Shift to a subscription model - your questions are welcome

[Akos Pfemeter]

Dear Community,

You may have already read the press release or the Insights post about our strategic shift to a subscription model. 

Here is a quick summary of the news:

BUDAPEST, April 2, 2024—Graphisoft, the leading Building Information Modeling (BIM) software solution developer for architecture and multidisciplinary design, today announced that, as part of its strategic shift to a sustainable subscription software delivery model, perpetual licenses will be gradually phased out by the end of 2025. This change does not affect the delivery of Software Service Agreement (SSA)/Forward subscription services to existing customers. 

Archicad perpetual and SSA/Forward licenses will be available for new customers through December 31, 2024, and to existing customers through December 31, 2025. Starting in 2026, Archicad will be available only through subscription. Active SSA/Forward contracts will continue to be serviced beyond 2025. Alternatively, SSA/Forward customers can convert to Archicad Collaborate subscriptions at the same price as SSA/Forward. This offer is designed to help existing SSA/Forward subscribers take full advantage of the Archicad Collaborate subscription, which combines award-winning Archicad for architectural design with BIMx and BIMcloud SaaS for fast, efficient, secure, real-time access to shared projects.

Please ask your questions and share your thoughts here -- Graphisoft's expert team will try and provide answer to all sorts of questions you may have!
Thank you.
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Edit by Moderator:  here is the link to the evolving information/FAQ page about this announcement:

https://graphisoft.com/convert-ssa-forward-to-archicad-collaborate/

[jl_lt]

just a couple of hours ago a friend of mine showed me some videos of what revit can do in terms of Rebar. I knew it could be done, but not to that level. Impressive to say the least. Archicad is at least 15 years behind that. So why bother?

[Llian]

I don't like putting another software down like your message….thought you need to know that REVIT is causing a lot of grief on our projects with consultants STRUGGLING with it to to get drawings coordinated and on-time. 

[Eric Milberger]

BIT it is still the ugly big dog.  And we have to do better not equal.

[jl_lt]

I didnt say Revit should be used (im absolutely against wasting time modeling rebar as an architectural practice). But i must admit it is very impressive from a bystander point of view.

[leandrolopes]

Just a follow up guys, today one of the brazilian resellers told me he was in contact with Graphisoft's representatives and that my impressions were correct only those already owning a perpetual license will be able to buy anything from 2025 January first and ahead. 

After that he gave me a "great" one hour argumentation, "almost" not agressive at all, about how this os the future and how I should embrace software as a service and that the companies are doing me a favor on letting me use their software for a restricted period. 

It was really great... and showed me the real graphisoft mentality.

[Llian]

After using perpetual software comfortably since 1994, this transition is throwing me off.  I get it - corporate "strategic shift"  to satisfy investors' appetite, and luring new users, not loyal users.  I feel betrayed by Graphisoft for going with one model - subscription. No option, No freedom of choice. 

There is a risk for perpetual user - Graphisoft switch off the USB access for non-subscribers after 2025. Here goes digging deep into savings to own the last perpetual software plus a new iMac for the next two years in the hope Graphisoft consider a protection stream for loyal users > 30years.  

[leandrolopes]

Perpetual licenses will be sold only till december this year in my country.

A perpetual license in Brazil is now 1/3 of the whole annual income for an avarage architect ( before taxes and basic expenses). Since Graphisoft Brasil has made no announcement about this shift that I just found out about, and since I pretend to eat and pay my bills in the next 3 months... I shall probably switch to ArchlineXP next year.

[Eric Milberger]

I used to have a monthly license.  Will this subscription work the same as that was a true pay as you go.

[March_ Bruce]

... sustainable for whom ...?

[Eric Milberger]

I am going to put on my old man hat as I have been using Cad since 1984 while I was going to Architectural School.  I had worked for my fathers firm with hand drawings staring in 1980.  And running prints and reviewing drawings since 1978.  Been around for a while and seen software succeed and fail.

I Used Vectorworks initially in 1986+/- and quickly migrated over to Microstation when there was a PC version in hte early 90s.  Dial screens at that time a 10" and a 14".  And was doing full modelling similar to Revit though 10 years earler than Revit.  This in what is now call AecoSim.

I started migration only recently becuase support from Bently was bad.  At least I thought it was.  They started off with staff available for any call then migrated to a platform like we had thus very little quick help.  (I have noticed a great improvement on this site as I do get now a reach back, just not on the spot,  Great start)

I migrated to what is now AECOsim back in maybe and was in full 3d in the 2012. 

I have left them for the moment (As I do own two lifetime license with yearly updates to use all the service)

I left as I like Many features like BimX.  I miss features like quick support.  And I miss support as there are no ways to meet other users.

And then miss a the fact that it does not appear Graphisoft wants to be better than Revit to Archicad in the U.S.  A lost market.

I cannot find Engineers.  Starting a job soon.  My structural Engineer is in Portland, My MEP is Autocad in Georgia, I am in Alabama,  My civil will be in California.  And the New draftsman is in California.  Some of these parts will work.  Communication will not as Zoom is not the best way to communicate and will create liabilities.

This is the same for any firm here in the U.S. using this product.  I have worked with and for many large national firms.  There solution is to say not to Aecosim and Archicad and ONLY Revit.  The Government says only yes to Autocad or Microstation depending on which branch.  Many municipalities use Revit only.

Yes a better product that can be translated in Revit solves a bit of this but to many are migrating to ONLY Autodesk.

The only way to combat this is with more Engineers and Architects using this product. 

1.  Give it away for a year to any new firm or Architect.

2.  Make sure the pricing is simple,

3.  Monthly or yearly or lifetime w/ yearly update

And make the cost and the services so solid that a new firm cannot resist switching to the little know software Archicad

1. Add anything the other firms have.
2. Dual monitors for any platform  (if you don't understand the productivity it is like a tricycle to a high performance 10-speed racing bike and available on other platforms since the 80's.
3. Focus on Commerical products and a tool to help find a product across platforms.  This product is still focused too much on residential.  If I need a canopy give me a tool to find it instead of me searching for hours.
4. Give a better way to incorporate all you assets like materials.  Why should I have to download this and that from this site then another then another site.  And thin install this this way and then this another.
   1. Suggest you have a place where all (walls for example or materials etc.) into a folder that grows and grows with more data in a folder on your harddrive.  The objects can be seen but do not bog down your model since they are only moved into the model when used.
5. Create a better library as it is sorely missing models, characters, etc.  I am constantly downloading Revit models that will not open.  Commercial kitchen fixtures are a good example.

[mthd]

That is quite interesting that you have been in and out of all those other CAD camps and are still using Archicad.

I went to a technical institute starting in 1984. They had a computer that was running very early AutoCAD but we were taught to use hand drafting at that particular time. I drew my first technical 3D building in art class.

Most of my employment required hand drafting skills and some computer skills in designing trusses with a Bostich DOS program around 1987. I grew up on the residential building site labouring for various trades. I was still hand drafting homes right up to 1998.

I tried to learn AutoCAD but I was still much faster with my hands. I kept complaining to the AutoCAD instructor that this was very slow in comparison to hand drafting. He showed me a copy of 3D home Architect and I was impressed and found out that it was a scaled down version of Chief Architect that a relative was using and he taught me how to use it. That was very productive and still is for reasonably straight forward residential buildings.

A few years later I started a course on Archicad version 7 and eventually started using it in conjunction with Chief. Took a while to get up to speed with AC but I mainly use that program now. I think AC has a very steep learning curve but once you learn how to use it properly you become more productive.

GS can certainly target the US market but going subscription only is not the way to do that. You still need to offer perpetual to them as well and it could become more widely used. Really you shoot yourself in the foot by going subscription only.

[mthd]

Looking at it from the research and development perspective from Graphisoft’s viewpoint, subscription only may bring in more revenue in the long run ? I have had a good gawk at Vectorworks Architect recently and have seen the great amount of progress made with that system. I wonder whether GS are making this move to also make greater progress with the development of Archicad ? Time will tell.

VWA appears to be a much tidier interface with that way the dialogue boxes are arranged. AC can get quite messy with the noise of those huge dialogues and the way they are arranged. It’s like having a huge mess on your table in looking for the right parameters to adjust or change. I think they need to take a very close look at tidying this up as a priority. Some of us are ok with a messy desk top and others like tidy so things are much easier to find.

I haven’t got the time the learn VWA or Revit because they are also subscription only but if they were perpetual, I would definitely be interested.