Maxon Freeform in ArchiCad

[Anonymous]

"SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – JUNE PROMOTION!

Graphisoft and Maxon are happy to announce a new partner solution for ArchiCAD called FreeForm. Based on Cinema 4D, FreeForm allows users of ArchiCAD to edit elements of building models as parametric primitives; with extrusions, holes, planes, points and paths; or with deformers and form generators, providing total design freedom!"


I'm not sure what this is, but it sounds pretty interesting. Total design freedom? I like that. Anyone care to comment.

[Anonymous]

To make the devils advocate, i see a good and a bad thing.

The good is obvious. We will have some kind of 3d tools for archicad.

The bad is that they we cannot expect native 3d modeling tools with gdl support. This is obvious too. I dont think that maxon would make such a plugin if GS would support native 3d capibilities soon.

I wish we would have gdl numbs and other modeling tools avaliable in gdl.

Gdl is a nice tool but needs user interaction and more modelling tools.

Unfortunately i suspect gs would not make a breakthrough in the next version as i suspected (i thought the 10th version would be a celebretional on with breakthroughs in designing, but i guess i was dreaming)

[stefan]

I thought pricing would be a little under $500.

[Rob]

Well, I see GS effort there trying to make AC more flexible, but why doing that by so clunky approach for god's sake. I agree that maxon has perfect tools for object squashing and tweaking etc. It is a quite good software by itself but not for architects. AC has a capability transforming or assembling/disassembling the space to 2D symbolic worlds representing by plans and sections which make it so successful in the world of architecture.
Give me a break with saved gdl objects that have a dodgy plan representation and are absolutely dead to any AC tools (apart from SEO that is not more reliable then a Chinese 'waterproof' watch at the moment).
Yet another disadvantage is a completely different interface of Maxon as a part of AC, and it's happening just a year after a major cry for unified and consistent AC interface (that had happened, thanks god, to some extent).
I'd prefer to have NATIVE BASIC TOOLS within AC, perhaps as a part of extended (AND BLOODY RELIABLE) SEO tools that would include some sweeping and tweaking objects which would stay as objects, so a tweaked wall will be a wall with all its attributes, functions and a proper plan representation.

In conclusion, the solution is here yet again half cooked without a proper thought about consequences and implementation. We indeed need the GDL modeling tools solution but I don't think is the right one this time as it is a pretty much useless in the real world of architectural practice, GS! Should I say ‘Wake Up’ perhaps?!

[Wokka]

Couldn't agree more. I've always been worried about Archicad sorting out their fundamental building objects instead of adding more and more 'not quiet there' functions. Can anyone build an editable curved roof yet (that doesn't show all of the smaller roofs it's made from)? Will the freeform tool enable this creation and simply add a skylight window?

I really think this sort of work should be kept inside ArchiCad with better modelling tools so we have control how it looks in elevation, how it prints, how to insert windows and doors etc. Sure it's great to use freeform modelling but we need to generate drawing to build the thing!

My dealer has also advised me that the plugin will not work with an existing C4D license. Can anyone verify this?

[Anonymous]

This Maxon Freeform and AC plugin, does anyone how they differ from the existing Maxon C4D plugin for Archicad?

I can see that Maxon Freeform is a stripped down version of C4D, but if one already owns C4D (and all of the rendering that comes with it) why buy a $450 program (FreeForm) when there is a $99 C4D plugin already available for AC?

In other words, does the new offering (FreeFrom) offer something that the older C4D Archicad plugin does not?

[Karl Ottenstein]

MaxonForm is stripped down from C4D v. 9

The add-on is different from the one that exports a model to C4D for rendering, as this add-on supports two-way interaction: geometry sent to MaxonForm is replaced with the modified geometry.

People who already own C4D can have the add-on link to the full version of C4D rather than MaxonForm. I have no idea what price break GS will provide for this option. US resellers are listing MaxonForm for sale... but without this information. In the US, MaxonForm has an introductory price of $495 through September 30. Again, I don't know if C4D users can get the add-on for free, of if there is a nominal fee.

Anybody have more info?

Karl

[Anonymous]

I really think that this add on is the death of our dreams of having native 3d tools that will save as REAL gdl and have hotspots that could be edited.

If Graphisoft's decision is to substitude that need with this add on, then we are in deep trouble

[TomWaltz]

oreopoulos wrote:
I really think that this add on is the death of our dreams of having native 3d tools that will save as REAL gdl and have hotspots that could be edited.

If Graphisoft's decision is to substitude that need with this add on, then we are in deep trouble

I think the product has tremendous presentation modeling possibilities, but will not hold up for construction documentation, when the objects it creates have to look right in plan, break into stories, and be dimensioned.

[Petros Ioannou]

TomWaltz wrote:
I think the product has tremendous presentation modeling possibilities, but will not hold up for construction documentation, when the objects it creates have to look right in plan, break into stories, and be dimensioned.

So then what's the use of it? Another "toy" for users to play?
Seems like the case of Lightworks. A very handy tool for AC resellers to show on their 30' presentation towards new clients. But what happens when you want to construct something and not just make a nice 3d render?
And I am not talking about blob form buildings or Fr. Gehry-style foldings but something simpler than that. Below I attach a section from a building designed by Atelier Jean Nouvel for the Guadalajara Guggenheim museum.
Basic solids subtructed from a cubic building mass (not only but lets stick to that).
You can easily model it as an OBJECT using SEOs in Archicad but how can you make floor plans from it??


Petros

By the way if you are interested the site is www.Jeannouvel.fr

[TomWaltz]

Seems like the case of Lightworks. A very handy tool for AC resellers to show on their 30' presentation towards new clients. But what happens when you want to construct something and not just make a nice 3d render?

I do have to defend Lightworks,since we are using it to make renderings throughout the construction document process, which rocks when it comes to having high-quality renderings of the current design. We have a lot of clients who need renderings frequently, and we don't want to have to export and re-render every time. For us, that turned out to be useful.

Even SEOs do have SOME use, like for cutting walls at stairs, but mostly for section usage.