Favorites Palette 2.0! – Free add-on for Archicad 29 [ad]

[Allan_Fx]

Hey everyone!

This is my first post here, and I'd like to kick things off by sharing something I built with AI — a tool I've been missing in Archicad.

You know when you put together a furniture set or a "kit" of objects that keeps repeating across different projects, and there's no native way to save all of them as a reusable favorite? That's exactly the problem this add-on solves.

What it does?

You select a group of objects and/or lamp in plan, give it a name, and save it all as a single favorite!

Afterward, just double-click the favorite and place it wherever you want — with the option to rotate 90° before dropping it (spacebar).

You can replace an already-placed group with another one in the same spot, search by name, rename, move between folders, and even import favorites from someone else in your office.

What gets saved in each favorite isn't just the geometry — it also includes size, parameters, classification, and properties... everything comes along, identical to the original.

The palette is dockable on the side of ArchiCAD, just like the native palettes.

Why I made it?

In my opinion, this is a feature that could easily exist natively in ArchiCAD — saving a favorite made of a set of elements — but since it doesn't, I decided to build the tool myself.

Requirements

Works on ArchiCAD 29 on Windows, with the latest update installed.

Only saves Objects and lamps (other element types in the selection are ignored).

Installation

Open the Options menu > Extension Manager > Add

Look for the "Favorite Groups.apx" file below for download

The palette will appear under a new menu called "RGM"

Download the Add-on!

I also attached a short video of it in action!

Hope it's useful to someone,

Enjoy!

P.S. I can't attach the .apx file directly to the post, so I put it in a Drive folder for download.

Edit 1:
I made an update so that Labels are now also included in the group, keeping the original appearance of the text box and leader lines! Updated file available for download on Drive.

Edit 2:
New version available, capable of saving texts, lines, arcs, polylines, hatches, and dimensions in your favorites group! This version also prevents a crash in some cases where an older object is saved in the group.

Known bug: Avoid rotating the group before inserting it into the floor plan if it contains a dimension, as it is not being rotated along with the rest — this causes a discrepancy in the measured value.

Edit 3:
This update fixes an issue that occurred with objects containing MEP information and connections, where the add-on could crash ArchiCAD or fail to insert the object correctly. This bug is now resolved, and I believe we have a stable version that works for the vast majority of cases! 

[Ahmed_K]

very good job , i can see this to evolve toward a great new tool in the toolbar , : Group tool , we can assemble for exemple a window with custom jambs , or a set of table +  chairs etc

[Botonis]

I believe that the whole UI of this addon should follow the Favourites Pallete. Pictures, Names Folders, apply method etc.

This can be the absolute replacement of the Favourites Pallete.

Obviously this is in theory as I don't know what are the exact background difficulties to achieve this.

[Funfun Yan]

Thank you so much! 

[Allan_Fx]

Hello! I have two small updates to share.

Update 1
I made some adjustments and added the ability to export selected favorites to a separate .TXT file, making it easier to share between collaborators!

Update 2
Labels are now also included in the group, preserving the original appearance of the text box and leader lines! Updated file available for download on the Drive.

Also, a big thank you to @Zaid Haddad for selecting this post as a "Tip of the Month"! 😀

[Funfun Yan]

Dear Allan, I suddenly had an idea: could your plugin's concept be used to develop a "super group" feature that enhances AC's native group functionality? This would allow for nested groups, where a parent group could be opened to edit the content of its child groups, and then closed again. Of course, I'm not sure if this feature would be useful, but I just feel that AC's built-in group function is too weak.

[Funfun Yan]

I think there are some infos need to translate to INT version. 🙂 

[Botonis]

Are you referring to a hybrid hotlink functionality?

[Funfun Yan]

It's a bit different. Although I've considered similar hybrid hotlink functionality, like components in SketchUp, I consulted with friends who do AC development, and they said that due to the nature of BIM software, we can't simply copy the concepts of components or blocks. Perhaps everyone hopes for a "block" function that is quick and easy to use in the conceptual design phase. But to be honest, I've pretty much given up on that idea.

[Zaid Haddad]

Hi Allan! Thanks for sharing the updates! We’ve updated the post with both of these additions.

You can find the updated post here: https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Graphisoft-Insights/Tip-of-the-Month-group-and-save-reusable-fur...

And thank you as well for sharing your knowledge with the community and for continuing to inspire others with your work! It’s great to see how the tool keeps evolving. 

Best regards,

Zaid

[Allan_Fx]

@Funfun Yan Fixed!

Also, a new version is now available, capable of saving texts, lines, arcs, polylines, hatches, and dimensions in your favorites group!

This version also prevents a crash in some cases where an older object is saved in the group.

Known bug: Avoid rotating the group before inserting it into the floor plan if it contains a dimension, as it is not being rotated along with the rest — this causes a discrepancy in the measured value.