New API features in ArchiCAD 11

This outline summarizes the major new features and changes in the API available with ArchiCAD 11.

• Element identification changes
  The unsigned long unId element unique ID has changed to an API_Guid Globally Unique IDentifier.
  • New structures API_Guid
  • Structures and enums modified
    • API_IOParams,
    • API_Elem_Head,
    • API_Base,
    • API_LblTitleID,
    • API_SectElemType,
    • API_NavigatorSet,
    • API_NavigatorItem,
    • API_DrawingLinkInfo,
    • API_DrawingType,
    • API_NotifyViewEventType,
    • API_DatabaseInfo
    • API_NotifyEventID
  • Function parameters modified
    • ACAPI_Element_Link,
    • ACAPI_Element_Unlink,
    • ACAPI_Element_GetLinks,
    • ACAPI_Element_GetLinkFlags,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_Create,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_Remove,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_GetTime,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_GetOperation,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_GetFlags,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_GetTargets,
    • ACAPI_Element_SolidLink_GetOperators,
    • ACAPI_ElementSet_Create,
    • ACAPI_ElementSet_GetData,
    • ACAPI_ElementSet_Identify,
    • APIDb_CheckDrawingStatusID
    • APIEnv_GetNavigatorItemID
    • APIEnv_GetNavigatorParentItemID
  • New functions
    • ACAPI_Element_UnIdToGuid,
    • ACAPI_Element_GuidToUnId,
    • APIDb_InitCreationOrderTableID,
    • APIDb_CreationOrderGetNextID,
    • APIDb_DisposeCreationOrderTableID
    • ACAPI_Element_GetMemo_byGuid
  • New container class in the API Output Framework CreationOrderElementContainer replaces UniqueIDElementContainer.
  • Renamed functions
    • APIDb_InitUnIDTableID to APIDb_InitGuidTableID,
    • APIDb_SearchUnIdID to APIDb_SearchGuidID,
    • APIDb_DisposeUnIDTableID to APIDb_DisposeGuidTableID,
    • APIDb_UnIdToElemHeadID to APIDb_GuidToElemHeadID
  • Removed functions APIDb_GetLastUsedUnIdID
• New functions
  • Helper function to dispose allocated workspace info: ACAPI_DisposeWorkspaceInfoHdls
  • Helper function to obtain a neig fast from the element type APIAny_ElemTypeToNeigID
• Other modified functions
  • Set the default visibility of an element, attribute, or info box settings panel: ACAPI_Register_SettingsPanel, ACAPI_Register_AttributePanel, ACAPI_Register_InfoBoxPanel
• Removed support for ArchiCAD 7.0 user data handling
  • Removed and modified structures, enums and types: API_ElementDBEventID, API_OldElemUserData, APIOldUserDataHandlerProc
  • Removed functions: ACAPI_Install_OldUserDataHandler, ACAPI_Register_OldUserDataOwner
• Attribute Management
  • Delete attributes in batches ACAPI_Attribute_DeleteMore
  • Length of attribute names raised up to 256 characters API_Attr_Head, API_NavigatorView
• Database
  • separate section and elevation database API_CutPlaneType, API_ElevationType, API_ViewNodeTypeID, API_WindowTypeID, API_NeigID, API_ElementMemo, API_WorkspaceInfo, ACAPI_RegisterModelessWindow
  • worksheet database, new worksheet marker element type API_WorksheetType, API_ViewNodeTypeID, API_WindowTypeID, API_NeigID, API_WorkspaceInfo, ACAPI_RegisterModelessWindow, ACAPI_Register_Subtype
  • interior elevation database and element type API_InteriorElevationType, API_ViewNodeTypeID, API_WindowTypeID, API_NeigID, API_ElementMemo, API_WorkspaceInfo, ACAPI_RegisterModelessWindow
    special memo mask ACAPI_Element_ChangeExt
  • long Unicode name and ID API_DatabaseInfo, API_NewWindowPars, API_DetailType, API_WorksheetType, API_SectionSegment
  • Manipulation
    • you can delete worksheet databases APIDb_DeleteDatabaseID
    • you can access all worksheet/section/elevation/interior elevation databases APIDb_GetSectionDatabasesID, APIDb_GetElevationDatabasesID, APIDb_GetInteriorElevationDatabasesID, APIDb_GetWorksheetDatabasesID
    • new function which indicates the end of the drawing order-based element walkthrough APIDb_DrawOrderTermID
    • you can access all worksheet databases APIDb_GetWorksheetDatabasesID
• Library parts
  • textual sections are can be now accessed in Unicode ACAPI_LibPart_GetSection, ACAPI_LibPart_UpdateSection, ACAPI_LibPart_AddSection
  • new context parameter ACAPI_LibPart_ShapePrims
  • long Unicode document and file name API_LibPart
  • description and string value are now Unicode API_AddParType, API_GetParamValuesType, API_ChangeParamType
  • long expressions in library part details API_LibPartDetails
  • GDL context is now passed to ShapePrims ACAPI_LibPart_ShapePrims
• Listing
  • new parameter ACAPI_ListData_GetLocal
• Attributes
  • Attribute search criteria precedence changed ACAPI_Attribute_Search
  • Attributes can be identified by Global Unique IDentifier API_Attr_Head, ACAPI_Attribute_Search
  • Pen records in PenTable arrays are indexed from 0 API_PenTableType, API_AttributeDefExt, APIDb_StartDrawingDataID
  • attributes now have long (256 character) names, optionally as a Unicode string API_Attr_Head
  • new layer flag indicating Xref layers API_LayerType
  • special percent (e.g. 75%) fill types are now easier to identify API_LayerType
  • textures now have long Unicode names API_Texture
• Automation
  • new file formats API_FTypeID, API_SavePars_Ifc
• Callbacks
  • save file name is now an IO::Name API_IOParams
  • new notifications to handle unId GUID conversion API_NotifyEventID
  • new notification which marks the end of an input process API_NotifyEventID
• Elements
  • link elements to their home storeys API_LinkToSettings, API_BeamType, API_ColumnType, API_LampType, API_MeshType, API_SlabType, API_ObjectType, API_RoofType, API_WallType
  • uncut line linetype API_BeamType, API_ColumnType, API_DoorType, API_WallType, API_WindowType
  • composite wall/complex element skin quantity information available ACAPI_Element_GetQuantities
  • simplified parameters for ACAPI_Element_yyyExt functions ACAPI_Element_GetDefaultsExt, ACAPI_Element_ChangeDefaultsExt, ACAPI_Element_CreateExt, ACAPI_Element_ChangeExt, API_MarkerMemoMask
  • new helper function to speed things up ACAPI_Element_GetHeader
• Environment
  • new on-screen view options API_OnScreenViewOptions
  • modificaton stamp in project info API_ProjectInfo
  • detect start edition in protection info API_ProtectionInfo
  • handle Virtual Trace records API_GhostRecord,
    APIEnv_CreateGhostRecordID, APIEnv_DeleteGhostRecordID, APIEnv_GetGhostRecordID

Note: You may also check the list of the new API features in the former ArchiCAD versions.