Archicad 26 Preview

[Carlos Cordeiro]

UPDATE: registration process is now closed. We will proceed with some administrative tasks and the access links will be sent shortly.

Graphisoft is proud to announce the launch of the product preview phase of our software development for Archicad 26. This is in lieu of an expanded Beta period. This year, we changed our product Beta process to make it more streamlined, efficient, and effective. However, recognizing the need for customers to try our upcoming release in advance and in order to collect your feedback, our product preview will be launched at the start of our Beta period when all languages of the preview software are ready - INT, USA and GER, around April 14th.

If you would like to participate in the preview, please submit your request here.
Feedback regarding the product preview can be provided through the Jira Service Desk, available after registration.

We are looking forward to your participation and feedback in the upcoming User Group - register here .

Thank you very much for your interest!

Sincerely,

Product Success Team

[Martin Jules]

As a BIM software, we should be able to convert all the morph forms into any appropriate BIM elements (slab, wall, roof, door, window, etc.). This could help us speed up our drawings during the design process from pre-design passing by schematic design to design development,  As such, we can use the morph tool to sketch until we have the client's approval. Upon approval, we could only convert each morph element into appropriate BIM elements and keep developing the design. 

[rodut1112]

I would also like to add on the dream list a very simple and quite basic feature (even for a software from 2011).......BLOCKS/EDITABLE GROUPS. The module file system sucks. These days the architectural community tends to optimize the building process by building modular. Archicad can`t even handle a simple composite change from the "module" file. We need to use multi story files just to manage a few typologies. Editing those is a pain in the back.

Ahh, and also instead of going around in circles about graphic overrides and other novelty features, why don`t you think of a better system to do detailing.  Adding text blocks should not be a workaround with "info text" and having a repeatable detail (window/door frame) is quite basic but still not a feature yet.

I understood they need to rewrite the (ancient) core of the software, but they`ve known of the limitation of the software for yeeeaaarsss. 

Meanwhile lets play with textures.

btw in our office we still use AC23 as a main software because there is no new feature that made us excited to switch.

LE: Deep down i hope that the entire GS team works on a secret Archicad 2.0 in which everything is rewritten and these "updates" in the last 3-4 years have been released just to keep the name out in the world and interact a bit with the clients and users. If there is nothing behind the scenes and this is actually what an entire development team works on, we are really doomed....well not us, they are.

[jl_lt]

According to comentary of long time users in other threads (which are now hard to find), there have been at least two rewrites of the software in its long history; so in all probability it is happenning right now... Or not.   It definitely would be a multiyear endeavor (maybe multidecade) so its understandable they dont announce it so as to not put more pressure on themselves. 

I hope they are on it , because i really dont want to use any other software in the future 

[Martin Jules]

@jl_lt I understand you, but, as a professional, you have to be prepared for all eventualities. I couldn't work with other software programs in architecture either, but when the time had come to work full time on Revit, Sketchup and AucoCAD, which allowed me to pay my monthly bills including my annual Archiplus' fee, I had to do that.

[jl_lt]

Draft 2d in Autocad, then model in Sketchup, then model again in Revit, then export everything to Autocad again to finish the documentation? No thanks. 

[Martin Jules]

It's still firms that waste their time while they claim that they carry out their projects on time and on budget. No Archicad user could understand this archaic way of working, but remains a reality in most corners around the globe. 

How could we make things change then?

[cgrbsrn]

Block and editable groups must need. I upgrade for Archicad 26 waiting for what is new. Sometimes i am thinking about change software but i hate autodesk. They buy lots of software and finish. I wanna give a change to Vectorworks.

[Martin Jules]

@cgrbsrn I understand you, but there is no need to hate Autodesk. It's a great company that also helps us improve the way we work in the AEC industry. The companies we join for our 3D or BIM software only need to innovate and always be ready to manage change to meet the challenges we face today and tomorrow.

[Bricklyne Clarence]

What do you mean there's no need to hate Autodesk?

They're a terrible company who've ruined the industry with their business model and stifling competition by buying out competitors and then killing them, while also trying to make their propriety formats the industry standard right before trying to lock out people who don't specifically use their software to force other users to buy their software.

All this while for the longest time resisting attempts to collaborate on endeavors like the OpenBIM initiative and the IFC format (before eventually being forced by their own customer demands to play nice with others and properly integrate proper working IFC)

And not to forget that we're barely over a year removed from when they had to be openly reprimanded by some of their biggest big name customers in that infamous open letter demanding better responsiveness in their development efforts relative to the return they were getting from their investment in their software platforms.(something we could really use on this side of the fence where GS is concerned and who are likewise direly in need of a  swift kick in the backside. We just happen not to have the Fosters and the Zaha Hadid's and the Rogers and the sort of Star(-chitect) power that can bring the kind of media spotlight and attention that the likes of Autodesk (and Graphisoft) don't like shone on them.

The point is that most of the people who hate Autodesk or openly express resentment towards them, is usually because they're familiar with how horrible they are as a company having been forced to use their software and work with them.

And the fear - the real fear - is that Graphisoft sometimes seem like in trying to compete with them and simply just keep up, are either trying to model themselves after them, or seem to believe that that's what they have to do to stay competitive.

And that's just wrong and not true.

[Martin Jules]

Fair competition is not bad at all, @Bricklyne Clarence. We really need fair competition on the market as customers. This gives us several choices, possibilities, or ways to proceed with. I don't consider Autodesk as an enemy company, but as one of the greatest companies in the industry that also innovates. 

There are marketing strategies that exist and can help Autodesk change business behavior. It is up to others to apply them!

[Bricklyne Clarence]

That's just the thing.

It's NOT fair competition, given some of their business practices that  I noted above among others.

And secondly, they'are largely very definitively NOT innovators.

Just look at their own history.

For the largest part of their existence they have more  often than not bought out their competitors or competing software rather than develop their own brand (or where their own brand was failing to compete or keep up like with Architectural Desktop or Autodesk Sketchbook.......remember those?,...they just re-brand the bought out software as their own).

Outside of AutoCAD, all of their largest software title brands were previously competitor programs that they bought out (Maya, 3DS Max, Alias Surface Studio, Revit, Fusion360, Mudbox,.....etc).

And that's not even counting the competitors they bought out and then proceeded to kill outright, because they didn't want the competition for their own brands.

How is that either fair competition or innovative in any sense of the word?

So we'll just have to agree to disagree even though I have the facts of their own history on my side.

And even THEIR OWN users disagree with you that they're innovators or innovative - again, going by that letter of complaint that was drafted and published a little close to two years ago.

For whatever reason you seem to like them, as well as Revit, - which you seem to think Grapisfoft should make Archicad to be more like.

I use Archicad precisely because it's nothing like Revit (in the ways that matter) and I hope to goodness that for all their current flaws, that they (Graphisoft)  never ever go down that route of trying to turn Archicad into some cheap imitation of a crappy "rival" software while trying to model themselves as a company after its terrible makers.

[Martin Jules]

I understand your point very well. I am among the professionals who are victims of this marketing force from Autodesk. Last week, my director told me that the firm chose the software they use the most, but not the best one. He recognized it. My choice would be different. I would have chosen the best software instead.

I'm not an Autodesk advocate. My point preferably encourages everyone to better understand the market dynamics so as to be able to deal with it. It is crucial to understand the marketing strategy of Autodesk at the beginning for example. It was about to fix a price of market penetration (penetration price) for its products. With this strategy, AutoCAD was accessible to everyone, even to the children. Autodesk even let people pirate its software. That's how its products become popular.

Graphisoft, from its part, positioned Archicad as a luxury product (premium product). Instead, the company has worked for a long time on how to prevent people from hacking into Archicad.

As you can see, two different marketing strategies that yield different results!

[jl_lt]

I really dont think the Rogers and Zaha Hadids are needed to make noise and sign a letter. There are lots of smaller studios that produce equally good or even better Architecture that use Archicad. Im sure many of them would have something to say about all this.

But i agree Bryckline, they seem to be chasing Revit now, which at least for me, is the worst possible thing one could do, BIM wise

[Bricklyne Clarence]

I'm sorry, I'm not following you.

You don't think Rogers and Zaha Hadid (Architecture) are.....'what'?

[jl_lt]

You said people listened to the letter because Big offices signed it. And we get it.  But there are many quite good offices that use Archicad, so i dont see the need to have Zaha´s name in there to make the same noise.

(i edited the original comment. Of course those guys are needed in the architectural world)

[cgrbsrn]

Archicad 26what is new

1-searchbar

2-newsurfaces

3-pdfimport

4- graohic owerides

5-new parametric kitchen

6-library part maker

• Disappointment
• Are you kidding
• This is not Archicad 26 this is 23.5
• Sorry but iam really upset
• Sorry for my english

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Oh come now, don't be like that.

That's not fair to Graphisoft. at all.

Lots of new features. (.....aside from those).

From what I can see, it seems like they spent quite a bit of time improving functions for the ......(***checks notes***).....'Structural Analysis Model'...tools.......for the third version in a row now.

Great!
....even after most people had explicitly expressed that these are tools we neither use, need nor want......as ARCHITECTS and designers.

So for the Architects side we get a new searchbar and some fancy cosmetic upgrades, while the potential Structural guys get even more to play with....whenever they'll decide to switch over to Archicad in whatever future that happens.

It's almost like the architects and designers who pay license and subscription fees year by year - only to NOT get what they keep asking for -.....are actually subsidizing the development and improvement of these tools that they don't need nor use.

You guys thought the backlash last year was bad,.......oh man.

But seriously (turning the sarcasm off for a bit), it's not like I was expecting much from them, so from that perspective I wasn't particularly disappointed.

They've set the expectations bar so low now that just putting out a new version (even if all that's really "new" is the version number) gets them an award (or several) or something.

At least now we know what all the radio silence was all about.

No announcement prior to release; no new version announcement touting new features as in previous years,.....because obviously there was nothing really "new" to tout or announce.

That's the thing with Graphisoft these days.
They'll never disappoint you if your expectation is to be disappointed.

[jl_lt]

Where Revit is definetely and unquestionably more advanced than Archicad, Architecturally speaking, is in the complex shapes modeling department and adaptative paneling. For examples of this just watch the videos from Balkan Architect on youtube.

The ability to parametrically control the form is great (of course, these youtube guys make it look easy). If modeling these kind of forms is your thing while retaining the ability to modify them within the software constraints, then yes, a user will be better off modeling in Revit. 

[Paul King]

I had a brief look but didn't manage to find anything particularly compelling in the Balkan Architect YouTube videos I found - which one(s) in particular show things that Archicad should be addressing?

[jl_lt]

Mostly the videos dealing with organic shapes, where they can control shapes with many nested elements.

Still, i dont know if Archicad should be addressing this way of working. Its just different and yes, for certain types of structures it is more advanced, but not necesarily better.

[Jp1138]

This was the first year I got to participate in the Preview. I was very surprised for the very little things to test, as the new version had basically no new features I could use. I was also very surprised there was no some kind of private preview/beta forum to interact between users and developers. You can only send bug reports that are adressed by email. I understand this forum must exist in the beta phase, but not for the more open preview, but I don´t really know, because there were little explanations. As everything is treated so secretly, you have no interaction with other participants at any time.

Also, I did not received emails announcing new versions were available to download or even that the preview was ending! I just discovered it visiting the preview site. Even the new features pdf had to be asked for by email.

So, as this is not a wish for Archicad but for the beta/preview process, I think a forum is in order were problems/comments can be shared between all the participants or where developers can instruct where to look for things to test. The way I felt it worked was not very good. I felt very undetached from the process and there was little incentive to test the new features, as you are alone in the void.