Archicad - Doesnt Do What It Says On The Tin!

[Anonymous]

I am so frustrated with Archicad generally not doing loads of things that I need or doing things that I dont need that I thought I would start off a thread to see what concerns other people have with Archicad. I dont know if Archcad v11 has these features (probably not) but here goes for a starter:

1. This is the most important - a confirmation dialogue to save before you exit a project. I dont know about anyone else but the fact that the DONT SAVE button is so much larger than the SAVE button has caused me to lose countless hours of work. Would it be so much to ask for a confirmation when you click DONT SAVE that asks you whether you really want to do this!! And vice versa.

2. Walls that actually join together correctly. I have major problems with cavity walls and even single block walls not connecting properly when there are three walls meeting especially if one is at an angle. Archicad should have this sorted by now. Its fundamental to the way the program works. At the moment we have to do all our walls black filled becuase they look rubbish otherwise what with all the lousy connections etc. This is terrible in a professional CAD package!!

3. Decent hatching. I really hate the hatching in Archicad - Autocad hatching is so much better. Why cant we flood fill an area with hatching? Why cant we select the hatch for walls etc and change it really easily ie scale, direction etc. Hatching is a nightmare in Archicad.

4. More tools for those of us who dont draw in 3d! Yes none of us here draw in 3d because we have found it doesnt actually work (unless you are a programmer and have loads of time spare). So where are all the tools for us lot who draw in only 2d such as OFFSET for example which was the single most useful tool in Autocad I ever used. To not have it in Archicad is criminal!! There are loads of other tools I could do with like being able to stretch boxes, etc but the most frustrating thing with AC 10 is the sheer number of slections you have to make to draw and alter lines etc. MOVE, COPY, STRETCH, ROTATE etc should all be reachable with one click!

5. Decent titlebox info - what is the point in having date associated with the project rather than each individual drawing? Come on Graphsoft think about these things! When I do a drawing I want to have the date on the ttile block when I actually did the drawing not when I started the job! Same goes for pretty much all the rest of the project info - its completely useless.

6. Zones that flood to boundary lines whether 3d or 2d. At the moment zones only flood out to walls but this is really dependant on having the whole drawings drawn in 3d which we dont - ie stairs are usually drawn in 2d becuase they dont work properly in 3d (ie it takes ages to get one to look right and the balustrades never link up correctly).

Thats all that I can think of for the moment but there is a lot more! I know this sounds like a rant but I think its about time Graphsoft got its act sorted in terms of getting a decent flexible product not just adding daft little flashy addons and calling it a new version. And just for the record to release a new version of the software and expect everyone to buy it a year after the previous one is pretty criminal in my book.

Personally I would not recommend anyone buys Archicad with problems in it like the ones above. I hate the software myself as you can probably tell, give me something straight forward like Autocad anytime!

[Anonymous]

nats wrote:
Seriously though I do appreciate the comments I have received and am trying to look outside the envelope of 2d but it is difficult because I am working in a solely 2d environment in this firm and even if I actually ever 'got it' there are another ten people who would still be working in 2d.

There is actually a pretty good way to work with one or two modelers among a sea of drafters.

It is best if the modeler(s) can start in schematic phase building sketch models to support the design process. Sometimes these only have to be good enough to make backgrounds for the designer to sketch over by hand. The model can then be used to provide the backgrounds for drafters to work up finished sections, elevations & details. The new worksheet and reference tools make this especially easy.

The beauty of this approach is that it takes advantage of the model for design and drawing coordination without requiring advanced modeling skills, and also makes effective use of the drafting skills.

Back in ArchiCAD 5.0 and 5.1 this was the standard practice even among advanced users - and it was still much better than manually coordinating 2D drawings. I did a fairly large project in 5.0 with the model producing the completed floor plans and the backgrounds for sections and elevations to be completed in AutoCAD and for details drawn by hand (because we didn't have enough skilled ArchiCAD users).

Once you get started on this path you start realizing how much time can be saved by just making the model a little better. After a while you stop redrawing things and just go fix them in the model. Eventually the building elevations and sections (1:100 to 1:50 scale) are completely detailed in the model and require only notes and dimensions.

Details still require a fair amount of drafting, but I don't see that changing any time soon. There are limits to how much detail we want to put in the model (though improvements in the composites and cleanup in section could go a long way in this direction). Besides we'll still need to find work for the 2D guys for some time to come

The big advantage personally to learning the modeling, is that the modeler inevitably becomes the job captain (at least for production) and usually then moves on to becoming the project architect and/or an associate in the firm. (I have seen this often.)

Glad to see you're coming around to giving it a real try. I'm sure you can count on plenty of support here. You might also see if there is a user group (or look into starting one) in your area. I know there are a lot of users in the UK. There is nothing like live contact for advancing your skills.

[Anonymous]

Matthew wrote:

nats wrote:
........the modeler(s) ..... models to support the design process.......over by hand. The model can then be used ......... takes advantage of the model for....... modeling skills, and also makes effective use of the drafting skills.
......just making the model a little ...... completely detailed in the model and require ......amount of drafting, but I don't see t.........

Matthew, this word modeling is repeated alot in AC world. I always think of MODELING as doing "drawings" in the 3D window, but I get a feeling most people do it on the plan window and take care of the rendering and visualization in the 3D window. Could you put some flash light on this topic?
Thanks,
Joseph

[Anonymous]

Joseph wrote:
Matthew, this word modeling is repeated alot in AC world. I always think of MODELING as doing "drawings" in the 3D window, but I get a feeling most people do it on the plan window and take care of the rendering and visualization in the 3D window. Could you put some flash light on this topic?

I can't speak for others but I use the term "modeling" in a broad, multidimensional, virtual building sense. That is, the building model is a simplified, computer-based abstraction of the proposed building. This is much more than just 3D modeling since the entities we use are identified and constrained according to properties and parameters appropriate to their type. In 3D modeling programs such as form•Z the various shapes are undifferentiated except by position, shape and color.

In this respect it is possible to do true building modeling with nothing but plans and typical (unlinked elevations) if that is all the job calls for (such as space planning and furniture layouts). On the other extreme would be a complex project such as a hospital with fully coordinated MEP models, energy calculations, etc. The point is to abstract just the information that is necessary for the proper coordination and management of the project.

Whether this modeling is done in plans, 3D views, sections, schedules, library parts, or linked models, modules and specs is simply a matter of whatever is most effective.

The way I see it the process is still very similar to the way we did with manual drafting. The difference is that the coordinating model can be represented in the computer instead of residing solely in the Architects' heads.

[TomWaltz]

Matthew wrote:
Whether this modeling is done in plans, 3D views, sections, schedules, library parts, or linked models, modules and specs is simply a matter of whatever is most effective

Exactly. It's a lot easier to draw walls and locate windows in plan view. It's a lot easier to locate trim pieces and align roofs in elevation. It's all about where it's easier to do the exact task you are working on.

I usually only work in the 3D window for looking at things I cannot see in other views and make minor edits. But that's just me. I have one person here who works in the 3D window half of his day because he's more comfortable with it.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:

Matthew wrote:
Whether this modeling is done in plans, 3D views, sections, schedules, library parts, or linked models, modules and specs is simply a matter of whatever is most effective

Exactly. It's a lot easier to draw walls and locate windows in plan view. It's a lot easier to locate trim pieces and align roofs in elevation. It's all about where it's easier to do the exact task you are working on.

I usually only work in the 3D window for looking at things I cannot see in other views and make minor edits. But that's just me. I have one person here who works in the 3D window half of his day because he's more comfortable with it.

Yep, it's all about getting the job done.

[Anonymous]

Tom & Matthew,
I like what you two are saying, yet like to hear how one can utilize the 3D window better for different components of a building?
Thanks,
Joseph

[Anonymous]

Joseph wrote:
Tom & Matthew,
I like what you two are saying, yet like to hear how one can utilize the 3D window better for different components of a building?
Thanks,
Joseph

Kind of a broad subject. Perhaps you should start a new topic.

[TomWaltz]

You may as well ask "how do I use Archicad." That's a hige question, probably one that would take a day or so to teach as a seminar in person.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
You may as well ask "how do I use Archicad." That's a hige question, probably one that would take a day or so to teach as a seminar in person.

The answer that satisfied me. I am not so far off.
Thanks a Mil. Tom & Matthew,
Joseph