ArchiCAD 10 Mactel version release candidate is out now

[Greg Kmethy]

The Mactel version of Archicad 10 is just a few weeks away!

BUT - due to massive customer demand, we have decided to make the Release Candidate public for all Archicad 10 users today. Please visit the Graphisoft website to find more information:
http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/ac10/mactel.html

[Anonymous]

Great news, all I need now is a mactel

[archislave]

Is there a US version available? The international version will only allow us to judge the speed etc...

[Greg Kmethy]

As stated on the site, de US version will be available in a few days

[James Murray]

So the first hotfix should be almost ready...

[archislave]

I find it to be running quite snappy on a basic Macbook white with only 512mb of ram.

I am thinking they must have needed to get rid of lots of old code and use Apple's lates programming platform - Code Warrior I think. Anyway, it runs fast and stable but I really want to see a more modern GUI in Archicad instead of all the individual pallettes etc. Take a look at Apple's own apps which look very clean. Graphisoft also needs to hire icon designers to update the application to get ready for Vista and OSX 10.5 (leopard). The icons are much more glassy and modern instead of the line drawings of archicads 20 year old look.

I guess I need to also post this in the wish list area.

[TomWaltz]

archislave wrote:
I am thinking they must have needed to get rid of lots of old code and use Apple's lates programming platform - Code Warrior I think.

That was the old program made by Metrowerks. XCode is the new Apple Development System.

I believe everything for Apple must be made in it. Luckily it's free with the OS. (much unlike Visual Studio.... $800?)

[Dwight]

archislave wrote:
The icons are much more glassy and modern instead of the line drawings of archicads 20 year old look.

Right. The shiny bits.

I agree with you totally about the dialog boxes having a just-got-started-in-computing-and-have-a-600x800-pixel-display. I

How about a more functional GUI like Maya, with four way contextual menus? or LightWave with its tiny, efficient boxes? Let's eliminate those vast distances to push the mouse because the interface is currently so floaty and spread out!

A perfect example of how Graphisoft misses the boat is in dumb things like the pet palette. Why are the choices in a row? Why aren't they arranged AROUND a central point? Then, a gesture direction speeds choice. Once I saw Maya do that - with really complex choices being arrayed around the cursor - Archicad seemed twice as archaic.

[archislave]

Lightwave looks cool and also the dark gray of Modo. I downloaded the free Maya learning edition and think it is a hideous interface. All of the icons are bright blue and red. I would rather have Archicad the way it is than Maya.
However all of apples pro apps and the other's mentioned are very clean and modern. Also Cheetah has a very clean GUI although the icons are a bit primary shcool.

I think they just need to hire some talented GUI designers and face the fact that programmers are not the best at graphic design. But will they do it? Nooooo! because things like that are seen as not important when if fact they are most important. I wish I could pound it into these pramatist programmers heads. Somehow I picture them as getting their basic work done and going out for beer and sausages. Where's the art? 😉

Why do so many people choose iPod over other MP3 players. It is the integration of the entire look and experience. Simple and clean always wins.

[__archiben]

archislave wrote:
Lightwave looks cool and also the dark gray of Modo.

modo is an exceptionally great looking interface. no idea how it 'handles' though . . . i downloaded the free trial-period demo once but never got the opportunity to play with it.

Simple and clean always wins.

yep. but that "simple" is often the kind of simple that takes many degrees of complexity to achieve. our other words for today are "intuitive" and "process". learn 'em . . . you'll be tested later . . .

~/archiben