topic Re: Working with other softwares-if required in Modeling

Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Sep 2004 17:32:10 GMT

Hello People

This might have been mentioned before, but what other softwares are easy to use with ArchiCAD? I see (correct me if I'm wrong) that creating free/wild forms on ArchiCAD is not as easy as in for e.g form-z. so I was wondering if I may use other softwares to substitue for what is not on ArchiCAD and I might not have discovered it yet. I found ArchiCAD very user friendly and very useful to create 3d views, renderings, BOQ's, Details and all that is needed in all stages of design. My concern here is in the 'very' initial stages of design or may be if I want to design a building with irregular forms.

I would love to see examples of such works on ArchiCAD.

regards

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 03:07:56 GMT

Have you tried Archiforma 2.0 from Cigraph?

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Djordje — Mon, 13 Sep 2004 18:13:02 GMT

saif wrote:
This might have been mentioned before, but what other softwares are easy to use with ArchiCAD? I see (correct me if I'm wrong) that creating free/wild forms on ArchiCAD is not as easy as in for e.g form-z. so I was wondering if I may use other softwares to substitue for what is not on ArchiCAD and I might not have discovered it yet.

The difference with FormZ (I suppose you are a graduate or a student of AUS, right?) has to be made clear - FormZ is primarily a MODELING software, therefore of course its freeform capabilities are more advanced.

The most used freeform modeling AddOn for ArchiCAD is ArchiForma, by Cigraph. The other one that was my champion until ArchiForma reached today's capabilities was GDL Toolbox. You could also look into ZoomGDL, that can work as a plugin or a standalone - I personally never liked the interface and the working method, which is a personal preference and has nothing to do with the software quality or capability.

The ultimate but not so graphical freedom of modeling in ArchiCAD is achieved through GDL scripting, but that is not really what you asked for

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:24:43 GMT

thank you Mark and Djordje

The information is very usefull. I will look into ArchiForma.
Djordje I'm not a graduate of AUS and I was surprised that your location says Dubai. where in Dubai? do you teach ArchiCAD here?

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Djordje — Fri, 17 Sep 2004 07:09:11 GMT

saif wrote:
Djordje I'm not a graduate of AUS and I was surprised that your location says Dubai. where in Dubai? do you teach ArchiCAD here?

Used to, 1999-2001 ... still using it very much. Contact me in PM.

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Sep 2004 17:13:27 GMT

sorry Djordje...but what do you mean by PM.
regards

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Djordje — Mon, 20 Sep 2004 17:16:22 GMT

saif wrote:
sorry Djordje...but what do you mean by PM.
regards

Private Message, not PlotMaker

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 15:12:42 GMT

People....Djordje...I found the 3d design shown below posted on archiforma website. This is similar to what I was trying to do, that rotating part in the cork head, but is it possible to do on archiCAD only? I tried many ways.didnt work.
http://www.archiforma.com/Gallery.htm
the link has a bigger picture, i didnt know how to enlarge it here.

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Karl Ottenstein — Tue, 28 Sep 2004 16:49:09 GMT

saif wrote:
People....Djordje...I found the 3d design shown below posted on archiforma website. This is similar to what I was trying to do, that rotating part in the cork head, but is it possible to do on archiCAD only? I tried many ways.didnt work.
http://www.archiforma.com/Gallery.htm
the link has a bigger picture, i didnt know how to enlarge it here.

If I understand correctly - the only rotating part is the screw (and hand grip): neither of these parts can be modeled in AC alone without GDL scripting (coding). But, both are very visually produced with ArchiForma (AF).

The shaft of the screw, and the partial dome that fits over the head of the bottle (I don't know what these parts are really called!) - can be produced inside of AC with the Profiler add-on. Click the Search link above and look for "Profiler" to learn about this tool. But, the screw threads would otherwise require scripting. And, you'll notice that all of the other parts are beveled. Without the bevel, you can make these parts out of slabs in AC. To have the bevel requires either GDL scripting ... or AF or similar. In AF, you draw the outline just as if you were going to magic wand it into a slab, but the AF extrusion tool gives the option of beveling either the top or bottom (or both) edges by a particular radius. Further, once you have created your beveled shape in AF, you can dynamically edit it with editable hotspots to change the radius and shape. And there's much more of course.

Karl

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 03:37:56 GMT

Sorry for late reply Karl, thank you. I have tried the profiler a few times before its a good tool. I guy my best choice would be to learn GDL scripting. But I will need the best sources/books for this and I hope its not a complicated thing though.

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Karl Ottenstein — Wed, 06 Oct 2004 17:22:12 GMT

saif wrote:
Sorry for late reply Karl, thank you. I have tried the profiler a few times before its a good tool. I guy my best choice would be to learn GDL scripting. But I will need the best sources/books for this and I hope its not a complicated thing though.

No problem - you're welcome! Don't forget ArchiForma and that you can build geometry in an external app and bring it in as a 3D GDL part, too.

But, to learn GDL, you'll want to look at the HTML of "Intro to Object Making with ArchiCAD", a book by David Nicholson-Cole that is distributed free in the help system of the 9.0 package. It is also available as a PDF on the installation CD. If you are not upgrading to 9, then borrow someone else's disk or ask for a demo package, since the book/help will install from there.

David is working on a new edition of his GDL Cookbook...

Karl

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 07:05:19 GMT

When it becomes possible to create free/wild forms in AC easily it will be the best CAD application in the world.

Still waiting...

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 10:56:41 GMT

thanks Karl.
I believe it has the potential Kliment.

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Richard Morrison — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 18:54:15 GMT

Karl wrote:
But, to learn GDL, you'll want to look at the HTML of "Intro to Object Making with ArchiCAD", a book by David Nicholson-Cole that is distributed free in the help system of the 9.0 package. If you are not upgrading to 9, then borrow someone else's disk or ask for a demo package, since the book/help will install from there.

Also available in the online help: http://www.graphisoft.com/support/archicad/documentation/

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 09:20:52 GMT

OK!

its been a while guys, I have check the script thing, doesn't look easy. but can someone post an example of how an object like the one attached can be done in script-I would also like to know if I can manipulate the surface/volume in any axis-

thanks Richard-source very helpfull.

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Karl Ottenstein — Mon, 15 Nov 2004 18:52:15 GMT

saif wrote:
but can someone post an example of how an object like the one attached can be done in script-

This question more properly belongs in the GDL forum, which is "Libraries / Library Parts / GDL". You might re-post over there. What you show looks a little more complex because of the material mapping, but it is really just a spiral ribbon, right? Not hard to do.

Karl

Re: Working with other softwares-if required

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 17:35:28 GMT

saif wrote:
This might have been mentioned before, but what other softwares are easy to use with ArchiCAD? I see (correct me if I'm wrong) that creating free/wild forms on ArchiCAD is not as easy as in for e.g form-z. so I was wondering if I may use other softwares to substitue for what is not on ArchiCAD and I might not have discovered it yet.

I'm about the last person who should be trying to answer this since I am a total Archicad newbie (and klutz), but that's never stopped me <g>.

I'd like to do the same thing, and as best as I can figure out, it *ought* to be possible by modelling the object you want in formZ, probably saving it as a library part (or symbol - I forget the terminology formZ uses), then exporting it as a DXF. Then, it ought to be possible to bring it into Archicad the same way one would bring in any other DWG or DXF object and convert it to an Archicad library part.

Now, as to exactly how to do all this, I have no idea, having never yet tried it myself, but if you know how to do both things, that ought to do the trick, I should think.

I'd welcome some pointers on doing this myself, if anyone feels so inclined, because it would sure save me a lot of trouble as well.

Sorry, guys, I'm doing about one project per year in AC; I just can't see buying all these add-ons or even upgrading to 9. I need to work with what I have.

Wendy