Archicad 14 New Features

[Dennis Lee]

See what's on youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/user/Archicad#g/c/5C1926DD91A70C7B

Personally, not much in it for me at all!

[Chadwick]

dcerezo wrote:
One of the things that has always puzzled me in this day and age is the total communication silence I have seen with company heads when a software release bombs.

You know, I thought that Autodesk did a good job of listening to the complaints from 2010 by fixing a lot of the problems in 2011. A lot of Revit users think that 2011 is a phenomenal release.

I used ArchiCAD (9, 10 & 11) for three years and Revit for over four now. Granted I haven't used the latest releases of ArchiCAD, but it terms of ease of use I think that Revit is far and away in the lead. I needed a three day training session to learn ArchiCAD while I taught myself Revit via one of Paul Aubin's books (maybe that's more of a testament to the author). The funny thing is, to this day I still think about things that were in ArchiCAD 5 years that I wish were in Revit today (automatic detail numbering on sheets!).

Another software company that has ridiculously good customer support is Informatix. Any issue I have with Piranesi and it interacting with Revit and they are so quick to help and do whatever they can to get me what I need.

[Anonymous]

Graham wrote:

I am not saying that AC by any means is perfect. I too wish for new and improved modeling tools, but I have yet to be disappointed by any recent update to the software. I still see AC as a very powerful tool and I feel like I am only tapping into a small portion of its functionality after 10 years of use. I have yet to find a "real world" problem that AC cannot handle.

GW

I agree with Graham's well expressed post. The AC13 upgrade features, and the features that AC14 promises, address what I consider to be fundamental concerns that Archicad needs to overcome in order to survive against Revit, and are features that we can utilize today.

Reading all of the posts, we all would like a revised UI that miraculously improves our productivity, a refurbished BIM modeling paradigm that efficiently supports the creation of complex forms and magically allows for their 2D documentation, a completely new parametric object creation process that avoids the need to learn code, a sophisticated and flexible parametric stair to avoid having to model a stair from individual components, the most technologically advanced rendering engine currently on the market (built into the 3D window and rendering in realtime), all third party plug-ins included into the main program, more features for smaller firms who don't see a benefit from Teamwork, and quick support for the newest operating systems and hardware.

When I look back ten years and see how Archicad has changed, I am sure that in the next ten years that all of these items will be addressed in some way.

But more important current concerns for me than those items are better handling of large projects, specifically when 2 or more users are using teamwork, which was addressed in AC13, and improved data transfer with third party programs like Revit MEP. My biggest fear is having to abandon Archicad, which everyone in our office loves, for Revit due to a client's project requirements. Hopefully AC14 will push that fear down a while longer.

When I look at the quality of our presentations and documentation and compare them to other offices using Revit, I am not worried about our BIM capabilities. We just worry that at some point our tools won't work with everyone else's tools.

Tim Boeckman
AC6.5 -> AC13

[Anonymous]

Chadwick wrote:
You know, I thought that Autodesk did a good job of listening to the complaints from 2010 by fixing a lot of the problems in 2011. A lot of Revit users think that 2011 is a phenomenal release.

It is a great release. But buggy - holy cow! That's one pony that got let out of the gate a little too early. The bug list for 2011 on AUGI is the longest I've ever seen. That's why I posted that we need a SP ASAP

[Anonymous]

dcerezo wrote:
One of the things that has always puzzled me in this day and age is the total communication silence I have seen with company heads when a software release bombs.

The developers of and are a fixed presence in their respective forums offering support, tutorials and in the case of Brad Peebler (CEO of Luxology - makers of modo) with news on modo development.

It doesn't get much better than that.

[Anonymous]

lool Tim,
if you can whait 10 years more to be able to draw a stair, rotate object and other elementry stuff then whait and pay...

GS team dont have creativity, they have old mind thinking, and thats the problem. Did you see what Objecitve do . . . Is that something spacey, some hard coding that need 50 man on project. . . no man its a good idea, simple and very effective.
Man is it possible that every reliese of archicad have bunch of errors in librarys and that is GDL which is somekind of core of archicad...
GS team is still in 80s and thats the problem. You know Duran Duran and others hehehehe, creazy hair style

[Anonymous]

Would you guys be happy with features like custom elevation tags, realistic views, repeat last command, modeless properties palette, resizable dialogs, ambient occlusion, guide grids, adaptive components, link file tagging, place holder sheet creation, sun path and sun settings tool which are a few new features of Revit 2011? As you can see, Revit 2011 is also a joke. It got a few cheers and high fives because the average Revit users is accustomed of not getting anything. Just look at Revit 2010.

So you should stop comparing Archicad to Revit. If Graphisoft wants to stay ahead of the game, they should look at Rhino. The latest Rhino release had over 80 new features and enhancements. And yes, you can't document in Rhino, but anyone who is serious about architecture would rather work with Rhino and Autocad than work in Arhicad or Revit for that matter. All famous firms use Rhino for 3d modeling and manufacturing and Autocad for documentation. The pros always want the best.

[Chadwick]

blobmeister wrote:
Would you guys be happy with features like custom elevation tags, realistic views, repeat last command, modeless properties palette, resizable dialogs, ambient occlusion, guide grids, adaptive components, link file tagging, place holder sheet creation, sun path and sun settings tool which are a few new features of Revit 2011? As you can see, Revit 2011 is also a joke. It got a few cheers and high fives because the average Revit users is accustomed of not getting anything. Just look at Revit 2010.

So you should stop comparing Archicad to Revit. If Graphisoft wants to stay ahead of the game, they should look at Rhino. The latest Rhino release had over 80 new features and enhancements. And yes, you can't document in Rhino, but anyone who is serious about architecture would rather work with Rhino and Autocad than work in Arhicad or Revit for that matter. All famous firms use Rhino for 3d modeling and manufacturing and Autocad for documentation. The pros always want the best.

So, what do you do when the federal government demands a BIM deliverable? How does Rhino fit into IPD which a lot of clients are asking for now? Just curious...

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Tim wrote:
..........

Reading all of the posts, we all would like a revised UI that miraculously improves our productivity, a refurbished BIM modeling paradigm that efficiently supports the creation of complex forms and magically allows for their 2D documentation, a completely new parametric object creation process that avoids the need to learn code, a sophisticated and flexible parametric stair to avoid having to model a stair from individual components, the most technologically advanced rendering engine currently on the market (built into the 3D window and rendering in realtime), all third party plug-ins included into the main program, more features for smaller firms who don't see a benefit from Teamwork, and quick support for the newest operating systems and hardware.

......

You know, I wouldn't think that belittling other users legitimate concerns and actual requests and wishes for the program would be the best way of making your point that you're happy with the program and it's development, as is. But that's just me.

.......and what's wrong with wanting a better modelling tools or a more intuitive way of creative parametric custom stairs, doors and windows, that don't necessarily fit into GS's template of 10 types, and without the hassle of having to learn how to program computer code or GDL, when your chosen profession is actually visually and graphically designing buildings? Some of those wishes and requests have been in the wishlist section since version 6.5 and for the last over 12 years - since long before anyone knew of or had even imagined or requested "the most technologically advanced rendering engine currently on the market (built into the 3D window and rendering in realtime)" - which no one actually is. Whatever makes you think that GS will feel compelled to do anything about them in the next 10 years, unless their users demand them (which doesn't seem to work anyway) is beyond me.

The problem with this type of discussion which pops up every single year with every weak release of ArchiCAD is that the 'best-of-all-worlds' crowd and group of users who are apparently happy and content with the program's features and development as they see it, always feel the need to exaggerate and belittle the requests of anyone else that asks for more and expects more from its development, basically reducing their arguments into a straw man so as to invalidate them.

The old "I don't need or use these tools that all you other people are requesting, so I don't think Graphisoft should waste any resources developing them for others" argument.

[Bricklyne Clarence]

Chadwick wrote:
.....
So, what do you do when the federal government demands a BIM deliverable? How does Rhino fit into IPD which a lot of clients are asking for now? Just curious...

.....well, technically the Federal government doesn't really demand BIM deliverables - maybe State Governments do, but definitely not the Feds. The GSA (The de facto Federal GC for Government and Military projects) is pretty clear (and open and accommodating to boot ) about 'BIM' and 3D documentation deliverables and they can't really afford, (nor are they technically even allowed to by law) to swing one way or another regarding requirements for Federal projects deliverables - especially those that would seem to inhibit fair competition and favor one Software firm (i.e. Autodesk) and platform over others. Autodesk may have done a great job marketing Revit as the de facto BIM standard, and it may even have worked at various State levels (such as we've seen recently in Texas) but the Feds have to be pretty and clearly impartial where this is concerned as evidenced by the number of Govt. projects you're likely to find being executed in MicroStation among others.

[Chadwick]

Bricklyne wrote:
.....well, technically the Federal government doesn't really demand BIM deliverables - maybe State Governments do...

Perhaps, but regardless we are finding more and more clients are looking at BIM to aide with facilities management. We even had a contractor up here talking about how they are using BIM to help with the construction process and are relieved when the architect and engineers are using BIM! I just don't see software of the like of Revit or ArchiCAD disappearing anytime soon...