Archicad for Linux

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I think the linux market share will grow in 2005.
I usually work with OpenOffice 1.9, Mozzila, Gaim, Skype, Oracle 10g, GIMP 2.1, Blender, Dia, ArcGIS 9.0 software that run on windows and linux,
I would like to work with a version of Archicad for linux,

Now we only have Building Information Modeling (BIM) software in linux:
- ARCAD 90, from www.arcad.de - only in german i think
- BricsCad, (brings DWG to the LINUX community) beta version, from www.bricscad.com
and a old 2D Software - Microstation 95 for Linux
Does anybody know if there will be a linux version of archicad in 2005?

thanks,
Bernardino

[TomWaltz]

If you don't want to listen to other Architects and Archicad users who have real-world experience, here's another opinion:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/index.php?p=133

[Rob]

Tom,
thanks for the link, it actually summarises what I was getting at.

Constatntin,
your comments about your IQ and/or my knowledge of Romania are irrelevant (don't get that personal), what I am saying is there is a vast gap between commercially used tools and other software in terms of maintenance, service and availability, meaning an UNIFORM and UNITED platform, there is a zillion differently flavoured versions of unix, who the hell have a time to do researching, even the main stream Linux has at least 4 different installations. Can you imagine a software developer choosing like hmmm, well, which flavour I should stick with?? THIS APPROACH IS NOT SIMPLY VIABLE commercially. Do not forget that AC is a tool for money making (after all) and not a challenge or toy for computer nerds, anyway it would be a quite expensive one.

[Anonymous]

Good morning

I post this new thread for the subject since the last one sadly has turned into some kind of personal conflict rather than a forum.

Just wanted to say that there are many architects who are interested in a cad system for linux. Just watch the number of views of the previous thread. It is by far the most viewed topic in this section.
And make a google search on the topic, there is a hungry market. Linux has become user friendly enough to attract the big mass. With well supported distros like suse, ubuntu, mandriva and red hat there are lots of possibilities and something that fits everyone.
I will not be surprised if in the future mac will be even closer to linux, using the unix/linux core, not having to spend their effort on that kind of resource hungry development, and offering their customer value in selling streamlined hardware and software distributions. Apple is already a design company rather than a hardware and system engineering company.

Personally i switched to linux as my first operating system a year back because it is a system that provides me with 90% of what I need to work with architecture, graphics, layouts, web design and so on at minimum cost.
Linux is a reliable, highly customizable and high security system that will provide me with up to date software without the need for numerous costly updates for everything (since most of the software is free).
The software in my machine will always be the latest and I can spend my software money on the most specific needs of my profession, in this case the cad software.
I truly believe that the first company with a competent cad system for linux users in the building sector will harvest from being the only one offering what many are waiting for.
The way to success in the linux world is to offer your commercial edge technology and then encourage and support the use of open formats for everything related to it. In this case graphics, layouts, renderings, presentations, web publishing and so on. Since closely related apps are free, everyone will have them, which is a big difference and upside compared to the windows community.

I got introduced to archicad at architect school and I like and use it as my cad software at work today. But as soon as there is a linux cad system worth the name that can handle the major cad file formats and hopefully an open standard (which would benefit everyone but auto desk) I will buy it.

Finally consider that many of the linux users are the top skilled from the upcoming generation of skilled computer users. The most dedicated windows users are looking for a new OS, because If you dig deep enough the developement homing effect of MicroSoft acting as a monopolist will start annoying you. My point is that many of those who will set tomorrows computer policy's in their companies are linux users.

So what's waiting for, give the market what it wants.

regards
Mikael

[Anonymous]

Rob,

I'm not sure I quite agree with your view of the numbers of Linux distro's.
You generally find that the software developer nominates a specific distro and config for their app. We use Softimage for our rendering on Linux and Soft nominates the qualified software and hardware. Autodesk Maya is the same...in fact runs on Mac and Linux as well as Windows. Autodesk's super compositing software like Smoke, Flame etc are very specifically tied to a particular hardware/linux software config. It's interesting to note though, that they purchased all these non windows apps and continue to support them for the time being. I guess if Revit or Autocad was on other platforms, the same would have happened.......

Graphisoft has Mac support so I don't really see the need to support a linux distro.

BTW nice to see another Robert from Sydney

R.

[Anonymous]

TomWaltz wrote:
If you don't want to listen to other Architects and Archicad users who have real-world experience, here's another opinion:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/index.php?p=133

i think i'm going crazy

i read your article and i'll quote "One thing is for sure, 2006 will be the final year of Microsoft dominance at the PC Doctor HQ."

The only thing that linux doesn't have are programs that run on it, and that's what i'm asking!!!!!! That is the only bad remark made by the article you suggest i read. and thank you for making my point: "Over the next 12 months, do you plan to increase the number of Linux systems you run?
Yes (48%)
Already running 100% Linux! (31%)
No (21%)" witch means that you are among those 21 %

[Rob]

Rob,

We use Softimage for our rendering on Linux and Soft nominates the qualified software and hardware

mate, I am afraid that the building industry is more conservative as you may think in terms of IT. the 'other' OS apart from Mac and Win is perceived as a sinister unknown evil that should not be touched simply because people in this industry can not be bothered by all those things like new settings, hardware drivers, new applications and importantly different look of OS. You would be surprise how many people would be asking the question like I've got windows on my home comp so why I can't run and see the same stuff as I can at work?
However, it would be fantastic to run OS that is for free but for the sake of an argument, why do we still use that crappy Autocad DWG file format that is obsolete and regulated just by one company on its own will? Because it's widely accepted by the minds of people here and often it's only 'technical term' that can be understood by your boss when you're talking about a consultant coordination. and your boss is the boss (usually)...

[Anonymous]

Rob wrote:
Rob,

We use Softimage for our rendering on Linux and Soft nominates the qualified software and hardware

mate, I am afraid that the building industry is more conservative as you may think in terms of IT. the 'other' OS apart from Mac and Win is perceived as a sinister unknown evil that should not be touched simply because people in this industry can not be bothered by all those things like new settings, hardware drivers, new applications and importantly different look of OS. You would be surprise how many people would be asking the question like I've got windows on my home comp so why I can't run and see the same stuff as I can at work?
However, it would be fantastic to run OS that is for free but for the sake of an argument, why do we still use that crappy Autocad DWG file format that is obsolete and regulated just by one company on its own will? Because it's widely accepted by the minds of people here and often it's only 'technical term' that can be understood by your boss when you're talking about a consultant coordination. and your boss is the boss (usually)...

thank you!!! at least somoane who thinks my way..

[stefan]

This discussion is turning into a politic monologue...

Considering the fact that Graphisoft is a rather small company and ArchiCAD is allready created for three platforms (Windows, PowerPC OSX and Intel OSX), with three different compilers (Visual Studio, CodeWarrior and XCode), I don't think they will add a fourth or fifth.
They have looked at cross-platform Qt-framework in the past, but did not migrated to it. It is quite expensive in a commercial situation.

If you are talking politics, I would agree to adapt the software price to the
average living standard of a country, with the restriction to only buy in your own region. But that's not the case... ArchiCAD is probably the cheapest in the States. And it is very expensive in Europe. I know, since I paid about EUR 6.500 (+ 21 % taxes) some time ago in Belgium.

If they did and they needed to reclaim their investment, they would probably have to charge about EUR 20.000 for each license, I assume. Well, there are companies that do something like that: Apple charges about $5000 for Shake on Linux and now $500 for the Mac-version. But it is a discontinued piece of software.

[Anonymous]

so the final conclusion is that we have to wait and see please!! E O S!

[Haneef Tayob]

Haven't read all the post, but here's my few cents:
1) The advantage of developing ArchiCad for an open source software such as Linux is that Graphisoft could contribute to and shape Linux to run ArchiCad to its best. (If Graphisoft can't do it, then I'll be worried about how they'll innovate and cope with other challenges)

2) The only thing preventing me from switching to Linux is that ArchiCad is not available on it.