Archicad product decision help

[Anonymous]

Hello Guys-

I am interested in starting a small log home design business. I am looking to create floor plans, elevations, and virtual walk throughs.

What I am trying to determine is what combination of software I would need to do this kind of work. I am also trying to figure out if Archicad is the right solutions at all. I am also trying to learn what is the best way to become trained on using Archicad if it is the right solution for us. Any insight you could provide will be grealy appreciated. Thanks

[Laszlo Nagy]

Actually it is possible to make logs in ArchiCAD.
Many years ago there was a special version created for a Finnish Log Home manufacturer (Honka) which enabled them to create Walls out of Logs. This feature later made it into the normal version of ArchiCAD as well.
Also, it possible to use so called Complex Profiles in the program, where you define the cross section profile of a Wall, Column or Beam and model e.g. that Wall using that Profile. So that is another way of creating these logs.
So in all you will probably be able to create Floor Plans, Sections, Elevations, Construction Documentation etc. in ArchiCAD.

There is a 30-day Free Trial for ArchiCAD available. You can get one at http://myarchicad.com

Also, there are free Interactive Training Guides you can download, install and do. These will give you a pretty good grounding in ArchiCAD. Then you can decide if this is the right program for you.
You can download the Guides from:

http://www.graphisoft.com/education/training_guides/

Maybe you can download the training guide from myarchicad.com as well, I don't know for sure, I have not tried it.

[Karl Ottenstein]

Many log home companies use ArchiCAD for the complete workflow, including visualization.

For the kinds of things you want to do, no additional software is required.

[Complex Profile walls, though, are not generally suitable for logs, Laszlo, as it is impossible to insert windows into them and have them cased properly.]

There is an add-on package available for more sophisticated log work:
http://www.intcad.com/index.php/graphisoft-archicad/75-archilogs-for-archicad

Not that you would consider it until you have mastered ArchiCAD and found out if you even need it. 😉

A cheaper option, if all you need is to create custom ends for roof beams, purlins, etc - particularly for complex joints - is an add-on (plug-in) from Encina, Objective:
http://www.encina.co.uk/objective.html

There used to be a US "Log Home Solution", which included a library of log parts that was useful - but I don't believe it is offered any longer. Many things, such as log stairs, that used to be difficult to create, are now pretty simple with complex profiled elements for angled stringers, half log treads, etc.

You will not be able to use the cheaper START edition:
http://www.archicadwiki.com/StartEdition2011?highlight=%28StartEdition%29

in my opinion, because you will want a number of features that are not present in that reduced-feature version:

- slanted columns and/or beams
- (complex / custom) profiled walls, columns, beams

Since you want images like the web sites that you originally listed, you would also want the LightWorks rendering engine in the full product (as well as the Sketch engine - only in the full product).

As Laszlo suggested, you might want to download the 30 day free trial - but do so when you can dedicate enough time to fully go through the interactive training guide(s) and ask questions here.

If you were to hire a trainer to get you up to speed, at US prices I would think you would need to budget around $3k to $6k depending on how quick of a learner you are.

Cheers,
Karl

[Karl Ottenstein]

laszlonagy wrote:
You can download the Guides from:

http://www.graphisoft.com/education/training_guides/

Maybe you can download the training guide from myarchicad.com as well, I don't know for sure, I have not tried it.

I checked, and these are all on myarchicad.com too. But, the link above gives a nice description of what each ITG covers, so is a better 'home base". Strangely, Graphisoft is marketing Teamwork so strongly that they put the two 'collaboration' training modules at the top of the list on the link above.

I would think the Experience BIM and ArchiCAD Essentials training guides should be the first stop for a new user...

Cheers,
Karl

[Laszlo Nagy]

Karl wrote:
[Complex Profile walls, though, are not generally suitable for logs, Laszlo, as it is impossible to insert windows into them and have them cased properly.]

It is pretty obvious I never really used this feature.
I just know it is there.

[Anonymous]

There´s an add-on for ArchiCAD......ArchiLogs (M.A.D. Oy Finland), but is quite expensive (2750 EUR).

http://www.mad.fi/mad/logs.html

[Karl Ottenstein]

andro55 wrote:
There´s an add-on for ArchiCAD......ArchiLogs (M.A.D. Oy Finland), but is quite expensive (2750 EUR).

http://www.mad.fi/mad/logs.html

That's the product linked to in my post below - US reseller's site (since question came from a US customer). 😉

Cheers,
Karl