ArchiCAD 11

[Anonymous]

ArchiCAD 11 will come soon (as much as I suspect..)
What can AC 11 do better than AC10?

[March_ Bruce]

Dear Wishlist,
It would be really nice if perhaps for Christmas this forum would recognize a baseline jpg avatar saved from either photoshop & preview made on my intel mac & if it could get to that stage using something other than IE 5 ie either firefox & safari...
Thanks,
Bugmeister

[Anonymous]

Archicad v11 -- This release has been written for 75% of the offices that have not converted 100% to a "Teamworked" Model. Mostly medium and large firms --guessing maybe 75% of the current ArchiCAD medium and large firm user base.

We have been beta testing AC for the last few months. The work sheet concept is really revolutionary and very user friendly to the staff that remains --and probably will remain 2D draft-persons. Any project that more than 2 or 3 people are working on and have a DD or CD deadline that requires expanding the team will find the worksheets a significant increase in productivity and most importantly stress reduction.
How much does ArchiCAD reduce stress--alot-- is there a value to this? -- priceless.

The new dedicated Interior elevation tool is a breeze to use. If you are doing larger scale commercial projects -- check the number of interior elevations that you generate and assume you can cut the time in half or more to produce them--this should pay for the upgrade.

Finally, anyone who contends that 11 is a minor release has not used it enough to understand the productivity benefits -- especially to the medium and large firm.

[TomWaltz]

Bruce wrote:
Archicad v11 -- This release has been written for 75% of the offices that have not converted 100% to a "Teamworked" Model. Mostly medium and large firms --guessing maybe 75% of the current ArchiCAD medium and large firm user base.

We have been beta testing AC for the last few months. The work sheet concept is really revolutionary and very user friendly to the staff that remains --and probably will remain 2D draft-persons. Any project that more than 2 or 3 people are working on and have a DD or CD deadline that requires expanding the team will find the worksheets a significant increase in productivity and most importantly stress reduction.
How much does ArchiCAD reduce stress--alot-- is there a value to this? -- priceless..

Care to explain more about that? I've been using AC11 since it was in Alpha and don't see how Worksheets are so great. How are you using it that makes up for Teamwork? I'm feeling like I missed something.

The new dedicated Interior elevation tool is a breeze to use. If you are doing larger scale commercial projects -- check the number of interior elevations that you generate and assume you can cut the time in half or more to produce them--this should pay for the upgrade.

I usually have dozens of interior elevations per project... the new interior elevation method is a nice improvement, but I would never say it cuts the time in half over what we're doing now. 15% off tops. Maybe my team is just quick about it to begin with.

I'm more impressed with the auto-spacing multiple views on a sheet and the new "Open source with Sheet as Trace Reference" and "Open last layout" commands. They are nice and really are time savers, but I would never call them part of a major upgrade.

Finally, anyone who contends that 11 is a minor release has not used it enough to understand the productivity benefits -- especially to the medium and large firm.

What's so major about it? The only "major" thing I see in AC11 is the the major safety blanket if gives to Autocad users who do not want to learn how to model in their new CAD product. Have I missed a use for this that you'd care to explain?

Oh wait... you're a reseller..... you almost got that one by me. It might be nice if you said that before you offer your opinion like you're a user. You might want to watch those "anyone who..." generalizations, especially when you're selling the product and trying to make it sound like anyone who disagrees with you just doesn't know as much as you do.

[Anonymous]

Tom,
Sorry, I don't think I've hidden any thing form anyone. I think I am qualified to have an opinion--as this is a democratic forum-- and will stand by what I said about AC 11.

Yes I am a reseller but, not unlike many resellers of ArchiCAD, I have been practicing Architecture since 1970 something and have been using ArchiCAD since v.4.55. I have personally completed at least a 100 ArchiCAD projects and continue to practice Architecture as well as advise our ArchiCAD Clients large and small. I feel offering our advice and consultation as an user is what makes ArchiCAD different than other Virtual Design and Construction Programs on the market. It is also why we get user calls at 9:30 PM asking questions and at the same time leaving messages that they love this program even after using it only a few months.

I saw the initial demonstration of AC 11 in October at the International reseller meeting and from this initial demo it was somewhat of a let down after v10.

But then we were issued a Beta Copy and began to use it on a large hotel/condo project to learn it for release and test the features to introduce it to our Clients. As I noted, it became clear that this was a much more robust release that it initially appeared and especially for our the users who were just transitioning to use 3D CAD and still using a lot of 2D flat CAD in their practice.

I think both Graphisoft and the Resellers of ArchiCAD have the same objectives in mind -- to improve the productivity of all the users across the board -- not just a few uber users -- this release continues do this and if it weren't Friday at 5:30 PM I might continue to describe the many ways that this release does offer many major features that will help firms transition to the true Virtual Design and Construction process.

As we get users up and running I will make sure they post their positive experiences with transitioning from 2D to 3D using the new tools of version 11. Cheers!

[__archiben]

March, wrote:
It would be really nice if perhaps for Christmas this forum would recognize a baseline jpg avatar saved from either photoshop & preview made on my intel mac & if it could get to that stage using something other than IE 5 ie either firefox & safari...

are you having a bad week fella?!

i think the last time i used IE on a mac was the day before apple first released safari to the wild . . . what exactly can't you do with safari/firefox and avatar uploading that you can with IE? i take it you've read the 'less than 90x90px and 10kb in size' rules . . .

cheers
~/archiben

[Chazz]

TomWaltz wrote:
Oh wait... you're a reseller.....

Bruce wrote:
I don't think I've hidden any thing form anyone.

Bruce, Dude, you have less posts than I have fingers and in exactly none of them have you stated your affiliation. I support you being here (a quick review of of your postings shows them to be helpful and cogent), but if you're blowing the company's horn, you really have to put on a name tag. GET A SIG.

[__archiben]

Bruce wrote:
Sorry, I don't think I've hidden any thing form anyone.

...

Yes I am a reseller but...

when i read your initial post i wondered how much GS had paid you . . .

i had no idea you were a reseller. so yes, you did hide something: your commercial interest in archicad sales. regardless of rights and wrongs, and who's qualified or not to have opinions, (it's really good, by the way, to see a reseller that is actually using archicad day-to-day as well), your initial subterfuge has pretty much thrown into doubt the validity of your enthusiastic statements.

front up next time, eh?

~/archiben

[TomWaltz]

Bruce wrote:
Tom,
Sorry, I don't think I've hidden any thing form anyone. I think I am qualified to have an opinion--as this is a democratic forum-- and will stand by what I said about AC 11.

Yes I am a reseller but, not unlike many resellers of ArchiCAD, I have been practicing Architecture since 1970 something and have been using ArchiCAD since v.4.55. I have personally completed at least a 100 ArchiCAD projects and continue to practice Architecture as well as advise our ArchiCAD Clients large and small. I feel offering our advice and consultation as an user is what makes ArchiCAD different than other Virtual Design and Construction Programs on the market. It is also why we get user calls at 9:30 PM asking questions and at the same time leaving messages that they love this program even after using it only a few months.

I saw the initial demonstration of AC 11 in October at the International reseller meeting and from this initial demo it was somewhat of a let down after v10.

But then we were issued a Beta Copy and began to use it on a large hotel/condo project to learn it for release and test the features to introduce it to our Clients. As I noted, it became clear that this was a much more robust release that it initially appeared and especially for our the users who were just transitioning to use 3D CAD and still using a lot of 2D flat CAD in their practice.

I think both Graphisoft and the Resellers of ArchiCAD have the same objectives in mind -- to improve the productivity of all the users across the board -- not just a few uber users -- this release continues do this and if it weren't Friday at 5:30 PM I might continue to describe the many ways that this release does offer many major features that will help firms transition to the true Virtual Design and Construction process.

As we get users up and running I will make sure they post their positive experiences with transitioning from 2D to 3D using the new tools of version 11. Cheers!

Bruce,

thanks for the clarification on your background. It's nice to see a reseller who actually USES Archicad!

You may not have hidden anything actively, but nor did you disclose the fact that you stand to gain a lot more from a public positive image for AC11 than any of us.

I look forward to more detailed explanations of how the Worksheets are so beneficial. I'm really hoping that I misjudged them and that they are something more. I'm particularly interested in how you said it can replace/supplement teamwork and how it actually lets users transition from 2D to 3D (not just keep working in 2D like they are used to)

[Djordje]

The real question is:

Why do people that do use Archicad for longish time don't use it as intended?

Reality?

I was also disappointed by 11, but - if the reality is that you are considered an uber user if you don't draft your sections, then 11 is just what everyone needs. Or most do.

The law of the averages. Now, another question is: should everyone be pulled down to the average level, and should people think that drafting is cool? Not in my book - and before any reseller that reads this smirks a "yeah, right" let me tell you that I have done Archicad sales in th epast regardless of the fact that I have always actively discouraged fudging, patching and drafting.

So, it seems that at least the sales will be solid, which will then provide the cash for the development of what counts - the Virtual Building solution and the training how to do it.

Undercover Bruce, just out of curiosity - how much training do you do? What is the profile of your average user? Do you teach them to draft (as some I know do) or do you teach them The Way?

May the Force be with us ...

[Anonymous]

I really understand the purpose of this release. I also have a lot of colleagues i cooperate with that are still in 2d. AC 11 can be used as a docking stating for everyone to cooperate. Thats really nice.

But for current AC users AC11 brings nothing new. But i think AC11 is better that AC9 witch i think was the worst possible upgrade ever. AC10 was indeed nice (but could be better).

The problem is that AC lacks so much basic functionality that makes you wonder when and if it will ever catchup.

What does an architect wants when designs a building

1) Site Plan + exterior modeling features
2) Draw the building in 3d
Here AC also has many problems. I have many problems with building exterior coatings and material assignment. Actually its very difficult to build the outer skin of your building. (and much more).
You just don't want me to repeat stairs!!!
3) Engineering module
4) hvac
5) calculations (that part has stopped developing since v8)

6) last but not least
Give as an improved GDL with user interaction and file IN/OUT or support a vb-like language. PLEASEEEEEEEE

So you see the list is really really long. AC11 has not done a single step forward. Will AC ever catchup with our need? I am pessimistic
5) pluming.. and so on