We’re gathering feedback on a new experimental feature: Distance Guides!
Please see our brief illustrated survey: based on your intuition and logic, how should Distance Guides behave? No right or wrong answers here… we want to know how YOU think it should work.
Not familiar with Distance Guides? Not a problem. In a nutshell: Distance Guides show the relative distance between elements in your plan.
IMPORTANT: You can participate even if you don’t use Distance Guides!
To start the survey, click the link below. Please do the survey before you go to the comment section!
UPDATE: The Distance Guides survey is now closed. We would like to thank all participants who took part in this research for their valuable contributions.
That's the other concept Graphisoft can't grasp - Time - everything is charged by the minute and needed yesterday, yet we have broken tools that take years to fix and develop AFTER they have been launched. Sorry Sir, I know your new car is incomplete, but if you bring it back every three months we will try to fit the missing parts, although that may at any point lead to ignition failure...
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Hey DGS, I share some of your frustrations but shouldn’t we at least be patient and show some more confidence in GS ? I know you have over a long period of time. Please continue to show them some more trust and confidence and I am sure they will respond and deliver in time. Development of CAD software is a different kettle of fish to servicing a car. Developing a new model of car can take quite a bit of time and testing as you probably know. I am glad they have given us the experimental features to test and to work with them to develop them further with our input. Things run more smoothly when you show trust and confidence and patience.
AC8.1 - AC28 ARM AUS + CI Tools Apple Mac Studio M1 Max Chip 10C CPU 24C GPU 7.8TF 32GB RAM OS Sequoia
TRUST - They broke that about five years ago when architectural improvements stalled in favour of multidiscipline tools, which as far as I know have never gained traction. 75k users & how many constructive posts do you see on using the structural tools and their associated issues on here?
CONFIDENCE - AC is backed with some brilliant programmers, or it used to be; it's a shame the captain is steering the ship in the direction of an iceberg while the engine room is trying to stop the pipes bursting and the motors seizing.
PATIENCE - 20 years and we're still waiting for instancing. Or how about the other stuff we need...
- Here's another half developed tool, tell us what's wrong and we MIGHT fix it... sometime.
- We know there's a Wishlist but everything is really difficult to implement because marketing says they can't promote it..
Things would run more smoothly if they got back to delivering software for architects that works & simplifies AC and boost productivity. Unfortunately that wish seems to be consigned to the Ideas pool in the Roadmap.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Seems like it was answered back in 2008 with the tracker. So where did this new wish/request come from? Possibly someone who doesn't know how to use AC e.g. a noob who asked without learning the basics? I'm beginning to think even those in charge of development can't see the wood for the trees when it comes to ACs inherited functionality.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
@DGSketcher points taken above in your boldface headings. Something to consider is that you have been a very long time user of AC going back some 28 years. So you would have an established a workflow that you have built up over time with all the upgrades to date.
Consider it from the perspective of new users coming from either Revit or CA like I was some 21 years ago. We had to learn a new input method and put the old CAD system behind us and use AC the way it does things. BTW there are a different input methods that have been introduced into AC overtime for example “Guide Lines” that help the process greatly.
Now with “Design Guides” we have the potential to speed up our workflow even further. Those of us that know how to use CA or Revit can clearly see the benefits. But if a person is only used to ever using AC, it can be quite difficult to change the way they work or adapt to a new input or placing method.
I am very pleased with how I can place doors and windows into the plan and how I can edit room sizes with DG’s. I still use guide lines and the tracker like we all do. They are working on improving “Distance Guides” and I like many others are looking forward to these improvements.
I hope that you in time will see some more benefits to speed up your workflow by continuing to see ways that “Distance Guides” may help you out in the future.
AC8.1 - AC28 ARM AUS + CI Tools Apple Mac Studio M1 Max Chip 10C CPU 24C GPU 7.8TF 32GB RAM OS Sequoia
I think we're on the same page, but I completely disagree with the approach GS is taking. With new features should generally come redundancy of older ones that no longer serve their purpose. The distance guide isn't bringing much to the party as a replacement function due to its second guessing process. The blue snap guides is an example of that underlying thinking and they can also rapidly run out of control.
I believe AC has reached a point in its development cycle that those in control of its development no longer see the original concepts and are now going through the process of reinventing the wheel. The problem is there is no redundancy and everything gets more complicated because the new wheels are just bolted on the side.
I do hope you see the benefits of what you think you will be getting, personally I am getting past caring as I don't see much of a future for AC if it carries on with its current trajectory of releasing half developed tools, financial abuse and neglect of its users.
Apple iMac Intel i9 / macOS Sonoma / AC27UKI (most recent builds.. if they work)
Maybe it’s all result of AC choosing to play nice with other cad systems that we have all these extra features that are not fully developed ? All the time it must take to collaborate with other disciplines, takes time away from fully developing the core functionality. GS needs to strike a balance because it can easily get out of control when you have too many other disciplines to please.
AC8.1 - AC28 ARM AUS + CI Tools Apple Mac Studio M1 Max Chip 10C CPU 24C GPU 7.8TF 32GB RAM OS Sequoia
I have been using ArchiCAD continually since ArchiCAD 4.5, 4.5.5, 5, 5.1, 6, 6.5, 7, 8, 8.1, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 21, 22, 25, now testing 27 Member of Architalk since 2003, but missed the migration to Graphisoft. (where have all my original posts gone?)
Hi @AllanP, that is something they will need to address in providing settings for how DG’s are referencing. To change the referencing to core or to any other skin that we may set in our preferences on how they will display.
Let’s see what happens with AC28 ?
AC8.1 - AC28 ARM AUS + CI Tools Apple Mac Studio M1 Max Chip 10C CPU 24C GPU 7.8TF 32GB RAM OS Sequoia
looks like trouble. I think these Design guides should read exactly what you see on display, independent if an element is mistakenly misplaced in another level but still shows on current floor plan, etc. or renovation or partial structure display or whatever.
Otherwise its not reliable, as the tool counts on you to function properly (that is, you model everything perfectly all the time so the design guide can do its job!). I dont know about you guys, but i thought that It should be the other way around: the software HELPS US to model perfectly and clean the mess.
(by the way! and speaking of software that can handle what its on-screen: our proposed dimension tool would also reads and dimension WHAT IT SEES on screen, no matter if you delete, move, rotate or demolish the h*ll out of elements. This way the dimensions ALWAYS stay consistent within your defined criteria. Click based dimensioning, an anachronistic relic, would still be available for ad hoc situations if you need it). Please GS, stop working on that new grass tool and make it happen!
