Archicad 27 New Features

[Stress Co_]

A couple of new features videos were posted to Graphisoft’s YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/WqCkRPMGBls

https://youtu.be/OmHezluaDFI

“Options” looks promising.

[Algimantas Kuprenas]

1. New Design Options looks interesting - will try to use it;

2. More broad search was very needed - Very good, very needed for bigger projects;

3. Object placement anchoring dimensions - very useful one (Don't hesitate to borrow nice functions from Revit in future also);
4. Multiplication and Division in Drag Cursor is good step forward;
5. GO - will clean up my GO rules into folders as it will be available.

[mthd]

Thanks for posting the Archicad 27 product overview video. I have not seen that one till now. It definitely looks promising for DO’s “Design Options”. It will be interesting to see how it will all work in practice ?

I have waited for 20 years to get something like DG’s “Distance Guides” in Archicad. Probably because I was used to other CAD software that positions elements in a similar manner. 

The schedule improvements are great too. One gets the feeling that GS are targeting the US market even more in recent times. That’s a good thing for all of us and has the potential to gain many more users from other CAD software companies over to Archicad. That in-turn could drive the future direction of Archicad’s core development ? 

We all know that complexity of design is driving the future of Architecture and it will be interesting to see what is developed with future versions of Archicad. Right now they are happy to collaborate with other free form modelling solutions but I wonder if GS and by extension NC have any plans to create their own free form modelling solution that will work right inside Archicad ?

[Botonis]

The best thing is that the design options are functional with hotlinks....Several different hotlinks=just one file to edit.

This looks huge!

[Botonis]

To add to the above:

I was always frustrated with the overide rules because of the lack of folders. I was using Codes to create categories but at the end there were so many that I had to scroll up and down to find the proper one. The folders will make me use them more often...nice addition.

[Ahmed_K]

The design options looks like an introduction to the phasing feature, it's interesting how archicad manages elements visibility, now we have layers, renovation filter, design options, and sometimes G.O. 

[LeeJaeYoung]

I would like to be able to come out of the GDL Editor in archicad 28.
This is because most visual studios work on horizontal monitors, and it is much better to check them on another screen in Editor. Still, the ArchiCAD developers who worked hard to provide the dark mode worked hard.

And I want to be able to create a single composite object using commands such as Wall and Slab within GDL.
The desire is for a medium that can control the things that are often created.
I hope once again that it is controlled by parameter values such as A and B, and then becomes each object during Explode.
I hope that GDL will also be decomposed into various final GDLs such as toilets during Explode.
This is my small opinion. ^^

[Gui Lima]

Finally can we write "Grand Total" at the last line of one schedule ? Rsrs

[Botonis]

I still have not figured out if just changing the position of an object will be considered a design option, or do we have to delete it and place a new one..........

The first will be really something as obviously it decreases the work significantly.......

(but I have the feeling I am asking too much!!!!)

Greetings

[Barry Kelly]

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@Botonis wrote:

I still have not figured out if just changing the position of an object will be considered a design option, or do we have to delete it and place a new one..........

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If it moves, it has to be a new (copied) element.

Which is fine for walls, slabs, roofs, etc., because you are simply removing one and replacing it with another.

However, it is a pain when it comes to section and elevation markers.

The model may change a little between the options and you might need to move the section/elevation position for the new option.

But you can't.

It needs to be a new section/elevation, which means it no longer links to the view on the layout.

So after finalising and merging your options, you will need to go through your layouts and make sure the elevations/sections affected are correct.

There is no real way to automate it that I can see.

Barry.

[Botonis]

Thanks Barry.

I was thinking more the furnitures layout......... moving a chair to a different position.......

But I am starting to process the logic of it on the basis of different elements.

I believe there will be away to be able to change this "same chair" that moves around, in the different scenarios, with another type of chair in "one click"...... and not going around the design options to repeat the same step....

[jl_lt]

If the designs options can be controlled as an option on the view map, i think it can work.  Even changing it on the layouts could work (although that is not a best practice, but you maintain a single view).

Otherwise, if you need to make new sections for each version, and new layouts for these new sections it might be more trouble than its worth for most cases. We shall see.

Question: do these design options feature allows for "options within options"? Like some sort of architectural inception and desicion tree with many branches,  after which you might select the best option and convert it into your new starting point from which even more branches can emerge, as described by @thesleepofreason in another thread?

I can see this as the start not only of a robust phasing system, but the framework within which a future AI integration can generate AND handle multiple options.

[Barry Kelly]

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@Botonis wrote:

I was thinking more the furnitures layout......... moving a chair to a different position.......

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That is exactly what you do with objects/elements.

If it is something you want to change, you assign it to an option set.

Then drag a copy of it and assign that to a new option set.

If you need to, you can change it to a different chair or wall type and completely re-configure that element.

But if it is the same but just moved, then that is all you need to do, drag a copy and change the design option.

That just won't work for section/elevation markers, because  as soon as you drag a copy, you have a new section/elevation markers that doesn't link to any of the views you have placed on layouts.

Barry.

[Botonis]

I am getting the point. It is logical for the sections and elevations relate to the D.O.

But I feel you shouldn't create new sections but probably alter a setting in the "view settings" for (D.O 1, D.O.2 etc....) when you save a view.

Because If we have to create new sections/elevations for each scenario this would make things really compicated.

It has to follow the logic of the renovation filter I guess.

[Mahmoud Qenawi]

AFAIU we can assign any section or elevation to the main model or to any dedign option as the Jasmine explains at min. 6:00 in the product update video.

[Barry Kelly]

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@Mahmoud Qenawi wrote:

AFAIU we can assign any section or elevation to the main model or to any dedign option as the Jasmine explains at min. 6:00 in the product update video.

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Sure you can, but it is a new section/elevation.

It is not linked to your existing views and therefore not to the drawings on your layouts.

They will also adopt a new (different) name.

So you have to delete the original, rename the new section/elevation with the old name and then create new views (if you do not have clone folders) and re-link or add the new drawings to the layouts.

Barry.

[Mahmoud Qenawi]

I can't understand the relation between the main model & design options.

I feel that we'll work on design options untill we get approval for one then we have to convert it to be the main model, is this right?

[Barry Kelly]

As I understand it, the main model is everything that is not going to change.

It could be most of the building and you would have maybe a couple of walls, or a facade or a bathroom for example, that will have various design options.

Or it could be the entire building in which case there will be nothing in the main model - except maybe some general notes and maybe so elevation and section markers - or maybe not even those.

Then you would have each design in its own option set.

In all cases, when you choose the one you really want, you can then merge it with the main model.

What you add to each design option simply depends on what the option is for.

If parts of the building aren't changing, then they can stay in the main model.

Barry.

[Keymaster]

They need to make section markers that scale too. I set them at a size for 1/4" plans then if I have a bigger say 1/2" scale plan and want to show the section markers the size of them is bonkers (technical term). 

That and for the love of everything why exterior elevation markers and section markers have a fade distance line and interior elevations don't. Seems like an easy fix, but this is the stuff I'd actually like to see in new versions. New stuff is great, but making the old stuff actually work right is better.

[Jose Gradoli]

Still no override rules applied on layers of a composite element (walls , slabs..)

[cocoloco]

Wow I can see they definitely put effort into this upgrade. 

 I am excited to download and surely will love these:

- distance guide !! Super excited 

- folders for attributes etc yejjj

- search feature 

- intelligent tracker: finally can divide dimension by 3 or 5 whatever and no need to count it on calculation 😁

- not sure about overrides (I know all of you use it but I haven’t dive into it yet so can’t tell

- I still would love the feature to add hyperlinks/embedded links into standard text! (We do custom schedules not archicad schedules) and it would save us tremendous time because now we do all in 2 softwares… one capable of embedded links and archicad. I would prefer to do all in archicad and please don’t tell me it’s difficult to create this feature? 
- native AR and VR connection - I need more details/video to understand

I am very grateful and excited for archicad team making these upgrades, they did amazing job and it  seem like they listened to their own users (finally), unlike last year. But that being said time is moving forward AI, for even smoother straightforward work and I need to know that Archicad is going that direction too (?), saving us even more time.