Archicad C++ API
About Archicad add-on development using the C++ API.
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Becoming an archichad extension developer

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I have been contacted as a potential C++ developer for achichad extensions, for a small business. Do i need to sign up for the entire software trial or is there some other downloadable for tool developers? Basically what is my first step here and how does licenses work for me?

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Karl Ottenstein
Moderator

You'll want to use the Graphisoft ID that you created to sign in here to sign up / sign in at the Developer site here:

 

https://archicadapi.graphisoft.com/start

 

You can download the (free) demo version of Archicad to test your add-ons.  Without  a developer ID (MDID), your add-ons cannot be used in the licensed version - but you can at least start while you wait for your application to be processed.  All of the API, tools for both Visual Studio and Xcode, and all documentation is freely available to learn and experiment with as well as a collection of sample add-ons with source code.

 

Do note elsewhere all of the restrictions of the (free) demo mode of Archicad - particularly you cannot save or print anything.

 

If you are able to use the business's own Archicad license, then you can fully develop your add-on once you have an MDID (to uniquely identify your add-ons and allow use with retail licenses).  If not, the page notes that a 1 year developer license is available.  I have no idea what the cost of that is.

 

One of the forum moderators
AC 28 USA and earlier   •   macOS Sequoia 15.2, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB

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Solution
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator

You'll want to use the Graphisoft ID that you created to sign in here to sign up / sign in at the Developer site here:

 

https://archicadapi.graphisoft.com/start

 

You can download the (free) demo version of Archicad to test your add-ons.  Without  a developer ID (MDID), your add-ons cannot be used in the licensed version - but you can at least start while you wait for your application to be processed.  All of the API, tools for both Visual Studio and Xcode, and all documentation is freely available to learn and experiment with as well as a collection of sample add-ons with source code.

 

Do note elsewhere all of the restrictions of the (free) demo mode of Archicad - particularly you cannot save or print anything.

 

If you are able to use the business's own Archicad license, then you can fully develop your add-on once you have an MDID (to uniquely identify your add-ons and allow use with retail licenses).  If not, the page notes that a 1 year developer license is available.  I have no idea what the cost of that is.

 

One of the forum moderators
AC 28 USA and earlier   •   macOS Sequoia 15.2, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB