Google Connection / ArchiCAD Mac

[rm]

While watching an AC webinar today, they were demonstrating a great feature I was not aware, for good reason. If you run AC on Windows, you could import directly in AC any Sketchup models from Google 3D Warehouse.

The demo I was watching started on the Mac, but for this feature it was done in Windows. I figured they were just demonstrating parity between the Mac and Windows version of AC - not quite.

I was working on my Mac during the webinar. I went to GS to get the plugin to make it work with the Mac version of AC...... guess what, there is NO Mac version of the plugin, and according to the moderator of the AC Webinar, GS has no plans or time frame for creating the plugin for the Mac version of AC.

How could this be?!?!?!?! We all know ( including Graphisoft ) how dated and limited the available GDL objects and object libraries for AC are. Google has hundreds of thousands of objects available.

GS, PLEASE work with Google ASAP to get this plugin made for AC on the MAC.....this IS a greatly needed plugin.

If you use AC on a Mac, I would encourage you to contact your reseller and GS to let them know you would like have this feature built into the Mac version of AC.

[Karl Ottenstein]

rm wrote:
Im guessing you are using AC11 instead of AC12 if you are using the Google connection plug-in, yes?

Yes, the plug-in for AC 12 is not posted yet:
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/solutions/ge_earth_connections_download.html

it would seem jumping into AC12 right now might not be the best move if you depend on the use of those plug-ins.

Yes, while some 3rd parties manage to release their add-ons with each new release - and GS does for some of their add-ons - there are yet others that do not arrive for some months. At least Cigraph gave a timeline (this month), although to me it is inexcusable since they were part of the beta process and could have released their add-ons on time just like Cadimage and Encina. [They are switching to hardware protection keys, too, which is why I no longer recommend purchasing Cigraph add-ons at all.] There is no timeline posted on the site above from Graphisoft for the Google Earth Connection.

Cheers,
Karl

[Anonymous]

I am finding the current discussion of keen interest. But can any one tell me why the roundtrip conversion doesn't seem work with the Google Earth Plugin?

After I've successfully uploaded a Model from ArchiCAD (version 11 + 12) to 3-D Warehouse, why is it not possible to bring that same Model back into ArchiCAD (V11/V12)?

Here is my Model example:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=856e77238da5d7d1ed45e36cde4e53

I have tried everything from Importing directly from 3-D warehouse into ArchiCAD, as well as downloading the Model from Google Warehouse as a SketchUp 5 (.skp),Google Earth 4 (.kmz) and Collada (.zip) and then trying a File - File Special - Merge
No luck. It seems to try and start to place the object and then it just seems to fail.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated.