Ralph wrote:
The ribbon concept
you echo the thousands of AutoCAD and Revit users from 3-4 years ago.
when the ribbon was first introduced as part of the Mac Office interface and then Windows Office (and then Vista/7 certified apps), not many people seemed to like it at first, but soon enough they got used to it. now it's impossible to find any user who would go back to the basic 80s style interface. it follows that most of the design aspects of OSX 10.7 will find their way into Windows8 in some fashion, and will invariably be an integral design element of any multi-platform software.
new users actually find it far easier to pick up than the old-school toolbars, there is no problem there at all. however, initially it is a productivity problem for existing users -- as with any new version of software it takes some time to adjust. the end result is net productivity gain, which has been repeatedly confirmed by multiple independent trials of the Microsoft Suite and Windows. the same was true for users switching from 2D to 3D design, CAD to BIM software. this is no minor tweak -- the visual aspect belies the complexity of the work, but the productivity benefits are equally far more than they appear at first glance.
a key drawback is you have to relearn where the icons are -- one problem is that Archicad's icons are so divorced from the graphic/CAD/BIM design industry standard that they would need a major overhaul of them, and redesigning them for the multiple sizes required by the ribbon is the ideal opportunity to do that.
the ribbon also typically has keyboard shortcuts assignable to all icons, something that is missing in Archicad (although you can assign many command to shortcuts this is not quite the same streamlined approach);
then there is the tear-off toolbars. even in Autodesk's 2012 suites it still lacks some cohesion -- you can save your workspace, but clicking in the wrong place will put all of your palettes back into the main ribbon again, which is not ideal -- similarly with Adobe CS5 (widely regarded as having some of the finest UI workflow of almost any software) your palettes jump back occasionally, but it's not much trouble to pull them out again;
one alternative is the ribbon's top quick-launch bar, where you can save dozens of your most used icons in the old-school small size -- this is a less than perfect arrangement, but most people when first switching to the ribbon-style interface, begin by hiding the ribbon and just using the quick-launch bar; that works some of the time, but given the dynamic design of the ribbon, some commands are contextual and only appear in certain ribbons at certain times, not allowing them to be added to the QLB;
some people criticized the dockable, fullscreen modes, however, they are entirely optional and the palettes and windows can be docked, locked or autohide at your command, so you don't need to use those if you don't wish to.
Graphisoft can continue to keep its' head in the sand, but usability is a key aspect for any new user -- and to convince new users and new corporate customers to migrate to Archicad rather than the competition will require a change of mindset -- these workflow gains are not only for existing users, but for architectural business competitiveness and long-term relevance of Archicad.
