ArchiCAD add-ons Review

[Anonymous]

We are looking into purchasing a few add-ons for ArchiCAD and I was wondering if anyone has a experience with these.

CiGraph:
ArchiWall
ArchiSketchy
ArchiForma
ArchiTerra


CadImage
Door & Window Builder
Accessory Tools
3D Profiler


Piranesi
Stair Builder


The Piranesi stairbuilder I am interested in getting immediately, the others I am still researching.

[__archiben]

i would add 'revision manager' to the cadimage stuff . . . it's a good one!

architerra, accessory tools and DWB are essential in my opinion. they all have their quirks because they are limited by what graphisoft's API framework lets them do, but after a bit of playing you should get some good results . . .

there are plenty of threads on this forum about them - check them out to see the limitations and solutions they can provide.

~/archiben

[Anonymous]

Yes, DWB is a must. If you ever do kitchen plans then Cabinet Builder, also by Cadimage is good to.

I've used Cigraph's Archistair in the past and that was a lot better then built in Archicad stairmaker. The Cadimage stair builder (is that part of the Accessory tools?) is pretty good too.


Aaah Cadimage. If only they were a sports team, then New Zealand might win something...

[Richard Morrison]

Depending on the type of work you do, you might find 3rd party LIBRARIES, like Neil McCann's SmartParts or David Maudlin's Residential Library, more useful than add-ons. I have typically found that I don't always get a lot of use out of add-ons, even though I have a number of them. If I were buying today, though, I find the Accessory Tools and 3D Profiler good, although I would certainly look at Objective, too.

I occasionally use ArchiTerra, and there are a few tools in ArchiRuler that are pretty useful when you need them.

[Stephen Dolbee]

Door & Window Builder-definitely!

[Anonymous]

So if it came down to ArchiStair or Stair Builder... which should I get?

ArchiStair Web link

Stair Builder Web Link

Thanks again for everyone who has added their input.

[__archiben]

seattleguy wrote:
So if it came down to ArchiStair or Stair Builder... which should I get?

the thing you should know about archicad stairs is that there is no solution that works all of the time. i have both archistair and stairbuilder, as well as the library stair objects and - at a very last resort - the built in stairmaker. NONE are truly fit for purpose, although each of them have their strengths . . .

it comes down to just what you want to get out of them - visualisation or documentation. and for that, unfortunately, you need to play with all of them to see what is and isn't possible for each type of stair.

sorry - not particularly helpful.
~/archiben

[Chazz]

Ben's experience probably precedes mine but having used ArchiStair and Stairbuilder, I settled on SB from CadImage. I have not found much I could not do with it and prefer the SB approach (complex library part) to AS' approach (API).

Also, I really really love CabinetBuilder. If you do a lot of interior work or need to document that which you do, it's a must.

Same for DWB. A fantastic tool that takes some time to master. The major drawback to it (and CB for that matter) is the inability to use them well with Interactive Schedules. They have GOT TO FIX THIS in the next release.

Lastly I will just add that using any of these things adds hassles when working with others collaboratively and keeping them up to date when AC is rev'ed. Still, I have found that, for me, their utility is worth the costs.

[Laura Yanoviak]

~/archiben wrote:
the thing you should know about archicad stairs is that there is no solution that works all of the time. i have both archistair and stairbuilder, as well as the library stair objects and - at a very last resort - the built in stairmaker. NONE are truly fit for purpose, although each of them have their strengths . . .

NONE will produce an ADA compliant stair. After numerous hours playing with SB, AS, and the AC stair tools, my conclusion is to skip the additional cost and hassles of an add-on. ALL methods require 2D work arounds for documentation.

DWB is pretty powerful, but not without its problems.

Our firm has been using AC for 3 years now (currently up to 37 seats), and we have not found it necessary to implement any add-ons: more-often-than-not, they are more trouble then they are worth. (the only possible exception is Objective, which I have not personally tried, but have heard only good things about).

[Chazz]

Laura wrote:
NONE will produce an ADA compliant stair.

I assume you are talking about handrail returns, which can be an issue. The actual stair component can certainly be made ADA compliant. To document compliance "the BIM way" I have, in the past, used StairBuilder in conjunction with CadImage's 3D Profiler for the handrails, which is sort of fun to use.