Next phase of subscription transition announced

[Richard Doll]

Dear Community Members, 

Following my recent Graphisoft Insights post on the Subscription transition update, we know how important this topic is for you as our clients and anticipate your comments and questions. To streamline communication, we’ve created this thread to gather everything in one place. We’ll also use it to identify topics that may need further clarification, which we’ll address on our FAQ page.

Please note that while we cannot respond to individual questions in the forum, your local representative is available for personalized support.

Best regards,
Richard

Link to Insights article: https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Graphisoft-Insights/Important-update-Next-phase-of-subscription-...

[stoneunturned]

If ArchiCAD improves through a move to a subscription based model, im all for it.

If they indeed pull in extra revenue by making the switch and can add some management talent to their existing team (of no-doubt talented - but potentially disenfranchised - software engineers), AND add a seriously robust dialogue system that the multitudes of disgruntled users can find easily and contribute to; one where actual user prompted ideas and improvements can be discussed with screenshots, markups and a dedicated GS team in a 'fleshing-out' process where the shortfalls of user idealism can be discussed openly and better ideas generated off the back of those discussion, then bring it on. 

But i dont understand why that kind of feedback loop cant exist with the current model.

My guess is that resource is being wasted on dumb 3H!T. Did we need some dumb "AI" visualiser tool that neither architect nor drafty will ever use? Or did we need the publisher sets / transmittal list system improved based on stressed out user's who have identified huge gains in efficiency with small tweaks? Or perhaps the ridiculously click-heavy user environment to be brought out of the 1980s and up to modern ethos where reduced clicking and cursor dynamism has been considered. (who ever decided the cursor needed to be hidden when searching lists should be benched) To list but a few examples.

The only improvement to 28 (and by improvement, i mean reducing hesitations AND admin within the ArchiCAD environment) is the physical rendering in 3D that's snappy and hesitation free, and actually speeds up the workflow, well done. The rest is just first iteration junk that slows down each and every workflow within AC, workflow adjustments they were designed to improve, which is now what GS is renowned for. Distance guides, off - 5 seconds to select a table on a powerful 2022 laptop? NO THANKS.

Stressed out users that work hard with the software and have an eye for what needs to change should be driving the upgrade path, not a fresh new CEO or new managers or software engineers.. the input needs to come from those that can make a positive difference to the software because they are now the most highly qualified experts that know what needs to happen.

The reams of menial tasks that need to be completed might not be fun for a software engineer, but surely they can gain a huge sense of accomplishment for saving the hairline of everyone in the userbase.

At this point, i dont get excited about new versions of AC - over the last 6 years they have all been pure gimmicky junkgrades. Bureauocracy and the diminishment of smarts that comes with bureauocracy is likely to blame.

It's all about pulling ahead of Revit and making the most damn useful software in the industry. And that, at this stage of the development of AC will come from listening to the userbase. Figure out how to do that, and the game is won. Again, if the subscription model is needed for real change, then great, but no-one will be paying 3x more than what they're paying now.

[mthd]

“Junkgrades” lol, spot on.

[rakurs]

So much right in this post.

I have not been a customer for a long time - my office is just a few years young and I'm an ArchiCAD user for a blip considering how long some of you have been working with the software. For me, there was a long pause from my student AC7 days to AC25. The rhythm of the updates between those two versions are unknown to me. There are many nice things that I have seen coming from 25 to 26 to 27 to 28. But are they really THAT big? No. (Only exception? Design options. Those mean a lot.)

I would LOVE to see improvement in tools that are specific to a) architects b) in my country / region. I would love to see thing working properly with no effort. For one, composite walls (and other elements) still don't look how I want them to look (thick pen for outline of the wall, no matter which composite it is, excluding finishes, so only encompassing "core" and "other") and workarounds (parallel non-composite walls) are awful to work with, especially with openings. Stray lines everywhere no matter how I set-up hierarchy.

If only we had powerful software which was made FOR ARCHITECTS not only in name.

[PrzemN]

I agree with what you said, also regarding the design options as one of the only major improvements in recent versions. Lets remember - some Archicad tools and solutions have not been touched since version 5 or 6. Some tools, such as Ecodesigner, are simply bought and added as is, without proper development later. Some things are rushed and crippled - like AC28 keynotes.

Also - in almost EVERY situation, the subscription model is just a risky cash grab for owners, no more, no less. It has nothing to do with "development" etc. The only problem for Graphisoft is that customers usually hate it because it's much more expensive and you don't own it. It is a risky move, mainly to please the shareholders. It might work for a game, but not for an expensive program you have already paid for.

And does it work for Autodesk? Hard to say, probably yes, but they're bigger, it's an industry standard, whether we like it or not. Is it good for customers, especially the old ones? Of course not, they don't care. They can do anything if they could just cancel their old normal licences (as you can't activate them). I think we should find out what happened there and how they treat their customers, that is what we will have to deal with.

[laembert]

Subscription means lack of development. Everyone has to pay yearly fee anyway, so why to rob shareholders and spend dividends on programming. Shareholders are the real Nemetschek partners now, not us users.

[jl_lt]

yeah, but there is this other unrealistic and improbable scenario, which surely they havent thought of because its so unrealistic, where no one goes into suscription WHILE also canceling all SSA payments. Meanwhile, potential new users see that everyone is so pissed off that they are like "hey, maybe we should stick with ketchup! or even better, maybe we should not study architecture at all". 

Then shareholders would wake up from their slumber and self complacency.

But this is so improbable and imaginary that nobody should worry about it.

[Martin Jules]

The latest SSA/Forward version will also be my last ArchiCAD one. I am not planning to convert my current plan into the upcoming ArchiCAD Studio, which might be considered as a marketing strategy bypass to get to ArchiCAD Collaborate. In addition, I am not sure Graphisoft still needs us as clients. Its parent company can afford all the fixed fees without our subscriptions, and as such, we'll see the final outcome and the like in the future.

[mthd]

Could also be the case for many other loyal customers of Archicad ?

[jl_lt]

Hard to tell. Architecture and therefore Architects and the services they provide are a valuable asset to society.

[Martin Jules]

I am one of them, but I ought to serve the public interest first as a professional in the fields of architecture and urban design.

[jl_lt]

Another industry, but Lehman brothers could also afford things. 

[jl_lt]

Keyword is "IF"

[Ernest Atanasiu]

For the DE, AUT, CH, LUX market nothing is prepared for this transition, our representative has heard nothing.

[Botonis]

Add GR. 

[Jp1138]

One of the Spanish distributors is sending mails telling everyone than from the 1st of November you won´t be able to purchase perpetual licenceses. And that no SSA will be charged next year... What happened to the dates that appear in the FAQ??

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Don't worry about it.

In due course it will all be cleared up in the FAQ.......er..... I mean,......by your reseller.......

Oh wait,.....

If only there were some way that a person from the actual source could actually directly clarify what's what and not through some inflexible, limited, "pick-and-choose-what-you-want-to-answer-and-ignore-everything-else" FAQ format or by lobbing off responsibility to do so to some third party reseller or representative in some far off land who might be operating on their own information.(....or maybe even none at all....)

You know,.....kind of like a 'Talk' place..... or a.... 'forum' of some sort,.....like an online... 'Community',..... where they could show up and directly answer the questions to users themselves.

It's just too bad such a thing and way of communicating doesn't exist, and probably hasn't even been invented yet.

Oh well,......

[stoneunturned]

And the kicker is, had they just finished the product before releasing it there wouldn't be any questions to answer.

Had they made their software usable for non-superusers (relying on missing / heavily implied knowledge of where one might to go in the UI that's only obvious if you have detailed knowledge of the background programming of that UI) there wouldn't be any questions to answer. AND LET'S NOT KID OURSELVES THAT THE NEW POPUP HELP FEATURE IS ACTUALLY HELPFUL IN ANY WAY. IT WAS PROBABLY WRITTEN BY THE SAME FOLK THAT DON'T YET KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE LAYMAN ARCHITECT / DRAFTY.

Had they just created tools within archicad that are clear and self explanatory there wouldn't be any questions to answer.

Had they finished off existing tools before starting new ones, there wouldn't be any frustration, and there wouldn't be any questions to answer.

If the online help actually helped, there wouldn't be any questions to answer.

[Martin Jan Rosa]

Today we had an official transition training for current Archicad users in our local market (CZ). Even here, the distributor presented only a few different scenarios, from which I took away just one impression: total chaos. It's nice that we can choose from several paths to take - on the other hand, we don't have crucial information for decision-making (it's good to know that with certain obligations we'll have guaranteed approx. 50% discount compared to the monthly subscription price in the coming years, however, no one knows how much this subscription will cost and how much the longer-term subscription will be).

The atmosphere among local users is such that the vast majority of them plan to complete their SSA/FWD contracts and then stay with their last perpetual license. Frankly, everyone will eventually be on subscription, but we're facing a few years where the market will see an increase in outdated versions. From my perspective, as not only an active user but also a library developer and unofficial support provider, I consider GS's current communication absolutely terrible. This is the absolute height of stupidity on GS's part - if you can't positively motivate people to transition, it will harm both you and those of us who will have to work with users of outdated licenses...

I think there are many of us users who are willing to switch to subscription (and even welcome it), and at the same time accept a reasonable price increase. But please, stop burdening us with the necessity to study various ways of making the transition, making hasty decisions, or having to ask "where can I sign this," and instead communicate clear and open rules to us straightforwardly. Ideally globally, as local markets are passé (especially when local distributors are backed into a corner from our perspective as their customers due to your communication)!

[Bricklyne Clarence]

I think you're overly optmistic on Graphisoft's behalf in the assessment that many people are willing to switch to Subscription or might even welcome it.

Maybe 15 or 20 years ago.

I believe that while many will switch, it will be because the vast majority are a kind of 'captive' customer-base who either outright have no choice or alternative or who feel like they have no other alternative.

It could be people who are on Mac platform and don't want to switch to Revit which would necessitate a change to PC, or because they simply don't want to move to Vectorworks. Or people who are at a stage in their careers or their firms' life cycle where a switch is neither feasible nor cost-effective this late in the game for them. Or others who are tied down to a workflow ecosystem that necessitates having archicad as part of that system.

In any of the cases, I would wager that for the vast majority of users, the switch is not a happy, much less even welcome one - and not just because of the resource cost and price increase - but rather because of Graphisoft's behavior and track record preceeding this announcement, and carrying through it; along with the perpetually declining and diminishing quality in their version releases, which we can only expect to get worse from now on, now that they TRULY have no incentive to keep their product competitive or at the head of the pack (if ever it was) with a financing model that essentially assures they get paid regardless of how badly they cr*p the bed with new releases.

What is the motivation to do better next year, when you virtually already have in your pocket the money of the person complaining about this year's version's low quality, ?

Subscription-only is a model that works overwhelmingly and disproportionately in the Developer's favor, while conversely essentially punishing the customers with the ramifications of 'poor performance' on the part of the former.

It only works, close to equally in both parties' favor - when the developer has an already estabslished track record for producing a strong product and a great rapport and relationship with the customers.

Clearly neither of those apply to today's version of Graphisoft or Archicad. 

Regardless of their promises, their Roadmap hijinks, or their relentless and increasingly outrageous marketing campaigns (the only thing they seem to be good at nowadays), the quality of their primary product is now going to suffer going foward, and will only increasingly get more dilute, and effectively worse and worse.

[mthd]

Hi, @Bricklyne Clarence, I think it’s a bit premature to predict the future quality of Archicad’s new releases when non perpetual subscriptions become the norm.

I would be interested in your appraisal of VWA. I think someone here made a post asking about it not long ago. I am sure you would be able to dissect its inadequacies and its benefits in comparison to AC. After all there is not perfect CAD/BIM solution out there because all these companies compete against each other for their market share.

[jl_lt]

Premature maybe, but the evidence supporting the claim that future releases will be... lets say "inadequate", is almost overwhelming. 

On the other hand, its not like the software is not useful anymore because of years of less than stellar updates; Far from it, we still love it and continue to work with it... also, we have no other choice for the time being, so we are FORCED TO LOVE IT; and there is also this dooming feeling of being left behind relative to other software. If it continues like this, in a few years (as in, very few), and specially with the advent of AI and generative design applications,  the gap will be unsurmountable. Probably it is already.

Personally, i think the company has clearly lost their vision, core values (read: soul)  and focus.   They definitely forgot about its user base needs. And in trying to appeal to everybody (they are trying to lure Civil engineers, and probably chiropractors and enthomologists too, into using archicad!) they are currently appealing to no one.      Pick your niche, OWN IT and go with it demed!