EN
Name: Gonçalo Valente | @goncalovalente
Company name: TRIM
Web: https://trim.pt
Social: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trim-pt/ | https://www.instagram.com/trim.pt/ | https://www.facebook.com/info.trim.pt | https://www.youtube.com/@pt_trim
Country / Region: Lisbon, Portugal
Target audience: Small and medium-scale architecture practices
Supported languages: Portuguese & English
Compatibility: Archicad 28, 29 and 30, on both macOS and Windows, in Solo and Teamwork projects
Available services: BIM production, training, consulting and coordination for architecture and construction practices
Pricing model: Free objects, free time-limited add-on trials and paid add-ons with annual licenses are available.
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRIM SOLUTIONS
Get to know Gonçalo!
Who are you?
"I'm Gonçalo, an architect and the founder of Trim, based in Lisbon, Portugal. My BIM journey began in 2011 with Revit. Then I tried Archicad, loved it, and there was no going back. It's where I've built most of my expertise ever since."
What motivated you to develop for Graphisoft products?
"Working in Archicad every day, I'm always noticing small things that could make our workflows even smoother. I used to share those ideas on the Archicad Community Wishlist, and at some point I realized I could also build some of them myself. Archicad's open platform made that possible, and turning those ideas into add-ons has been a great way to give something back to the community."
How long have you been active in the Graphisoft community?
"I've been working in the Graphisoft ecosystem since 2018. Archicad won me over the moment I tried it: six years of Revit behind me, and the transition was far smoother than I expected. Within a short time I was fully productive, and I haven't left the Graphisoft ecosystem since."
About TRIM
"We develop add-ons that streamline everyday BIM workflows in Archicad. This includes the following add-ons:
- Identify — once each element is linked to the classification system, it keeps the native Element ID and Description synchronized with the attributes or properties relevant to each element type.
- Quantify — once each element type is linked to the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), it builds the Bill of Quantities using the ID and descriptions Identify has already generated automatically, with the option to add extra information relevant to the BoQ. Each item number is also tied back to its chapter number in the WBS and to the element's Element ID. The final quantities are calculated according to the unit of measurement chosen for each item.
Modeling in Archicad is simple and intuitive for the average user; we want to bring that same mindset to the information behind every model element."
What inspired you to come up with the idea for your developments?
"At TRIM, we wanted to create an Archicad template with a much higher level of BIM information automation — namely, having the Element ID act as an Element Type ID, generated automatically rather than typed in by hand. That worked, but it exposed a different problem: the information was automatic, yet it lived in scattered places, as Attributes or Properties. That was the trigger for our first add-on, Identify: a tool that collects all of that dispersed automatic information and presents it in an organized way, in a single place."
What challenges did you face during development?
"Becoming Archicad developers. Coming from architecture rather than IT, we first had to understand how to set up a project like this from scratch — the API, the tools, the whole structure of an add-on.
Things the API does not expose. The API's coverage is uneven: for a number of everyday operations we can read and list the data, but the operation itself simply is not there — assigning an element to a Design Option or triggering "Update Zones" are two examples. Whenever we hit one of those, part of the workflow has to stay manual, or be solved in a roundabout way.
Going from service to product — taking an add-on built for our own internal use and making it work for everyone else. That brought problems we had never dealt with: license key generation and management, multi-language support, and compatibility across operating systems.“
Are there any interesting findings or insights behind the scenes?
"Getting into the Archicad API gave us the sense that we now understand the program far more deeply — you see how it works from the inside. The most practical outcome was learning to work around a real limitation: material, component and surface schedules can't be combined into a single Bill of Quantities. Doing that used to be impossible, and it's now one of the things Quantify solves."
How does your solution add value for Graphisoft users?
"Modeling in Archicad is simple and intuitive — that is what makes the software what it is. Our add-ons bring that same simplicity to the other side of BIM: managing information should feel as natural as placing a wall.
Because everything is stored in native Archicad classifications and properties, the value does not stay locked inside our palette — schedules, filters, graphic overrides and IFC export all read the same data. And if they ever stop using the add-ons, nothing is lost: the information lives in the project file, not in the tool, so every classification and property stays exactly where it is."
Do you collaborate with other community members or teams?
"Yes — our day-to-day work in BIM production, training, consulting and coordination gives us broad contact with different Archicad users, all of them in Portugal for now. The collaboration with Rebelo de Andrade: a team of more than 30 architects, projects of considerable scale, and an international reach. Team size, project scale and international scope each push our tools and our methodology much further, and that is exactly what we enjoy about working within the community."
Key features
- Element ID synchronization: The native ID follows the element's Building Material, Composite, Complex Profile or Property, so the ID always reflects what the element actually is.
- Element ID as a Type: A single Element ID can carry multiple associated properties, and any change to one of them is automatically applied to every element sharing that ID.
- Dedicated Classification and Properties: A simplified classification system, built to work hand in hand with a set of dedicated properties.
- Quantities by shared ID: Values summed across a selection or across every element sharing an Element ID.
- Native storage: Everything is written to standard Archicad classifications and properties, so it stays readable by schedules, filters and IFC export.
The documentation is available on the Identify tutorial page, the Quantify tutorial page and the TRIM license page. Short demos are available for Identify and Quantify.
How can we access your content?
"Directly from TRIM — www.trim.pt"
Future plans or next steps for your development
"Getting into the Archicad API changed the way we look at the program, and we already have some ideas in testing. They all share the same purpose: to extend the design experience Archicad is known for — the thing that genuinely sets it apart — into the parts of the workflow where there is still room for improvement."
