Using the new VICO to do Archicad estimating

[Anonymous]

I think this could have momentous implications for Archicad users, and haven't read any comment in this Forum yet, so here it goes:

VICO has completely changed it's strategy.

Formerly, they developed Constructor (Archicad on steroids) as part of their suite, although it was possible to import AC files directly into Constructor and then associate the database there.

This resulted, for AC users, in having to buy Constructor too.

Recently, VICO is moving into an open platform format, that has no longer a Modeler (Constructor), but allows users to import files from Tekla, Revit and Archicad.
http://www.vicosoftware.com/products/Vico-Office/tabid/85286/Default.aspx

This is obviously a very smart move, but this post is not about the far reaching consequences of allowing Revit users to work with VICO.

My interest is in the importance ArchiCad acquires in this new VICO Office suite.

Because now I can buy VICO Ofice Client, which handles my AC model, and VICO takeoff manager, which produces those very good VICO takeoffs.

And my model will be usable for the constructor down the line, if he uses VICO suite.

They even sell ArchiCAD 12 with the suite, as their modeler, which has to be good news for us.

So, we will finally have a decent estimating tool, albeit outside ArchiCad. This could mean we will never get it inside, but on the other hand we now can do those things we sell our clients as doable.

For more info on the new VICO Office suite, view this excellent webinar:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/860742182

[Erika Epstein]

Too bad. I thought by spinning it off and retaining some ownership they could reap the financial rewards of Revit users buying VICO.

[Anonymous]

laszlonagy wrote:
Maybe it is time now for NEMETSCHEK to buy VICO, it already owns Graphisoft so they would be a perfect match.

As much as I would relish that scenario, I find it highly unlikely. VICO was spun off Graphisoft right before it's acquisition by Nemetschek, supposedly in part because the Germans where not interested in the construction side of BIM.

But we can always dream.

[owen]

Krippahl wrote:
As much as I would relish that scenario, I find it highly unlikely. VICO was spun off Graphisoft right before it's acquisition by Nemetschek, supposedly in part because the Germans where not interested in the construction side of BIM.

I suppose the Constructor Suite would have competed with the Allplan Suite? But then again ArchiCAD competes with, no .. dominates Allplan Architecture - so this really doesn't make much sense to me (Not disputing your explanation of the spin-off though). I thought Allplan was pretty much a Euro-only thing that had little love in North America whereas Constructor stood a chance of succeeding? Kind of makes you wonder why they bought Graphisoft - they now have 3 CAD/BIM products aimed at Architects...

We will see .. this may prove to be a stupid decision by Nemetschek.

[Laszlo Nagy]

This is getting a bit off topic on my part:
I always thought that this big firms have this idea that if they buy all worthwhile programs on a market then they may have overlapping products but as long as they bring the income to them, so be it.
Autodesk has 4 products that an architect can potentially use: AutoCAD LT, AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture (formerly AutoCAD ADT) and Revit Architecture.
Nemetschek has 3 such products: Vectorworks, ArchiCAD and AllPlan.

I always have a bad feeling about very large companies in general. They become such behemoths that they can not easily change themselves and so they fail with time.
Just think about the financial industry: Citi, Bank of America, AIG on the verge of total collapse, being on life support by the US government.

Of course, Autodesk is close to that state than Nemetschek. Probably not in it, though because it is not that huge a company.