Listing composite skin thickness in unit other than set calculation unit.

[Rastko Pecar]

Hi,

I would like to create a property that reads the thickness parameter of skins that form composite structures and convert it from my default calculation unit (meters) to centimeters in my schedules. I went to property manager and when I wanted to create an expression for conversion, I cant find the component thickness parameter. Can anyone help?

I don't want to change my calculation units as a global setting because I use meters for all my quantity takeoffs and I need centimeters just for this specific case.

Ideas appreciated!

Operating system used: Windows 10,0,22631 build 22631

[Laszlo Nagy]

Unfortunately, Properties can only inquire and generate data about entire elements, but not about subelements, groups of elements, or other elements.

The thickness of a composite skin is subelement-level data so you cannot get it with Properties.

[Barry Kelly]

You can get the inside and outside skin thicknesses in properties.

Also the thickness of skins tagged as air or insulation (this is set up in Project Preferences > Calculation Units & Rules > Conditional Parameters).

But as Laszlo said, you can not get all of the skin thicknesses.

Barry.

[AllanP]

Why just the inside face and outside face?

That reminds me of the "PROFILE_DEFAULT_GEOMETRY" command in GDL.

Why?

We want to know the current geometry of the placed profile, not the default unplaced version...i can't seem to find that command...

or

GLOB_NORTH_DIR that no longer works for parameters

or

GLOB_PROJECT_LONGITUDE that no longer works for parameters

GLOB_PROJECT_LATITUDE that no longer works for parameters

I want my solar hot water panel numbers to be calculated correctly.

that can't happen the when parameters can not be set by the north direction...

All elements ARE "project dependent" and should be able to be used in parameter script.

Imagine if i wanted to be able to program windows so they place correct sun shades on them in the correct Latitudes and correct orientations, but i can no longer do that unless i go back to Archicad 18 where it still works..or be able to program Hot Water Solar panels so they count correctly based on the sun rose requirements, but I can no longer do that unless i go back to Archicad 18 where it still works.

I hated having to disable those features when we moved on from Archicad 18...

Australia is a big content, and the code in the objects from the suppliers should be able to calculate these shorts of things for us...

Why should i have to create API's to do things that were available in the program before?

Is the plan to make Archicad as dumb as REVIT so everyone moves to REVIT?

[Barry Kelly]

The original question has nothing to do with GDL.

It is about Properties and Expressions.

Barry.

[Rastko Pecar]

Thank you Laszlo and Barry,

this is unfortunate. I struggle with other aspects of reporting composite assemblies and I hope GS will improve functionality in this regard.  Ive seen a presentation somewhere of enzyme architects where they show custom built label that is able to pull the information of skins constituting an composite. It can be done and I hope GS will solve this.

Have a nice day