Enhancing Archicad for Heritage Projects and Point Clouds

[Lucas343]

I have recently started working with Archicad on heritage projects and found it to be a dynamic tool, well-suited to this type of work. However, I believe the software could benefit from additional features specifically tailored to heritage preservation and point cloud processing. Even simple enhancements would enrich Archicad's capacity to address the unique challenges associated with heritage projects, offering a more focused approach to these specialized areas.

[Barry Kelly]

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@Lucas343 wrote:

 However, I believe the software could benefit from additional features specifically tailored to heritage preservation and point cloud processing. Even simple enhancements would enrich Archicad's capacity to address the unique challenges associated with heritage projects, offering a more focused approach to these specialized areas.

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You can't just say Archicad could be better - this does not help Graphisoft make improvements.

What additional features will be required and what do you need to do with point clouds that Archicad can't do now.

Point cloud processing is probably best done in the software creating the point clouds I would think.

Barry.

[Paul King]

I would say that this is one area where AI could be genuinely useful in ArchiCAD workflows.  In particular converting pointclouds into editable ArchiCAD elements.  There are already tools that will make a crude surface out of pointcloud points, that in principle you could import as a dumb GDL object - but these are of very limited practical use, other than for as-built visualisation purposes. 

[Jaime-airc_digital]

Hi Barry, since the implementation of Point Clouds in Archicad 19 the tool has not evolved at all. I know Archicad 28 will include some enhancements via a third party plugin, with the caveat that advanced features will depend on a monthly subscription. Of course some processing is better done before hand in external programs, but it is indeed very useful to have the ability to edit the point cloud in Archicad to avoid loosing time in external processing for simple everyday tasks.

We have been using point clouds for many years in most of our projects, and for that purpose I developed CloudTool, using GDL scripting. The features include:

• Showing the point cloud origin for setting out and alignment, enabling to rotate the point cloud according to the project needs, but still being able to track the original setting out point and rotation. This works great with the Survey Point tool now available in Archicad.
  
  
• Creating a cutting box just for the point cloud, to be able to focus on a particular storey, room, section, etc. using Archicad cutting planes or marquees has the disadvantage that they cut the whole model, not just the point cloud.
  
  
• Creating a polygonal cutting body that allows to be inverted, for example, to show the context of the building or to achieve a cutting polygon more complex than the basic box. The polygon can also display segment, perimeter and area measurements.
  
  
• Slicing the point cloud by a set distance on the vertical direction, to create terrain contour lines from the cloud data.
  
  
• Animating the cutting box or polygon to be able to transition from the point cloud to the finished model without leaving Archicad.

See some additional examples of what I mean in the following CloudTool YouTube playlist.

[Jaime-airc_digital]

Another important feature requested for many years would be the ability to define composite layers or complex profiles components according to renovation filters. It is very disruptive in heritage projects to have to mark existing walls as to be demolished or other workarounds just to be able to add insulation layers or different finishes to an existing wall / roof / slab.