntax: PRISM,
PRISM_, CPRISM_, BPRISM_, FPRISM_, HPRISM_
and SPRISM_. We will explore a number of these commands.
Make a Prism use Slab!

Draw out a shape in the floor plan using the Slab tool anywhere.
Select it, use File>GDL Objects>Save Selection As... and store it as
an object. Now place the new object in the plan, and it should look
like the original slab, even having the same pen colour.
Open it in GDL and look at the 3D Script. All autoscripted objects
made this way have a mass of housekeeping script at the start, but at
the heart of it is a CPRISM_ statement which contains the outline of
the shape you just clicked.
62
If you made this in a random location, you will find the numbers for
the XY locations to be quite high, or perhaps negative. It all depends
where you clicked. In a future chapter, we will look at the
housekeeping, but for now try another idea.
Instant GDL
The code for many prisms can also be stolen from ArchiCAD. Now
draw out a slab yourself of roughly the same shape. As a regular
discipline, try to draw slabs in the counterclockwise direction, because
GDL is happier working that way. Mathematically, counterclockwise
is a positive direction if you start trying to curve edges later. Draw it
so that one of the points coincides with zero the global origin.
Usually, GDL seems to remember the order in which you clicked the
points.
Now open a File>GDL Objects>New Object, and bring up a

floating palette of the 3D Script (click on the little white button to get
it). This is a trick that takes some learning, so try it a few times.
Position the floor plan and the 3D Script as shown above,
overlapping. Grasp an edge of the slab, and drag it smartly across into
the 3D Script as fast as you can. Do it slowly and nothing happens...
So do it fast!
Everything in ArchiCAD is in fact GDL (under the surface). You can
click on anything in an ArchiCAD floor plan wall, roof, floor, mesh,
even and object and you will find out what its GDL code is by
dragging and dropping it into a GDL script window. 3D objects

should be dragged into a 3D script window, and 2D into 2D.
You may get a 3D code looking like this:
BODY -1
MODEL SOLID
RESOL
36
!!Slab-018
PEN
1
ADDZ
4.1
BODY -1
cPRISM_ "Whitewash", "Whitewash", "Whitewash",
13,
0.1,
0.0,
0.0,
15,
4.28548,
0.0,
15,
4.28548,
0.949196,
15,
5.279549,
0.949196,
15,
5.279549,
2.155116,
15,
3.405484,
2.155116,
15,
3.405484,
3.067704,
15,
-0.000425,
3.067704,
15,
-0.000425,
2.00845,
15,
-2.444858,
2.00845,
15,
-2.444858,
0.949196,
15,
0.0,
0.949196,
15,
0.0,
0.0,
-1
BODY -1
DEL
1
All Slab tool objects are converted into CPRISM_ this is a prism in
which the top, bottom and side surfaces are specified by name or
number. The next line contains the number of nodes and the
thickness, and then follows the list of XY locations. Each one ends in
the number 15, and the final node ends in a -1. The 15 is a masking
code and simply tells the slab to be drawn as a Solid and tells all the
edge lines to be drawn. The -1 tells GDL that the slab is finished (and
also that the end point is the same as the start point). This is the
default, so leave these as they are unless you want to omit nodepoints.
Note that the slab in the illustration was started 24 metres from the
from the main origin of the project your numbers will be wrong.
Move the object so that one node is on the Main Origin. Do the
drag-trick again and you will see that the first node listed is 0,0 like it
appears in the sample script, above.
63
Note also that the XY locations are accurate to a millionth of a metre

in ArchiCAD 8 onwards, this becomes million millonths no
kidding! This is a lot of reading for the GDL parser, and if you write
creative GDL, you can write in much cleaner numbers. If you set the
small snap grid, perhaps to 1 mm or 0.1 and trace out another slab
and drag it into the 3D Script, the numbers get shortened.
You can also do Instant GDL in 2D
Try drawing a polygon with the Fill tool. Drag and Drop the result
into a 2D Script window another example of instant GDL! If you
include curves in the edges of the fill, you will see extra codes which
define the curves polylines. In creative GDL you make use of 2D
dragging more often than 3D dragging. Fills provides the XY syntax
for outlines for EXTRUDE, REVOLVE, SWEEP, TUBE and
other more exotic 3D GDL commands.
Writing Prisms from new

More frequently, we write prisms in creative GDL with parameters,
not by dragging from ArchiCADs floor plan.
the prism by returning to the start. If you are working in real

dimensions, dragging from ArchiCAD in to GDL will do. In creative
GDL you are more likely to be defining prism outlines using
parameters. The only way you can do this without losing your way is
to sketch it out on paper, and number the nodes. Lets look at the
basic syntax.
About Prism syntax...

Prisms come in several forms of which these are the three main ones.
MATERIAL slabmat
PRISM number of nodes, thickness,
X1,Y1,...... Xn,Yn
For a simple prism, you do not include materials or the underscore

(state the material before the statement), and you do not even need to
close the prism. The default is for it to be a closed solid.
By adding an underscore and 15 at the end of each line, you get much
the same thing, but with added potential.
MATERIAL slabmat
PRISM_ number of nodes, thickness,
X1,Y1,mask,...... Xn,Yn,mask, X1,Y1,-1
Normally, the value of the masking code is always 15. The power of
masking in the underscore version of PRISM is that you can omit
faces and lines of the prism and you can curve corners and edges and drill
holes through the prism. The curved corners are made using the
technique of the Polyline. It is too early to lead you through all these
possibilities now, but you need to know that they are available.
CPRISM_ topmat,botmat,sidemat,
number of nodes, thickness,
Simple A-B based rectangular prism. Left, the origin is at the near left. Right, the
origin is at the centre.
To illustrate how prisms work, the nodes have been numbered in the
order in which they were clicked. In this example, there are 5 points if
you include the first point twice the idea being that you fully close
64
CPRISM_ is what you get when you make instant GDL with the
Slab tool. This has all the powers of PRISM_ but it also allows you to
change the colours of the top, bottom and side faces. These material
parameters are included in the statement.
You also have the following types of prism which are suitable for later
study check the syntax in the ArchiCAD Help menu:
BPRISM_ is an extension of CPRISM_ but allows you to bend
the prism by adding a radius of curvature. It bends downwards,
but if you precede it with a mirroring routine (MULZ -1), it will
bend upwards.
BPRISM_ topmat,botmat,sidemat,
number of nodes, thickness, radius,
FPRISM_ and HPRISM_ are extensions of CPRISM_ but allows
you to have curved or chamfered top edges (hills) by specifying the
angle, height and material of the hill. This is useful for suggesting
softness, e.g. upholsery in furniture. However, they create a lot of
polygons and lines in 3D view. FPRISM_ is almost obsolete
because HPRISM_ does the same but better.
HPRISM_ topmat,botmat,sidemat,hillmat,
number of nodes, thickness,
hillangle,hillheight,hillstatus,
The Hill is visible in the illustration if the hill angle is 0, the hill will
be rounded. Hill material and height have to be included. Hill status is
0 or 1 (invisible or visible edges).
BPRISM_ and FPRISM_/HPRISM_

SPRISM_ is an extension of CPRISM_ but allows you to have a
cutting plane taken through the prism. As it is possible and easier
to use an actual command CUTPLANE, this version of the Prism
is almost never required.
PRISM_ (Prism underscore) and CPRISM_
Clean up the Prism

Return to the CPRISM_ we dragged and dropped earlier. If you just
want a pure prism, clean away the statements before and after the
prism. If you find an ADDZ command like the one in this example, it
is a leftover from a previous Slab tool setting, so you can delete that,
along with DEL. You are left with a simple CPRISM_ command.
Make the material parametric :
CPRISM_ slabmat, slabmat, slabmat,
13, 0.1,
0.0, 0.0, 15,
4.28548, 0.0, 15,
4.28548, 0.949196, 15,
5.279549, 0.949196, 15,
5.279549, 2.155116, 15,
3.405484, 2.155116, 15,
3.405484, 3.067704, 15,
-0.000425, 3.067704, 15,
-0.000425, 2.00845, 15,
-2.444858, 2.00845, 15,
-2.444858, 0.949196, 15,
0.0, 0.949196, 15,
0.0, 0.0, -1
If you are doing a very simple solid one-color prism, you can remove
the c and the material definitions to make it simpler. One single
material definition is enough for the whole prism. You can use the
GDL text editors Find and Replace function to remove some of the
surplus spaces to make the code look more compact. So you are left
with simpler PRISM_ :
MATERIAL slabmat
65
PRISM_ 13, 0.1,

0.0, 0.0, 15,
4.28548, 0.0,15,
4.28548, 0.949196, 15,
etc, etc, etc

In creative GDL, you have to decide how your model is to be written.
Do you have a single prism shape that is not parametric? If so, use
the dragging method, but try always to work from the main origin
of the project to ensure that at least one node of the prism is zero.
If the shape is parametric, such as a window or door frame, then
you should always do a sketch on paper of the prism, number each
node in an anti clockwise direction. Then start writing the prism
methodically using parameters, or significant dimensions where
appropriate.
Remember that Prisms can be anywhere in the XY plane, but must
rise vertically from a local zero plane. You will usually have to
ADDZ before you make a prism.
Have a look in the GDL Reference Manual (by now you should find it
a lot easier to browse) and read the section on PRISMs in the chapter
dealing with 3D to make sure you know the syntax.
using A and B as parameters for width and depth with the origin at
the near left corner.
!Alternative Codes for the Seat frame....
!BLOCK A,B,frsec-0.002
!Simple Prism
PRISM 5,frsec-0.002,
0,0,
A,0,
A,B,
0,B,
0,0
Comma confusion?
In some countries, it is common to write decimal points as commas,
e.g., 1,25. In other countries it is common to write thousands with
commas for example, a million is 1,000,000. If you have a localized
ArchiCAD, this is how numbers may appear in the parameters box.
But in GDL, the scripts are hard coded so only one convention can
be followed. Dots are used to form the decimal point, and commas
are used to separate numbers. Many of the errors in your early efforts
in creative prism writing with GDL will be with misplaced dots and
commas. Pay strict attention to them. Use a monospaced font in
scripting, so that you can get all the commas and dots to line up
vertically.
6.2 Apply Prisms to the chair seatframe

We looked at prisms because we need to reach beyond the limitations
of blocks and cylinders. Lets make the seat frame more realistic. We
can make the seat using one prism and drill a hole through it. We are
66
Progress from the simple block to a frame that looks more authentic. The frames
can be centred to the legs.
We shall drill a hole in the prism. The first requirement is that you
have the underscore type, with the masking codes. Keep them all as
15 for the moment.
!Same prism with drawing codes
PRISM_ 5, frsec-0.002,
0,0, 15,
A,0, 15,
A,B, 15,
0,B, 15,
0,0, -1
Drilling the hole

The way to cut the hole is to write the Prism statement for the outline
of the solid, using 15s for masking. When you repeat the first point as
the last point, the prism needs to be told that its the last point by
using a masking code of -1. Continue on with the XY points for the
inline of the hole , using 15s again for the masking. Again, you use a
-1 to indicate that you have completed the inline.
Make sure that that the number of points is written correctly with
the hole, we have gone from 5 points to 5+5, i.e. 10. Lets make a
temporary parameter of ft for frame thickness, and give it a value of
30mm or 1.25. let this be a manufacturers parameter, so do not put
it in the Parameter Table.
!Prism with hole, for frame effect
ft=0.03 !Frame thickness
PRISM_ 5+5, frsec-0.002,
0,0, 15, !start of outline
A,0, 15,
A,B, 15,
0,B, 15,
0,0, -1, !end of outline
ft, ft,
15, !start of inline
A-ft,ft,
15,
A-ft,B-ft, 15,
ft, B-ft, 15,
ft, ft,
-1 !end of inline
With this code, you get the chair as in the illustration (centre). We can
add a cushion later.
Centre the frame members for more realism!

As we have a mission to improve the look of the chair, we need to
centre the frame elements to the legs we didnt do this before, to
keep things simple. Centring it makes more realistic mortice and
tenon joints. So using a half-frame width of f2 we can alternate the
outside and inside lines of the prism by f2 either side of the 0, 0, A,
B rectangle.
!Prism with frame effect by drilling hole
!Improved statement with f2
ft=0.03
f2=ft/2
-f2, -f2, 15, !Outline
A+f2,
A+f2,
-f2,
-f2,
f2,
A-f2,
A-f2,
f2,
f2,
-f2,
B+f2,
B+f2,
-f2,
f2,
f2,
B-f2,
B-f2,
f2,
15,
15,
15,
-1,
15, !Hole inline
15,
15,
15,
-1
See the right hand illustration on the previous page. Its a small
change, but worth doing for authenticity.
Another way to do this would be to keeping the theme of a frame, but
build 4 prisms, one for each side of the frame. The benefit of this
would be to be able to control the woodgrain in each piece. We will
do this later in the book.
As in the illustration we have a chair with a frame and nothing in the
frame very uncomfortable! We can now make a prism to fill the
empty space, and make it of upholstery on top, with an undersurface,
perhaps of the same material as the frame.
Build in the Cushion

We can now make a prism to fill the empty space, and make it of
upholstery on top, with an undersurface, perhaps of the same material
as the frame. So, following on immediately from the frame command,
before you DEL back to the origin, build the cushion. Make the angle
at 30 and make the hill height 10mm or 3/8. We make the outline
of the cushion the same as the inline for the hole in the frame.
! Chamfered with HPRISM_
HPRISM_ seatmat,framat,
seatmat,seatmat,
5,frsec+0.010, 30, 0.01, 1,
f2, f2, 15, !Outline
A-f2, f2, 15,
A-f2,B-f2, 15,
f2,B-f2, 15,
f2, f2, -1
67
You can see how the seat upholstery is chamfered to give a soft look.
Lets try to curve the back now!
6.3 Learn about Circle Geometry and make

the chair more comfortable
The chairback is a chord, a slice off the edge of a theoretical circle. If

we can work out from the bulge what the sweep angle is, we can work
out the radius. From this you can work out the circumferential
distance travelled by the back. This is all that you need. The formulae
are printed below.
While this chapter is about Prisms, we can profit by looking at the

bendy BPRISM_ and applying it to the back of the chair. We would
like to curve the back panel to make it more comfortable and
authentic. As the width of the chair is A, we need to make a
parameter for the bulge of the chairback bbulg and work out a
formula based on A to calculate how much curvature to apply to the
chairback. Here it is.
Make a new parameter bbulg (dimension). First the Master Script is

required to do the calculations.
68
!--------Add to Master Script--------!Back bulge Circle calculation formula

IF bbulg<=0.01 THEN bbulg=0.01
IF bbulg>=0.08 THEN bbulg=0.08
bangl=(90-ATN((A/2)/bbulg))*2 !Half angle
brad=(A/2)/SIN(bangl)
!Radius of curve
bcirc=2*PI*rad*bangl*360
!Half chord length
PARAMETERS bbulg=bbulg
Here we have two idiotproofing lines to protect against extreme

values being entered by the user. PARAMETERS reports the
corrected dimensions back to the user in case of an error. We must
calculate the sweep angle, and its easiest to calculate the half angle
bangl between the edge and the centre. From that we can work out
brad the radius. Finally, as BPRISM_ is like a flat surface bent into a
curve, we need to find out the length of the chord. As BPRISM_ has
to be organised around the centre of the chair for it to bend
symmetrically, we need only the half length of the chord. So look at
the 3D script as it was before, and make the modification.
!Modify 3D Script
!Back Legs, panel and upholstery
IF bakon THEN
MATERIAL framat
ADD 0,B,sthit
ADDx A
DEL 2
!Back panel
ADD A/2,B-lsec/3+bbulg,sthit+bhit*0.9
ROTx -90
BPRISM_ framat,framat,framat,
5,lsec/3,brad,
-bcirc,0,15,
bcirc,0,15,
bcirc,bhit*0.6,15,
-bcirc,bhit*0.6,15,
-bcirc,0,-1
!Cushion, not chamfered

ADDz -lsec/6
BPRISM_ seatmat,framat,seatmat,
5,lsec/6,brad,
-bcirc +ft,ft,15,
bcirc -ft,ft,15,
bcirc -ft,bhit*0.6-ft,15,
-bcirc +ft,bhit*0.6-ft,15,
-bcirc +ft,ft,-1
DEL 3
!BLOCK A,lsec/2,bhit*0.6 !original Back panel
ENDIF !if bakon
In the 3D Script, we built the back legs, as before, but for the back
panel, we have to do some 3D manoevres. We use ADD to get to the
centre of the chair. Because BPRISM_ curves downwards, we have
to get behind the chair and use ROTx so that the Z axis is facing
backwards (away from the chair). Play with the script of the chair
changing the ROTx from -90 to 90. The height of the prism will be
from the topmost part sthit+bhit*0.9. Try changing the values to
see where the back moves to. We made the half-width of the prism
the half-circumference, so that whatever the bulge value, it will always
fit perfectly.
The back cushion by adjusting the Z height, we can shift a small
distance and issue another BPRISM_ for the upholstery, using soft
fabric. DEL 3 takes us right back to the origin.
You may wonder why we cannot chamfer the edges of the upholstery
on the back as we did for the seat. We cannot have both a curve. You
have the choice of BPRISM_ or HPRISM_ so you choose. For me,
the curved back takes priority.
Final touch of quality Update the 2D Script

From the previous illustration you can see that the 2D Script has been
updated. Lets do this. We could cave in to the easy option and return
to a PROJECT2. Since we took the trouble to calculate the circle
geometry of the chairback, lets put that to use. Comment out the two
LINE2 commands and try an ARC2 for the back and a single line
for the frame. To remind you:
ARC2 x, y, r, alpha, beta: draws part of a circle on
centrepoint x,y, of radius r, starting with angle alpha and ending at
angle beta moving in an counterclockwise direction.
69
HOTARC2 x, y, r, alpha, beta: the same as ARC2 above,

but it is a new ArchiCAD 9 command that makes it easier to pick the
object up in the floor plan.
Now make the modification to the 2D Script.
!Put these lines in for the curved back
!LINE2 s2,B-s4, A-s2,B-s4 !back
!LINE2 s2,B+s4, A-s2,B+s4 !back
ARC2A/2,B-brad+bbulg,brad,90-bangl+2,90+bangl-2
!for AC9 addthe lines below
!HOTARC2 A/2,B-brad+bbulg,brad,
!
90-bangl+2,90+bangl-2
LINE2 s2,B, A-s2,B !back for AC7,8
!HOTLINE2 s2,B, A-s2,B !add for AC9
We do not have to use ADD2 commands here. We position the arc

with an XY coordinate, and the position is at the centre of the back,
as with the prism. The sweep angle of the arc can be bangl either
way. By deducting 2 either way, it looks better in relation to the legs.
You can shorten the time of building prisms with Instant GDL
using Drag and Drop.
Instant GDL is best built from slabs placed on the main origin. It
is best used if prism shape is not going to change much.
Otherwise, define the prism with parameters.
A common cause of errors when writing prisms is confusion with
commas.
Drilling holes write the XYs of the hole immediately after the
outline XYs.
Soft edge effects can be achieved with HPRISM.
Curved solids can be made with BPRISM. This may require some
calculation to get it the correct size and position.
If the object gets too complex, use a PROJECT2. If you can still
manage the code, write the 2D with a proper script.
By gradual improvement in the GDL, we have a much more refined product.
Summary of GDL in this section

Prisms are the most useful command in creative GDL they can
be bent, rounded, cut, drilled, chamfered and hollowed out.
You do not need to move the cursor to build prisms, because the
XY of each of their nodepoints can be defined. You may only have
to lift them into position.
70
CHAPTER 7: LOOKING INTO AUTOSCRIPTED GDL

It is valuable to look into the scripts of objects generated without GDL and know how to modify them to make them slightly parametric.
7.1 Looking into Autoscripted GDL

There is a middle road in Object Making
Earlier, we practised making objects without GDL. We have now
tried making objects with GDL. It may seem to you that the message
of this book is that making objects without GDL should make you
feel guilty. This is not so! You can make excellent objects without
GDL, but you know that you are rejecting the chances of them being
parametric. By contrast, if you make objects with GDL, you will feel
virtuous but you may become so enthusiastic about GDL that you
try to do all the work yourself. You can suffer from exhaustion
putting in the hours, and frustration if the results are not as good as
hoped for.
However, there is a middle road that you can follow. You can get
ArchiCAD to do much of the work for you and then come in at the
half way point and add some of the qualities that make the object
parametric. You can also make individual components using the
Instant GDL method, then move them into the GDL script, and use
ADD and ROT to position the component.
First, lets look at an object completely made with ArchiCADs own
tools and saved as an object.
Making objects in the ArchiCAD environment

Anybody who uses ArchiCAD eventually has the curiosity to open
the 3D script of an object made in the ArchiCAD environment and
has been thoroughly scared. The auto-scripted object contains a mass
of complex industrial code that is off putting to look at, and
unstructured. It is good enough for the GDL interpreter but it is
not for humans to fully understand. By comparison, creative GDL
that has been composed by a human looks clean and uncluttered if
it is written with parameters, it is capable of extension into something
more powerful from just a humble beginning.
If you can become familiar with the look and organization of
autoscripted code and make use of it in easy steps, it is not as scary as
it first seemed. Remind yourself again how to make objects using

ArchiCADs own tools by looking at the start of chapter 2.
When you look at a script of an autoscripted object, you need to
recognise what the bits are. Every element in ArchiCADs toolbox
has its 2D or 3D equivalent in GDL. You can find out which by
laying out elements in the ArchiCAD Floor Plan and dragging them
to a GDL Script window.
Walls become XWALL_{2}
Roofs become CSLAB_
Floors become CPRISM_
Beams become BEAM
Columns become CPRISM_
Mesh becomes MASS
Fills and Polylines become POLY2_B{2}
Line becomes LINE2
Spline lines become SPLINE2A
Texts become TEXT2
Circles become CIRCLE2
Hotspots become HOTSPOT2
Objects, Lamps, Profiler objects, Stairs etc are brought in as
Macros and appear in the form of a CALL statement.
In the script, every part will have the original ID, and you can
compare that with the IDs in the model.
Examine the 3D script of the autoscripted table

Open the table that was used as an example in Chapter 2, or make
yourself another quick table. We will run through explaining what is
contained in the script, and then look at ways of shortening and
modifying it.
A primary rule of tinkering with autoscripted objects is to move the
module of ArchiCAD bits to the Main Origin perhaps centred over
the main, left hand leg, Resave using method 1 (from 3D view),
71
making sure that you tick the Editable button. Place the object again,
now open the GDL and view the scripts.
First thing you can do it to view the table in 3D and paste a nice small
square image into the Preview Window.
The 3D script starts out with some titling. Its good to have date and
objects name and author at the start of the script. Do likewise when
you write creative scripts.
! Document name:
!
!
Name
: table_2_iomwac.gsm
!
Date
: April 2004
!
Version : 8.10
!
Written by ArchiCAD
!
MULXA/2.25753262639
MULYB/1.001325786114
MULZZZYZX/
0.75
ADDX
0.4849148094654
ADDY
0.5064862370491
BODY
-1
MODEL SOLID
RESOL
36
The three MUL commands enable the object to be stretchy. When it

was first made, the table was drawn by eye in the floor plan, so it was
approximately 2.25 metres by 1.0 metres, and the height was 0.75
metres.
ZZYZX is what GDL denotes for the height. This rather curious
name arises from the need to call it something related to Z when
ArchiCAD 6.0 came out. But it could not be called Z as many older
72
objects from ArchiCAD 5.0 (and earlier) already used Z for other
purposes and might no longer work. The GDL development team
chose zzyzx after a small town overlooking a dried salt lake in
California near Las Vegas, the last town in the US directory of
placenames.
Because the autoscripted units are accurate to a million millionth of a
metre, you get a vast number of trailing decimals. You will wish you
had built them with a small snap grid working.
Now you can see how stretchiness works in autoscripted objects. If
you shrink the table to a A value of 1.8 metres, the MULX command
will multiply everything in the X direction by A/2.25753262639 (i.e.
1.8/2.25753262639). This will make it slightly shorter. If you stretch
the height to be 1.2 metres, the vertical components will all be
multiplied using MULZ by 1.2/0.75. The MULY command works in
the same way. Retain (if you want it to be stretchy).
If you want the table NOT to be stretchy, delete the 3 MUL
commands, and replace the 2D Symbol with a PROJECT2
3,270,2 in the 2D Script. Youll get bounding box hotspots.
The most easily changed parameters are Material and Pen

The ADD command is an offset this is in case you built the object a
long distance from the origin of the main floor plan. Some people
build their objects hundreds, sometimes thousands of metres from
the project origin. If you build very close to the projects Origin (it
must be the main project origin, not a temporary one) then this offset
will be very small. As we built this on the origin, you can see that this
offset is trying to place the objects own origin at the bottom

left-hand corner. Retain.
The BODY -1 command is one that autoscripts always carry. These
are a command to the GDL interpreter to ensure the 3D integrity of
each object. They are not necessary in creative GDL until you get
into more complex tasks such as the TUBE command. Delete BODY.
MODEL SOLID just tells the object to be solid. This is the default
condition, so if you did not write it, your model would still be solid
even without the command. RESOL 36 tells it that all rounded
surfaces are to have 36 polygons to make up a full circle. 36 is the
default value for this, so you do not really need this either. Delete
MODEL SOLID.
GLOB_SCRIPT_TYPE =
3
GLOB_CONTEXT =
3
GLOB_SCALE =
50
GLOB_NORTH_DIR =
90
GLOB_DRAWING_BGD_PEN =
91
GLOB_FRAME_NR =
-1
GLOB_EYEPOS_X = -35.85101578994
GLOB_EYEPOS_Y = -7.730174812729
GLOB_EYEPOS_Z = 1.557576862359
GLOB_TARGPOS_X = -30.44915475591
GLOB_TARGPOS_Y = -5.030201323002
GLOB_TARGPOS_Z =
1.5
GLOB_SUN_AZIMUTH =
239.847
GLOB_SUN_ALTITUDE =
11.2981
BODY
-1
BODY
-1
GLOB_HSTORY_HEIGHT =
0.65
These GLOB items are called Global Variables. They are not doing
anything here except recording the conditions that prevailed when the
object was made. At the time the table was made the North point was
at 90, there was no animation taking place (Frame number is set to
-1), the camera eye and target positions were noted, the drawing scale
was 1:50. These are not commands, they are a historical record. You
can find out more about Global Variables in Appendix A of the GDL
Reference Manual. There are a few more BODYs here. Meanwhile,
you can Delete ALL the GLOB s! ...throughout the script.
!!Slab-062
PEN
GLOB_LAYER = "Floors"
GLOB_ID = "Slab-062"
GLOB_INTID =
667
BODY
-1
ADDZ
0.6
cPRISM_ "Surface-Whitewash", "Surface-Whitewash",
"Surface-Whitewash",
5,
0.1,
0.04300407447266, 0.01376101330492, 15,
1.259910825444, 0.01376101330492,
15,
1.259910825444, -0.02340206237996,
15,
0.04300407447266, -0.02340206237996,
15,
0.04300407447266, 0.01376101330492,
-1
DEL
1
BODY
-1
This is the first real 3D element in the script. It is obviously the beam
under the tabletop as it is only 100 mm deep and is 0.57 metres off
the floor. This and the tabletop were made with a Slab tool, and these
always translate into a CPRISM_. The syntax for CPRISM_ was
explained in chapter 5. The prism is lifted by 0.6 and drawn; then the
DEL command returns the cursor to the origin.
!!Slab-059
GLOB_INTID =
651
BODY
-1
ADDZ
0.7
49,
0.05,
-0.004326136003042, 0.4919763397133,
15,
-0.03992947334826, 0.490650560281,
79,
-0.1100340105909, 0.4778922240699,
79,
-0.1776092841723, 0.4552868334455,
79,
-0.2412796563933, 0.4232945689723,
79,
-0.2997489820857, 0.382566700897,
79,
-0.35182699439, 0.3339323311641,
79,
-0.3964535351562, 0.2783815152915,
79,
-0.4327201367068, 0.2170451076949,
79,
etc, etc, etc ...
There is too much to list after this.
73
This is the tabletop itself. It is obviously the tabletop because the

height of the prism is 0.7 metres, the thickness of the prism is 0.05
metres and there are a lot of points (49) because of the curved ends.
If we are not sure its the tabletop, the GLOB_ID is matched by the
ID of the slab it was made from in the settings dialog.
The masking values shows you the 15s but they are modified by
having 64 added to each of them 79 (15+64) means that the point is
part of a curve and should be treated as smooth by Open GL and the
ArchiCAD Rendering engine.
The table can be tuned up to be parametric

If you have the object open, save a copy of it under a new name
Table_02.GSM perhaps. As this is a Table, try hitting Select
Subtype and tell GDL its a Table.
!!Slab-061
GLOB_INTID =
655
BODY
-1
ADDZ
0.05
15,
0.05,
-0.02400049266183, 0.3960784971471,
15,
-0.036711189204, 0.31606425849,
79,
-0.05203414774601, 0.154755338342,
79,
-0.05719819902872, -0.007197412027317, 79,

-0.05218296290095,
-0.03700823220845,
-0.02400049266183,
0.04732645894257,
-0.1691548391012,
-0.3304777709065,
-0.4128433470601,
-0.4128433470601,
79,
79,
15,
15,
etc, etc, etc...

These are obviously table feet, judging by their height and depth.
What about the 2D Script?

Look at the 2D script if you used Save Selection As... (method 2) it
may well look very complicated, mostly made of LINE2 and POLY2
commands. If you modify the shape or size of the 3D object
significantly, you may have to delete the whole 2D script and replace
it with a PROJECT2 command and some Hotspots at the corners.
The same applies if you saved the 3D View (method 1).
74
Materials and Pen, but note in so doing that GDL has now given you
a load of ready made parameter names for some of these which you
can use. It will also give you ones you do not intend to use, perhaps,
so click the Hide button next to the ArchiFM title and all the other
parameters will be hidden from the users view. New parameters you
make will be put at the bottom, annoyingly. Move them up.
Selecting the right subtype is more than a way to save you typing. The
object will conform with some of the internal routines of ArchiCAD
(for example the wall cutting of window or the roof cutting of the
skylight). For most objects, the main advantage is that they will show
up correctly in Interactive Schedules. The common parameters are
the key to group editing and group reporting. For example if you use
gs_top_mat and gs_leg_mat for the top and leg materials, you
could select a whole host of different tables (of subtype table) and
update materials in all tables simultaneously.
Simplify A and B to exactly 2.25 m and 1.0 m, the dimensions we
wanted in the first place when building the eyeballed table. Here, the
parameter box is in millimetres. Do not forget to keep strictly to
metres when writing anything into the actual script. Make a new
parameter tthik for tabletop thickness.
Rebuilding the 3D Script

Modify the labelling at the top to remind yourself when you altered
the object.
Retain the first two MUL commands so that the table will remain
stretchy, but clean them up with the exact values of A and B. Delete
the MULZ command height can be controlled parametrically.
Looking at the curved top, its beyond the scope of this chapter to
extend the length or width of the table except by stretching. A little
more knowledge of GDL, including Polylines, would make this easy,
but the experienced GDL author would embark on this table in
creative GDL from the start, not spend time adapting a lot of
industrial code.
Parameters and Subtypes

GDL will load standard parameters from a template called table.gsm,
and this will save you a lot of typing. Now make new parameters for
75
table that you believe it to be. Change the materials at the start of each
CPRISM to the parameters you made.
! Name
: table_2_iomwac.gsm
! Date
: April 2004
! Version : 8.10
! Written by ArchiCAD modified for iOMWAC
MULX
A/2.25753262639
MULY
B/1.001325786114
!!Centre Beam
PEN
gs_cont_pen
ADDZ
zzyzx-0.1-tthik
cPRISM_ botmat, botmat, botmat,
5,
0.1,
0.04, 0.01376101330492,
15,
1.21, 0.01376101330492,
15,
1.21, -0.02340206237996,
15,
0.04, -0.02340206237996,
15,
0.04, 0.01376101330492,
-1
DEL
1
!!Tabletop
ADDZ
zzyzx-tthik
cPRISM_ gs_top_mat, botmat, edgmat,
49,
tthik,
-0.004326136003042, 0.4919763397133, 15,
-0.03992947334826, 0.490650560281,
79,
-0.1100340105909, 0.4778922240699,
79,
-0.1776092841723, 0.4552868334455,
79,
-0.2412796563933, 0.4232945689723,
79,
-0.2997489820857, 0.382566700897,
79,
-0.35182699439, 0.3339323311641,
79,
-0.3964535351562, 0.2783815152915,
79,
-0.4327201367068, 0.2170451076949,
79,
-0.4598885156183, 0.1511717407535,
79,
-0.4774056020433, 0.08210240625503, 79,
-0.4849147986173, 0.01124315667042, 79,
Delete the ADD offsets, but remember to delete the equivalent offset
command in the 2D script or the symbol and the actual table will
not coincide in location.
Put in a parametric PEN command, provide a new title for the
tabletop, and remove all the redundant GLOBs and BODYs and all
later PENs. Now label each part in the 3D script with the part of the
76
etc, etc, etc...

For the beam, change the ADDZ command to be the total table height
minus the tabletop thickness minus foot height. For the tabletop,
change the ADDZ command to be the total table height minus the
tabletop thickness. Change the tabletop thickness to the new
parameter of tthik.
Ever mindful of quality, we could put in a Master Script routine like

the one below to control the zzyzx height of the table and you
could do this for the tthik too. The greater than or equals sign (>=)
always works better than simple greater than (>), and the same for the
smaller than (<).
!Modified Table
!Master Script
IF zzyzx>=1.2 THEN zzyzx=1.2
IF zzyzx<=0.4 THEN zzyzx=0.4
PARAMETERS zzyzx=zzyzx
If you wish, you can also clean up some of the million millionth of a
metre decimals to clean rounded dimensions, but here it is only worth
doing it in the case of the beam under the tabletop we can ensure
that it centres nicely on the cylindrical legs. As the CPRISM allows
you to specify top material, bottom material and side material within
the command, replace all that Whitewash with your new material
parameters. Because we selected the table Subtype definition we
have gs_top_mat, and gs_leg_mat given to us. We can also put in
the other parameter values like botmat and edgmat etc. Note that in
the script they must NOT appear with quote marks they are
material indices, not names.
Although it takes a bit more thinking about, you should do the same
thing to all the leg parts under the table top. Once you have embarked
on this, you have to finish. Think it out and work it through, guessing
which parts they all are and how the heights need to be adjusted.
Provide a label for each part. Do it all the way to the end of the 3D
Script.
!!Foot element under leg
ADDZ
0.05
cPRISM_ footmat, footmat, footmat,
15,
0.05,
-0.02400049266183, 0.3960784971471,
-0.036711189204, 0.31606425849,
-0.05203414774601, 0.154755338342,
-0.05719819902872, -0.007197412027317,
-0.05218296290095, -0.1691548391012,
-0.03700823220845, -0.3304777709065,
-0.02400049266183, -0.4128433470601,
0.04732645894257, -0.4128433470601,
0.05966670786791, -0.330388076719,
15,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
15,
15,
79,
0.07424769749459, -0.1642796538628,
0.07867493665818, 0.002408716924311,
0.0729319557382, 0.1690569439548,
0.05704011900087, 0.3350450848787,
0.04732645894257, 0.3960784971471,
-0.02400049266183, 0.3960784971471,
DEL
1
!!Little circular pad under foot
cPRISM_ footmat2, footmat2, footmat2,
39,
0.05,
0.0410091477233, 0.3437969914738,
0.0410091477233, 0.3463603485633,
0.04011890314868, 0.3514091764344,
0.03836546363036, 0.3562267119174,
0.03580210654081, 0.3606665766344,
etc, etc, etc.
79,
79,
79,
79,
15,
-1
15,
79,
79,
79,
79,
Comments on structure in the script try a Subroutine

Notice that in autoscripted work, after each of the 3D commands are
done one at a time, the GDL returns the cursor to the origin. It
makes this kind of tinkering vastly easier. Whatever you do to one
part will not damage the rest. This is structured scripting by the
brute force method of returning to the origin with every small 3D
statement. Some element of grouping or ordering is more logical
though.
One whole leg element is over the origin, and you could do
something smart with the other leg. The idea behind the table is that
is is mainly a rectangle of 1.25m (50) length and 1m (40) width, but
with rounded corners adding 0.5m (20) to the overall length of the
table. The monopod legs are located at the 0, 0 and 1.25, 0
coordinates.
If you can identify all the 3D statements which make up the left hand
leg, you could put a number label to them, like 100: and a RETURN
statement at the end. Delete all the code for the second right-hand leg
(see the object on the CD/web). Now try something like this. Repeat
the whole of the first leg 1.25m to the right of the first leg as a
Subroutine. We explain more about Subroutines in the next chapter.
Read ahead then come back.
GOSUB 100:!Single leg
77
ADDx 1.25
GOSUB 100:!Single leg
DEL 1
END:!=======================================
DEL 1
RETURN
Find and Replace, to clean up the script

Finally, you could use the Find and Replace command to weed many
of those spaces in the original script. Type 3 spaces in the Find field
and one space in the Replace field. Place your text cursor at the top of
the script, and hit the Replace All button. Once should be enough.
Your text will be cleaned up nicely.
Add the final touches of quality the 2D Script

This Table could now be used, but there is an extra level of quality we
can give it. The object and the symbol may no longer line up, so lets
sort that out. If you are in a hurry, we could do something like this:
write a PROJECT2 and type in some hotspots these should be
located at cardinal points at the table, the extreme edges, not at the
bounding box points. (see a few pages back). If you maintain the
distances apart of the hotspots at A and B in the 2 cardinal directions,
the object will be stretchy.
Hide the parameters for Pen and Fills in the Parameter Table since
you wont be using them (hit the little X icons).
The hotspot routines are not completely satisfactory if the table is
stretched greatly they will distort. You cannot get them accurately
on the right hand leg without a lot of coding of the sort that has been
written for the second leg centre spot. The way to get them working
parametrically is to write the table parametrically with creative GDL!
The first hotspot you write is important. When you place the object,
it decides the location of the first click of the objects placement in the
floor plan.
100:!Entire Leg and Foot element
!!Foot element under leg
ADDZ
0.05
cPRISM_ footmat, footmat, footmat,
15,
0.05,
-0.02400049266183, 0.3960784971471,
15,
-0.036711189204, 0.31606425849,
79,
-0.05203414774601, 0.154755338342,
79,
-0.05719819902872, -0.007197412027317,79,
etc, etc, etc.
etc, etc, etc.
78
!Modified Table - 2D Script

!Centre spot
HOTSPOT2 0,0
!first leg centre spot
HOTSPOT2 1.25*A/2.2575 !second leg centre spot
!Stretch Edge Spots
HOTSPOT2 0, B*0.5
HOTSPOT2 0, -B*0.5
!End spots
HOTSPOT2 -0.5, 0
HOTSPOT2 A-0.5, 0
PROJECT2 3,270,1 !Draw 3D table in 2D
Make the 2D Symbol opaque or transparent

If you wish to improve the quality further, you could put in a proper
symbol. Trace over the table in ArchiCAD with a Fill tool, curving
the ends. This will give you an opaque symbol instead of a transparent
one. Drag it into the 2D Script, and you will get a POLY2_B{2}.
Make a new Boolean parameter called vutype. Keep the PROJECT2
as an option for the user. Make an IF-statement that makes the
option active. For the Fill option, put in a MUL2 command which
reflects the one in the 3D Script. When the user changes the size of
the table, the projected view will be changed so you only need to put
the MUL command with the Polygon fill.
Put into the POLY2_B{2} statement the standard parameters for
the Background and Fill Pens and Fill type, as offered by the Subtype
template. Check with the Help menu, or just follow the example given
here.
DEL 1
ENDIF
There are lines containing 900 and 4001 status codes which are
beyond the scope of this chapter. For the moment, just use the
POLY2 as it comes, and change only the Pen parameters.
Cautionary note for modifying objects

If you make objects using the Wall tool, and try this method of
modification, you need to be more experienced. The CPRISM is
really a very friendly command when you get used to it so it is easy
to modify objects made with the Slab tool. The Wall tool generates
XWALL commands in the autoscript, and these are more resistant to
human intervention. As the Wall tool is frequently used for objects
that are captured in side view from 90, there are some additional
ROT commands at the start of the 3D script which are best left
untouched. The Roof tool generates statements with the CSLAB_
command which are also comparatively easy to edit because they
contain the outline of the shape with XY locations, and add a third
value for the Z height of each point.
For this sort of GDL-tweaking work with existing objects, the best
advice is to use the Slab and Roof tools as much as possible.
7.2 Come back to Instant GDL

IF vutype=1 THEN
PROJECT2 3,270,1
ELSE
MUL2
A/2.25753262639, B/1.001325786114
PEN gs_cont_pen
FILL gs_fill_type
POLY2_B{2}
9, 3, gs_fill_pen, gs_back_pen,
0,
0,
0,
-0.004326136003042, 0.4919763397133, 1,
0.01437138894525, -0.005967130246955, 900,
0, 175.6991656132, 4001,
-0.004326136003042, -0.5039106002072, 1,
1.308235298525,
-0.5039106002072, 1,
1.272110669571, -0.005967130246955, 900,
0, 171.7011905436, 4001,
1.308235298525,
0.4919763397133, 1,
-0.004326136003042, 0.4919763397133,
-1
This is the method whereby you make a component in the ArchiCAD

plan, then drag and drop it into a script window. Dragging is not
advisable for entire objects for which saving objects using methods 1
and 2 are perfectly suited. But it is the ideal way to make single
components such as fretwork, curvy shapes, outlines for furniture
legs and a hundred other uses. These can be stitched into the
structure of your creatively scripted object. It is possible to do the
same for 2D objects, such as fills and lines.
Use 2D to help your 3D model

Surprisingly, the greatest assistance to creative 3D GDL is the 2D Fill
tool. Drag and drop a 2D fill into the 2D Script window. Then copy
and paste the 2D fill (which by this time is a POLY2_B{2}
command) into the 3D window and convert it to a 3D command.
79
A lot of 3D commands involve drawing out a 2D profile and then

doing something with it: EXTRUDE extrudes, REVOLVE lathes the
section around an axis; SWEEP pulls a profile through 3D space,
twisting or rescaling the section as it goes; TUBE also draws a 2D
profile through 3D space, allowing it to be twisted and mitred as it
goes; PYRAMID pulls the nodes on a 2D profile to one point;
RULED takes the points on a 2D profile and allows you to form a 3D
solid by repeating the same number of nodes at different heights.
These all use the same syntax for XY points as POLY2_B{2}.
All of these profiles support the use of Polylines. These are outside
the scope of this book. If you use the 2D Fill tool and force lines to
be curves, and then copy them to GDL, you will find many lines with
900 and 4001 in them. These define centres and radii of curvature. If
you copy and paste these 2D profiles and use them in this way, you
dont entirely have to know how they work. They just do.
Note that if you have tried to use Profiler for lathing, it works around a
vertical axis. Here we have to use a horizontal axis.
Try instant GDL with a REVOLVE
Create a New Library Part from the File menu, and position the 2D
window to the right of the screen, so that it is next to the project floor
plan. Drag and drop the 2D fill into the 2D Script window do the
drag over very fast. You should get something like this:
There is not time to go into all of these, but lets try one REVOLVE.
Look up REVOLVE in the GDL Reference Manual. This method
makes it easy beyond your expectations to make a lathed object. This
liberates you from the polecat of Profiler.
For a lathing operation, you only have to draw a 2D profile in the
Positive-Y zone that means all points above the X axis and you
can revolve it. When you draw the profile, you do it with the continuous
Line tool.
80
PEN
1
SET FILL "25 %"
POLY2_B{2} 13, 1, 0, 0,
0,
0,
0,
0, 0.3760557831815,
1,
0.06592689450963, 0.3760557831815,
1,
0.1013692707986, 0.258191153049,
1,
0.142621891345, 0.2282009802147,
900,
0, -107.9665730337,
4001,
0.1838745118913, 0.258191153049,
1,
0.6645848017343, -0.6870353976553, 900,
0, -47.59681179421,
4001,
1.038393080352, 0.305337005102,
1,
1.380200507736, 0.163899448943,
1,
1.556751901622, 0.02393520066069,
900,
0, -60.68649776848,
4001,
1.592356841974, 0.2464046900357,
-1
HOTSPOT2
0, 0.3760557831815
HOTSPOT2 0.06592689450963, 0.3760557831815
HOTSPOT2 0.1013692707986, 0.258191153049
HOTSPOT2 0.1838745118913, 0.258191153049
HOTSPOT2 1.038393080352, 0.305337005102

HOTSPOT2 1.380200507736, 0.163899448943
HOTSPOT2 1.592356841974, 0.2464046900357
Now, copy only the list of XY points and paste it into the 3D Script,
noting that there were 13 lines in the POLY2.
When the list is in the 3D Script, leave all the status codes as they are
except the last one which is an ArchiCAD error. This should be 1,
not -1.
Now add the REVOLVE command above the list of points. The word
REVOLVE is followed by the number of points (was 13), the angle
through which the profile should be revolved (360) and finally a
masking value, which you can assume to be 61. You need to precede
the REVOLVE command with a ROTy 90 because the lathed
object is turned around the X-axis, and is therefore horizontal.
Things which need to stand upright should be rotated minus 90
around Y.
PEN 1
MATERIAL 18 !Temporary values for pen & material
RESOL 16
ROTy -90
REVOLVE 13,360,61,
0, 0.3760557831815,
1,
0.06592689450963, 0.3760557831815,
1,
0.1013692707986, 0.258191153049,
1,
0.142621891345, 0.2282009802147,
900,
0, -107.9665730337,
4001,
0.1838745118913, 0.258191153049,
1,
0.6645848017343, -0.6870353976553, 900,
0, -47.59681179421,
4001,
1.038393080352, 0.305337005102,
1,
1.380200507736, 0.163899448943,
1,
1.556751901622, 0.02393520066069,
900,
0, -60.68649776848,
4001,
1.592356841974, 0.2464046900357,
+1
DEL 1
Here is the finished pot.

Delete the hotspots and all from the 2D Script and replace with a
standard PROJECT2 statement.
The Chesspieces are made entirely using this Drag and Revolve technique.
Masking codes and Curvature control
The key to knowing the masking code here is thus:
60 will give you a lathed object open at both ends, with pen lines
top and bottom.
61 will give you an open object with pen lines and a flat bottom.
63 will give you a solid closed object, with pen lines.
81
Whatever value you give RESOL here, the vase will look smooth
because we are using Open GL rendering. With ArchiCADs 3D
engine, you will see the polygons. The RESOL command tells GDL
that you only want 16 polygonal faces to the shape. You can ruin your
model with too many polygons. Multiply these vases by a few
hundred and your computer may not have enough memory to render,
and you may have an unrealistic number of polygons if you wish to
export to DXF/DWG or an external renderer. The benefit of being a
GDL user is that you can control the number of polygons with a
simple RESOL (or TOLER) command.
Modifying objects made with Add-ons

Objects made by certain add-ons can be opened and edited. Lets
consider only those made with Trussmaker and with Profiler. Both
are capable of making objects with linear elements, with a variety of
sections. Profiler objects are built with a TUBE command which
makes them very easy to edit. Trussmaker is very powerful, but the
GDL is industrial and provides no easy way to modify.
the autoscript. But it has been a good means of demonstrating the

contents of an autoscript.
The easiest things to change into parameters are the names of
materials they can be replaced with variable names.
The methods used in this chapter are fine for complete objects.
But if you are working at creative GDL and simply want a quick
solution, try Instant GDL drag and drop.
Many 3D objects use the same syntax as the 2D Fill tool, so you
can make interesting 3D objects easily. REVOLVE is a good use of
this technique. You may have to learn about object masking.
It is important to control the number of polygons in the model if
you are building any objects that are repeated in great numbers you
must use GDL to define the number of polygons in each solid.
These curved 3D lattices can be made with Profiler and require only the smallest
amount of GDL tweaking to make them 3D. See the GDL Cookbook for a
thorough explanation.

The table example is so simple that you may feel that, by now, you
are quite capable of scripting this in native GDL without needing
82
CHAPTER 8: BUILD ON THE POWER OF GDL

As a GDL script gets more complex, you have to find ways to store frequently used routines. Subroutines and Macros are the answer.
Open GL forces us to improve the appearance of objects textures must be handled better.
If you want a golden rule that will fit everything, this is it: Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. William Morris.
8.1 Subroutines
Subroutines are pieces of GDL code that we want to repeat. Even if
we only want to use them once, we can package the code into a
discrete bundle. We store subroutines at the end of the script, after
the END statement, and give them a label number just like a piece
of luggage. We must never allow the script to run accidentally into the
subroutines they must only happen when required. Subroutines are
at the heart of complex GDL scripting. Subroutines can be used in all
the scripts except the Master Script (in which case if you used the
END statement, the entire object would obey!)
Subroutines are used to avoid repetitive typing

You can take a piece of text that will have to be repeated frequently,
give it a number, and then perform the subroutine with a GOSUB
command. In the case of our basic GDL chair earlier on, if your chair
has an elaborate leg that takes a many lines to describe and you have
four legs to do, you would not want to type that all out again, nor
even copy and paste the leg four times. You could write a routine for
all the legs thus:
100:!All the legs
GOSUB 110:!One leg
ADDX A
GOSUB 110:!One leg
ADDY B
GOSUB 110:!One leg
ADDX -A
GOSUB 110:!One leg
DEL 3
Subroutines are used to give structure to a long script

The main script can consist of a number of GOSUB commands to a
series of subroutines that build elements of the model. These are
logically based on your 3D analysis.
!Chair
GOSUB 100:!All the Legs
GOSUB 200:!Draw the Seat
GOSUB 300:!Build the Back
END !----------------------------100:!All the legs
GOSUB 110:!One single leg
ADDx A
ADDy B
ADDx -A
DEL 3
RETURN
110:!One single leg
RETURN
In this case, you could refer to the first part of the script as the
executive script, with most of the actual work being done by the
subroutines that follow the END command.
Subroutines can be hierarchical, and can be moved or rotated like
objects (see the ROTx command for the window below). This is
moving towards what we mean when we talk about object oriented
programming. We make every part of the model a discrete package
that can be identified and made to perform or locate itself according
to rules.
In a human figure, the entire Arm object (which hinged at the
shoulder) could GOSUB a subroutine for the Forearm (hinging at the
elbow), and that could GOSUB the Hand (hinging at the wrist), and
the hand could GOSUB each of the Fingers (each of which is
correctly sized and hinging according to the rules). As the Fingernails
are largely the same (with minor variations on size), each finger would
83
call the same fingernail subroutine, passing it a different value for

length and width.
Look at your object for every opportunity to make use of repetition
and if they do not repeat exactly, they may be close enough to repeat
with minor variations, using this concept of hierarchy.
Subroutines must have number labels and this helps with
organisation. For example, in a cabinet design, everything to do with
the cabinet itself can be numbered 100, 110, 120 etc. The drawer
parts can all be numbered in the 200 family, e.g. 200, 210, 220 etc.
Graphical hotspots can all start from 1000, and be numbered 1000,
1010, 1020 etc. Thus you can find everything easily.
You do not have to write colons after the label number except when
they are actually a label. However, its a good discipline to provide a
comment with every subroutine, so I usually write the subroutine
first line (as in the example above) then copy and paste the line to the
place where it will be used with the GOSUB command so the
comment is the same as the subroutine title.
In this case the drawers can be in subroutines which get told their width, depth and
height. Graphical hotspots which open and shut the drawers can also be put into
subroutines.
Subroutines work well with flow control

Subroutines have numbers that can be dynamically addressed. For
example, you may have defined a flag, like ws for window shape, to
be valued 0, 1 or 2, as a result of a ValueList. Now, in the 3D Script,
84
you can issue a GOSUB command that includes the flag in the line
number. For example:
!Window object
ROTx -90
GOSUB 100+ws !Window
DEL 1
END:!----------------------------------100:!Rectangular window
...........
RETURN
101:!Round topped window
...........
RETURN
102:!Gothic window
...........
RETURN
Subroutines help with error checking and maintenance

When an objects script gets extremely complex, it could resemble
spaghetti. Quite simply, it can get to the point where you can no
longer understand what you wrote only a short while ago. If you are a
member of a team, or writing objects that will be maintained by
others at a later date, the numbering of logical blocks of the script
into subroutines is essential.
When an error is occuring you can see where the error is, and go
directly to the subroutine that covers that particular part of the object.
As a project grows, subroutines can become standardised and can be
copied and pasted into several objects. A range of furniture might
share a common set of leg or door designs. A limitation is that only
one person can edit a GDL object at a time, and when GDL gets to
the level of commercial manufacturing kitchens or doors
something even more powerful is required : macros.
Golden Rules for Subroutines

Lets summarize some easy-to-remember must-do rules. The
subroutines must all be written after the END command. Subroutines
must start with a number label (followed by a colon and a
comment), and must be closed with the command RETURN.
Subroutines may call other subroutines (but not themself).
In cursor movement, subroutines must be self contained; the

number of DELs must exactly equal the number of cursor
movements.
Execution of the any script must never run accidentally into a
subroutine GOSUB must be the only entry ticket. You must avoid
the risk of running from one subroutine to another by forgetting to
close it with the RETURN.
8.2 Macros
Macros are separate small GDL files which can be somewhere in your
library and can be called in, like a subroutine, but exist outside the
object you are currently writing. These are essential in manufacturing,
for example kitchen and door design they are much more powerful
than subroutines.
If you look at the kitchens or doors in the ArchiCAD library you will
realise that if every kitchen unit had to carry identical subroutines for
taps and inserted sinks, there would be an impossible maintenance
problem. Everytime you updated the range of taps, you would have to
open every kitchen cabinet and update the tap subroutine.
Think about doors. There are a huge variety of doors and a huge
variety of door ironmongery items, and the permutations of both
become uncountable all of which can fit into a door frame
900x2100mm. What happens when the range of doors needs to be
updated? The mind boggles at the workload.
The solution is to be found by making the primary GDL object a user
interface with the main parameters offered to the user, much of it in
the form of popdown or pictorial menus. A door object will do
nothing much more in real GDL terms than cut the hole in the wall
the WALLHOLE command. It will then use the CALL command to
call in a suitable door frame, call in architraves if they are required, call
in a door (from a library of door types), call in the handle.
Macros can be hierarchical so the frame can call the architrave, the
door can call the handle, the door can call the glazed panel. In each
case information is passed down the chain to the macros, for example
how big to be, and which material to use. If you do not pass
information to the macro, it comes in using the parameters with
which it was saved.
Macros can be placed in the plan like any other object or if the
author wishes, they can be made unplaceable using the little
checkbox in the GDL dialog.
Subroutines versus Macros

Ordinary GDL writers do not like macros because the main object is
no longer self contained especially if they are solo authors. If the
macros get mislaid (not in loaded libraries) the object has chunks
missing, or there is an outbreak of annoying error messages. If you
propose to create objects for sale, you are advised to store all your
subsidiary pieces of code in subroutines so that the object is singular
and portable.
Conversely, manufacturers love macros. Macros work better for
teamwork where people can contribute parts to the overall project.
Components like doors, handles, taps can be maintained
independently. The manufacturer can build up a portfolio of parts. As
long as naming conventions, and other rules (such as the naming of
parameters, location of origins) are followed rigorously, the quality of
the objects can be upgraded over time without requiring a major
rewrite of the whole object. Objects can be specified from databases.
If unauthorised use is made of the main object, they will not work
because the macros will be missing.
Simple example of Macros

As a simple example, lets join together the sanitary fittings we made
back in chapter 3. This could be another MultiObject. The Macros
must have names without spaces (use underscore if you like), and be
in the loaded library.
!Bathroom fitting
!Parameter Script
85
VALUES 'bthrm_part' 'Bidet','WC','WHB', 'Bath'

!Bathroom fitting
!2D Script
!Macro Call using default values
IF bthrm_part='Bidet' THEN CALL bthrm_bidet
IF bthrm_part='WC'
THEN CALL bthrm_WC
IF bthrm_part='WHB'
THEN CALL bthrm_bath
!Macro Call sending information
IF bthrm_part='WHB' THEN
CALL bthrm_WHB PARAMETERS A=0.45,B=0.35
ENDIF
The Chessboard has comparatively simple GDL (a FOR NEXT

Loop) to form the squares. The board can be used on its own.
A more interesting possibility is that the board might contain the
starting layout, and a number of famous endgame positions and lay
the pieces out itself. It could contain the pattern for these patterns in
a dataset and summon up each chesspiece as a Macro, repeatedly
placing it in the appropriate location, and specifying with the
PARAMETERS command which rank and which colour it is to be.
Theoretically, you could extend this to include higher levels of
intelligence, e.g. getting it to play during animations.
If you set the Subtype to drawing symbol, you will not be asked for a
zzyzx value. If the objects have been saved with the correct A and B
values, there is no need to specify further information they will
come in the correct size. In the case of the WHB, we can send it the
correct sizes.
In this case, it would be difficult to make the final object stretchy as
they all have different A and B. Also, in listings, you would get 4 of
the same object in one room whereas you might be better to keep
them separate but it is a fast drawing aid. Your choice.
Complex example of Macros
Another simple example would be this chess set. The chesspiece is a

single GDL object that contains Subroutines, one for each ranked
piece in the set the user chooses from a popdown menu.
86
This Norwegian window looks domestic but dont be fooled into

thinking its easy to write. Windows (and doors) are surprisingly
difficult to write perhaps the most difficult of all GDL objects. This
window has a complex hierarchy, whereby the primary window object
has most of its code devoted to the user interface to finding out
what the user wants. The window cuts the hole in the wall. It then
calls the frame. The frame calls the sill, head and jambs. The window
works out whether it needs transoms or posts, and calls them. From
the user dialog, the window has to call the right number of casement
or beading assemblies, and then position and size them correctly. It
has to know everything about the wall the thickness, how deep the
window is set in the opening, the materials either side.
There are so many permutations of casements and opening styles that
the script for the User Interface script is more complex than for the
Window itself. It is fully in Norwegian and in English. The variables
method for making ValueLists ensures that the language can easily be
changed.
Wood is to Norwegians what leather is to Argentinians or wine to the
French. It has to be just right. Every small piece of wood has to have
the correct texture direction, every mitred joint has to look authentic.
The texture direction is calculated by every piece of timber every
macro containing a tiny piece of beading knows which way to push
the woodgrain.
8.3 Textures the big secret revealed

It is not clear why directional texture mapping has been ArchiCADs
best kept secret for so long. But it is not secret now lets open the
box! Open GL has changed everything you must get textures right
your mistakes with wood textures will glare at you from every 3D
view. Anything that is new should be written with correct textures.
Lets provide you with an easy technique for getting them right here.
Keep your texture-making horizontal

Its important when making your own textures in ArchiCADs
Options menu that you make them horizontal. Almost all bitmaps of
textures already in ArchiCAD are horizontal in orientation
brickwork, timber. Any new ones that you make should respect this
rule.
The secret partially revealed
You can see all the macros sitting in a tidy little heap in the distance, the
architraves, grilles, casement, even the glass.
Even in the 2D, the window uses macros, the same section outlines
that are used to draw the 3D timbers. The window is scale sensitive
if the drawing is 1/50 this is how it will draw. It has other 2D outlines
for when the drawing is 1/100, or 1/20. This is essential in good
GDL or the object will just be a dense mass of ink if the 2D symbol
has too much detail at 1/100.
The following routine is an complicated little piece of code that harks

back to the early days of GDL. What it does is to ensure that a texture
will go sideways, squirting the texture like toothpaste along the
X-axis. Theres no space to explain it here in depth, you can consult
the GDL Cookbook for that. The VERT commands define where
the texture starts from and its direction, the COOR decides how the
textures are to be coordinated (in this case it is cubic) and the BODY
-1 actually wraps up the object with the texture included.
Just use it in your work and you will get textures right. Lets write it as
a subroutine, copy and paste it to everything you do that uses textures
and you will be a happy GDL writer!
999:!Texture Horizontal along X
BASE
VERT 0,0,0 !origin
VERT 1,0,0 !X
VERT 0,1,0 !Y
VERT 0,0,1 !Z
COOR 258,-1,-2,-3,-4
BODY -1
RETURN
Earlier in this chapter, it was said that you could use a subroutine like
an object swivel it, relocate it. Well this toothpaste tube can be
87
pointed and squirted. After you have written an object, you rotate as
required, issue the texture GOSUB command, and it will be done.
BLOCK A,B,zzyzx
ROTy -90:GOSUB 999:DEL 1 !Texture vertical
Above you can see an example of combining several statements on
one line separated only by a humble colon.
Lets look at the chair

Lets suppose that the whole of the seat frame that we did earlier was
now in subroutine 200. Revisit the chair if you need to.
A+f2, -f2, 15,

A+f2, B+f2, 15,
-f2, B+f2, 15,
-f2, -f2, -1,
f2,
f2, 15,
A-f2,
f2, 15,
A-f2, B-f2, 15,
f2, B-f2, 15,
f2,
f2, -1
!Seatcushion
!Chamfered with HPRISM_
HPRISM_ seatmat,framat,seatmat,seatmat,
5,frsec+0.010, 30,0.01,1,
f2, f2, 15,
A-f2, f2, 15,
A-f2,B-f2, 15,
f2,B-f2, 15,
f2, f2, -1
DEL 1
RETURN
This worked in 3D form, but the texture would be the same on the
side seat frames and on the front and back seat frames. Use the 999
subroutine that was printed earlier, and do 4 separate frames these
always come after the 3D statement.
Left, the chair without texture control in the woodgrain.

Right, with textures working correctly.
200:!The Seat and upholstery
ADDz sthit-frsec
!Improved Mortice and tenon
ft=0.03
f2=ft/2
-f2, -f2, 15,
88
Everything here is getting the texture right leg braces, arms, legs,
seat frames. We cannot change pen lines at joints between cones. You
need REVOLVE to control pen lines.
!Chair with frame and textures
200:!The Seat and upholstery
ADDz sthit-frsec
!Do four prisms for seatframe
ft=0.03
f2=ft/2
GOSUB 210:!Front to Back frame
ADDx A
GOSUB 210:!Front to Back frame
DEL 1
GOSUB 220:!Left to Right frame
ADDy B
GOSUB 220:!Left to Right frame
DEL 1
!Seatcushion
HPRISM_ seatmat,framat,seatmat,seatmat,
5,frsec+0.010, 30,0.01,1,
f2, f2, 15,
A-f2, f2, 15,
A-f2,B-f2, 15,
f2,B-f2, 15,
f2, f2, -1
GOSUB 999:!Paint Texture
DEL 1
RETURN
210:!Front to Back frame
-f2,0,
f2,0,
f2,B,
-f2,B,
-f2,0
ROTz 90
DEL 1
RETURN
220:!Left to Right frame
-f2,-f2,
A-f2,-f2,
A-f2, f2,
-f2, f2,
-f2,-f2
RETURN
Look at the rest of the script in the object

Space does not permit us to print the whole of the chair 3D script
converted to subroutines with texture mapping, but you can look at
the object off the CD or website and it will become quite clear to you.
You could do Texture mapping with a Macro

As this subroutine does not require parameters, the texture routine
can also be a Macro, a tiny 7 line text file that can be called. In my
library, I call it Paint_it.GDL a simple file written in NotePad or
SimpleText, and stored in the Library. Simply, the command CALL
Paint_it is enough. In fact, as there are no parameters, you can just
write Paint_it on its own, and it works. Type this into Notepad or
SimpleText and save it into your library.
!Paint_it.GDL
BASE
VERT 0,0,0 !origin
VERT 1,0,0 !X
VERT 0,1,0 !Y
VERT 0,0,1 !Z
COOR 2+256,-1,-2,-3,-4
BODY -1
More things to note on textures

If you wish for spherical or cylindrical, or skewed texture effects,
these are all possible, but you will need more study of GDL you
either modify the VERT statement, or you have to change the texture
wrapping mode, or do both.
If you are modifying existing library objects, especially autoscripted
objects, you are welcome to copy and use the subroutine 999 in this
chapter. Be sure to remove all the BODY -1 commands in the main
script. These are now issued by the texture subroutine and if you have
a BODY -1 coming before the subroutine, its effect will be
cancelled.
89
Sadly... if you use Binary objects or Solid Geometry Commands

(SGC) in GDL (see ch. 11), you may not be able to use this method
of texture control.
Subroutines avoid repetitive typing.

Subroutines give structure to a long script.
Subroutines work well with flow control.
Subroutines help with error checking and maintenance.
Subroutines: Observe the Golden Rules!
Macros: small files in a loaded library.
Macros: good for manufacturers, not good for singular objects.
Textures: it is essential to get them right now that Open GL shows
texture so clearly in 3D.
Textures: it is easy to get them right with a simple subroutine.
90
CHAPTER 9: BILLBOARD OBJECTS

Sometimes, it is better not to model objects at all they will either be too complex, or too wooden in appearance. Picturereality is the answer. Billboard objects are a way of
using digital photography to give the appearance of solid form as long as the objects face the camera!
While we all would prefer detailed and attractive 3D objects, an efficient visualization model uses photographic billboards depicting foliage and figures to improve
realism and reduce polygon count. It remains impractical and time-consuming to sculpt the nuances of organic matter such as clothing and leaves. Carefully selected photos
applied to upright invisible panels serve to add dynamic action that existing 3D objects cannot provide. Youll be astonished at how well picture objects work in all
conditions. Dwight Atkinson, Vancouver, author of Illustration in ArchiCAD 2002.
9.1 Billboard Objects use picturereality!

There are times when you recognise that an object may be too
complex to do, even in GDL either it will take too long, or will just
look too wooden for the purpose. People and trees are prime
examples of this problem. Its easier to attach a good photograph to a
surface to simulate 3D reality than to build the entire object. Some
artists advocate adding the people and trees and backgrounds with
Photoshop later. This argument may apply for static photoreal
images, but for flythroughs, and for timesaving on static views, there
is a good case to use Billboard objects, surfaces with phototextures
in 3D views.
There are several ways to do these, and several pitfalls to get over.
Third party Add-ons like ArchiPaint and ArchiFacade will make
billboard objects for you, and the trees in ArchiTerra are also prime
demonstrations of the art the tree objects are accurate standup
cutouts of the tree with a texture map matching precisely to the
cutout shape.
There are two types of object in this category: Picture based
billboards which use the Alpha channel in the colour image on a
rectangular shape; and Cutout based billboards which have a
texture applied to them, fitting the cutout accurately.
Open GL has made a big difference to the status of billboard objects
previously Picture based ones spent most of their life looking like
large grey rectangles until photorendered, and Cutouts just looked
like... grey cutouts so people didnt like using them. Now, they look
good most of the time! It is possible with advanced GDL to animate
the cutouts and the phototexture on them to simulate motion, RPC
style.
Piranesi and Artlantis (third party renderers for ArchiCAD) work well
with cutouts, or you can use their own library of billboard objects for
people and trees.
But they are not your people and your signs, and you may want to do
your renderings in ArchiCAD. The new Lightworks renderer will
encourage people to use ArchiCAD for renderings and save you the
worry about the wrinkles of exporting to third party renderers.
Existing Billboard objects

There are two objects in the existing ArchiCAD Library, the Carpet
and the Picture. The Carpet is a horizontal stretchy rectangle, and the
Picture is a vertical stretchy rectangle with a fixed back panel, and
options for a picture frame.
We can write an adapted version of the Picture later in the chapter
which enables you to have your own people and trees in a model.
91
oblivion). Save this cropped image into a loaded library and reload
libraries.
If you havent got a straight-on view of your subject, you will first
have to use Photoshops Edit>Free Transform>Perspective and
Distort to adjust and straighten the image.
Here you see the ArchiCAD Carpet and Picture objects. To the left we see the
Picture object adapted to allow a silhouette effect with alpha channels, and no back
panel. You can also see two Icepeople, another good way of populating scenes.
Anybody who has played computer games knows that the urban
environments are mostly very simple in 3D but are made complex by
having photographs mapped onto simple block shapes and trees are
usually planar cutout objects.
Lets look at three techniques for making our own objects, the
Cutout Billboard, the Picture Billboard, and combination of the
two. This chapter includes instructions on making the Alpha channel.
9.2 Make your own Billboards as accurate

Cutouts
You can make your own cutout shapes easily with the Slab tool, and if
you also make a new Material with a Texture which is the correct size,
you can make the two fit each other. We will do this as an exercise.
Using Photoshop or a similar editor, crop carefully around the image,
leaving only one pixel at most around the person, tree or car. You do
NOT need to remove the background (when you make the cutout,
any texture that does not rest on the cutout just disappears into
92
We use an image of Matthew Lohden, a prime contributor to ArchiCAD-Talk

and to ArchiCAD University events.
Now you can place it as a Figure into the ground plan. Without
losing the proportions, resize it till its the correct size. In this case, its
590mm x 1800mm (2 ft x 6 ft).
From the Options > Attribute Settings >Materials in ArchiCAD
make a new material. Take a material like Whitewash, hit the
Duplicate button, rename the duplicate in this case I called it
matthew_cutout. Use the Texture button to bring in the Figure. Set
the size of the Figure used for the texture to the same as the one in
the plan 590mm x 1800mm.
Now, back in the plan, select the Slab tool, set it to 10mm (3.8) high
and trace closely around the image as in the illustration. Trace
another rectangular slab over the cropped image. Set the material of
both slabs to be matthew_cutout.
Initially, you will find the texture will be starting from a random
position, but at least you have the comfort of knowing its the right
size in fact its coming from the main origin of the project, a long
way away. We need to use Align Texture to get this starting from the
bottom left corner. Open GL is a great help here because you get
instant display to changes of the texture alignment in the 3D View.
If your cutout fitted the Figure closely (to within one pixel) the 3D
Script will have been written so that the bottom left corner is the
origin of the new object. So if you set the texture to the bottom left,
you will get a perfect alignment.
If the Align Texture routine worked, 3D Script will end with:
Select both your slabs and view in 3D Axonometric. Use Edit>Align

Texture>Set Origin and place the Origin at the bottom left corner of
the rectangular slab. Now, try to set the direction, so use Edit>Align
Texture>Set Direction to go from a point on the cutout slab in a
horizontal direction (use shift key for constraint to go rightwards) if
it offers you a choice of graphical or numerical, set the angle
numerically, to 0.
Select your cutout, view it in 3D Elevation view from 90 and save as
an Object, Editable. Place it in the floor plan.
! The CPRISM will end, something like this.....

-35.36420271267, 12.94639198852,
15,
-35.35731157426, 12.90504515807,
15,
-35.30677655926, 12.88720216694,
-1
BASE
VERT -35.45259415915, 12.88720216694,
-0.0004516888204097
VERT -33.64050165154, 12.88720216694,
-0.0004516888204097
VERT -35.45259415915, 13.53348955012,
-0.0004516888204097
VERT -35.45259415915, 12.88720216694,
0.009096622359181
COOR 8468, -1, -2, -3, -4
DEL
1
BODY -1
If you have a problem with Align Texture, just save the object. Open
the 3D Script and have a look....
-35.36420271267, 12.94639198852,
15,
-35.35731157426, 12.90504515807,
15,
-35.30677655926, 12.88720216694,
-1
93
DEL 1
BODY -1
Just change this ending with a texture routine as follows:

-35.36420271267, 12.94639198852,
15,
-35.35731157426, 12.90504515807,
15,
-35.30677655926, 12.88720216694,
-1
DEL top
ROTz 180
ROTx 90
BASE
VERT 0,0,0
VERT 1,0,0
VERT 0,1,0
VERT 0,0,1
COOR 258,-1,-2,-3,-4
BODY -1
Now, the Open GL view works with the Cutout perfectly with the
Picture based billboard it betrays a telltale rectangle, and does not use
transparency. In the Photorender, the shadows work, but not in the
same way.
You can use Ice figures

Cutouts can be used without any texture. People often look better in
renderings as cutouts using Ice or Water than using realistic
textures. If you start with accurate textures you have to continue. Ice
Cutout figures work in ArchiCAD and external renderers, require less
effort to make and do not distract from the architecture.
You can use a Rectangular Cutout

This sounds like a contradiction in terms. It means that you can use
the technology of a texture-based material mapped on to a surface,
but use it on a rectangle instead of laboriously cutting out the shape
with a slab. In 3D view, this will still be a rectangle, but if it uses an
alpha channelled texture, it will cast shadows when photorendered.
We will do this later in this chapter.
94
This illustration shows the comparison, left, an Open GL 3D View, and right, a
Photorender with shadows, and below, the Plan, with the original slab and the
billboards. Starting from the left, you have the author in a Cutout, Matthew in a
rectangular cutout (casting shadows), then in a Picture object (casting a
rectangular shadow), then two versions of the Cutout object both casting shadows.
Build in the Texture and Material

It is possible to build in the texture and material so that you do not
need to make the material in ArchiCAD each time. Make the object
with the material set to something unimportant like Whitewash.
Now you can use this easy script copy and paste it into the Master
Script of the object each time with minor modifications. Its beyond
the scope of the book to fully explain it, but you are welcome to use
it.
!Texture and Material routine
!Write in the name of the Texture file and
!its dimensions in metres
DEFINE TEXTURE biltexture mathew_cutout.jpg,
0.590,1.80, 1,0
DEFINE MATERIAL bilmat 24, 1, 1, 1,

0, 61, IND(TEXTURE,biltexture)
Now go to the 3D Script and change the three materials of the

CPRISM to biltexture, in quote marks. You must also insert a
PROJECT2 3,270,2 into the 2D Script.
The object will now be completely portable, and you will not need to
make a new material in ArchiCAD.
9.3 Make your own Billboards using the

Alpha Channel with PICTURE
Billboard objects using the PICTURE command are actually GDL
rectangles with a picture mapped on to them for example the
carpet and the picture in the ArchiCAD Library. They only become
outlined objects by virtue of the alpha channels in the bitmap file
and only show correctly in photorenderings. In 3D views they remain
as rectangles, and cast rectangular shadows. You do not need to make
a Material and Texture definition but you require a quick tutorial in
Adobe Photoshop.
A quick run around Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is an incredibly valuable companion to
ArchiCAD users, and if you do not have it, see if the other bitmap
editing software you have can support channels. The Alpha channel is
a part of 32 bit colour whereby 24 bits are taken up with three
visible channels of Red, Green and Blue (8 bits each). The remaining
8 bits are available for interesting things like transparency, special
reflection effects, bump mapping etc. and we call this the Alpha
Channel.
This tutorial works for Photoshop 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7.
Bitmap files with an Alpha channel must be rich in data, which means
saving them as a .TIF format without compression. If you try to save
one of these as a .JPG, the first thing that is omitted to achieve
compression is the alpha channel.
Material definitions in ArchiCAD allows you to use all of these
special effects. The PICTURE command in GDL allows you to use
the Alpha channel for transparency. The picture you wish to use must
be saved in a loaded library (and then reload).
Lets make the Alpha channel. In Photoshop, surround Matthew

carefully with the polygon-lasso. From the Select menu, Inverse, and
delete (the backgound will be erased). Re-Crop the picture closely to
the edges of the image, but do this: leave at least ONE white pixel all
around the edges.
Now use the Magic wand to pick up the white background. The
whole white area should be shimmering.
95
Its time to make the Picture billboard object

If you simply apply a ROTx 90 in the 3D script of a copy of the
Carpet.gsm and replace the 2D with LINE2 0,0,A,0, you have a
splendid upright billboard object. Better still, you can use this nice
clean script.
Now hit the Select menu>Inverse, and the lasso will now be
surrounding the image. Now Save that selection from the Select
menu the job is done, the Alpha channel is now created. You can
see it in the illustration, added to the list of channels, under the Red,
Green and Blue.
!!Billboard.gsm
!!2D Script
PEN cont_pen
HOTSPOT2 0,0
HOTSPOT2 A,0
HOTSPOT2 A/2,0
CIRCLE2 0,0,A/100
CIRCLE2 A,0,A/100
CIRCLE2 A/2,0,A/100
LINE2 0,0,A,0 !AC8 and earlier
!AC9 - use HOTLINE2 0,0,A,0
Billboard parameters, 3D view and 2D symbol.

Save the bitmap file as a .TIF, into a loaded library and reload.
96
!!Billboard.gsm - 3D Script
PEN cont_pen
IF gs_shadow THEN SHADOW ON

MATERIAL matl
ROTx 90
PICTURE picture_file,A,zzyzx,mask
DEL 1
HOTSPOT 0,0,0,1
HOTSPOT A,0,0,2
HOTSPOT A,0,zzyzx,3
HOTSPOT 0,0,zzyzx,4
HOTSPOT A/2,0,zzyzx/2,5
This is an ultra simple version of a Picture billboard object, and its

possible to build in smarter features for example the ability to turn
to face the cameras. See the GDL Cookbook for a more extensive
discussion of Billboard objects.
9.4 Rectangular cutout the combination

object
This is not really cutting out, its a rectangle that uses the technology
of the Cutout object. This is the principle of mapping a texture to a
surface with a texture definition, and using a routine to lock the
texture to the bottom left corner. It can have an interface like the
Picture object where the user is asked for the name of the picture
file but it produces a stretchy rectangle that will cast shadows
correctly.
A note on Shadows
Alpha channel based material textures, if applied to ArchiCAD
elements or objects will cast shadows correctly cut around the outline
of the alpha channel. Picture based objects will cast only rectangular
shadows in the ArchiCAD rendering engine, but cast shadows
correctly in the Lightworks rebndering engine.
To be sure of the best results, go to Image>Photorendering Effects>
Options, use transparency in shadow calculation.
f you want to cast perfect shadows, the Cutout billboard is the way to
get the best result in both renders and 3D views if you are prepared
to make a material for each one. Open GL and the 3D view do not
use transparency in the Picture object.
If you want to control shadow casting, make a Boolean parameter
shad and start the 3D Script with the line:
IF shad THEN SHADOW ON ELSE SHADOW OFF
A compromise of the two types is that you can save yourself all that
tracing around objects in ArchiCAD and use a rectangular cutout (ie a
thin upstanding wall) and apply a texture to it which uses alpha
channels. This will look like a rectangle in 3D but look OK in
Photorender, and will cast shadows correctly.
In its use (parameters and stretchiness) this is indistinguishable from the Picture
object but its better.
We need to adapt the Master Script from the Cutout object.
!Billboard Object rectangular Master Script
DEFINE TEXTURE 'biltexture' picture_file,
97
A,zzyzx,1,0
DEFINE MATERIAL 'bilmat' 24,
1,1,1,
0,61,IND(TEXTURE,'biltexture')
The small difference here is that the name of the picture file is now a
parameter and the dimensions of the picture are dynamically resized
by the A and zzyzx dimensions.
!Billboard Rectangular.gsm
!3D Script
PEN cont_pen
IF shad THEN SHADOW ON ELSE SHADOW OFF
MATERIAL bilmat
ROTx 90
POLY_ 5,
0,0,1,
A,0,1,
A,zzyzx,1,
0,zzyzx,1,
0,0,-1
BASE
VERT 0,0,0
VERT 0.1,0,0
VERT 0,0.1,0
VERT 0,0,0.1
COOR 258, -1,-2,-3,-4
BODY -1
DEL 1
We are not using a PRISM here. A POLY_ is one simple surface that
will not reveal tell-tale edges showing in a render. We are using the
texture mapping routine that was used in the previous chapter. Copy
and paste!
For the 2D Script copy the script from the Picture object in the
previous section of this chapter. Thats all!
This is useful mostly for placing trees and plants into ArchiCAD in
the floor plan. You can also place elevations of people, cars and trees
into sections and elevations, giving the impression of upright
billboard objects all you need to do is whiten the background.
9.5 The Billboard idea in 2D?

If you place a bitmap Figure into the floor plan and look at its
Settings dialog, you may notice that there is a transparency button.
Any completely white parts of the image (which have an RGB value of
255:255:255 or FFFFFF) will show as transparent.
98
You can now use the Display Order menu option to organise how
the figures will overlap.
9.6 Billboard creation the photograph

If you apply this technique to building facades, one problem is that
you can so rarely get squarely in front of a building. There is either a
policeman telling you to move on, the sun is facing you, trees or a
tourist bus parked in front, or simply, the building is too tall for a
front-on photo. You may have to make do with a perspective looking
upwards, or from the side.
If you manage to get the photo in perspective, you can use
Photoshops Edit>Free Transform>Perspective and Distort
capability to straighten out a facade. But it is hard work and the
proportions and the upper level windows may still be wrong.
The serious billboarder will always carry either Cigraphs
ArchiFacade in their kitbag, or Abvents PhotoCAD.
Find out more at http://www.cigraph-store.com

ArchiFacade is an API (Add-on) which uses the cutout method and
generates a GDL object for each cutout. It is good at both the
requirements, straightening and regularising the bitmap image. Its
talents extend to making the billboard object for you including the
GDL texture routines!
By giving ArchiFacade the required height and width of the facade, you will see it
perform the Perspective and Distort action quickly and accurately, saving you
much time.
You can also look at the facade, and if you can get clean images of the
entrance and some typical windows and cornice details, you might be
able to reconstruct a facade by copying and pasting the bits that you
managed to capture even if the rest was obscured with trees! But
this is going to be hard labour!
99
This view of West Bridgford Central Avenue near the authors home was done by
Bite Design in Nottingham. It uses billboard surfaces for the building elevations,
3D street furniture and a few billboard trees to fill in the spaces.
Summary of Billboarding in this section

Billboard Objects are an important skill in object making, and can
give greater realism than fully crafted 3D objects.
Cutout billboards are better than Picture billboards, and they can
carry their own texture and material.
Remember, you already have billboard objects in Artlantis and
Piranesi, and you can add people and trees in Photoshop later.
ArchiCAD Picture objects may not work in 3rd party renderers,
although Cutouts are likely to work. But with Lightworks, your
own cutouts should work splendidly. You decide.
Ice figures can populate a scene without distracting from the
architectural qualities.
Straightening a building photo is more than de-skewing. The
proportions need to be accurate.
2D Objects for Plans or Sections can be done without objects, you
can use Figures, with transparency activated.
100
CHAPTER 10: GDL WINDOWS AND DOORS

This chapter will discourage you from hoping that you can write Windows or Doors from new due to their complexity, but it will encourage you to tinker with ones you
make without GDL. You can also try building a Skylight..
10.1 GDL Windows and Doors

The first edition of this book on 2000 had two Windows and one
Door in it. Since then Windows and Doors have got much more
complicated for several reasons, and the chapter will concentrate on
helping you tweak ones you make by autoscripting. A GDL Window
or Door written as a new GDL product is so fiendishly complex that
it has disappeared out of sight in the terms of reference of this
humble book.
Users expect far more from Windows and Doors (W&Ds) than ever
before. The ones we already have in our standard library are all in
need of a major overhaul. Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)
standards have set standards that have made W&Ds vastly more
complex than they used to be. Apart from cutting the hole in the wall
(the easiest bit!) there are a host of complex variables such as linings,
beading, architraves, grilles, casements, shutters, handles, realistic
scale sensitive 2D symbols, opening oversizing. W&Ds need to know
the materials and thicknesses of the walls, their position in the reveal.
W&Ds depend on a host of macros to provide the right level of
detail, such as handles and shutters. W&Ds need an excellent user
interface dialog so that the user can cope with all the choices of door,
shutter, handles and so much more. Windows need to have different
materials inside and out, and need to have authentic looking textures
on every part.
Open a New Object, and look at the GDL dialog. Hit the Select
Subtypes button and select Wall Opening. Look at the list of
parameters suddenly offered to you formidable! This is only the
beginning, there are more required.
The first rule of making a window/door is that it is made flat on the

XY ground plane, with the Origin at the centre of the width of the
sill and the zero ground plane being analogous to the external face of
the wall, the inside face looking upwards. Doors in their initial state
open outwards (downwards) and hinge on the right hand side. This
mode can be modified by flipping and mirroring by the user, if your
script permits.
The second rule is to select the correct Subtype when you saved
from ArchiCAD, you found it magically made into a window by
clicking an icon. In creative GDL, the way to define an object as a
window is to select the Wall Opening subtype. When it is brought
back into ArchiCAD and placed in a wall, it will be the right way up
and will be able to cut a wallhole. If you set the Subtype correctly, the
window will be able to stand upright and cut a hole in the wall.
The Rules of Windows and Doors

Take a look at the GDL dialog of one of the existing standard
ArchiCAD doors. This shows how complex the parameters have
become, but it also shows the basic orientation of the door relative to
the origin.
101
The third rule is that A governs the width and B governs the height.
It is possible to override this later, but start this way. If you author a
Window/Door from new, you write a WALLHOLE command which
determines the wall cutting. If you fail to write a WALLHOLE
command, you will get a default hole A wide and B high.
It would be good if there were just three rules. Look at the parameters
and try to imagine how many more rules there must be!
10.2 Revisit the Window

Lets revisit the window we created in chapter 2. It is capable of
improvement with a bit of tweaking. Open the object in GDL and
view the autoscripted 3D code.
We cut the prism originally so that the jambs and the head and sill are
different sections so that texture can be directed separately for each
one. We can now fix this using the texture orienting subroutine 999
in the previous chapter.
With the subtype parameters, you could go through replacing the
PEN parameter and all the references to materials in the cPRISM_
statements (as above). Remove all GLOB statements, and if textures
are to work, remove all the BODY -1 commands. Paste in an END
statement and the subroutine for textures.
Door and Windows can present such a variety of choices that they need a
multipage visual User Interface.
102
MULXA/0.8775315255826
MULYB/1.249817627345
MULZZZYZX/
0.16
ADDX
35.0009371729
ADDY
-7.002659943499
Construct the Wallhole by combining extreme left, right upper and

lower dimensions of head and sill pieces.
WALLHOLE 5, AC_HoleSideMaterial,
-35.4397-ac_left_oversize,
7.0026-ac_lower_oversize,15,
-34.5261+ac_right_oversize,7.0026-ac_lower_oversi
ze,15,
-34.5261+ac_right_oversize,8.2524+ac_upper_oversi
ze,15,
8.2524+ac_upper_oversize,15,
7.0026-ac_lower_oversize,-1
At this point, we had to add in the parameters for the oversizes from
the Parameter Table. If you do not want to do this, dont bother with
the WALLHOLE and hit the Hide button to the title of the group in
the Table. Leave the MUL and ADD commands at the start
otherwise the window will not position or stretch correctly. The
WALLHOLE is similar to a PRISM statement except that instead of
thickness, we past in the parameter for the side material.
WALLHOLE is very powerful it can be repeated many times to
make complex shapes, or it can be complex in its own outline. It can
also be give the ROTx or ROTy treatment to make interesting
chamfering effects to the wall.
We could have remade this window over the main origin, but here we
have accepted the window as it comes, to show that even if you lost
the original slab parts, you can still tweak the script. It only causes
problems if you want to write a script to drive a hole through the wall.
We want to write in a WALLHOLE command as this will allow us to
conform to one quality requirement, that of allowing oversize
dimensions around the hole. It would have been so-o-o much easier
to do this if the window is built symmetrically over the main Origin.
!
Name
: windo_2_omwac.gsm
!
3D Script
PEN
gs_frame_pen
!!Glass
ADDZ
0.04
cPRISM_ gs_glass_mat, gs_glass_mat, gs_glass_mat,
12,
gs_glass_thk,
-35.39981876463, 8.160415405712,
15,
-35.38268901762, 8.166515355645,
79,
-35.2645803879, 8.193436940666,
79,
-35.14463324159, 8.210381032486,
79,
-35.02368892174, 8.217228780474,
79,
-34.90259576587, 8.213932152599,
79,
-34.78220315544, 8.200514272335,
79,
-34.66335555813, 8.177069256472,
79,
-34.60512108129, 8.160415405712,
15,
103
DEL
-34.60512108129, 7.075050087223,
-35.39981876463, 7.075050087223,
-35.39981876463, 8.160415405712,
1
15,
15,
-1
-34.56217141011, 7.047220207262,
15,
-34.56217141011, 7.002659943499,
15,
-35.43970293569, 7.002659943499,
15,
-35.43970293569, 7.047220207262,
-1
DEL
1
!!Horizontal Window head
cPRISM_ gs_frame_mat, gs_frame_mat, gs_frame_mat,
14,
0.1,
-34.56217141011, 8.160415405712,
15,
-34.56217141011, 8.252477570844,
15,
-35.43970293569, 8.252477570844,
15,
-35.43970293569, 8.160415405712,
15,
-35.39981876463, 8.160415405712,
15,
-35.38268901762, 8.166515355645,
79,
-35.2645803879, 8.193436940666,
79,
-35.14463324159, 8.210381032486,
79,
-35.02368892174, 8.217228780474,
79,
-34.90259576587, 8.213932152599,
79,
-34.78220315544, 8.200514272335,
79,
-34.66335555813, 8.177069256472,
79,
-34.60512108129, 8.160415405712,
15,
-34.56217141011, 8.160415405712,
-1
Sorry about all this script its the usual autoscripted stuff. But its
useful to see how the parameters can be inserted and the texture
managed. You could try to insert gs_frame_thk for the frame
thickness, but you would need to script the 2D and it would get so
complicated you might wonder why you didnt make it parametric in
the first place.
Note that we just have to hide the parameters we cannot make use of.
If we script parametrically, we could design a window with frame
thickness and width, and with sash details and make full use of all the
parameters. If we leave them showing but inoperable, your poor user
will be confused.
!!Overhanging Sill
ADDZ
-0.06
5,
0.06,
-35.43970293569, 7.047220207262,
15,
104
!!Horizontal Sill
7,
0.1,
-35.43970293569, 7.002659943499,
15,
-34.56217141011, 7.002659943499,
15,
-34.56217141011, 7.075050087223,
15,
-34.60512108129, 7.075050087223,
15,
-35.39981876463, 7.075050087223,
15,
-35.43970293569, 7.075050087223,
15,
-35.43970293569, 7.002659943499,
-1
GOSUB 999:!Texture
!!Vertical Jambs
5,
0.1,
-35.39981876463, 7.075050087223,
15,
-35.39981876463, 8.160415405712,
15,
-35.43970293569, 8.160415405712,
15,
-35.43970293569, 7.075050087223,
15,
-35.39981876463, 7.075050087223,
-1
5,
0.1,
-34.56217141011, 7.075050087223,
15,
-34.56217141011, 8.160415405712,
15,
-34.60512108129, 8.160415405712,
15,
-34.60413858807, 7.075050087223,
15,
-34.56217141011, 7.075050087223,
-1
ROTz 90
GOSUB 999:!Texture
DEL 1
DEL TOP
END:!========================
999:!Texture
BASE
VERT 0,0,0
VERT 1,0,0
VERT 0,1,0
VERT 0,0,1
COOR 258,-1,-2,-3,-4
BODY -1
RETURN
Left, with texture control, right without control. It is a pity that the Open GL
implementation in ArchiCAD 8.1 makes the glass disappear or look totally
solid.
10.3 You can make Skylights too

You can also make Skylights by selecting the correct Subtype. They
will cut a hole in roofs chamfering the roof opening correctly. You
build the frame flat on the ground, window-style, and rotate it
upwards by the roof angle. There is no equivalent of the WALLHOLE
command, so you have to accept rectangular holes and the
chamfering style. Lets do a very simple one, accepting that there is a
lot more work to make it fully swivelling and having parametric
flashings but its a lot easier to make than a Window or Door.
105
You can see how the Skylight API cuts the roof (left), better than 'vertical' hole
cutting (right). If you want to modify the holeshape, build back parts of the roof,
using the correct materials and thicknesses.
We are going to use a smart little trick here. Skylights are usually wood
framed with a metal top and outer surface, and the timber should be
visible on the underside and inside edge. We cannot do this with a
CPRISM_ or any other GDL statement directly. So we make the
frame flat and solid on the floor. Work out the size of the glass, and
drive a hole through the frame the same size as the glass. CUTPOLY
is a wonderfully useful command similar to a PRISM (if you wish for
holes with curved edges, you need CUTPOLYA). CUTPOLY will cut,
leaving behind the material you specify so we can state the frame
material and get the authentic look!
!Glass
MATERIAL gs_glass_mat
ADDz fdep-gthk
PRISM_ 5,gthk,
-A/2+fwid,fwid,15,
-A/2+fwid,B-fwid*2,15,
A/2-fwid,B-fwid*2,15,
A/2-fwid,fwid,15,
-A/2+fwid,fwid,-1
DEL 1
!Frame
MATERIAL gs_frame_mat
CUTPOLY 5,
-A/2+fwid,fwid,
-A/2+fwid,B-fwid*2,
A/2-fwid,B-fwid*2,
A/2-fwid,fwid,
-A/2+fwid,fwid
!Actual frame
cPRISM_ gs_upper_mat,gs_frame_mat,gs_upper_mat,
5,fdep,
-A/2 ,0,15,
-A/2 ,B,15,
A/2 ,B,15,
A/2 ,0,15,
-A/2 ,0,-1
CUTEND
DEL 1
After a CUTPOLY or other cutting command, we have to terminate

the cutting with a CUTEND even if it is at the end of the 3D Script.
We have another smart little trick. The data about the roof is
conveniently displayed to us in the subtype parameters greyed out
in the illustration. We can see the roof angle, thickness, materials. So
by laying the window flat on the ground but applying a ROTx
ac_roofang, it stands up at the correct angle! Knowing the
materials of the roof enables us to build back little bits of roof or
flashing detail if we have to modify the opening shape.
!Skylight simple, 3D Script

PEN gs_cont_pen
ROTx ac_roofang
106
The 2D script can be done with a PROJECT2, but we cannot avoid

some thinking if we want the Hotspots to work. The dimensions of
the hole at the slope of the roof are A wide and B high. So as seen
vertically in plan, the dimensions will require some simple
trigonometry using the roof angle parameter.
!Skylight very simple
!2DScript
HOTSPOT2 0,0
HOTSPOT2 -A/2,0
HOTSPOT2 A/2,0
HOTSPOT2 -A/2,B*COS(ac_roofang)
HOTSPOT2 A/2,B*COS(ac_roofang)
HOTSPOT2 0, B*COS(ac_roofang)/2
PROJECT2 3,270,2
10.4 Try a very complex window!
Tidy up the Skylight

We need some work in the Master Script and 2D Script.
!Skylight very simple
!Master Script
gthk=0.02 !Glass Thickness
LOCK 'ac_roofang','ac_roofthk','ac_type',
'ac_upper_mat','ac_lower_mat','ac_side_mat'
One reason you may make a window is because its too unusual to be
likely to be found in any of the existing libraries. Lets built a window
that could go up alongside a staircase. It would be unlikely that you
would need it to be parametric in dimensions unless you had many
similar but slightly different. But you can go some way to tune up the
window with a bit of GDL knowledge, as with the table in the
previous chapter.
Lay it out as carefully as you can using small walls for the window
sections and slabs for the glass. Build it over the main origin bottom
right in this example. The easiest method is to use the Fill tool to
draw out the outline first. This might be drawn out in a section view
through the stair, copied, then pasted into the ground floor plan.
Move it to the origin.
The purpose of this LOCK command is that we do not confuse our

user. These parameters are not editable they are the equivalent of
Global Variables. They are telling us and the Skylight what is going on
in the model. We need to lock them so that they change colour to
grey and the user isnt confused into thinking that they can edit the
roof pitch or materials.
We can also set up a dimension for the glass thickness here.
107
For the window sections, walls have the benefit of having a constant
width and height, and in some way relate to actual window sections if
you are computing the lengths.
For the outer window sections, make sure the walls follow the Fill
perfectly, touching the edges of the opening. You can flip the wall
reference line if you need to. You make a judgement now as to
whether the internal mullions and transoms are centred or referenced
to the edges. It also pays to set a small grid in this example, I set it
to 10mm (0.625). Using the Wall tool, your textures will line up
nicely along the frames.
Do the glass for the window by applying the Magic wand to the
whole fill there is no harm in taking the glass right to the edge. If
you have to be pedantic and make each piece of glass separately, then
magic wand a dumb piece of Floorslab over the fill, make it Concrete
and 300mm thick, Give it an object ID of Wallhole in the settings
dialog. When you are in the script later, you will know its not the glass
and you can change it to a Hole cutting outline for the wall.
108
Unmodifed, the window will create a rectangle of A x B. The task is to shape the
wall around the window frame.
To make the window, you view it in 3D, in Plan, from 270. Save as a
Window, editable. Now place into the plan a new wall about 6m (20)
high, and place the window.
This finished window is 6500x 4271mm and would be used in a 2
storey height wall. When it comes in, it will cut a rectangle of A and B
of that size. We can tidy it up somewhat as we did for the table its
easier to identify the parts if all the frames are walls and the glass is a
slab. Either the glass or that extra slab will act as your cutting outline.
!
Name
: window_complex2.gsm
!
Date
: May 2004
!
Version : 8.10
!
Written by ArchiCAD, modified by DNC
MULXA/ 6.5
MULYB/4.271227780756
MULZZZYZX/0.08
ADDX
3.25
BODY
-1
MODEL SOLID
RESOL
36
!!First Window Frame

PEN gs_frame_pen
ADD -6.5, 4, 0
ROTZ
284.0362434679
xWALL_{2} gs_frame_mat, gs_frame_mat,
gs_frame_mat, gs_frame_mat,
0.08, 8.61659632663E-016, 2.061552812809,
2.022513992489, 0.03792787368157,
-2.154149081658E-016, 3.330669073875E-016,
0.05, 0.05, 0.05, 0,
0, 0,
15,
15,
15,
15,
0, 0
DEL 2
Many sections of window frames appear after this.. but all have
been omitted for clarity. You only need to change the materials. You
could change the thickness of the frame and the depth if you wish to,
but in this situation, you are better advised to get it right in the
original plan and only make the materials parametric, and to cut the
wallhole. Lets pick up the 3D script near the end...
!!Typical Window frame section up the side
elevation
ADD -4.055, 3.686666666667,
0
ROTZ 270
xWALL_{2} gs_frame_mat, gs_frame_mat,
gs_frame_mat, gs_frame_mat,
0.08, 0.04342585459107, 2.256574145409,
2.289907478742, 0.0767591879244,
7.976936617858E-018, 4.145122554509E-016,
0.05, 0.05, 0.05, 0,
0, 0,
15, 15, 15, 15,
0, 0
DEL 2
BODY -1
!!Window and hole
PEN
gs_glass_pen
ADDZ
0.04
cPRISM_ gs_glass_mat, gs_glass_mat, gs_glass_mat,
24,
0.02,
0,
0,
15,
-0.5,
2,
15,
-1.5,
-4.5,
-4.561310905493,
-4.688716060937,
-4.820255333372,
-4.955258428817,
-5.093037402443,
-5.232890164181,
-5.374104056416,
-5.515959485522,
-5.657733588747,
-5.79870391776,
-5.938152120077,
-6.075367599624,
-6.209651137769,
-6.340318456382,
-6.46670370476,
-6.5,
-6,
-5,
-2,
0,
2,
15,
4,
79,
4.035715090578,
4.098215535982,
4.151467757689,
4.195200394584,
4.229190595175,
4.253265153189,
4.267301390198,
4.271227780756,
4.265024316876,
4.248722609987,
4.222405729853,
4.186207781261,
4.14031322066,
4.084955916211,
4.020417956049,
4,
15,
2,
15,
2,
15,
0,
15,
0,
-1
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
The trick here is that you have a prism for the glass that exactly fits
the desired window opening point by point. So Copy and Paste a
duplicate of it, exactly as done here, and retitle the start of the pasted
prism statement with a WALLHOLE statement. Use the
AC_Holesidematerial parameter instead of the prism thickness.
Have the two commands immediately next to each other.
WALLHOLE 24, AC_Holesidematerial,
0,
0,
15,
-0.5,
2,
15,
-1.5,
2,
15,
-4.5,
4,
79,
-4.561310905493, 4.035715090578,
-4.688716060937, 4.098215535982,
-4.820255333372, 4.151467757689,
-4.955258428817, 4.195200394584,
-5.093037402443, 4.229190595175,
-5.232890164181, 4.253265153189,
-5.374104056416, 4.267301390198,
-5.515959485522, 4.271227780756,
-5.657733588747, 4.265024316876,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
109
-5.79870391776,
-5.938152120077,
-6.075367599624,
-6.209651137769,
-6.340318456382,
-6.46670370476,
-6.5,
-6,
-5,
-2,
0,
DEL
DEL TOP
4.248722609987,
4.222405729853,
4.186207781261,
4.14031322066,
4.084955916211,
4.020417956049,
4,
15,
2,
15,
2,
15,
0,
15,
0,
-1
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
79,
This technique does not work on versions of ArchiCAD prior to

version 8 wallholes existed, but could not be complex in shape.
Complex shapes could only be built up using several wallholes. It is
an interesting command you can rotate wallholes to create
chamfered reveals. Another idea is that you can oversize the wallhole
to leave enough space to insert a lintel, sill or sidelight.
Note for future versions of ArchiCAD

This wallhole trick is a built-in procedure in ArchiCAD 9. The
method is to trace a Roof of 0 pitch or a Slab over the outline of the
proposed window (magic wand to a fill, perhaps) trying to keep the
baseline of the roof on the baseline of the window. Open the roof
settings and write Wallhole into the ID field (or Wallniche if its a
niche), and set the pitch to zero.
Objects can be better than Windows

Dont forget that windows are things that you want to use to cut
holes in walls. There are occasions when you are using technical
solutions that are closer in idea to curtain walling than to windows
so these are objects not windows. They are freestanding, set on a
slab, or against but not in a wall.
For this, you make them as objects, using mullions and transoms and
frames. You could still lay them down in the plan view using small
walls for the framing sections, and slabs for the glass.
110
This glass walling solutions is based on the Velfac 200 system.

You would then autoscript these in 3D Elevation parallel view with
the camera at 90, and save as Object, Editable. You could then add
in some parameters for materials.
If you are scripting this fully in GDL, you build it upright. You might
still make use of macros for the frames and casements, in fact you can
use the same ones that work for windows.
This prototype window system for Velfac uses objects. The same
code, with a ROTx -90, a WALLHOLE, a change of subtype and a
few small modifications can also make a conventional wall-cutting
Window subtype.
Summary of GDL covered in this chapter

Windows and Doors are very very complex for full creative
scripting beware.
You can do a good job with a 50/50 approach: building the
window without GDL then using some tricks to make the wallhole
and the material parameters.
Skylights are easy to make, but can only cut rectangular holes.
WALLHOLE now supports very complex outlines. Use this neat
trick with the slab to cut the complex outline.
Use a new trick with a roof outline to do the same cutting in future
versions.
Windows are sometimes objects if they are freestanding and not
to be placed in a wall.
111
CHAPTER 11: GDL ROUNDUP

There is a lot more to GDL than we have been able to cover in this slim volume. This section runs through some of the further possibilities in a brief form of which
LOOPS are the most important. But Graphical Hotspots and Solid Geometry Commands extend the power of GDL into new territory!
11.1 GDL Roundup

This book is an introductory tutorial for GDL, a tour through the
easy foothills. If your interest has been aroused, there is further
reading for you and more experience to be gained. The best way to
learn GDL is to attempt some practical tasks, which will be both
useful to you in your work and will teach you additional techniques in
GDL.
In GDL, there are four main areas of knowledge

We have to analyze the 3D nature of the object we wish to build.
See how much of it can be done with simple blocks or cylinders,
and then how much of it will require more complex commands
such as PRISM, REVOLVE and TUBE. When you hit one of these
commands (through necessity), do not give up, see it as a chance to
advance further into a new area of GDL.
The GDL itself. The syntax of each command, which command to
use under the circumstances, how to control polygons, how to
define text style and materials and much more. You will become
conversant with 3D and 2D syntax as your experience grows.
The programming language of GDL. This has not been covered in
full detail in this tutorial. Enough has been written to show you
that it is possible to write long complex scripts in GDL using
Loops and Subroutines. GDL is based on BASIC, a programming
language that was devised in the 70s, became universally known to
users of the AppleII, Commodore Pet and Tandy TRS-80
machines of the early eighties; and now it has been rather
forgotten. In GDL, it lives on! GDL can read and write data/text
files, include complex calculation routines with a GDL script, such
as structural calculations or predicting the outline points of a
surface in 3D space. The multiple script mode of GDL means that
it is capable of being really complex. Graphical hotspots extend
the power of GDL enormously.
112
GDL can react according to conditions in the main ArchiCAD

model. Objects can know the current drawing scale, default
drawing pen numbers and background pens. Doors and Windows
can know the thickness and materials of the current Wall. With
knowledge of the objects position in 3D space and the location of
the current camera, the object knows how far away the camera is,
and in which direction. Thus, a billboard object can turn to face
the camera; or a complex 3D object can simplify itself if it is too
far away to require drawing in detail. This is done when GDL
objects read the values of Global Variables, which exist in
ArchiCAD. You saw all the GLOB statements in the autoscript in
chapter 2. GLOB_SCALE is the current drawing scale.
GLOB_NORTH the angle of the current north point.
The GDL Cookbook covers all of these topics in greater detail, and
provides practical working examples to help you learn.
The programming language of GDL

You have discovered that you can write GDL without being a
programmer. If you can issue a few GDL commands, move the
cursor around, write some IF statements that make the object
smarter and safer, then you have been programming. In fact,
programming is an activity all of us do ants do it when looking after
their eggs, squirrels do it when hoarding their winter food, lions do it
when hunting zebra, children do it when playing with their toys and
developing social relationships. Adults do it whenever they get in
their car and drive to work, or use their cellphone.
Programming simply means the organization of a sequence of actions
conditioned by a number of IF statements that decide which actions
shall be taken. It also implies many repetitive actions in real life, you
could stack hundreds of books on a shelf and make decisions for each
one as you proceeded to sort them by ISBN or size or by title or by
author.
To get further with GDL you will need to learn about Loops.
11.2 Loops FOR... NEXT

Machines never tire of doing repetitive work. With a GDL object, you
may have many spokes in a wheel, many shelves in a furniture system,
many balusters in a handrail, many rungs on a ladder. If we have a
means of telling GDL how many we want, and what spacing we want
it at, we can get the work done for us.
ADD 0,0,0.6
ROTy 90
CYLIND 5*(pspac),0.03
DEL 2
The FOR... NEXT Loop

We can make loops with FOR... NEXT. We can use FOR...
NEXT in several ways, but the most common is to do it by counting
numbers, by distance or by angle. Lets show three simple examples.
Loop by counting numbers

We want to plant a handrail at the racecourse and want to plant 6 x 1
metre high poles at 0.6 metre intervals, then cap it with a long rod. We
assume an imaginary counter called k, and we increment it by 1 each
time the program goes around the loop. So it starts with a value of 1,
does one pole, advances to the position of the next pole, and waits.
Then it meets the NEXT k command. As the job is not finished, it
returns to the FOR line, increments k again, and plants another pole.
Eventually, it completes the task, and NEXT k recognizes that it has
finished and allows the program to continue. We use DEL 6 to get
back to the origin.
!Long fence using numbers
RESOL 10
MATERIAL 18: PEN 1
pspac=0.6 !Pole Spacing
!Uprights
FOR k=1 TO 6 STEP 1
CYLIND 1.0, 0.05
ADDx pspac
NEXT k
DEL 6
!Top rail
ADD -0.05,0,1.0
ROTy 90
CYLIND 5*(pspac) +0.1,0.05
DEL 2
!Mid rail
Top, Open GL makes it look smooth, no matter what you set for RESOL.
Note that a trick is used to improve the look of the capping rail. By
making it slightly longer (by one diameter) than the sum of the
distances of the poles, it looks more authentic in the welded joint.
We take advantage of Z-buffering here. The Cylinders are actually
colliding with the handrail although Open GL and the ArchiCAD 3D
drawing engine makes them look as if they are joining smoothly.
We can improve the way the loop is coded in two small ways. The first
one worked fine, but we had to DEL all the cursor moves after the
loop was complete. We also specified the stepping value. This method
includes the DEL inside the loop, so that the loop is cleanly
self-contained.
FOR k=1 TO 6
ADDX pspac*(k-1)
CYLIND 1.0,0.05
DEL 1
NEXT k
113
Now we place the ADDX command before the cylinder. The first
time, the value of (k-1) is zero, so if you multiply pspac by zero, the
distance added is zero. So it plants the first pole. Then it DELs back
to the origin. When k is equal to 2, the distance moved is pspac*1
so it draws the next pole, then returns to the origin.
Notice that in the first case, we specified the stepping rate to be 1. If
it is 1, you can omit that STEP value, but if it is anything else at all,
you must specify the STEP, or GDL will assume a value of 1 which
could be misinterpreted as 1.0 metres, or 1.0 degrees!
Loop by Distance and optimise it!

The next method is when you do not know how many will be needed,
but you know their spacing. This says, starting from point zero,
advance a distance of dist (which starts as zero) and plant a pole.
Then return to zero. Then increment the value of dist by pspac,
then advance dist (which by now has been incremented), plant
another pole, then return to zero. Do this until you have covered the
total distance required. For this method, the stepping value must be
clearly specified. Lets make the length of the rail 3.3m (11-0).
!Loop by distance - A=3.3 metres
RESOL 12
pspac=0.6 !Pole spacing
!Uprights
FOR dist=0 TO A STEP pspac
ADDx dist
CYLIND 1.0,0.05
DEL 1
NEXT dist
!Top rail
ADD -0.05,0,1.0
ROTy 90
CYLIND A+0.1,0.05
DEL 2
!Mid rail
ADD 0,0,0.6
ROTy 90
CYLIND A,0.03
DEL 2
114
The upper version has an overhang, the lower is corrected.
Smart way to recalculate spacing

This is where GDL can become really smart. We could make GDL
calculate the spacing of the uprights automatically. Its clear that 0.6m
does not divide cleanly into 3.3m, and there will usually be an
overhang unless the length is perfectly subdivisible by 0.6m. We need
a routine to get this right. You must either limit the length to a
number divisible by pspac, or you must get GDL to recalculate the
spacing of the uprights as closely as possible to the optimum spacing
of 0.6m.
!Loop by Distance with Calculation
pspac=0.6 !Pole spacing optimum
numbay=INT(0.5+ A/pspac) !Number of Bays
numpol=numbay+1
!Actual number of poles
pspac =A/numbay
!Corrected value pspac
!Uprights
FOR dist=0 TO A STEP pspac

ADDx dist
CYLIND 1.0,0.05
DEL 1
NEXT dist !Do the rails the same as before
We have here a calculation of the number of bays you would get by

dividing pspac into A. The INT() function rounds this down to
an integer number. The insertion of 0.5 makes it round up or down.
Now you know the number of bays, you can calculate the number of
Uprights and the true Bay Spacing pspac. No matter how you
stretch it, the uprights will always fit the handrail nicely. This handrail
could now be custom manufactured to fit any length.
Loop by Angle
There are many occasions when your object has interesting circle
geometry. Here is a similar handrail, but now its enclosing a curved
running track. We use the FOR... NEXT loop to distribute the
posts at an angular spacing of 15.
This brings the opportunity to introduce you to two more GDL
commands: ELBOW and TOLER. ELBOW is like a cylinder but it is a
cylinder which curves at a defined radius, to a defined sweep angle.
ELBOW curve radius, alpha angle, tube radius
Because elbows always grow upwards, you have to precede the
command with a ROTX -90 and lift it to the height of the top of the
posts.
Curvature control
We want to control the number of polygons in the model, or the
renderer will be too slow if there are too many of these rails. Open
GL and Photorendering can smooth curved surfaces so it is not
necessary to have a lot of polygons to get smooth effects. RESOL is
code for Resolution of Curvature and allows you to define how
many polygons you want on a typical curve. RESOL 10 gives 10
polygons to all the cylinders. If you use this for something like the
curved handrail, you will get a polygonal not curved rail, so you need
something more sophisticated TOLER.
Poor old RESOL is too simple for complex objects. In any elbow, we
have two curves, the main curve and the tubing curve. If we have a
large resolution (we need at least RESOL 36) so that the rail looks
right, and if we have a lot of rails in the project, the tubing will have
too many polygons, and the computer could be crippled trying to
shade all those surfaces.
TOLER 0.005. This command sets the error to 5mm (3/16)
If you issue a TOLER dimension command, curvature is
controlled in both small and large 3D shapes. TOLER stands for
tolerable error so you need to provide a dimension, like a few
millimetres, a fraction of an inch, whatever you think is right. As the
curve is traced, GDL measures the difference between the curve and
a tangent to the curve. So small tubing will have only 6 or 8 faces
(which is smoothed by Open GL), and on the large curve it will
follow the curve smoothly. It is a very useful command.
!Circular racecourse rail

!Loop by angle
TOLER 0.005
crad=3.0
!Curve Radius
angl=120
!Sweep angle
ovra=360*0.05/(2*PI*crad) !Overhang angle
!Uprights
FOR ang=0 TO angl STEP 15
ROTz ang
ADDx crad
CYLIND 1.0,0.05
DEL 2
NEXT ang
!Handrail
ROTz -ovra
ADD crad, 0 , 1.0
ROTx -90
ROTz 180
ELBOW crad, angl+ovra*2, 0.05
DEL 4
115
From the centre, you can run a FOR NEXT loop in which for each
iteration you move out the the edge of the circle and draw an upright,
and rotate slightly each time before the next upright. By using DEL
within the loop, you have a nice tidy loop.
For the rail, we start from the centre of the circle and move out to
build the uprights and handrail. Rotate the rail slightly using the
ROTZ command, move to the first upright with the ADD command,
lay the ELBOW over on its side (with a sweep slightly longer than the
required sweep angle) and draw the rail. In this case, we had do use a
trick to make sure the weld detail would look good at the end posts.
We calculate what fraction a single radius of the post would be of the
total circumference. That becomes an internal parameter ovra
(overhanging angle) and its easy to get a good weld detail by rotating
and extending the rail slightly.
116
This parametric model of the London Millennium Wheel (Marks Barfield,

London 2000) allows you to model the wheel as built or in any other configuration
you could wish for. All the tubing and spokes and cabins are recalculated using
Angle based FOR... NEXT loops.
If you want to make the circular rail self managing like the second
version of the straight rail or the Millennium Wheel, we would have
to divide the circumference by the optimum spacing, then work out
the best stepping angle.
Other ways of Looping

You have other methods of looping,
DO... WHILE: do an action while a condition applies, for
example a dimension or an angle will eventually be equal to less
than zero; until then, keep doing it.
WHILE condition DO... ENDWHILE: does the same as
above.
REPEAT... UNTIL: go on doing something until a condition is
met for example, when a dimension or angle is equal to or less
than zero, or the numbers in a memory buffer have been used up.
The FOR... NEXT loop meets almost all your requirements. Most
loops are based on counters, or incrementing until a distance or angle
are achieved. You will know when a situation suitable for REPEAT or
DO is the best way for you to loop.
11.3 Graphical Hotspots

Graphical Hotspots allow you to click on and manipulate objects in
2D and 3D with amazing facility objects can become like
mechanisms. Furniture can be explored by opening doors and pulling
out drawers. You are no longer confined to the limits of the stretchy
cuboid defined by A, B and zzyzx. In fact once you grasp the
power of graphical hotspots you should no longer use the ABzzyzx
cuboid.
When you stretch an object with the cuboid, you see nothing while it
stretched except the cuboid.
When you stretch an object using graphical hotspots, you see the
object changing as it goes, including the recalculation of tubing if its
required and you see a readout of the changing value of the
parameter, as it stretches.
This steel tube can be stretched and twisted and rotated in 3D You get the changes
display visually as you work, both in the object and in a small dialog box above.
Graphical hotspots (GHs) can control distance and angle. It seems
that most objects can be manipulated successfully with these two. If
you can think of another mode of action, put it on the Graphisoft
wishlist.
You can use GHs in 2D or 3D. The general rule is to use GHs that
control X and Y dimensions in the 2D and use the 3D for heights or
twisting motions. Another rule is that you should write all the hotspot
routines before the bulk of either 2D Script or the 3D Script. This is so
that the parameters resulting from the hotspot manipulation are
swiftly passed on to the rest of the script.
There is not space to cover the topic of GHs fully here, but lets alert
you to the possibilities of GHs here and try a simple exercise. You will
117
find GHs very thoroughly covered in the ArchiCAD Help menu and
the GDL Cookbook theres a lot more to them than this brief
mention permits.
Lets write some Graphical Hotspots

Length based GHs are easy to do, but angled ones are more difficult
beyond the scope of this book. Lets try a Length based one. We did
this simple stretchy straight handrail earlier.
11.4 Solid Geometry Commands

In the straight handrail, we looked at the idea of Z-buffering, whereby
3D objects that intersect are cleanly drawn in hidden line and shaded
views. If you need good line drawings, you need to find a way to
improve the appearance you would like good pen lines at
intersections, and you would like waste material in the intersection to
be removed in a wireline view. If you wanted a good wireline view,
you could use Solid Geometry Commands (SGC) to make it look
right. This would cut the uprights and rails to fit the each other nicely.
!Straight Handrail - 2D Script

HOTSPOT2 0,0 !Base
HOTSPOT2 A,0 !Move
PROJECT2 3,270,1
Using the hotspots above, you can safely use the ABzzyzx cuboid.
Lets try the GHs method instead. The syntax for a graphical hotspot
is:
HOTSPOT x,y,z, uniqueID, parameter, code !3D
HOTSPOT2 x,y, uniqueID, parameter, code !2D
With GHs in length calculation you nominate the position of the

starting Base spot (code=1), the Moving spot (code=2) and a third
position, one that defines a Vector of movement (code=3). This can
be anywhere behind the Base spot (in a negative direction). Graphical
hotspots also require a unique ID number (to support associative
dimensioning) and they need to know which parameter you are trying
to change. So replace the hotspot routine above with:
!Straight Handrail - 2D Script
HOTSPOT2 0,0,
1001, A,1 !Base
HOTSPOT2 A,0,
1002, A,2 !Move
HOTSPOT2 -1,0, 1003, A,3 !Vector
PROJECT2 3,270,1
118
We will have a brief excursion into this very important technology.

SGC makes it possible to improve the 3D quality of solids by
addition, subtraction or intersection. You will have to read more
advanced books on GDL to cover this further, but lets just improve
the wireline view of the straight handrail.
!Straight handrail with improved wireline view
RESOL 12
MATERIAL 18: PEN 1
pspac=0.6 !Pole Spacing
GROUP 'uprights'
!Uprights
FOR k=1 TO 6 STEP 1
CYLIND 1.0, 0.05
ADDx pspac
NEXT k
DEL 6
ENDGROUP
GROUP 'rails'
!Top rail
ADD -0.05,0,1.0
ROTy 90
CYLIND 5*(pspac) +0.1,0.05
DEL 2
!Mid rail
ADD 0,0,0.6
ROTy 90
CYLIND 5*(pspac),0.03
DEL 2
ENDGROUP
handrail=ADDGROUP('uprights','rails')
PLACEGROUP handrail
!Clear out the memory

KILLGROUP handrail
KILLGROUP 'uprights'
KILLGROUP 'rails'
In this procedure we define two groups, we create a new group with
the ADDGROUP statement, and we then place it with a
PLACEGROUP statement. KILLGROUP clears out the memory
and allows us to use those group names again its only really needed
if this is part of a much longer script.
The most important use of SGC is in subtraction, for example when
you want to subtract a curved 3D shape from a another solid
something that you cannot do at all without SGC.
Here you can see the finished object near to. Behind you see the spheres which have
been subtracted from the cylinder.
Solid Geometry on the chair

Looking at the chair we did earlier, we can improve the appearance in
wireframe using the ADDGROUP function. Even in Hidden line, the
appearance will be better, as intersecting circular forms can have clean
ink lines at the joints.
The earlier chair on the right looks messy at the joints. SGC cleans it all up!
Even subcomponents are tidied up, such as the junction of the braces relative to
each other. We cannot get rid of the pen lines on the cone-ends except by using a
REVOLVE instead of a CONE.
!Chair 3D Script - With Solid Geometry
!to improve the look of the joints
PEN cont_pen
TOLER 0.001
GROUP 'legs'
GOSUB 100:!All the legs
ENDGROUP
GROUP 'seat'
GOSUB 200:!Seat and upholstery
ENDGROUP
GROUP 'back'
GOSUB 300:!Back
ENDGROUP
GROUP 'braces'
GOSUB 400:!Braces
ENDGROUP
119
GROUP 'arms'
GOSUB 500:!Arms
ENDGROUP
chair=ADDGROUP('legs','seat')
chair=ADDGROUP( chair,'back')
chair=ADDGROUP( chair,'braces')
chair=ADDGROUP( chair,'arms')
PLACEGROUP chair
KILLGROUP chair
END:!____________________________
In the earlier chair script we had a number of IF statements in the

executive script, like IF bakon THEN and IF arms THEN. Move
all these statements to the subroutines, to keep the executive script
clean. Notice how the chair value can be successively added to, line
by line.
Minor disadvantage of SGC

My caveat on SGC here is that you can lose the special texture
mapping. When you ADDGROUP, it appears to try to apply the texture
all as one, so you have to choose in the battle between best 3D
appearance in Open GL and Photorendering against the best
appearance in terms of pen lines and wireframe. If it really matters,
you can have a popdown menu allowing the user to choose. You
could use large IF statements to run one or the other version of the
executive 3D Script.
11.5 Defining Text in 2D

Lets finish the book with one more technique that will help you with
2D. If you have any text labels in a 2D object, you cannot just use the
TEXT2 command. You first have to tell GDL the attributes of the
text, the size, the font, the style, the pen, etc. These are summed up as
the STYLE.
Imagine that you wish to letter the chair. We can use the string of
characters from the ValueList describing the type of chair. Make a few
parameters: font for font name, and fsiz for font size. Fsiz must
be a real number type of parameter because font size is measured in
actual millimetres in plotting size.
120
Defining style is done in the form of the script here. The 1,0 mean
that it is to be left-justified and normal (i.e. not bold or italic). See the
Help Menu or GDL Cookbook for a more extended discussion of
defining style.
You must also SET STYLE before the text will recognise it. The
TEXT2 statement includes the XY position of the text (just below
the left chair leg) and the string. A normal string is in quotes, or in this
case is a parameter from the ValueList.
Rich Text is available in ArchiCAD 9

Text entry is greatly improved in ArchiCAD 9 in the plan, detail and
section views. It is now possible to have Bold, Italic etc., with variable
colours. It is also greatly extended in the GDL, although to achieve
equivalent variations in GDL requires some care with coding
TEXT2 has been too easy for too long.
If you want to write rich text in GDL, you will have to grapple with
STYLE{2}, PARAGRAPH, TEXTBLOCK, RICHTEXT2,
RICHTEXT and REQUEST ('TEXTBLOCK_INFO'). These are
beyond the scope of this humble edition.
11.6 Other possibilities

Look at the GDL Reference Manual and the Help Menu
This primer has been written in the hope that as your approach to
GDL becomes more confident, you will be more willing to dip into
the actual manual. The explanations may not be as dry or technical as
you first thought. Theres plenty in this book to keep you busy if you
are a GDL newcomer.
There are many more capabilities in GDL than we have had space for
in this primer. There are just too many to cover in one tutorial. But
you can find out more by reading further or taking a course in GDL.
If you made it this far the hard way by reading and doing some of
the exercises you may be prepared to try some of these yourself. We
have given you an insight into some of these already, but you can read
up more on GDL the GDL Cookbook takes you all the way with
GDL.
Capabilities of GDL that this tutorial leaves for future

investigation:
More powerful pop-up menus with numbers and pictures.
Planar 3D GDL objects when they do not need to be solid.
Smart 2D symbols using FRAGMENT2, which combine drawn
symbols with 2D scripting.
Applying Polyline curves to the outlines of prism, poly, extrude,
revolve and other objects.
Using masking to control the way objects and surfaces look in 3D
drawings and in photorendering.
Using a CUTPLANE, CUTFORM and CUTPOLY to carve and drill
solid shapes, to make them more complex.
Macros Calling other library objects (such as taps or door
handles).
Billboard Objects there is more to do with them yet!
Making Lamp objects with controllable light sources.
Doors, Windows, Skylights and Dormers these are all subtypes
which need a lot more explanation.
Curved, Corner, and more complex windows.
Using trigonometry to calculate the pathway of tubes and edges

through curved and parabolic pathways.
Complex tubular lattice structures.
Making curvy skin-based surfaces using COONS or MASS.
Circle, parabolic, elliptical, catenary, sinwave curve maths.
Reading and displaying the system date, time, project name, and
much more, using the REQUEST command.
Defining your own materials, line types and fill patterns.
Defining your own textures, and orienting them for greater
authenticity, e.g. in Wood models.
Defining your own Line and Fill types, for better 2D.
Defining your own Text styles, including autosizing, setting styles
and text positions for self labelling objects.
Storing numbers in memory and bringing them out later (Arrays
and PUT & GET).
Solid Geometry Commands, in which parts of the model combine
or cut each other.
Graphical hotspots allowing full manipulation of objects, including
pulling/pushing, and twisting/rotation.
Parameter arrays and dynamic arrays.
Building a Graphical User Interface that replaces the normal
parameter box and makes the GDL object look more professional.
Setting up animation possibilities by changing the objects shape or
position according to the frame number in the animation.
Knowing where the camera is, and changing accordingly.
Knowing which storey the object is on.
Reading and writing text based datafiles.
Making use of the Special menu.
Rich Text in 2D and 3D.
11.7 Advice for Newcomers to GDL

Graphisoft asks: (Graphisoft Newsletter Sept 2000)
What are the most important things you tell the people who attend your GDL
classes about object making?
DNC replies:
121
First thing is....

Dont Panic!!
Its not as difficult as you expect once you are into it, and when you
get an error message, read the message, look at the script; have you
spelt the parameters right? Are your commas in the right place? Try
excluding part of the script to see if other parts work. GDL has few
bugs; for beginner level GDL there are none to speak of; so its a
relief to know that the error will be found through hard logical
thinking.
Second thing is....
Always have pen and paper handy
If you cant draw it on paper, you cant write it in GDL. Drawing it
out on paper will put your mind at ease to concentrate on the logical
process of actually building it. For many commands such as prisms
and revolves, half the job is done if you have drawn it out, preferably
marking the origin and numbering each point along the profile.
Third thing is....
Think in parameters
Always try to work (and think) in parameters not in numbers its
easy to develop your own lingo of 'wid', 'dep', 'len', 'hit' and 'thik', and
easier to write in these terms knowing that a simple change in the
parameter value will modify your object easily.
Fourth thing is...
Steal from ArchiCAD
Some objects are so complex that the parametric method above is
harder than beating your head against the wall. You may be better
sketching them out in the ArchiCAD floorplan and then dragging
them and dropping into the script. You may have to settle for making
them parametric only by stretching and mirroring.
Fifth thing is....
Structured GDL is best
The moment it gets more complicated than one page full of script,
convert the script to subroutines, so that each part of the model is a
tiny object in its own right. This also saves on repetitive typing, and
makes it easy to isolate errors.
122
11.8 Summary of ArchiCAD 9 changes

Most of the GDL covered in this book is generic it is good for
GDL from ArchiCAD 6.5 onwards. However, it would help to
summarise the ArchiCAD 9 changes that have been referred to at
points in this book. There are many more small changes, but these go
beyond the scope of the book.
Selection : Objects are easier to select if you have a FILL in the
2D Symbol. Scripted objects can have sensitive lines in the symbol.
If you are scripting, you are advised to include POLY2 commands
and follow LINE2 and ARC2 with HOTLINE2 and HOTARC2
statements wherever possible.
Naming : Now that you can search for objects by name, make
sure that the objects have sensible names.
Subtypes : These have been important in AC8, but as the IFCs
standards are more widely adopted and you make more use of the
interactive scheduler you will be wise to select subtypes correctly.
Rich Text : You can now greatly improve the appearance of your
text labels.
Graphical Hotspots : These will now have controllable pen
colour (globally, not individually).
INDEX
Numerics
2D Full View 43
2D Hotspots 51
2D Script 43
2D Symbol 25, 27, 31, 43, 79
2D symbol 24, 50
3D 112
~ View 45
3D Cafe 13
3D Cursor 45
3D Cutaway 19
3D projection setting 25
3D Projection Settings 19, 22
3D projection settings 31
3D Script 43
3D script 72
3D View 43
3DS 13
3NF 14
A
Abvent 99
AC_Holesidematerial 109
ADD 45
ADD2 45
ADDGROUP 119, 120
Add-on 99
Add-ons 13, 14, 19, 33, 37, 41, 82, 91
Adobe Photoshop 95
ADT 17
Align Texture 26, 93
Align texture 19
Alpha channel 91, 92, 97
animation 121
ARC2 52, 69, 122
ArchiCAD 9 12, 52, 110, 120, 122
ArchiCAD Library 13, 14, 20, 21, 40
ArchiCAD library 28, 36, 85
ArchiCAD Reference Guide 9, 18
ArchiCAD University 92
ArchiCAD-Talk 92
ArchiFacade 91, 99
ArchiFM 52, 75
ArchiForma 28, 34
Archiforma 14
ArchiPaint 91
ArchiRadar 13
ArchiTerra 10
Architerra 91
Arkiklub 13
Artlantis 91, 100
AutoCAD 13, 17
Autoscripted 10, 27
Autoscripted GDL 71
Autoscripting 19
autoscripting 101
banana truss 28, 29, 36

BASIC 17, 112
Basic Shapes 41
Basic Shapes library 36
bathroom fittings 20
BEAM 71
Billboard Objects 33, 91
Binary 14, 29, 32, 36, 90
binary 33
Bite Design 100
BLOCK 44, 47, 52
BODY -1 73, 87, 102
Boolean 54, 57, 79, 97
Bounding Box 31
bounding box 32, 72
BPRISM_ 62, 64, 68
C
CADCAM 16
CALL 71, 85
Carpet 91, 96
Chair 24, 47
Check Script 45
Chesspieces 81
Chris Jones 38
Cigraph 13, 99
CIRCLE2 50, 71
Clean Wall Intersections 24
CNC 58
Column tool 21
Comma 66
Comment 43, 46, 60
CONE 44, 47, 52
Convert Mesh to Roof 33
Convert Roof to Mesh 37
COONS 121
COOR 87
Coordinates palette 19, 22, 27, 45
counterclockwise 63
CPRISM_ 62, 64, 71, 73
cPRISM_ 102
CSLAB_ 71, 79
curtain walling 110
Curvature 115
curvature control 81
CUTFORM 121
Cutout 91, 97
CUTPLANE 65, 121
CUTPOLY 106, 121
CUTPOLYA 106
CYLIND 44, 52
D
David Sutherland 42
Default Translator 20
DEFINE MATERIAL 98
DEFINE TEXTURE 97
Defining Text 120
DEL 45
DEL TOP 46
Design Workshop 13
Dimensions 44
Display Options 24
Display Order 98
DNA 58
DO... WHILE 116
Door 15, 33
door 24
Doors 101
DXF/DWG 13, 18, 20, 82
123
Index
Editable 14, 25, 32, 72, 93

Eiffel Tower 21
ELBOW 52, 115
Elbow 28
END 83, 84, 102
ENDGROUP 119
Eureka Tower 10, 42
explode 15
EXTRUDE 64, 80
Fender Katsalidis 10, 42

Figure 92, 98
FILL 122
Fill tool 26, 64, 79
Find and Replace 65, 78
flow control 84
Flywheel 35
FOR... NEXT Loop 113
FPRISM_ 62, 65
FRAGMENT2 43, 121
G
GDL Adaptor 13
GDL adaptor 17
GDL Alliance 13
GDL Central 13
GDL Cookbook 9, 61, 87, 97, 112, 121
18
GDL Dialog 42, 60

GDL dialog 101
GDL Reference Manual 9, 18, 66, 73, 121
GDL Toolbox 14, 28, 34
Geometric Description Language 15
GLOB 102
GLOB_ID 74
GLOB_NORTH 112
GLOB_SCALE 112
Global Variables 73, 107, 112
Golden Rules 84
Goodies 34, 36
Google 13, 21
GOSUB 83
Graphical Editing Hotspots 52
Graphical Hotspots 12, 112, 117, 122
Graphical hotspots 121
124
Graphisoft 11, 13, 17

grid 108
Grid Snap 22
Grids 19
groin vault 30
GROUP 118
GUID 11
Help Menu 9, 18, 121

HIDEPARAMETER 61
Hoshino 13
HOTARC2 52, 122
HOTLINE2 52, 122
HOTSPOT2 71
Hotspots 51, 74
HPRISM_ 62, 65
hyperbolic saddle 37, 38
Ice figures 94, 100

IF... ENDIF 55
IFC 11, 101
IF-Statement 54
Industry Foundation Classes 11, 101
Instant GDL 63, 64, 79
Internet 13, 15
internet 60
Investment Object 16
J
Jodrell Bank 38
KILLGROUP 119, 120

Kimon Onuma 54, 58
kitchens 85
L
label 84
Lamp 15
Lara Croft 33
Las Vegas 72
Le Corbusier 9
Libraries 10
Library Manager 40
Lightworks 12, 91
Line tool 26
line weight 20
LINE2 50, 52, 71, 74, 96, 122
loaded library 29
LOCK 61
Log setting 25
London 32, 116
London Millennium Wheel 116
Loops 112
Lovell Radio Telescope 38
M
M.A.D. 13
Macro 89
Macros 85
Magic Wand 19, 24, 26, 27, 37
Magic wand 17, 30, 95, 108
magic wand 21
Manufacturers Rules 50
Marks Barfield 116
Marquee 17, 19, 30, 41
masking code 63
Masking codes 81
MASS 71, 121
Master Script 43, 54, 56, 58, 68, 77, 83
MATERIAL 44
Material 46, 92
Materials 75
materials 15
Matthew Lohden 92
Melbourne 42
Mesh tool 14, 37
Missing objects 29
MODEL SOLID 73
Module 15, 40, 41
MUL 45
MultiObject 58, 85
MULX 72
MULY 72
MULZ 72
N
Naming 122
naming 40
Norwegian window 86
Nottingham 100
Index
O
Object Genome 58
Object Genome Project 54
Object Making 9
Objects On Line 13
Open GL 12, 33, 87, 91, 93, 94, 97, 113
Options menu 87, 92
Orcutt Winslow 16
Origin 20, 21, 26, 44, 45, 47, 71, 77, 93, 101, 103
P
PARAGRAPH 120
Parameter arrays 121
parameter naming 49
Parameter Script 43, 56
Parameter Table 42, 48, 49, 54, 60, 67, 78
PARAMETERS 54, 60, 61, 69, 77, 86
Parameters button 43
Parametric 74
parametric 10, 17, 34, 48, 66
PEN 44, 102
Pen 75
People 91
people 98
People and More 13
Pet Palette 19
Pet palette 21
PhotoCAD 99
Photorender 97
Photoshop 91, 92, 95, 100
PICTURE 95
Picture 91
picturereality 91
Piranesi 91, 100
PLACEGROUP 119, 120
POLY_ 98
POLY2 52, 74, 122
POLY2_B{2} 71, 79, 80
Polylines 80
Popdown Menus 56
Popdown menus 52, 60
popdown menus 54
Preview Picture 25, 41, 43, 60
primitive forms 16
PRISM 52
Prism syntax 64
Profiler 10, 14, 16, 19, 31, 33, 34, 35, 38, 41, 80,
82
Programming 112
Project Framework 18
PROJECT2 43, 46, 50, 69, 72, 74, 78, 81, 118
Property Script 43
PUT & GET 121
PYRAMID 80
R
racecourse rail 115
rapid prototyping 16
ray-tracing 12
RECT2 50
reflection 12
Rendering 12, 74
REPEAT... UNTIL 116
REQUEST 120, 121
RESOL 47, 53, 73, 82, 113, 115
Resolution of Curvature 47
RETURN 77, 84
REVOLVE 64, 80, 81, 112, 119
Rhino 13
Rich Text 120, 122
RICHTEXT 120
RICHTEXT2 120
Robert Luck 32
Roof tool 14, 19, 38
Roof Truss 25
RoofMaker 10, 14
Roofmaker 37
ROT2 45
RPC 91
RULED 80
Schedules 40, 75
Section/Elevation 23, 25
SEO 35, 36, 39
SET STYLE 120
Settings dialog 19, 98
SGC 12, 90, 118
Shadows 97
Silicon Graphics 12
Sketchup 13, 33
Skylights 105
Slab tool 14, 21, 23, 24, 26, 62, 92
Solid Element Operations 12, 19, 34, 35, 36, 39
Solid Geometry Commands 12, 36, 90, 112, 118,
121
Solid Operations 41
spaghetti 46, 84
SPHERE 44
SPLINE2A 71
SPRISM_ 62, 65
StairMaker 10
status codes 79
STEP 114
Stretchiness 19, 49, 72
students 41
Studio Arkada 13
STYLE 120
STYLE{2} 120
Subroutine 77
subroutine 102
Subroutines 58, 83, 85
Subtype 12, 15, 43, 101, 105
Subtypes 11, 52, 75, 101
SWEEP 64, 80
T
Table 21
template 75
TEXT2 71, 120
TEXTBLOCK 120
Textures 41, 87
textures 16, 23
Theometrics 13
TOLER 53, 82, 115
Tools menu 35
Tools palette 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 22, 40
transparency 98
trees 91, 98
trigonometry 121
Trim to Roof 38
True Line Weight 51
Trussmaker 14, 16, 19, 27, 28, 34, 37, 38, 41, 82
TUBE 64, 73, 82, 112
typographical discipline 46
U
Urban modelling 32
User Interface 61, 102, 121
User Interface Script 43
User Interface script 86
125
Index
ValueList 56, 84, 120

ValueLists 54, 61
VALUES 56
Velfac 110
VERT 87
Wall tool 14, 24, 30, 37, 108

WALLHOLE 85, 103, 109
Wallhole 108
wallhole 24, 101
Webscape 54
West Bridgford 100
WHILE condition DO 116
Window 15, 22, 33
window 86
Windows 14, 101
X
XWALL 79
XWALL_{2} 71
Z-buffering 113, 118

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Intro Object Making

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Intro Object Making

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Introduction to Object Making

GDL for Beginners

Introduction to Object Making

About this Book

about object making from other sources, including the reference

About the Author

IIntroduction to Object Making

IIntroduction to Object Making

PART TWO: BEGINNERS' GUIDE TO GDL SCRIPTING _____ 42

Objects can be better than Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110

Introduction to Object Making

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

1.1 About Object Making

Picture objects that can be placed in a model to look like people,

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

Libraries must be loaded

The Eureka Tower in Melbourne, Australia, by Fender Katsalidis: Object

Library Parts in ArchiCAD

The existing ArchiCAD Library is a folder in your installed

Introduction to Object Making

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

demolition of the built environment. Documentation is vital at every

Whats new since the last object making book?

All objects now have an internal identity code GUID (Globally

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

This carved wood arch is now easy with SGC.

Future developments with ArchiCAD

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

Sources of Library Parts

Internet, you will find an increasing number of websites devoted to

The ArchiCAD Library

DXF and DWG Libraries

It is worth going through the ArchiCAD Library included with your

Most building component manufacturers offer disks of DXF/DWG

readily to new capabilities. The fundamental modelling tools (Walls,

Using old libraries update library parts

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

incorrectly. You can speed this up by opening ArchiCAD with the

Add-ons that make Objects

1.2 Making your own Library Parts

This bentwood chair is entirely made from small walls.

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

Introduction to Object Making

Making Objects with GDL Scripts

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

economical in size. They can be viewed with a browser, configured in

How do you make an Object?

CADCAM system (cutting tool) or a rapid prototyping machine. So

The idea of an Investment Object

Does it need to LOOK right, or BE right?

Investment Objects: This parapet ladder is required un-countable times on the

Introduction to Object Making

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

Furthermore, objects made with the Tools palette are no longer

Can you learn GDL?

Introduction to Object Making

Graphisofts next edition of ArchiCAD provides new areas of

The ArchiCAD experience

Spelling and grammar

You learn by looking at the objects

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL

Read about Object Making

Introduction to Object Making

PART ONE: OBJECT MAKING WITHOUT GDL