This section contains a fly-through of the new GDL features in ARCHICAD 29.

Archicad version-less library support

• Libraries (.gsm / .lcf / .libpack, saved from Archicad or created with LP_XMLConverter) can be opened in earlier Archicad versions (back to Archicad 28). If their GDL code and parameters conform to the earlier version, they will work as expected. If they use features not available in the earlier version, warnings, errors, missing symbols can be expected, but the code can be viewed/edited.
• In future Archicad versions it will be possible to roll back to previous versions of libraries without a plan file version change. This can be enabled with setting -1 as the version number in the migration table. Libraries already specifying this value don’t need to be released again to allow rollback in the next Archicad version: the same library can migrate back to a library released for Archicad 28 from Archicad 29 or Archicad 30.

Dark mode UI support

Libraries can provide UI images to support dark appearance on OS X.

MEP development

• Connection palette parameters

  Allow to quickly edit MEP connection parameters from pet palette using fixed named parameters: see the section called “Connection parameters”

• Route geometry

  New REQUESTs are available to query MEP route geometry, allowing to bypass parameter script run after changes, thus faster rebuild. Allowed by parameter MEP_RequestBased, returned by MEP_ROUTE_INFO.

• Route attributes

  Additional attributes in MEP_ROUTE_ATTRIBUTES that define the apperance of a MEP route: penContour and surface.

• Floor plan representation settings

  There are new settings and MVO options that determine how MEP elements should appear. Available in MEP_VIEW_INFO for non-route elements, and new key floorPlanAndSection.symbolicLoD in result of MEP_ROUTE_ATTRIBUTES for route elements.

Layout / Master layout viewpoint

VIEW_SUBTYPE gives information about whether an object is viewed on a layout or a master layout.