After a Decade, Why We're Not Moving to the New Tiers

[davdelven]

Well, after a decade as a customer, we're done. We bought our first perpetual licenses with Archicad 18 (back in 2014) and have been paying for FORWARD maintenance ever since.

But that's over. Archicad 28 is our last stop.

We simply cannot justify the new costs for AC29. For us, that maintenance model is broken and is officially no longer an option. We're out.

We'll see what the future holds. Maybe we'll rent the 'Studio on-demand' subscription for a specific project, but our days of annual commitment are finished.

Operating system used: Windows 11 25H2

[mthd]

The architectural landscape changes dramatically with AI becoming the main focus of the development of CAD/BIM software solutions. Almost all of us are dependent on computers and now they want us to all support AI driven generated workflows too ??? We are all hooked on devices these days, they rule our lives way too much if you ask me.

I don’t really care that much about the latest buzz word “AI” and the role it is going to play in the future. Everyone wants photo realistic views of their new home or building albeit AI generated or not. AI will even design their buildings for them soon, so some of us will most likely be out of employment. Who needs an architect when you have AI to do it all for you in the future. Architects will become more focused on project management rather than design from their brains. 

Why not sack AI and go back to human hand drawing and our old drafting machines ? I never had to pay upgrade fees for my drawings boards or drafting machines, did you ? We are all hooked on upgrades but there is a limit to that and now we are in the tweaking phase with software development. Tweaking should be free of fees becuase all software should work correctly for its intended purpose. I am certainly not paying fees for things that should work properly. So don’t be upset if you need to stop paying for junk grades or unnecessary software complications.

All in good humor though !

[davdelven]

Thanks for your supportive words.

To be honest, I would keep paying if, regardless of the "cosmetic AI features" they've just added, they provided a business model that really fitted the many different ways in which "Architects" practise around the world nowadays. The romantic way of practising as an architect may work for some, but the reality is that the market is moving in a way that economies with stakeholders who have low financial power are even able to develop their own tools for simple workflows.

Of course, Archicad is a mature solution, but now we should be talking about Nemetschek, which is ultimately the new flag to take into battle. Are we powerful enough to win something? Or are we just weakening the niche of users we've built up over the years?

Sad, yes. But happy to keep modelling and exporting IFC with our AC28. Not perfect, but pedagogically inspiring.