Valid license required to run AI visualizer? (I assume I have it)

[Martin Jan Rosa]

I am an Archicad user with a perpetual license and an SSA contract with a local vendor, and I have access to all updates. However, when I run AI Visualizer in Archicad 28 I get a message that I need a valid Archicad license to use it.

I tracked down the information that AI Visualizer is only for Collaborate and Edu license holders. So am I to understand that if I have a license that I previously believed provided me with full use of Archicad with all its features (and I consider the AI Visualizer, which is now part of its standard installation, to be such a feature), that I can now expect to be gradually cut back on various features, only to be forced to switch to another licensing method?

 

Operating system used: Mac Apple Silicon

[Pato99]

I mean, they put in all that hard work stealing example photos from the internet. They need to recoup that time somehow.  

[Niranjan Das Sharma]

I dont think its worth a subscription as I had tried it out in technology preview. I could not produce anything useful. I was hopping that they will improve it and it will be a part of this new version. But dont know how it works now.

[laembert]

I don't think throwing yourself enthusiastically into subscription is wise. Has anyone done an analysis of the subscription license terms? Are there things like autodesk has that they can come into your office, inspect your equipment on site?

[PrzemN]

Good job Graphi$$$oft. That's how you scam yours loyal users. Some of us have been using Archicad for lots of years, paying you every year for an update. There was NOTHING about it in any AC28 presentation I saw, what is more funny: knowing how crippled keynotes feture currently is, AI visualizer was being sold to us, naive customers as a "new great thing" 😄

[Vaclav Slovak]

I also am very very dissapointed. I pay maximum level of payment + SSA and the result? Not fully functional software. Maybe I should send 10% lower payment for SSA. The same principle. 

[Archibaltic]

I fully agree with your way of thinking !

[Eduardo Bell]

Dear Michael you ask: "Doesn't that seem absurd?"

Not so for GS. Here's my view: the reason why this decision was made was likely to encourage, (or one may also think: "coerce"), perpetual license holders to change our type of subscription to the new "pay-per-view" style of business model adopted these days. According to this business model Archicad is no longer a commodity, it is now a service. Price can change at any time. As far as I understood the kind of software product I was buying back in 1994, I had the right to sell my perpetual license, and when I did, the new buyer could expect, for his money, a full update every year for a reasonably stable price increase.

Bottom line: Who is going to want to be on "perpetual" when its intrinsic value has been devalued?

[Karmatecture]

What would be a good AI alternative?

I've already given enough to Graphisoft this year

[Eduardo Bell]

I would try D5 Render for Archicad if you're on Windows, they haven't implemented a Mac version yet. I've tried a few of the free options on my Mac, Render AI gave me some results but I assume Archicad Visualizer would be better. We should still insist that GS listen to our plea to grant us access, just like these other companies do.

 

[Karmatecture]

Thanks Eduardo, I totally agree. I was sold on the benefits of the software, directed to explore the new features, but sneakily not told that it was all included, but neither was I told that there were exclusions.

Was merely sold on the benefits of continuing my SSA with Graphisoft.

As I am starting to wind down how much I work in my practice, a A$6000/years subscription package doesn't work for me. It is still the value of my original and continued investment that should be valued.