Archicad for Apple silicon

[Tamas Gaspar]

Great news for Archicad users!

As announced at the Archicad 26 Launch Event, we are pleased to share with you that Archicad 26 is running natively on Apple silicon.

The full commercial version, with all functions of Archicad 26, was released on the 24th of November. 

The Apple silicon native Archicad 26 runs just like the latest Archicad 26 release — only faster!

After the installation, you will notice a brand-new desktop icon with a rainbow halo.

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• Before installing
• How to check if you have the right hardware?
• How compatible is Apple silicon Archicad 26 with other Archicad versions?
• What are the benefits?
• Known Issues
• Download and install
• How can you access it?
• What will happen if you try to install it on devices with Intel processors?
• What happens if you download the Intel Archicad 26 version to your Apple silicon device?
• Additional information
• How do I know that I use the Apple silicon native Archicad version?
• Should I buy Intel orApple Silicon Macs if I need to invest in new computers now?
• For how long will Graphisoft support Intel Macs?

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Before installing

How to check if you have the right hardware?

Starting with certain models introduced in late 2020, Apple began the transition from Intel processors to Apple silicon in Mac computers. The complete list of these devices can be found here.

If you are not sure whether you have the above-mentioned computer or not you can check it by following these steps: Go to Apple menu > About This Mac.

If the chip is one of these:

• Apple M1
• Apple M1 Max
• Apple M1 Pro
• Apple M1 Ultra
• Apple M2

You are able to enjoy the benefits of the Apple silicon native Archicad 26.

How compatible is Apple silicon Archicad 26 with other Archicad versions?

The compatibility of the new Archicad 26 version is the same as the Windows and Intel-based Archicad 26 UP2 (40xx) versions. This means that a file created in Apple silicon native Archicad can be opened on Windows and Intel-based Archicad 26 UP2 (40xx) and the other way around.

The new  Apple silicon native Archicad 26 version is also TW compatible with the Windows and Intel Archicad 26 UP2 (40xx).

What are the benefits?

The native Apple silicon support brings noticeable performance improvement in Archicad compared to the Intel-based version.

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our performance tests here.

Known Issues

 Cineware rendering is slow

Affected version(s): Apple silicon Archicad 26 | ID: DEF-11704

Issue

When rendering the Intel Archicad 26 uses all cores of the processor, whereas the Apple silicon version of Archicad 26 uses a limited amount of cores.

Workaround

Use the Intel version of Archicad for rendering.

Solution

We fixed this issue in Archicad 26 update 3 (50xx build).

 Sun study window is cropped

Affected version(s): Apple silicon Archicad 26 | ID: DEF-11668

Issue

The created sun study shows the content only half-screen, when the source is set to the 3D window.

Workaround

Use Archicad in full-screen mode when creating the sun study, or dock the 3D window tab.

Solution

We are planning to fix this issue in an Archicad 26 update.

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Download and install

How can you access it?

The Apple silicon native Archicad 26 is available as a completely new and separate Archicad platform.

Go to the Downloads page on Graphisoft.com to download

• the latest version of Archicad
• Archicad extensions: add-ons, BIM content, and libraries
• Archicad updates

Everything you need to know about Archicad installation (install, add or repair, network installation, uninstall, etc.) can be found here.
If you face any issues during the installation or start-up of Archicad, this article will help you determine the possible cause and guide you to solutions:
Archicad 26 Install and Startup Troubleshooting Guide

What will happen if you try to install it on devices with Intel processors?

The installer can be downloaded to devices, which have different processors than Apple silicon. Please note that the installer will not start on these machines.

Thus the Apple silicon native Archicad can not be installed on Intel-based devices.

What happens if you download the Intel Archicad 26 version to your Apple silicon device?

The previously released Archicad 26, which runs through the Rosetta 2 emulator,  can be downloaded and installed on Apple silicon machines.

This version runs properly but does not benefit from the performance improvements the Apple silicon native Archicad brings.

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Additional information

How do I know that I use the Apple silicon native Archicad version?

You can easily determine which Archicad version are you using by the new desktop icon with a rainbow halo, or by checking in Archicad: Help menu > About Archicad.

Also, in the License Information dialog, the Version field is extended with the Apple silicon label.

Should I buy Intel or Apple Silicon Macs if I need to invest in new computers now?

It depends on the typical project types/sizes you want to do with Archicad. The M1 hardware Apple released in November 2020, is an entry-level hardware specs matching only Archicad’s minimum hardware requirements.

While the performance of the M1 Max and M1 Pro chips are increased greatly compared with the first M1, they have a very good level of power efficiency.

For more information, please check out this article for M1 performance review and this article for M1 Pro/Max performance review.

For how long will Graphisoft support Intel Macs?

We have a comfortable transition period so there is an overlap with the newly released products for both Intel and Apple silicon chipsets. We are planning to provide support for Intel Macs presumably until Apple supports them.

[Jaime-airc_digital]

Any updates on the transition into Apple Silicon? We are eager to release the full power of the new chips within Archicad! Thanks.

[FKB]

Hi there, have you already made any tests with Archicad natively running on the ARM technology? Lately we are unsatisfied with AC25 performance, so we are considering transition to apple silicon. Can you please tell us approximate date of performance comparison etc? Thank you

[pedrohfonseca]

Hi, 

Any updates on the transition into Apple Silicon? 

[Maxam]

I'm definitely seeing slower speeds on M1 when updating model linked sections and elevations w color surfaces.

[Eduardo Rolon]

FYI,
The Arm version does not have the Original Attribute Manager it only has the new-UNUSABLE one. This should be in the notes.

On the other side of the coin, it is stable and "feels" snappier panning and zooming around.

[Professor Pickle]

I've been working for a month now with AC24 running on an M1 Mac Mini and the performance is abysmal. View redraws take ages, switching between views causes the app to stall and I have to wait for a second at least before I can start panning and zooming. This is on a tiny project.

Moving forward I will be using AC26 but for now I'm stuck with 24. It would be awesome to have a firm commitment form GS to a date. They've had plenty of time to get the transition completed. I can't imagine what is the holdup. It's pretty lousy support for something that costs thousands of dollars on ongoing basis.

[Karl Ottenstein]

@Professor Pickle The firm commitment is by EOY... so sooner than 90 days.  That's a pretty good commitment?  Only 26 and above will be released with an ARM version... the 26 ARM preview release is now on its second release.

[Professor Pickle]

@Karl Ottenstein Thanks for that. I'm just being impatient.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Please refer also to this announcement which gives the schedule for localized version releases.  Today (24 November 2022), only the INT version has been made available on this link for download:

https://community.graphisoft.com/t5/Graphisoft-Insights/Archicad-26-Apple-silicon-version-available/...

[Sinisa Lazarevic]

Just a quick note. After installing Apple Silicon version and bringing in current Datasmith exporter for Twinmotion it is not working (message stating it is not compatible appears) so unless Unreal fixes that problem soon, we will have to wait even longer for solution. I guess two years of wait for transition from Intel to Apple Silicon is something we have to live with or there is always AC27 not long from now.

I have reached out to Epic Games with replicated error for their comments. Will keep posted if resolution found.

[a_shrtlr]

Hello,

The performance of the Apple Silicon Version is great, the long wait has paid off!

Will there be a fix for Ventura related issues (DEF-11012: Linetype change and DEF-11093: Tracker Number input - first input highlighted and deleted by the second input) by the end of the year / by the end of the current Localized release schedule?  

[Markitecture]

I expect to receive my brand spankin' new Mac Studio M1 Ultra in a few days.  I'm debating setting it up manually as a stand alone Archicad only machine vs using Migration Assistant which will bring over everything from my 5k iMac.  Of course, the latter will bring in the Intel version of AC, which may be the best move since I just read that Cadimage tools, which I depend upon, won't be compatible with the Apple Silicone version of AC for some undetermined period of time.  I've also checked for updates on compatibility of TwinMotion, but the most recent information seems to be from September.  Also, it sounds like there is an issue with CineRender benefiting from Silicone, thus far.  Open to advice.  Just need to know if I can go on using all this great stuff if I migrate the intel versions over and then upgrade to M1 versions as they become available.  

[Romans]

Now, as AC 26 is ARM native (big thanks for that!) - what about BIMcloud ARM?
Is there any schedule, or already preview testing ongoing?

[Ebatte]

I see that the USA version is available now, but wow...who is managing the GS web site? Here are a few issues:

1. There are multiple "download" pages 

2. If you make it to the right one, it doesn't autodetect the region for me being in the USA and defaults to the INT release.

3. The language release version shown at the very top is actually a menu. This isn't apparent at all until you click it and then realize that USA is an available option.

Anyway, glad it is finally released.

[Eduardo Rolon]

It took me about an hour to figure out how to download the US version. GS website right now is like playing MYST, you need to keep finding places to click in order to get the next step.

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Where do you click here to change to USA? I am already signed in to my account btw.

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and here you need to figure out that the greyed out INT is a menu which is weird because it is written as "Select Language" but AC should be "Select Region". Don't know why is it so hard to just make it obvious?

[Ebatte]

Ah, MYST...I'm dating myself by acknowledging that. 😉

[Brad Elliott]

Even with the above discussion and screenshots it still took me a ridiculous amount of time to find the proper download page. I finally just typed downloads after the.com/ and that sent me to a page with the downloads that is different than the resources-and-support page the downloads button kept sending me to.

I don't think I've ever actually said this before in my life, but someone should be fired for this.

I feel like I have been punched in the face for a year now over this whole Apple Silicon issue and the recent updates and now having them play hide and seek with the download is the final blow.

I didn't think a software company could treat me worse than Autodesk or Adobe but here we are. I no longer use either of those products and now I'm looking for an Archicad replacement.

[heathldesign]

yep, i agree. i fluked into finding it. it was a frustrating 15 minutes.

[Rob Hancox]

When will the Apple Silicon AC26-Solo version be available I wonder?  I was hoping and looking forward to the 6th Dec for the UKI version but the only one available for download is the FULL version.  Once again us Solo users are at the back of the queue.  So frustrating.

[Lajos Soos]

Hi @Eduardo Rolon,

Thank you for highlighting the UX issue found on the new downloads page.   We have been working to fix the confusion!

1. We are defaulting the download options to the region you are in based on the IP or GSID account
2. Changed the selector to a better button option.

Hope these changes make your journey easier -   thank you for helping us to improve!

br,

Lajos Soos

[Eduardo Rolon]

Saw the changes 👍

[furtonb]

So now we have INT 4019 for Intel Mac and Windows versions and INT 4024 for Apple Silicon versions. Are these supposed to be compatible on Teamwork?

I have just joined two TW projects with my laptop running the Apple Silicon version and both TW files became damaged without any compatibility warning. Now I have to spend my time rolling back to a previous backup and ask all my colleagues to copy paste and rejoin. 

When I click on "Create Support Package", it crashes.

Are you planning to release software that is actually working at some point?

I haven't posted anything about the bugs like not being able to click on a linetype (I have to move my cursor next to the dropdown list, to have it randomly selected, for instance - do you have anyone to open this deployment before shipping? How on earth can you approve a drawing/modelling software without properly usable basic functionality?), but this is seriously annoying, why are you advertising the Apple Silicon version on your front page when it needs I don't know how many more months of polishing to be actually usable and not pose the threat of damaging running projects?

This is just getting ridiculous.

I am looking forward to paying next year's SSA!:)

[Sinisa Lazarevic]

I tend to agree with furtonb above in bit of wandering why one would release the half baked software. Admittedly issue of line-type selection by arrows only popped up as soon as I updated to Ventura in all AC releases from 24-26 so this is something system wide rather than Silicone related. But based on what I am reading on Twinmotion side as well as some other mission critical add ons they are simply not getting into action of being compiled let alone extensively tested before release.

Personally I would think Apple Silicone might just work at AC27 with all add-ons releases but would urge all parties to do it properly and test it on beta versions of next year version of MacOS. We are constantly getting the AC release mid year to be broken by MacOS 3 months later.

[Eduardo Rolon]

I would not say broken by MacOS but that GS never starts testing their builds against the MacOS Betas until the last moment. OS compatibility should be a priority and MacOS it should be higher since they placed a statue of Steve Jobs at the entrance of their campus.

[furtonb]

Linetype selection issue: it is related to OS compatibility, yes there is that chart somewhere which explains never to update your machine but the next year, and there are the support guys at the resellers that blame you for updating, I went through this again...

But what about buying newer machines that ship with a certain OS? How come I can work with all my "mission critical" applications without issues, even with ones that could be considered far more niche than AC? Nevermind...

Getting back to my real concern, what is the cause of the AS build corrupting TW projects?

I can't get any logs because of the crash, did anyone else experience this?

I can only pin down that when I join to projects with b4024, they get damaged. With b4019, they don't.

[FerencSzalontai]

Dear @furtonb ,

I am Ferenc Szalontai, from Graphisoft HQ.

I will help you to solve your issue.

I wrote a private message, please check it.

I am sorry for all inconveniences.

Best Regards,
Feri