Archicad 15 new features on youtube.

[Anonymous]

Here's some youtube clips on Archicad 15 new features.

http://emuarchitects.wordpress.com/2011/05/02/archicad-15-new-features/

[Bricklyne Clarence]

NCornia wrote:
......

But, if the wishlist area is in fact to matter then you should get as many people to vote as possible on each request. Use the most popular areas of the forum, such as "Working in ArchiCAD", which contains nearly a third of all posts on the entire forum, as a funnel to really push people to vote. Link and re-link to the wishlist as it applies to each post. If someone has a question about stairs, post a message that says, "By the way, to all reading this post, vote here '()' on this feature, your voice matters!"
.........

Hopelessly optimistic for the future of ArchiCAD.

Cheers!

One more thing;

You might not have noticed but people do actually still post wishes in this forum. Only they don't bother doing it in the wishlist section anymore. They post them in the regular forum sections that they regularly visit and if you even look at his same very thread you'll find wishes posted in a not so formal manner.
In this particular section (ArchiCAD +) you're gauranteed to find wishes in virtually every single one of the first 5 (at least) non-sticky threads - some posted as recently as a few days ago even though not necessarily phrased as wishes.

I made a partially tongue-in-cheek comment a little while back about how the Wishlist section is like an actual real-life deep Wishing well, where you spend your money (or in this case you time and effort) only to never ever see neither your money (or effort/time) ever again nor the actual wish ever being fulfilled.
I suspect that many people feel as I do, and as someone else in this thread has already noted - that the Wishlist section is a very depressing, if not maddening and frustrating place to visit.
So the thought of actually going around to recruit people from other sections to go vote in it, seems to me like it would be the ultimate exercise in futility.


You seem like you either recently joined this forum or have not been actively participating for too long, hence the, in your own words - "hopeless optimism".

Don't let the perpetual unfulfilled expectations beat that optimism out of as if with a stick.


ArchiCAD 15 does indeed seem to be a step in the right direction.
At a minimum it says to me that they are not completely immune to the complaints of their users, and that some of these things that people constantly harp on about on this forum actually get through to them even if through a long and winding road.
But I still strongly believe that their path to developing a much better and ultimately more competitive and superior software would be greatly smoothened and shortened if they took the tack of actually not just listening and observing (as we're perpetually told they do) but also actively engaging with their users.

I've beta-tested with other software, and also talked with the developers of other softwares - some bigger; some smaller than AC and GS - and the experience while not always 100% fulfilling is really enlightening for the users, but also ultimately helpful to the developers themselves.

In the Chaosgroup forum (the developers of Vray) you'll constantly find Vlado - the person who actually created the software - constantly answering users' questions and talking with them. Brad Peebler, the developer and creator of Modo does the same in the Luxology forums. Ditto Chema in the Fryrender/RandomControl software and forums. The developers of Maxwell and the creator also used to do the same until they had their little fiasco with their RC/Beta program, after which point they hired a full time PR person to deal with the PR direct engagement issues. But the developers still talk to the users.

I could go on and on and on....giving even examples of Graphisot's own direct competitors (Autodesk where KenPimental talks to users both at Autodesk's Area forums and at CGArchitect.com), but you get the point.


Keep the positivity and optimism. They are great attributes to have in these days.
But as a long time user and forum visitor, I genuinely worry for you.

[Bricklyne Clarence]

NCornia wrote:
.....

I do not know how much weight this forum holds in Graphisoft's decision making, how much time they spend here or really the percentage of the entire Graphisoft user base that the regular posters (and irregular posters if you count Dwight ) here represent. My guess is that we represent a small minority, but nonetheless a very important minority as some of the most accomplished ArchiCAD users reside here I am sure. I also feel that posting things in an any online forum is not the most proactive way to get your voice heard anyway. I mean who comes here on a regular basis but the diehards? And don't get me wrong, I love it. I have become hooked over the past year to ArchiCAD and this forum and love all the posts and contributors. But in the end I know the forum is a small community and not necessarily the bull horn that is going to get the major attention from Graphisoft or the world at large.

But, if the wishlist area is in fact to matter then you should get as many people to vote as possible on each request. Use the most popular areas of the forum, such as "Working in ArchiCAD", which contains nearly a third of all posts on the entire forum, as a funnel to really push people to vote. Link and re-link to the wishlist as it applies to each post. If someone has a question about stairs, post a message that says, "By the way, to all reading this post, vote here '()' on this feature, your voice matters!"

..........

Here's the thread I was talking about:


http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=8651#8651

That's what a Graphisoft forum looks like when a developer (or in this case, the Product Manager, or rather former Product Manager Laszlo (Laci) Neda - he's no longer with Graphisoft. Wish he was though) takes part in the forum, talks to users, solicits information, requests, and suggestions to help them improve the product.

That was in 2004, and I think just a little bit before Gallelo left the firm, the Nemetschek buy-out took place and they had a shake-up in their staff and personnel.


So you see, it can be done.
Even here.

[Anonymous]

Scott wrote:
This is a great point, but without any experience in software programming, and some basic GDL skills, it seems the core is not so much the problem as it is the interface.
Since GDL can be automatically created from models, it seems incredibly feasible to me to create a GUI that lets you model and assign parameters to elements, then let AC write the GDL code.

Spot on. why doesn't this exist in AC or even a dedicated standalone application.
The web is code, but look at how many ways there are to create your own complex websites without knowing that code

[Anonymous]

Interesting to see how this thread became a discussion of the relationship between GS and its customers, and the perception/reality as to whether they are being heard or not.

Putting that to one side, how about we now discuss what has been delivered, because at the end of the day that is what we are left with?

Have a look at http://www.archicadwiki.com/ArchiCAD%20versions

Now consider key features and how often they are worked on before being revised, and it gets a bit more interesting.

Personally with every release I get more and more concerned about the future of ArchiCAD. As a relatively long term software (in the software world) it has not really seen the core upgrades required by 'future' demands with the speed and depth required to be competitive.
(I have heard Teamwork required a total rewrite of the database structure in ArchiCAD. And we have the porting to 64bit. So perhaps we have some core level work underway?).
My concern is the underlying 3D engine - which I harp on about from time to time. Look at 15 - all about modelling....? Really? There is no core level upgrade going on here. Just keep building on a rather archaic foundation. Just look at other posts in this forum for details of how the shell tool barely scratches the surface of modelling - what about instancing, relationships etc etc.

As long term users we've grown to accept ArchiCADs shortcomings, e.g. rendering (use Artlantis/ Maxwell etc - forget Lightworks), Stairbuilder (buy an add-on).
Unfortunately core level stuff is something we cannot cover with add-ons. And the more 'other' stuff we have to buy, the less viable ArchiCAD becomes.

So what is delivered to use in AC15?
Is it enough?

[NCornia]

Bricklyne,

Okay, so what do you suggest? You have pretty much said that the status quo is not working for you. Posting in the forums has not elicited the response you desire from GS. What action, on our parts and yours, would you recommend?

[NCornia]

rwallis,

You are right. Sorry to all to be part of throwing the thread off- topic.

[Anonymous]

Because the topic about stairs will continue for many years ( and ....others seems to be the GS priority ) maybe a more useful tread is :

Alternative tricks to make a good stair in archicad !

In my opinion Cigraph Profiles and Archiforma is more suitable than Archistair for custom stairs , metallic stairs with correct 3d detailed geometry .

Best upgrade for me was the " Favorites" and i hope that next will be the "Shell" tool with AC 15.

I love Archicad and i hope Graphisoft to develop Archicad to resist against Autodesk Revit .

I wish to have a default single ac_version_independent and unified library
for all archicad versions organized in 3 lcf files : 1.core library ,2. medium lib. +3.optional .

[Anonymous]

rwallis wrote:
what about instancing, relationships etc etc.

"ArchiCAD 15 offers automatic connections between building structures and elements where such connection helps the creation and maintenance of the BIM model while preserving the flexibility architects need." here: http://download.graphisoft.com/ftp/marketing/ac15/pdf/ArchiCAD15_Design_brochure.pdf

"What are the new features of ArchiCAD 15?..., Enhanced Model Element Connections" here: http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/faq.html

I have not seen any video about this yet, but AC15 has a new concept, connection grips, where you can visualize which elements are associated to which elements, be it through SEO, trimming elements with roofs and shells, or merge trimming bodies. I found that this is a big help to manage all the relationships you generate through the modeling process.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Miguel for clearing that up- danger in commenting on an incomplete understanding of the brochures. (instancing too may be addressable with modules- if only we could embed them as we can library parts).

However the question still stands, and I guess by end of June we may have a clearer idea of the answer.

[sinceV6]

Bricklyne wrote:
The only thing that results from such a strategy in the long-term and from a PR and business-model perspective is that they lose more customers and users who stop using the software altogether (let alone just visiting this forum) as they justifiably believe that nobody who develops it cares what they think or to improve it to help make their work easier. And of course, that means less dineros for GS (money to spend on developers, R & D, PR and marketing (sorely needed here in North America), etc).
I mean, why spend my money on this software if I don't believe that it's not going to continue making my work easier and more efficient let alone pleasurable instead of banging my head against the wall to do the simplest task in the most rote complicated and repetitive method available?

When it comes to the GS priorities for AC develpment, my guess has always been that they pay attention to the big companies that are using the product in bigger projects. Teamwork and new shell might be a hint of this (although until I get to play with shell, it looks like a "you wanted modeling freedom? there. let me work." statement).

It is easy to forget that the ultimate user, actually modeling, the one at the end of the food chain in big companies, is the one that struggles to solve problems when using the software and that looks for knowledge online, a.k.a. this forum... so not listening to the people that use the software (or any product) is a mistake for any kind of business.

Bricklyne wrote:
In the Chaosgroup forum (the developers of Vray) you'll constantly find Vlado - the person who actually created the software - constantly answering users' questions and talking with them. Brad Peebler, the developer and creator of Modo does the same in the Luxology forums. Ditto Chema in the Fryrender/RandomControl software and forums. The developers of Maxwell and the creator also used to do the same until they had their little fiasco with their RC/Beta program, after which point they hired a full time PR person to deal with the PR direct engagement issues. But the developers still talk to the users.

And it is because of this that users are happy with what they get. Really happy. When there's something the product can't do, they get the answer directly from the source "we'll look into that, it is planned, it's not in our priorities, no it can't do that and it won't BUT you can do this or this until we solve it, etc".

rwallis wrote:
Personally with every release I get more and more concerned about the future of ArchiCAD. As a relatively long term software (in the software world) it has not really seen the core upgrades required by 'future' demands with the speed and depth required to be competitive.

This is what I meant when I said the software is being developed over the same old core, without looking to future needs.

rwallis wrote:
As long term users we've grown to accept ArchiCADs shortcomings, e.g. rendering (use Artlantis/ Maxwell etc - forget Lightworks), Stairbuilder (buy an add-on).
Unfortunately core level stuff is something we cannot cover with add-ons. And the more 'other' stuff we have to buy, the less viable ArchiCAD becomes.

Exactly! It would actually seem like GS tried to create a side market for the basic needs. I'm OK with add-ons that make work easier, or extend functionality, but not with things that should be part of the core functionality. And some things might start as add-on extensions or improvement ideas, but when it comes a time when it must be part of the program, people just start to get angry as to why they need several purchases to complete a working package.
And this has been proven over time. Anyone heard of NodeJoe? Or what about the almost complete re-write of max's core because the users just couldn't stand the unstable monster it had become? It'll take maybe a couple more versions, but they are halfway already. How? By looking at what you have, and thinking what you'll need -in the future- to stay on market.