Graphisoft® GDL Object Adapter 12 for AutoCAD®

Table of Contents
{ Introduction { Interface - GDL Console
{ Interface - Main Palette { Interface - My Favorite GDL
{ Controls Objects
{ Object Settings { Object manipulation with Common
{ Favorite Objects AutoCAD Functions
{ GDL Console { Software Requirements
{ 2D/3D Object
Representation Switch
{ Parameter Copy / Paste
{ Object Editing
{ Library Manager
{ Catalog Selector
{ GDL Catalog Browser
{ Object Preview

Introduction
GDL Object Adapter offers the ability to work with intelligent and parametric GDL
objects in AutoCAD 2007 - 2009 or compat ible A utoCAD Architecture environme nts.
2D or 3D GDL objects can be placed into the model space with a simple drag and drop
operation. Once pla ced, objects can be ed ited at any time, including modifications to
color, material or any other parameter s etting. GDL objec ts work ins ide Auto CAD as
AutoCAD blocks.

Interface - Main Palette

The GDL Object Adapter Main palette provides an
overview o f the active GDL Catalo g and its content.
The catalog and object settings-related Controls are
located at t he top. Below, the GDL o bjects are
displayed in a hierarchical tree stru cture in t he GDL
Catalog Browser window. The Object Prev iew
window displays the curr ently selected object's high-
resolution image.
Controls

Use these controls to modif y the defa ult object

parameters before or after an object is placed in the
Model Space, to switch between an object's 2D and
3D re presentations, and to load and activate a new
object library. You can als o save your favorite
objects to speed up the design process.

Object Settings

You can modify the de fault obj ect settings ( size,

anchor point etc) and attributes (linetype, color,
material etc.) before object placement. Once you
close the Object settings di alog, the modification is
automatically shown in Object Preview window.

Favorite Objects

The F avorite O bjects fun ction streamlines you r

workflow by allowing quick access to frequently u sed
objects. The Favorite objects can be stored in the My
Favorite GDL Obje cts fl oating palette which d isplays
preview images of the objects.

GDL Console

The GDL Console palette displays all GDL obje ct-

related error messages.
Hint: If you cannot add an object to the Favorite
palette, or the object is displayed without textures in
the Obj ect Preview windo w, check the GDL Console
2D/3D Object Representation Switch

Switch between the 2D and 3D representations of a

selected Model Space ob ject wi th the 2D/3 D Ob ject
Representation Switch button.

Parameter Copy / Paste

If you would like to make two placed GDL elements

identical, press the Copy parameters button and
select the first (parent) object. All object parameters
are copied. Press the Paste Parameters button and
then selec t the second (child) ob ject. The second
object inherits all parameters of the parent object.

Object Editing

The Obje ct Edi ting control di splays the parameter

settings dialo g of the se lected Model Space ob ject.
You can change attributes like object size, co lor,
material etc.

Library Manager

In the li brary mana ger dialo g, you can add new

Object catalogs to GDL Object Adapter.
Method: Click on the folder name containing the GDL
Catalog in the left-side folder tree and press the >>
Add >> button.
Note: Only those catalogs can be added which
contain “maste r.gdl” file (A rchiCAD attribute file).
Catalog Selector

The Ca talog Selector allows yo u to sel ect an active

catalog from the loaded catalogs.
Note: You can p lace an ob ject only f rom the active
catalog.

GDL Catalog Browser The browser area al lows you to lo cate single lib rary
parts in th e active GDL Catalo g. When you select an
object, its preview picture is automatically generated
in the Object Prev iew window. The default ob ject
parameters can be modifie d by using the Object
Settings control.

Object Preview If you select an object in the GDL Catalog browser

window, i ts p review ima ge is automatically
generated in the Ob ject Preview window. You can
switch among the different vi sualization m ethods
(2D Symbol / Wireframe / Hidden line / Shading /
Photorendering) with the con text menu of the built-
in GDL Web Control. For further infor mation about
GDL Web Control follow this link.
Note: If you select the 2D Symbol visualization
method and drag and drop the object from the GDL
Catalog browser to the model space, the ob ject will
be placed as a 2D Symb ol block. You can switch
between 2D and 3D obje ct geometry with 2D/3D
Object Representation Switch.

My Favorite GDL Objects

The M y Favorite GDL Objects palet te can be

 accessed by clicking the Favorite Objects button on
the Main Palette. The My Favorite GDL Ob jects
palette allows you to save and easily recall your
frequently used objects. I f you choos e a stored
Favorite object, you can create an element that has
the same parameters and attributes as the Favorite
object. Conversely, you can add an object to the My
Favorite GDL Ob jects pale tte by simply dra gging it
from the GDL Catalog browser window. You can
place a favorite object in the model space with dra g
and drop.

Object manipulation with Common AutoCAD Functions

GDL objects p laced in an AutoCAD p roject file
behave like normal AutoCAD blocks when common
AutoCAD editin g functions are pe rformed on them.
In AutoC AD, several functions are available for the
selected GDL objects from the context menu (select
the object, then right-click the mouse). Most editin g
menu funct ions (e.g. Move, Rotate, Scal e) do not
affect the parametric nature of objects, even if GD L
Object A dapter is no t loaded or instal led. You can
duplicate the placed parametric objects by using the
'Copy' command from t he context menu. To change
the location of a n already placed GDL object, it is
sufficient to se lect the object and move it by its
anchor point.

Software requirements

{ Windows Vista / Windows XP

{ AutoCAD 2007-2009 or compatible AutoCAD Architecture version
{ QuickTime 7 or newer