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.

[Tintifax2]

@Paul King The basic truth: Archicad (especially library objects) can NOT deal with vaults, wobbly arches, uneven floors etc.  Even having antique windows in trapezoidal prismatic walls is a nightmare. In 3D it will look fine utilizing Morphs and mesh tool, but plans, schedules, renovation status ... Try to have a correct floorplan depiction with new windows in existing complex window flanning ... Archicad was never intended to deal with that - and it can't.

Mesh-surfaces derived from a point cloud are useless - suitable abstraction is the name of the game.

In order to utilize Archicad’s (limited) functionality something like PointCap would be appropriate: Generate and position 2D polyline-slices from which an Archicad model can be created according to arbitrary output necessities.

https://youtu.be/xBg0JgEqDPc?si=LtfeeEPOWvTZagal

[Paul King]

I think it depends on how 'heritige' you need to go.

Most heritige alteration work, (at least as we define 'heritige' in the New World) is on buildings less than 200 years old (few examples older than even 150 years have survived) - and for this very large body of examples that architects need to work on, an AI based translation of point cloud data into corresponding ArchiCAD wall, slab, roof and window & door elements would be hugely useful. 

It is rare that we even need to represent undulating floors and walls etc, let alone with any accuracy - they tend not to undulate that much after only 100-200 years, and the work that needs to be done on them tends not to need documention of the with millimeter-accurate precision, because it must be done by craftsmen on site anyway, rather than in prefabrication factories.  Point cloud surveys of existing buildings (at least that I have seen so far) tend not to be dense enough to rigorously capture the accurate cross sectional geometry of windows, doors and mouldings etc, and it is rare that the need arises to depict them at anything more than an absracted level -  though for sure it would be good for ArchiCAD doors and window elements in particular to offer a highly customisable/plastic editing mode  without losing scheduling abilities etc 

[Tintifax2]

@Paul King In order to AI convert ANY given point cloud geometry, the result will be MORPHS (reclassified at best). And trust me, you do not want (all) Mophs in your model.

[Paul King]

This is where I think AI comes in.  Flat vertical planes as a starting point can sensibly be interpreted and representged as wall elements, flat horizontal planes can sensibly be interpreted as floor elements etc, but with ever-increasing context senstive nuance from user feedback - for example small horizontal planes within the thickness of walls may start to become recognized as sills of some kind, etc

[Steve EAstland]

Working in the UK we often deal with heritage building substantially older that 200 years. The combination of Cob buildings ( Mud Stone and Horsehair binder) that have moved over time and historic building movements where floors can be over 150mm out of horizontal can combine to make using Archicad impractical. The combination of this distortion and the fact that repairs to the building have taken place over time often in different materials also contributes to the complexity. I have often wondered if there could be an AI tool that could analyse the cloud point scan that would identify the different materials, build types and allow for a construction of a morph that reflects the actual building rather than a simplified form. This would allow me as a designer to make  informed decisions for repair and remedial work and enable me to issue clear detailed instructions to the tradesmen on site. At present I am hand drawing the details over a print out  as this is quick and easy but can get lost in the development of the project.