Archi***** - Productivity tools. do you use any of them?

[Anonymous]

hello i saw in this website in productivity tools for archicad software that i dont use. like archistair archiforma archiglazing. please tell me if you use them and why?

[Anonymous]

Joseph wrote:
CadImage products are very useful but have had problem with above issues, bugs in there products and not a good tech support.

Cigraph's customer service isn't exactly stellar, either. I've been trying to get my ArchiStair upgraded for almost *three weeks* now, utterly without success.

Their website is down half the time I try to log on, so I couldn't order the upgrade through them and get the serial number right away. Objects Online has to jump through their hoops before they will issue a serial number.

And God help you if, like me, you find yourself having to replace your hardware key, because your Cigraph add-ons will stop working, and you will not be able to upgrade them without a major hassle.

Almost 3 weeks ago, Fabrizio told me he would reset my serial number since I couldn't find it when he got a message from my reseller showing the hardware key had been replaced, so I forwarded him the message from Graphisoft documenting it had been sent.

So, did I get the reset number? No. Fabrizio claimed he never got the forwarded email. And even after resending it, he *still* didn't reset the unlock code, or whatever the hell they call it. When I wrote him to remind him the other day, all he did was tell me to download the demo, that I didn't need the old registration ID for that!

As if that solves my problem - particularly since the demo version only allows you to do 10 commands.

Not 10 staircases, mind you, or 10 days' worth of use - but 10 *commands* - including modifying existing staircases. So, if you're novice at this program like I am, you may not get very far on even *one* staircase, if you need to make modifications after you first create it.

So, once you even figure out how to load the damned thing in the first place, which is the world's worst pain in the ass to actually get it working, you *still* find yourself with just a demo version despite having purchased the software.

I am so pissed right now I could just spit.

Wendy

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
While I would like a scripting language in Archicad, I'm not sure GDL is the route to go with it. That seems like a very different function in the program.

Well a scripting langruage that can interact with GDL will do. When i say interact with gdl objects i mean change gdl parameters using script

[Fabrizio Diodati]

Dear Wendy,

for sure when an user has a trouble the fault is us… in any way, also because in the better case there has been a lack of communication between us and the final user.
Starting from this point let me summarize what is happened (at least from our side).
You contacted me by saying you downloaded the ArchiStair update but that it was running as demo version (11/7/2006 is your first e-mail to me… 10 days ago and not *three weeks*! If the matter started before I can only address the trouble the user notify us so… 10 days ago).
The reason because ArchiStair was not working is that the compatibility updates for ArchiCAD 10 are not free of charge.
Also in this site I posted this new, all the Distributors know about it and… I don’t know how we can better inform the user about this.
BTW, your first e-mail subject was “ArchiStair for Archicad v10” so it was clear for me (probably this was my fault) that you was asking for the version for ArchiCAD 10.
In the same day you wrote me another e-mail (the third one because you addressed my first reply, where I explained you should buy the compatibility update, saying I was right…) saying you bought the compatibility update from Objects Online (that means OOL sent you the new Registration ID needed to get the new unlock code) but that you wasn’t able to download the software.
In this last period our web site is under maintenance but here started the “mystery” for me: in the first e-mail you told you was not able to use ArchiStair under AC 10… just the Registration ID was missing so… why did you need to download the software once again?
Never mind.
You wrote “Objects Online has to jump through their hoops before they will issue a serial number”: quite simple the reason, to provide the user or the Distributor with one of this Registration ID we need the previous Registration ID!
The compatibility update costs just 15 Euro so we have to be sure we are selling ArchiStair for AC 10 to an existing user… otherwise anybody could get the software for 15 Euro instead of 86 Euro!

“And God help you if, like me, you find yourself having to replace your hardware key, because your Cigraph add-ons will stop working, and you will not be able to upgrade them without a major hassle. “
What I need to reset a Registration ID when an user change the dongle is, quite simply, the Registration ID itself! If the user don’t have anymore the Registration ID I cannot reset it.
Please, try to imagine to ask Graphisoft to substitute a dongle you don’t have anymore: just the same!
BTW, I never received any communication from anybody saying you got substituted your AC dongle.

You wrote “Almost 3 weeks ago, Fabrizio told me he would reset my serial number since I couldn't find it when he got a message from my reseller showing the hardware key had been replaced, so I forwarded him the message from Graphisoft documenting it had been sent.

First: unfortunately I never received your e-mail regarding the dongle substitution.
Second: once again, not three weeks but 10 days ago
Third: how can explain you that I cannot reset a Registration ID if you don’t tell me your Registration ID?

“When I wrote him to remind him the other day, all he did was tell me to download the demo, that I didn't need the old registration ID for that!”

To download the software you DO NOT need anything!
At that point you had the Registration ID (bought from OOL), you had the software (I just suggested you to download it once again) so… what was the trouble?

“Not 10 staircases, mind you, or 10 days' worth of use - but 10 *commands* - including modifying existing staircases.”
BTW ArchiStair when run in demo version let you do less than this: you can only browse the dialog windows nothing else!
When you use ArchiCAD Demo version you can do a lot of things but you cannot save the project so…

Just as happy end today you wrote me you finally found your Registration ID, both the new one (that one sold by OOL) and the previous one.

I just reset the old one (sorry for the late but I have before to reply to your post here!): as usual, as the user send me the Registration ID I immediately reset it… without it I cannot reset anything!

What is still a mystery… sorry again for my stupidity… is that I checked on our webserver database the status of the new Registration ID (that one you bought from OOL and that you need to use ArchiStair under ArchiCAD 10) and… YOU STILL DIDN’T USE IT!!!!

So, please, could you be so kind to explain me how can I help you?

Friendly (really!)
Your
Fabrizio

[Anonymous]

Fabrizio,

Sorry, I miscounted the days.

Still, it shouldn't take two weeks to get a piece of software updated, especially when time is absolutely critical. I'm going to fail my class if I don't get these stairs finished, and I've been waiting to be able to run ArchiStair again. I have no idea how else to build these things, without your program. The entire project is hanging on these stairs - they are *the* central element of the program. The whole thing fails without them.

And I've been spending way too much time just trying to find old serial numbers that you ought to have a record of - and that I *told* you I didn't have because I had a fire in my house and can't find most of the things I need.

I'm completely confused about registration codes, unlock codes, serial numbers, or whatever. You seem to need a whole handful of different codes to get your software to work, and I don't know one from another. All I know is that since I got my new dongle, even the version 9 doesn't work with AC9 any more! And the version 10 update allows me *10 commands*, and no more. It then completely quits working.

All I really know is that much as I've liked this program, it's been nothing but one giant pain in the ass to install in all the versions I've had, and to keep it updated. It's been nothing but trouble - and that's why I haven't bought any of your other products. And it's also why the moment I find anything else that does stairs even half as well, I am going to buy that and never look at Cigraph programs again. I've simply never seen any other software that is *so* difficult to get installed and keep updated.

I don't know what to say about the emails. You get all of my other messages, I've now sent you the Graphisoft messages confirming that they replaced my dongle twice, and Daniel has also written to you directly from Graphisoft, and still you tell me you haven't gotten *any* of *those* messages, despite the fact that we sent them to this very same address??? I can see one going astray, but *three*??? And all three of them just so happen to be the specific documentation from Graphisoft that you asked for before you would be willing to reset whatever it was you need to reset so my software works with my new dongle?

Sorry, but I'm having a very had time believing this.

What more do you want me to do to prove to you that I have a new dongle? I *can't* give you the old number - I don't have the dongle any more. Graphisoft makes you send the damaged ones back. I exchanged it months ago.

And I *told* you I had a fire in my house and didn't have the original registration code (or whatever you call it) any more. You told me you'd reset it when you got documentation from Graphisoft that they'd sent me a new dongle I finally found the code in an ancient email, and sent it to you - and you *still* haven't sent me whatever it is I need to get this update working.

You've been very nice and jolly - but you still haven't solved my problem, and frankly, that's the only thing I care about right now. And when I tried to call your office the other day to speak with you directly, at what ought to have been 10am your time, all I got was a recording and an answering machine.

I redownloaded the update the other day because I cancelled the original order of the update from Objects Online. They sent me a new serial number.

But Fabrizio, my software *still* *does not work*. I don't care what you think it *should* do - it doesn't. It gives me *10 commands* with each new installation - and then quits completely. And it says that this is the demo mode. It certainly isn't fully functional mode. The new serial number that Objects Online sent me (which it took them several days to get because your website has been constantly down) ***DOES NOT WORK***.

That's right - the v10 ArchiStair update will *not* *accept* the new number I got from Objects Online. It tells me I need some other code, that the one I have is invalid - presumably the dongle. I put in the old code from the AC9 version that I finally found after days of searching for it (when I should have been working on my project) - and it rejected it.

I've paid for the damned update, and I can't use it. The old version won't even work in AC9 any more, and I've had that for years, apparently all because my dongle broke and I had to get a new one. For God's sake, *please* do whatever you need to do to get this thing working with my new dongle.

Fabrizio, I'm not a complete stranger to you. You know who I am, we've corresponded several times before about prior versions, you have records that I own the program and that I've paid for the update. Why can't you just reset the code you said you'd reset at the beginning of this whole exchange so the software I've paid for will work?????

I've sent you all the numbers that I have. I've lost count of how many emails I've sent you about this - all of them containing my original messages that you could have referred back to.

Please just do whatever you have to do to get this thing working.

Wendy

[Fabrizio Diodati]

Dear Wendy,

I don't want to write another long e-mail… you can suspect I received you e-mails and I didn’t want to answer you but… why?
Ok, never mind.

The only thing I agree with you is the fact the probably you misunderstand some things.
Let me try to summarize these facts.

Registration ID:
When someone buy a Cigraph plug-in get a Registration ID that identify the product and the version of the product.
This Registration ID is needed to get an unlock code.

Unlock code:
This is a number needed to unlock the software and let the user utilize the plug-in as full version.
Without unlock code the software work as demo version.

I just checked once again (as I write here on my last post I did the same the last time… and I write you about this!) our web server database and your Registration ID (that one you bought from OOL and that start with 11350XXXXXXXX – I cannot write the whole number otherise someone else could use it to serialize his ArchiStair) is still free, that means you still didn’t use it to serialize your new ArchiStair for ArchiCAD 10!!!

What you have to do (as usual!) is to start ArchiStair and when the serialization window appears (IMAGE 1), type this Registration ID on the proper field (just below the ArchiCAD dongle serial number), then type on the connect button.

You will be connected to our web server database, click on the OK >>> button (IMAGE 2).

A new web page will appear showing your unlock code (THIS IS THE CODE YOU NEED TO SERIALIZE THE PLUG-IN).

Write down (and please preserve it!) this unlock code and select/copy it from the web page.

Quit your Internet browser.

Come back to ArchiCAD (the serialization window is still there opened in front of you).
Click on the serialize button. (IMAGE 3)

Paste in the proper field the unlock code you just copied (IMAGE 4).

Click serialize and ArchiStair will work!

For sure you already performed this procedure when you serialize the previous version of ArchiStair.

Friendly
Fabrizio

[Fabrizio Diodati]

second image...

[Fabrizio Diodati]

the third one...

[Fabrizio Diodati]

the last one...

[Anonymous]

Hi! Found this forum while searching for more info about ArchiStair. I'm fairly new to all these productivity tools but I will definitely consider your suggestions and keep in mind the tips you've mentioned. Especially what Tom Waltz said about preferring object-only tools instead of object-plus-add-on tools. Thanks!