topic Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time in Modeling

The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Laszlo Nagy — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 16:21:14 GMT

GRAPHISOFT has created a very short, one-question survey that asks you to tell them the ARCHICAD feature/trick/workflow that helps you save the most time.
You can fill out the survey here:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MLD8WG9

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Eduardo Rolon — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 17:07:11 GMT

There is no easy answer to that one.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 19:41:03 GMT

Printing.

It is much quicker to print 6 sets of drawings than to draw 6 sets by hand.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Eduardo Rolon — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 20:10:08 GMT

Publishing to PDF!

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Brett Brown — Mon, 03 Oct 2016 20:52:43 GMT

Wouldn't it be a revelation if Graphisoft actually sent us all individually a questionnaire on what WE thought needed improved,changed etc, instead of Graphisoft doing what THEY think we want.

I get short surveys from Company's I deal with all the time asking us users how they can improve there service etc which I appreciate. They are forward thinking Company's wanting there clients opinion.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Bricklyne Clarence — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 20:43:58 GMT

Brett wrote:
Wouldn't it be a revelation if Graphisoft actually sent us all individually a questionnaire on what WE thought needed improved,changed etc, instead of Graphisoft doing what THEY think we want.

.....

Good luck with that.

To steal a quote from Forrest Gump,...each new version of ArchiCAD is like a box of chocolates with each new "feature" representing a different flavor of chocolate.

You're just left to hope that when you get a new box each year and open it up, it's not full of dark chocolate and nuts (if you're like me and hate dark chocolate, or are like-wise allergic to nuts)

*Apologies to people who love dark chocolate and nutty flavors.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Brett Brown — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 22:09:18 GMT

"Good Luck with that" :lol:

Another way would be if Graphisoft would send us all a list of possible future enhancements and then we rate them in priority of usefulness to us.

Also I'd love to know the percentage of seats of Archicad that are used mostly in the residential housing market all over the world. Surely they actually survey there re-sellers on this.

Which leads me to the "Solo" version. Unfortunately not available in this part of the world for I know a stupid reason, "Live subscriptions" Why in this day and age can't we subscribe to this version, from anywhere in the world, to Graphisoft HQ or any re-seller from any country?

Especially the English version perhaps?

We all use content, addons etc from different parts of the world. It really annoys me to be told that my subscription money is supporting a version I can't purchase.

From my quick google search on prices of Solo, it's half the price of full Archicad and so assuming the yearly upgrade would be the same. Perhaps someone who is using Solo could clarify this.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 02:16:28 GMT

Brett wrote:
"Good Luck with that" :lol:

Another way would be if Graphisoft would send us all a list of possible future enhancements and then we rate them in priority of usefulness to us.

Also I'd love to know the percentage of seats of Archicad that are used mostly in the residential housing market all over the world. Surely they actually survey there re-sellers on this.

Which leads me to the "Solo" version. Unfortunately not available in this part of the world for I know a stupid reason, "Live subscriptions" Why in this day and age can't we subscribe to this version, from anywhere in the world, to Graphisoft HQ or any re-seller from any country?

Especially the English version perhaps?

We all use content, addons etc from different parts of the world. It really annoys me to be told that my subscription money is supporting a version I can't purchase.

From my quick google search on prices of Solo, it's half the price of full Archicad and so assuming the yearly upgrade would be the same. Perhaps someone who is using Solo could clarify this.

Hi Brett, Is there a difference between the Solo Version you are talking about and the Start Version now? I have the full version but do not need teamwork but I do like having Cinarender.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Barry Kelly — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 03:46:32 GMT

Look at the comparison chart at the end of this web page.

http://www.graphisoft.com/archicad/start-edition/

Start Edition 2016 seems to be a cut down version of Archicad 19 so automatically you are missing out on any new version 20 features.

I am not sure if there are differences between the 'Start' and 'Solo' version or if it is just a name thing.

Barry.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Anonymous — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 05:52:01 GMT

https://archvista.com/product/archicad-solo/

Looks like Solo is slightly better than Start Edition.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Barry Kelly — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 06:02:13 GMT

mthd wrote:
Looks like Solo is slightly better than Start Edition.

It looks to me like it has the same main feature limitations - just that it is version 20 and not 19.

I am not sure if 'Solo' and/or 'Start' are available in all markets.

Barry.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Karl Griffith — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 11:28:57 GMT

ArchiCAD 20 Solo is the same as ArchiCAD 20 except it does NOT have:

1. Cine Render

2. Teamwork

3. Hot Linked Modules.

4. X-ref functionality is limited.

I did the 30 day trial with 19, then bought 19 Solo. Looks pretty much the same except for the above. I am now on 20 Solo, and from viewing the videos on the new features, I'd say 20 Solo is the same as 20, less the 4 items noted above. I'm a relatively new user, so this is not an in depth analysis.

Relative to the original topic, I suppose the answer as to what saves the most time is relative to what you compare it to. But comparing to the software I used for the last 6 years or so (a BIM type software with a very small user base), I would say that there are a whole host of ArchiCAD features that significantly save time. In 3 months I could model faster in ArchiCAD than I could in the previous program. And while I have not produced a lot of 2d documentation yet, the Project Map/View Map/Layout Book and Publisher have proven very intuitive and efficient.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 17:28:22 GMT

Shouldn't the survey be on which item takes the *most* time???

Also a very broad category, but at least then GS might get an idea of what issues users are struggling with rather than focusing on features that already exist...

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Anonymous — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 21:07:16 GMT

Shouldn't the survey be on which item takes the *most* time???

Great one.
I've got another -
What's the main feature missing or stopping us from doing our jobs more efficiently or accurately?

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Rex Maximilian — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 00:15:35 GMT

Not necessarily a feature but Graphisoft's history of "borrowing" Windows system features that were lacking on macOS and implementing them internally inside of ArchiCAD.

Two that come to mind specifically is having the interface be contained inside of a dynamically resized frame (something only Windows had) and being able to run a second instance of ArchiCAD. Both of these items were handled by the Windows operating system as a whole, but were introduced to the Mac version of ArchiCAD internally.

Using the two together allows for running two ArchiCADs side by side in split screen and not having to constantly switch between the two apps, especially if the two files are linked and need to be work on together. An added bonus is using split screen and having your markups running in the other split screen. It is advisable to create a special Workspace Environment specifically for split screen view.

(see screen caps)

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Steve Jepson — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 00:21:44 GMT

The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time?
Copy and Paste

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Bricklyne Clarence — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 02:28:29 GMT

Rex wrote:
Not necessarily a feature but Graphisoft's history of "borrowing" Windows system features that were lacking on macOS and implementing them internally inside of ArchiCAD.

Two that come to mind specifically is having the interface be contained inside of a dynamically resized frame (something only Windows had) and being able to run a second instance of ArchiCAD. Both of these items were handled by the Windows operating system as a whole, but were introduced to the Mac version of ArchiCAD internally.

Using the two together allows for running two ArchiCADs side by side in split screen and not having to constantly switch between the two apps, especially if the two files are linked and need to be work on together. An added bonus is using split screen and having your markups running in the other split screen. It is advisable to create a special Workspace Environment specifically for split screen view.

(see screen caps)

As an adjunct (or B-side,.....or remix,...or followup) to this, it would be great if in one of the future versions (sometime in our lifetimes hopefully,......please...) Graphisoft went the other way and borrowed or got a MacOS feature (or ArchiCAD operating in MacOS environment) feature and found someway to integrate it into the Windows side as well.

And that feature would be TRUE multi-monitor usage capability like they currently have on the Mac side and which is still conspicuously visibly missing and lacking on the Windows side of things.

Especially when you consider the fact that the impediment to having this on Windows side of things isn't actually,.....Windows.
Most of ArchiCAD's other competitors (quite possibly all of them at this stage) are fully true Multi-monitor capable on Windows including those that are dual platform.
So clearly Windows isn't the problem here.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Rex Maximilian — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 06:29:49 GMT

A few years ago while I was still a reseller/trainer, I was helping a client get setup for efficiency, etc. He was a Windows user and he purchased a monster machine with two monitors. He had to "stretch" the app window across two monitors. I just cringed!

Bricklyne wrote:
As an adjunct (or B-side,.....or remix,...or followup) to this, it would be great if in one of the future versions (sometime in our lifetimes hopefully,......please...) Graphisoft went the other way and borrowed or got a MacOS feature (or ArchiCAD operating in MacOS environment) feature and found someway to integrate it into the Windows side as well.

And that feature would be TRUE multi-monitor usage capability like they currently have on the Mac side and which is still conspicuously visibly missing and lacking on the Windows side of things.

Especially when you consider the fact that the impediment to having this on Windows side of things isn't actually,.....Windows.
Most of ArchiCAD's other competitors (quite possibly all of them at this stage) are fully true Multi-monitor capable on Windows including those that are dual platform.
So clearly Windows isn't the problem here.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Rex Maximilian — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 06:33:26 GMT

I would also have to say the "Trace" tool (added in v11 I believe) and its rich feature set is one the hall-of-fame feature enhancements of an older feature (ghost stories). It revolutionized my workflow.

Re: The ARCHICAD feature that saves the most time

Bricklyne Clarence — Sun, 28 Jul 2019 00:45:28 GMT

Rex wrote:
A few years ago while I was still a reseller/trainer, I was helping a client get setup for efficiency, etc. He was a Windows user and he purchased a monster machine with two monitors. He had to "stretch" the app window across two monitors. I just cringed!

LOL!!

I can relate to that.
But in a slightly different way.
Not that long ago I saw a colleague I was working with having to similarly "stretch" Vectorworks across two monster (4K) monitors he was using to get the most out his hardware purchase investment.
I similarly cringed at that.
But that was Vectorworks version 2011 (an 8 year old version).

Vectorworks has been fully and truly multi-monitor capable now for a couple of versions already, I believe.

Which is where I got my second cringe when I realized that the latest version of ArchiCAD is no better than the 8 year old (FORMER former former....) version of Vectorworks in this specific regard.

I don't see how Graphisoft developers see something like this and not feel totally, or to some degree just embarrassed by it.
I know I was for them, and just sad for myself and other ArchiCAD users on Windows (which would be the majority of ArchiCAD users).