James Hardie content for Archicad 16 users

[Anonymous]

Ok, I know I must be missing something here, so I'd appreciate some direction.
The James Hardie, Accel folks have sent me an exciting email saying they have NEW! content for ArchiCad. Fantastic! Sounds great. Let's go have a look.....

When I go to the website, it says the content is only suited to outdated versions of Archicad, up to version 14. That's funny, I could have sworn the email said they had NEW! content? They mention you need to do something extra to get it working on version 15, but there's no mention of version 16.

The other thing to click on is a link for help, which is just an email address back at Graphisoft..... which implies they've been helping James Hardie to make this content...which implies.... huh??

So, let me get this straight - Graphisoft are involved in preparing this "NEW!" content for James Hardie, but they haven't allowed it to work on the two most recent versions of Archicad??!?!?!?!

For the love of Mike why? Are Graphisoft keen to discourage upgrades of their own software? I don't get it.

I'll admit that it's true that there are still parts of Archicad (and Archicad culture) that I haven't explored yet, but from this recent convert's point of view this just looks plain weird. What am I missing here?

Actually, to be honest I'd still be at least partly happy with a mere workaround. Can someone tell me if it's possible to wrangle access to any of the James Hardie stuff with my fully up-to-date Archicad 16 software?

Thanks,
Chris

[Barry Kelly]

Are you going through the Archicad HELP menu > ARCHICAD 16 DOWNLOADS to get the goodies?
This should give you the correct version for your system.
You may have to re-install the latest hotfix again after installing the goodies (you only need the "Accessories" one) as the goodies are for an earlier build and the hotfix will update them once they are installed.
Barry.

[Anonymous]

An update, since a few months have now passed since my original post.
I had a quick attempt to get the goodies / accessories working back in June, but failed and at the time I just had to move on. But now I've come back for another go and found out that Graphisoft are now offering goodies to suit ArchiCAD 17 R1 (build 3013) on their website: http://www.graphisoft.com/downloads/goodies/AC17/AUS.html

Note to MichaelScheltema - one implication of that is that 64bit is supported.

The installation process was fairly painless - for example, the required library file is installed as a part of the process (older versions required you remember to do that separately)

When I opened Archicad, at first I thought something had gone wrong with the installation, because the accessories options were all greyed out, but after some red-herring work trying to unload and reload the library, I realised that it was just a simple legacy-style restriction of the goodies - you can't place the wall elements in a 3D view. - it has to be done in a 2d plan view.

Oh, and for the extra James Hardie content, the James Hardie tools.lcf needed to be put into the archicad library folder, and manually loaded.

[Anonymous]

All,
I found this on the James Hardie USA site but nothing for Archicad. https://jhinsite.com/james-hardie-revit-files/. As a new user I have yet to delve into Complex Profiles but do see where they will be the "GoTo" choice for many elements in my Design path.

Question(s). Is it worth pursuing companies like this for Acrhicad objects or are we better off, in the long run, to create the items we need and save them as our favorites. From what I am learning, complex profiles enable so much control in the both modeling and condocs aspect of what we are doing with the software. James Hardie does provide ample CAD files from which to create the profiles to scale so my thought is to begin downloading these for future reference.

If one did not want to go down the CP path is it possible to use or convert REVIT files with Archicad? Seems If so, or even if Archicad files were available, is it the general feeling complex profiles is still the more flexible choice?

Thanks,

[Eduardo Rolon]

I prefer to create my own content if possible. With downloaded content you are trusting that the file is "efficient" so it will not slow down your project.
Anyway looks like you have not heard of this

https://bim6x.com/blog/bim6x-announces-revit-families-revit-geometry-exchange-add-archicad

It will not work on AC16 but it should from AC21 forwards.

[Anonymous]

Sir,

No, I had not heard of this add-on so, Thank you for your insight and link. I also agree on the efficiency of some objects. Although AC objects are quick and easy to select, CP are so much more powerful for individual use. This spawns a followup, do you know of a place(s) where one might source and also upload CP items sharing? I would be more than happy to share what I create.

Thanks again,

[Anonymous]

ejrolon wrote:
I prefer to create my own content if possible. With downloaded content you are trusting that the file is "efficient" so it will not slow down your project.
Anyway looks like you have not heard of this

https://bim6x.com/blog/bim6x-announces-revit-families-revit-geometry-exchange-add-archicad

It will not work on AC16 but it should from AC21 forwards.

Anyone have a clue as to how this works? I installed it, I think....and see it in the ADD-ON section of AC21. I then downloaded the Previously mentioned RVT file from James Hardie and installed it as directed in my REVIT 2018. There is very limited instructions from either JH or BIM6x so I am at a loss.

Granted I am new to AC so, I was expecting the BIM6x Add-on to allow me to open the RVT file and it would convert it to something Archicad could handle. I see no such options so I don't see the value in the RFA &RVT Geometry Exchange Add-on. I simply want the siding geometry as a material for a composite and or Complex Profile Wall. Any guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

[Erwin Edel]

It converts revit files to ARCHICAD objects. File > Libraries and Objects > Import RFA as GDL Object...

Having a siding in a composite is as easy as creating a surface with a horizontal or vertical vectorial fill with the proper spacing and a repeatable texture of the siding. If you know your spacing, check if there already is a vectorial fill with this spacing or duplicate an existing one to modify it. Step two is to have a surface for the siding, you can duplicate one from the existing library of surfaces by hitting the New... button and chosing New from Catalog. If you type 'siding' in the search field, you probably already see a number of preset materials in different colours. Chances are something is close enough for your liking. Just create one of those and in Basic Engine slap on your newly made vectorial hatching pattern, do the math to fixure out what the size of the texture needs to be (x times the spacing, where x is how many bits are shown). Remember that number, go in to Cinerender settings and type the same values in the Size panel.

With a complex profile: download a DWG from the manufacturer, to get the size that is needed. Make sure you have a paint surface with the colour finish you want. Multiply a fill with a wood building material around in your complex profile and override the surface with the paint.

Unless it is a very distinct weatherboard finish, I just use a texture surface as drawing the boarding in 3D can get you a lot of linework and shadow lines, which I find distracts from the clarity of the drawing.

[Erwin Edel]

To further stand by Eduardo's statement: downloaded files are quite often 'sloppy' drawings, in my experience, leading to extra nodes, leading to extra polygons, slowing down your work.

If the siding is spaced out 185 mm, I just make a vectorial fill pattern for that, rather than downloading the 184.7 mm drawing that was done by the unpaid intern before his coffee break.

[Anonymous]

Guys,

I appreciate both of your comprehensive replies but all that was WAY over my head at this point. I was thinking it was as simple as loading the New Siding to add to my material options. Obviously there is more to it than that. I need to dig up some examples of how, what you described, is done. Maybe YouTube.

I have spent the last two months immerses in various levels of Archicad training Reading and watching videos, practicing, and love what I see so far. This is a very complex, but powerful piece of software in hands of a skilled user - Expert is years away. So, before I get lost in the weeds drawing stuff without a clue, I am spending the time planning my path and getting a comfortable understanding of the tools I need to be somewhat productive, and not frustrated, when I do start drawing. I'm close, and the Hardie Siding was simply one more link in the chain.

P.S. I'm always open to Skype with anyone willing to share their wisdom. There's little worse than getting to a point, and needing help, and the only people available want to charge $125 an hour to assist. Ouch!

Thanks again Everyone!

[Erwin Edel]

While I recognise I have 12+ years of experience of working with ARCHICAD, the process I described is hardly expert level stuff. That said... Quick run down in simple words (I'm trying!).

You make composites or complex profiles with Building Materials by defining the thickness of the building material and type (finish, other or core) in composites or their custom shape by drawing it with the fill tool in complex profiles.

A Building Material is a sort of container of attributes. A cut Fill, a Surface and you can define physical properties and strength of the material. If you have a decent template, there should be a collection of most typical materials already.

Best practice is to duplicate something that comes close and modifying that. So if you want to make a siding Building Material, duplicate some wood Building Material and give it a logical name. You can change the Cut Fill to something appropriate. This is what is shown in plans and sections when your siding is cut.

Now for the siding to show up as something recognisable in 3D, we need a Surface. Again, your template will most likely have something that comes close, however, you can also create a new surface from a library of surfaces. I explained this above.

Duplicate (or create from the library) a new surface for your siding. You might need to change the colour or the texture image if you need a different look. Assign a vectorial fill with the proper spacing of lines. Again your template should have a few of these already, if the proper spacing is not there. Go duplicate one of the horizontal or vertical spaced out line fills and change the spacing.

If you are going to make a photorenders with Cinerender, go in to the cinerender settings as well and change the size and colour accordingly.

This might sound like a LOT of work, but it takes more time to type things out then to do them.

If you have no idea what fills, surfaces and building materials are, you need BASIC training. Ussually your local reseller will offer training. I believe our reseller (Netherlands) has a course that takes 3-4 days, after which you will know these kind of basics and a lot of things you will not learn by trying things yourself. Productivity gains far outwheigh the cost of training, in my opinion.

Alternatively: https://www.youtube.com/user/Archicad/playlists?sort=dd&shelf_id=17&view=50 work through the training series clips, I am sure the things I wrote down here will be explained in those videos as well.