Iacobe:
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
) anyway, I'll try to give you some answers to your questions:
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
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
cheers,
Daniel
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
) anyway, I'll try to give you some answers to your questions: 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
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
cheers,
Daniel
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.
let me clarify what I meant; when I said "playing around" I meant to learn your way around the programme, and proficient enough in it to know what questions to ask, not become a grand master. 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.
Dear Daniel and Richard!
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
) -but the problems I've had are so basic that I felt like a complete idiot - I just couldn't get the damn thing to draw a line XXmeters long!! And my teacher (autoCad) couldn't either... Later on I found somebody able (I know it sounds crazy, but it actually happened like that) but it took us forever just to draw a room with the correct measures. He said it looked like something basic was wrong, the program didn't respond to shortcuts etc as his do. -Now that I think about it and decide to give it a good hard try, I might want to reinstall it...
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 
Ciao, Lene Iacobe Mingolla
www.gollamingolla.com
www.mingolla.com
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
) -but the problems I've had are so basic that I felt like a complete idiot - I just couldn't get the damn thing to draw a line XXmeters long!! And my teacher (autoCad) couldn't either... Later on I found somebody able (I know it sounds crazy, but it actually happened like that) but it took us forever just to draw a room with the correct measures. He said it looked like something basic was wrong, the program didn't respond to shortcuts etc as his do. -Now that I think about it and decide to give it a good hard try, I might want to reinstall it... 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
Ciao, Lene Iacobe Mingolla
www.gollamingolla.com
www.mingolla.com
I'm glad you found our posts useful, and i'm sorry to hear about your little battle with the flu, hope you're feeling better now (and hey, theres nothing wrong with self pity)
my mouth is sealed... but still you should never feel like an idiot, anyone will tell you that ArchiCAd has a steep learning curve, and everybody makes dumb mistakes, and gets stuck figuring out what [should be] the simplist tasks. Hope to see you around here in the future, good luck with everything.
cheers,
dan
iacobe wrote:
Okay, and now after all the babbling - I actually agree that 'fooling around' works (don't tell my husband
my mouth is sealed... but still you should never feel like an idiot, anyone will tell you that ArchiCAd has a steep learning curve, and everybody makes dumb mistakes, and gets stuck figuring out what [should be] the simplist tasks. Hope to see you around here in the future, good luck with everything.cheers,
dan
Hi there, from the hometown of our Danish crown princess 
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...??
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...??
Still looking?
