ArchiCAD 12 Wish List

[Anonymous]

It's that time of the year when everyone is wishing for something nice to be under the Christmas tree. Granted, for Mac fans Christmas is usually on the second Tuesday of the new year and for ArchiCAD fans it takes even a bit longer than that into the new year, but would I be completely be out of line if I made a few wishes for the new version (given the round number...)?

So, here goes:

1. I can duplicate, even multiply objects in plan, I can do so in 3D. When oh when can I finally do it in section or elevation?

2. The only reason I am still using the age old "Internal Engine" is to see the extent and location of shadows. When oh when will ArchiCAD support shadow casting in OpenGL? It can't be OpenGL for I have a flight simulator that runs in OpenGL that casts beautiful shadows.

3. Why oh why does the import of SketchUp files only work in Windows?

4. Profiles that also apply to slabs and roofs.

5. Support of more than one processor core. Hey, this is the time of dual core processors as standard, and the Xeons now have quad core... I know, I know, this is actually a feature for I can use the other core for working on something else while ArchiCAD is puffing away in the background. Then again, perhaps I would not need to work on something else if ArchiCAD would be truly multi-threaded?

6. Perhaps some warning mechanism that prevents people from overloading Master Layouts? My students make this mistake all the time that they load their Master Layouts with images and project views instead of placing these objects in the Layouts.

7. Pressing the "Update" button in the Layout view, updates ALL VIEWS, unfortunately. But I may have switched some of the views to "Manual Update" in order to avoid coffee breaks whenever I make a change to the original design. So, perhaps two buttons (update and update all) would solve the issue. Update would only update that view(s) which is/are currently selected.

That's it, and season's greetings from the Arabian Peninsula.

Florian

[Laura Yanoviak]

Most are valid points, however I'm sure AC12 is approaching (or already in) alpha, and the AC13 list of improvements/new features being finalized -- so perhaps this is more of a "Hope List".

florian wrote:
6. Perhaps some warning mechanism that prevents people from overloading Master Layouts? My students make this mistake all the time that they load their Master Layouts with images and project views instead of placing these objects in the Layouts.

I don't find this necessary, we already have too many "warning mechanisms" -- just pay attention to what you are doing.

florian wrote:
7. Pressing the "Update" button in the Layout view, updates ALL VIEWS, unfortunately. But I may have switched some of the views to "Manual Update" in order to avoid coffee breaks whenever I make a change to the original design. So, perhaps two buttons (update and update all) would solve the issue. Update would only update that view(s) which is/are currently selected.

You know you can select the Drawing, right click and choose "Update" -- this will update only the selected views.

[Anonymous]

My mistake. As a Mac user I am notoriously unfamiliar with the right-click.

[Scott Bulmer]

You can certainly Left Click in the Drawing Manager, and pick/choose drawings to update to your heart's content. Not a bad alternative.
A coffee break may still be required however.

[TomWaltz]

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but GS is usually working on the next version by release time (May). Any wishes now that are granted now would not be seen until AC13.

Nothing's stopping a Mac user from buying a two- or more-button mouse. It is the 21st century now...

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but GS is usually working on the next version by release time (May). Any wishes now that are granted now would not be seen until AC13.

I assume this is more like wondering what is inside the present that is already under the tree (of course this one won't be unwrapped until mid 2008 - assuming they stick to the schedule).

I expect that the main features of 13 are also pretty well established, though there are often opportunities for small additions and adjustments, sometimes even in beta.

[Djordje]

florian wrote:
My mistake. As a Mac user I am notoriously unfamiliar with the right-click.

MightyMouse comes to mind ... 😉

[Anonymous]

I hope finally for a solid modeling compartment inside archicad style sketchUp or adt2007...

[Anonymous]

...i really need a quicker command ''offset'' for 2d and 3d elements,
like that one in AutoCad...
for those who works and live in the UAE hope to meet you soon !!!

[Richard Morrison]

giova wrote:
...i really need a quicker command ''offset'' for 2d and 3d elements,
like that one in AutoCad...!

You can get this (and much more) with Cigraph's ArchiRuler.