This one must have hurt.quite hurting for the developer...
on the other hand I'm also the Italian ArchiCAD Distributor so... what I loose from one side I gained from the other one!
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Fabrizio
Fabrizio wrote:Fabrizio, I think if it is possible, you should still release your CurtainWall tool. (assuming you haven't completely abandoned it, and assuming you aren't under any pressure from GS to not take away any thunder from their AC12 Flagship feature).This one must have hurt.quite hurting for the developer...
on the other hand I'm also the Italian ArchiCAD Distributor so... what I loose from one side I gained from the other one!
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Fabrizio
Just because a tool already exists in the ArchiCAD toolset doesn't necessarily mean that the GS developers have addressed their customers needs in the most intuitive, logical and easy-to-use manner, nor does it mean that that same functionality can't be provided in a much better and more developed and robust format in the form of a third party-addon. Look at the native Stair Tool in ArchiCAD (which is universally hated) versus your ArchiStair or even CadIamge's Stairmaker. Both Third party tools are far superior to what we get out of the box in ArchiCAD. And then there's the Mesh tool versus the various Landscaping tools and Terrain modeling tools (ArchiTerra, ArchiForma etc.), the deplorable ArchiCAD Window and Door Libraries versus the Door and Window (and Cabinet) maker tools that you third-party developers provide.
I could go on and on and on, and give you lots of reasons why just because the tools exist in AC (or at least just because GS calims they exist) does not mean that you guys shouldn't provide alternatives (which more often than not are more popular and easier to use) that show there' a better way of approaching these issues.
But I'll stick with the Curtain Wall tool and just point out how demented or deluded it is, in that, as far as it is implemented in ArchiCAD 12, one cannot edit it in plan view despite the fact that this is supposed to be an element that's supposed to be in agreement with other elements on plan (and some of which are ONLY accessible from the plan view) such as structural grids and elements (columns and beams), openings and such - you can only edit it in the 3D window, where there are already enough problems with snaps and snapping in 3D to existing elements - and where I might add, one can't draw 3D polylines or lines. Apparently this little mishap has been somewhat addressed to some degree in the AC13 CurtainWall tool (it is editable to some degree on plan), but the fact that you roll out such a feature with such a glaring screw-up, and highlight that as a major feature of your new release, is part of the reason why it would be nice to have an alternative that shows how this could have been done right some other way. That the GS developers even thought it was a good idead to have such a major tool of such a major element that is only editable in the 3D window, is just part of what boggles the mind as to whether these guys actually know how architects design or think.
In any case, I would still implore you, if possible to still release your CW tool and not completely give up on it. History is on your side insofar as developing tools that work in more intuitive and easier ways than what we usually get from AC. And I would also like to echo Necko's point, that our frustration is not primarily aimed at you guys, third party developers (especially fellows like yourself and Ralph who are here on these boards more often and frequently than GS developers themselves and more responsive to user needs - often putting GS to shame), but is primarily aimed at GS itself for their deluded yearly upgrade cycle which seems to make not sense for anyone from, they themselves - who can't seem to keep upgrading the product at a reasonable enough pace, to you third-party developers who are forced to keep up and keep recompiling your products, all the way to us the customers who are perpetually presented with watered down and diluted upgrades each year. And also for the fact that their reluctance to improve their toolset, means that we increasingly have to depend on you third party developers to not just provide alternatives to what already exists in ArchiCAD, but also in more and more scenarios, to plugin and make up for what doesn't exist in AC( but should) because GS refuse to look at their own users' wishlist.
Again, guys like you and Ralph provide an invaluable service (and products) to what would otherwise be a very frustrating user experience in this program, so please take our frustration as not being aimed at you.
oreopoulos wrote:And you should have changed for another soft a loooong time before YESTERDAY.
In any case, GS should change that YESTERDAY.
In fact the best would be if you had (YESTERDAY) rewritten the entire soft yourself, because you seem to know much much better that any of us what good CAD programming should be. Something that works perfectly in whatever 16, 32, 64 and 640000 bits, PC, Mac, Linux and Playstation; of course without any need for any kind of add-on.
And don't forget scripting, we'll love it.
Still looking?
