interior designer seeking advice
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2006-01-11
03:23 PM
- last edited
3 weeks ago
by
Molinda Prey
So I decided I need a fool-proof guide, real basic stuff. (the little guide that comes with the CD supposes that you already know how to draw a room - which is not the case!!)
I'm NOT an architect, my need is to make Interior Design come to live for the client...
So my questions are these:
1) Can anybody recommend a really good guide (in either Danish, English or Italian)
2) can anybody tell me if the stydy version is very limited compared to the full (meaning, if I buy a guide, is there a risk that basic tools it mentions are missing from the program I have, or is it usually the more complicated features they leave out?)
3) Is there a real life Interior Designer out there who can confirm that this is actually the program to have and use (on mac, I recall you) -or are there better alternatives, before I start getting to know this animal...
4) Bonus question - how should I save an archiCad file to make it possible for an autoCad user to open and correct my file?
I thank you so much for any help - really, please do send me your thoughts!
ciao, Iacobe
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2006-01-12 01:29 AM
I'm glad to see that you're interested in ArchiCAD, Like anyone new to the program, the first thing I will tell you is that at times you will hate it, and be frustrated beyond belief, but stick with it and you'll wonder how you ever did without it. (wow.. I should get a resellers license and start selling it
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1. First off, rather than run out and pay 40EUR for a book, I would start off with going through one of the tutorials provided on the installation CDs this will at least give you the rudimentary knowledge needed to get around in ArchiCAD, and also teach you the nomenclature so that when you ask questions here, everyone will know what you're talking about. After you've ran through the tutorials, just start fooling around, honestly (for me anyway) just messing about is the best way to learn my way around a computer programme. Then when questions arise, look through the manual provided with the programme, and if you find it insufficient, then ask the question here, I am by no means an ArchiCAD guru myself, but there are plenty of them here who I owe my career to
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2. AFAIK the academic version is the exact same piece of software, the only limitations are in the realm of data sharing, and printing see here: Academic Version
3. I am not a "reallife" interior designer as you say, but I am a university student studying architecture, and I am also the head draughts-person at a building company stateside. In my first year of uni I took 2 interior design classes on my own accord, and in both classes we used ArchiCAD. I also use ArchiCAD at my work, granted that is draughting out entire houses, but they're residential, and I've seen ID drawings that are more complicated than some of the CDs we produce. To sum it up, it might seem like overkill at times, but honestly I think ArchiCAD is a great programme for interior designers.
4. ArchiCAD alows you to save files as DWGs DFXs, etc which AutoCAD can open, but with the file/print restrictions on the EDU version, I'm not sure if these are available.
Hopefully you can gain something of use from my little incoherent babble, and don't forget that these forums are here for you whenever you feel like throwing that damn little dongle out the window
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cheers,
Daniel
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2006-01-12 02:34 AM
I AM a real-life interior designer (also an architect) and if you are on the Mac, then you probably have the right program. (If you were on a PC, the answer might be a little different.) However, you don't say if you are interested in interior design for residential, commercial, or institutional projects, and this could affect the answer, also.
This program is so complex that, unlike Daniel, I don't think that just playing around with it is going to get you trained very efficiently. There are many shortcuts and "tricks" that you will NOT discover on your own, and which makes working in the program much more pleasant. I would say the "Project Framework" book and the "Training Guide" by Lubomir Kulisev are both excellent, and a good investment.
If you are more interested in conceptually modeling spaces and furniture, rather than showing a space with very detailed furniture layouts, lighting plans, etc., then you might look at SketchUp also. (They have a free demo downloadable, and it is much easier to learn than ArchiCAD, but of course it doesn't do as much.)
--------------------------
Richard Morrison, Architect-Interior Designer
AC26 (since AC6.0), Win10
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2006-01-12 05:15 AM
Richard wrote:very nicely said
This program is so complex that, unlike Daniel, I don't think that just playing around with it is going to get you trained very efficiently. There are many shortcuts and "tricks" that you will NOT discover on your own, and which makes working in the program much more pleasant. I would say the "Project Framework" book and the "Training Guide" by Lubomir Kulisev are both excellent, and a good investment.
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cheers,
daniel
PS: I've had one on-site training course, and it's the best way to learn the tricks so to speak. I have a very hard time learning computer programmes through reading, if you're the same way.. on site training dramatically eases your climb up the learning curve... however with no company backing you this could be cost prohibitive.
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2006-01-13 05:46 PM
Thank you SO much for your replies! (I'm not a brute viking without manners, that I haven't replied before, but I just got a nightmare of an influenza, that I haven't had in years - everything hurts -and as you can hear, the self-pity is pretty bad, too...)
Anyway, you certainly cleared up one of my biggest worries, if it's worth it, learning this program. Now I'll give it a try with renewed energy (if I live, that is......)
I'll look for the books suggested - and by the way, to understand me better, my background is ten years as an art director in advertising, and now this - a really great development personally, but a bit difficult to find my way around. My main interest is public spaces, much more than residential (but hey for now I'll do anything!) I think that I've discovered that my past years of conceptual thinking is actually a huge advantage - instead of thinking only colors or furniture, I try to think about which story I want to tell, what feelings and mood should be associated to the client. And how to use sounds, light and space... Well, certainly as a lot of ID do, but I'm really excited about it. Only, as we all know, if you can't visualize your ideas, you're unlikely to sell them. Therefore - ArchiCad!
Okay, and now after all the babbling - I actually agree that 'fooling around' works (don't tell my husband
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Ok guys, 'nough said! Thank you again for your help. If you think about anything else I'll be happy to hear from you! Otherwise I'm quite sure you'll see my name here again under the 'HEEELP' section
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Ciao, Lene Iacobe Mingolla
www.gollamingolla.com
www.mingolla.com
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2006-01-16 03:10 PM
iacobe wrote:
Okay, and now after all the babbling - I actually agree that 'fooling around' works (don't tell my husband) -but the problems I've had are so basic that I felt like a complete idiot
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cheers,
dan
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2006-01-23 11:59 AM
cornelis wegman architects
AC 5 - 26 Dell XPS 8940 Win 10 16GB 1TB SSD 2TB HD RTX 3070 GPU
Laptop: AC 24 - 26 Win 10 16GB 1TB SSD RTX 3070 GPU
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2006-01-23 12:04 PM
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Thank you, I've never heard about that, sounds just like the thing for me (even though I just bought - and fell completely in love with SketchUp, at least I got started and can actually CREATE stuff....) But eventually I guess I'll need ArchiCad - where can I buy the DVD, i've never seen it in my searches through the internet...??
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2006-01-24 01:25 AM
If you want to do anything other than sketches you will certainly need Archicad.
cornelis wegman architects
AC 5 - 26 Dell XPS 8940 Win 10 16GB 1TB SSD 2TB HD RTX 3070 GPU
Laptop: AC 24 - 26 Win 10 16GB 1TB SSD RTX 3070 GPU
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2006-01-25 01:22 AM
How did you go with Virtual Tutor?
Good luck with your learning curve!
Kees
PS: my daughter went to the same school as Mary Donald (now Princess Mary) - they were about 1 year apart and she doesn't remember her particularly. She also spent 1 year in Denmark as a Rotary exchange student.
cornelis wegman architects
AC 5 - 26 Dell XPS 8940 Win 10 16GB 1TB SSD 2TB HD RTX 3070 GPU
Laptop: AC 24 - 26 Win 10 16GB 1TB SSD RTX 3070 GPU
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2006-01-25 01:27 AM
KeesW wrote:So close, and yet so far......
PS: my daughter went to the same school as Mary Donald (now Princess Mary) - they were about 1 year apart and she doesn't remember her particularly. She also spent 1 year in Denmark as a Rotary exchange student.
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2006-01-25 10:45 PM
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Anyway, thanks for the tutorial tip. Eventually I quess I'll buy it, but for now I just invested in SketchUp book and programme, and cannot afford another 150$. I just finished as an Interior Designer 6 months ago, so it's not like I'm swimming in money right now.
I wish Mary had an australian university mail-adress so she could buy me a students version for a LOT less....
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I hope I didn't make a mistake in investing in this program instead of more ArchiCad, it's just been MONTHS that I'm fighting all alone with it, I kind of gave up when I saw this easy intuitive programme (sketchUp) - anyway, as an interior Designer and not an architect I really hope it will work....??!
Thanks for all the good responses
Lene
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2006-01-26 04:37 AM
cheers,
Dan
PS, clearly this forum is god's gift to mankind
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2006-03-17 02:17 PM
Arrrgghhh
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2006-03-17 02:24 PM
Well, I'm a kind person - but can't help you!! Even though I spend YEARS working on graphic programs, I was just STUCK with ArchiCad... for this completely stupid reason, I just couldn't find a not-complicated way to make a stupid line/wall/whatever of a precise mesure...
(I know right now 10 thousands of archiCad fans are shaking their heads in sad misbelief...)
Nevertheless... and I promise, I'm at least average intelligent...
The answer to my prayers was (IS) SketchUp.
Of course it completely depends on what your line of work is, but try the free 8-hour demo at www.sketchup.com
Good luck
Lene
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2006-03-17 03:00 PM
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F
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2006-03-17 03:15 PM
Broker wrote:from my training slides (it's in feet/inches, but it should apply for metric as well)
I hope that some kind person will tell me how to draw a wall\line whateve xx.xx m long
Arrrgghhh
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2006-03-17 03:56 PM
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2006-03-17 05:15 PM
computer users who can't apply themselves to learn how to draw a line of specific length in ArchiCAD are truly fortunate to have found SketchUp.
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2006-03-17 06:09 PM
Priyatna vecher:-)
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2006-03-17 07:12 PM
Broker wrote:While my first thought was "then why are you bothering if you do not have time to learn," this made me curious just how hard it is, not to learn this skill, but to find it.
I think perhaps you underestimate or make incorrect assumptions. Surely with most users such as myself for example have been using something else for a long time (Autocad and 3D Max). The time taken to use a 'new' program out of the box is not available to all of us. I can draw a complete project in less time than it would take to even become familiar with Archicad. Sketchup is cool enough but not for mainstream work. Perhaps you should try ADT, we can give you lessons for FREE, without bias. Chill man, po-dobre da prekavash poveche vreme za semisestvo vi e ne da oplakvash sus gulposti samo da furli vremeto ot men e drugite.
Priyatna vecher:-)
Wouldn't you think that entering points would be in the first chapter right behind how to open a file? Maybe even after the 88-page chapter on "Workspace"?
Nope. it's on Page 346, under the "Drawing Aids" chapter.....
It took me 4 different searches to find it, only when I tried "Coordinate Box" as a search string that I found it... Of course, the Learning Guide only tells you to "enter a distance" in the coordinate box, without really saying how...
It really is kind of hard to find out how to enter distances without any training...