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ArchiCAD model to Rhino3D

Anonymous
Not applicable
Is there a way to bring ArchiCAD model to Rhino without losing some of the geometry of the model? I tried to export as .3dm and with all the options available, but in Rhino I realized out of tens of windows I had created on ArchiCAD, I now had only three left while on Rhino. Any advice?
8 REPLIES 8
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi everyone!

I have problem with ArchiCAD while trying to save the file in .3dm format to work with it on other softwares: ArchiCAD loses some of the model's objects when saved in .3dm. I've saved the file in .3dm format and tried opening it on multiple softwares, including ArchiCAD itselft, and some of the windows and objects have disappeared from the model - and it looks exatly the same on every software. I've also gone through every potential setting in save as .3dm options.

Any advice?
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
Please do not double post your questions. If you receive no answers it can be because because other users have no suggestions. Also add name, platform and AC version to your signature to make it easier to help.

Anyway try first to export only one wall with windows instead of the whole model to see if the problem is the complexity of the model. Also you can try other export formats since Rhino can read almost all if the formats that AC can export to.
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

Anonymous
Not applicable
I created a new topic since my problem doesn't consider just Rhino anymore. It's the whole .3dm format which isn't working. All I have on my ArchiCAD model is 20 windows (all of them are the same), walls and 7 identical slabs in 6 stories. I'd understand if I had huge and extremely complicated model, but I don't want to even think what kind of disaster that would be, if ArchiCAD can't even handle this childishly simplistic model.

What the model does is it creates only 3 of those windows into the 3dm format. Rest of the windows are just holes. I would like to find a format that would best suit Rhino, so that I could use just one method and wouldn't have to go through all these test runs every single time I want take my ArchiCAD model to Rhino.

I also tried convertin all the windows into mesh, but it would destoy the windows frames by making the glass and the frame the same material.
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
I just did a quick export with base settings and everything came in fine. So we have to look at other problems,
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

Anonymous
Not applicable
How did you export the model? And what windows did you use?

Edit: I don't even get different layers on my .3dm file, except bearing and non-bearing.
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
Save as 3DM in the 3D window
And regular USA windows
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

Anonymous
Not applicable
I tried with built-in library as well, got all the windows removed. Tried with default settings as well.


I've been using ARCHICAD Library 22 - 1.3 Windows 22 - Basic Windows 22 - Horizontal Multi-Sash Window 22. With that I get few windows but not more. This is getting weird Could it be Windows operating system? Or the student version of the software?

Edit: With .3ds seems to be working the way it should, .skp has everything but it edits some materials (which isn't that important) and makes the file extremely laggy. I can work with .3ds but would love to get .3dm to work, as I'm a bit sceptical on whether .3ds will always work or not. Also, I would love to get all windows, walls, slabs etc. on different layers, now they're all on the same layer.
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
Check that you have the latest versions of both. It could be a "memory issue" or the export is failing for other reasons. You could try to export from another computer too. At a minimum do a restart and with only AC running do the export.

Attached used settings
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator