BIMcloud Basic – Future on macOS

[florianvoi]

I just read on IDC’s website (a Swiss Mac distributor) that BIMcloud Basic, the non-subscription version, will no longer be developed for macOS in the future.

At the moment, it still runs via Rosetta / Intel code, which means that at some point it will no longer be able to run on future versions of macOS. Apparently, there are currently no plans to port it to Apple Silicon.

So what does this mean for the future of Archicad on the Mac? Especially now that Apple is finally offering genuine professional computers again.

Please note: BIMcloud 2027 will be the last version to support macOS. Starting with BIMcloud 2028, there will no longer be a Mac version of BIMcloud.

[Tex]

It seems true that GS is indeed discontinuing BIMcloud on MAC. As a long time user I must say that I am extremely disappointed that Graphisoft no longer will support Mac fully. We need to uphold client confidentiality and in some projects are prohibited from hosting native project files on the cloud. For this reason we don't use BIMcloud SAAS and use BIMcloud basic on Mac. We had to swallow a 20% increase for collaborate for the next three years and now Graphisoft is asking us to invest into new Windows servers to be able to upgrade to Archicad 31 next year. I don't think we will be doing that to put it mildly. Im wondering what we have gotten for this price increase and will get in the future. I assume not much as Graphisoft has not understood our needs and expectations. I therefore ask all those who are using BIMcloud basic on Mac to comment on this post so that Graphisoft understands that this decision makes no sense. Graphisoft needs to support BIMcloud on Mac in the future.

[Uffe]

As Mac-based ArchiCAD users, we view Graphisoft’s plans to phase out Teamwork for Mac in ArchiCAD 31 next year with dismay.

If small offices—or even one-person firms—are forced to invest in a Windows server, it will deal a direct blow to their finances.

Some will simply not be able to afford this significant additional cost, thereby missing out on current projects as well as potential future ones that require Teamwork.

Graphisoft must therefore be stopped from implementing this move, which deals a harsh, user-hostile blow and will severely damage the company's reputation going forward.

MAC ARK

[Jp1138]

I´m not even a Mac user, but this development is one more step in the road GS has taken during last years: total disrespect for their users, even when they continue to see themselves as the compant they were ten or fifteen years ago. Their resources must be very thin, as they apparently have no manpower to mantain Bimcloud for Mac or make sustancial improvements in Archicad in general 😢

[RAF1]

Dear GS,

I am extremely disappointed with Graphisoft and frankly with the way you continue to treat your customers.

First came the significant price increases and now we are faced with yet another decision that negatively affects Mac users. This is not some insignificant technical change. BIMcloud Basic is an important part of many customers workflow and removing Mac support from BIMcloud 2028 puts Mac-based offices in a very difficult position.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that Graphisoft seems to repeatedly make decisions that increase costs, reduce flexibility, or create additional problems for existing customers and then expect customers to simply accept the consequences.

Mac users have invested heavily in Apple hardware for years and have chosen Archicad because it has historically been a strong professional tool on the Mac platform. Now instead of supporting that platform properly, Graphisoft appears to be walking away from it.

The combination of substantial price increases in the past few years and decisions like this sends a very negative message to loyal customers. It feels less and less like Graphisoft is supporting its existing customer-base and more like customers are being pushed into whatever direction is most convenient for Graphisoft. At some point, loyal customers have to ask: how much more are we expected to pay while receiving less in return?

To the Graphisoft management and decision-makers: here is a simple question that might shed some light on where Graphisoft is heading: Have you given up on us Mac users?

Honest conclusion, this is extremely disappointing and feels like yet another step in the wrong direction.

[Claudiu Serban]

Just to add some fuel to the fire ... This has nothing to do with porting it, as it's probably trivial. The main part of bimcloud is nodejs, that's already native to apple silicon, so nothing to do there, while the rest is probably a cakewalk for a good developer team.

This is 99,9999999% used to make people choose the subscription bimcloud.

PS: I have "upgraded" to the bimcloud saas and i have to say its much inferior to an on premises even 1gb lan machine, where everything is instant. On SaaS every reserve is a chance to admire the spinning beach ball of death for a couple seconds, while a send and receive is done only along hydration and bio breaks.

Another low blow from GS!

[Tex]

We are running BIMcloud basic on a Mac Ultra and have also tested SAAS. We stopped using it because users complained that they where waiting for reservations and the beech ball is always running. This is not the case on the Ultra. No chocolate wheels or beach balls. Everything runs smooth. 

[Tex]

Very well put. My conclusions exactly!

[runxel]

It's official now.

Very sad! It's also pretty bad that there has been no discussion around this here with anybody from GS. I must say I'm very disappointed in this move. I don't think that they realize what a blow this is for their users and their ecosystem.

[Lee Hankins]

This is really bad news and disappointing, especially as Graphisoft has supported Mac from the outset and in fact originally developed Archicad only on the Mac. We tried bringing a PC serve Rin to our fully Mac based office and it was a nightmare so we soon reverted back. We did have BIMcloud Basic running on a Mac Studio until last year and it worked brilliantly. We only swapped to BIMcloud SAAS as it came with the Collaborate Licenses when we switched over from Perpetual. The additional features of BIMcloud Basic are a bonus such as autoreserve but as others report, it is much much slower than the on premises version. Very disappointing news.

[Tex]

Thanks. Just read the post. This is absolutely the craziest thing Graphisoft has done. So they expect us Mac users to just swallow these costs. It is not cheap to install a stable windows environment to run BIMcloud on premises. Smaller offices can't and will not do this. This decision will not get users to transitions to windows. It will instead get many Mac users to look else where and, transition away from Graphisoft. I think many Mac users will be wanting to re-negotiate their contracts.