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2008-10-14 06:32 AM
2008-10-18 12:48 AM
The solution ..... is to "send it down to the technicians, they will come up with something…"
... most of the Archicad users on this forum ...don't thirst for non-repeating irregularityby their own admission to using ArchiCAD, they do!
2008-10-18 02:45 AM
2008-10-18 03:59 AM
2008-10-18 04:50 AM
2008-10-18 08:01 AM
Bricklyne wrote:Well said....bravo......couldn't have said it better
......ah yes, the usual anti-blobitecture/free-form/organic-modeling bashing party that we always get whenever someone raises the issue of ArchiCAD's piss-poor tool-set and versatility in this area -
always triggered, of course, as a defense for Graphisoft's reticence and obstinacy to improve the tools in AC.
There's nothing quite like the smell of youthful dreams getting crushed in the morning, through the the generational divide when them older folks try to teach the young 'uns that they'll never be able to get their fancy ideas built simply because the technology (that they, the older folks) use doesn't permit it and because we don't usually do things this way in Architecture.
I would be curious to know when the last time it was that any of you went into an architecture school, particularly the graduate schools just to see what the architects of tomorrow are being challenged to design. I'm even tempted to ask just how far back, and how long ago, you guys were actually in architecture school period, but that might be hitting a little below the belt.
Bottom line is that in a lot of the schools where they actually encourage their students to pursue these kinds of formal investigations in their design processes (I'm thinking, schools like the AA, Columbia, Harvard GSD, Sci-ARC in L.A. and IAAC in Barcelona) - you know, cutting edge, leading design schools, it's not simply no longer just a question of being able to conceive these designs and put them down on paper. No, a lot of these schools, actually place a great, if not greater, deal of emphasis on the whole rationalization of these forms and buildability of these designs - by way of finding out and distinguishing between what can actually work with today's technology and what really is just a pipe dream. In other words, they do get challenged on questions of fabrication, structure, sustainability and even economic feasibility. Architectural education has moved beyond the question of whether or not these forms are actually conceivable, ( we know they are) or even whether or not they are buildable ( the Gehry's and Hadid's out there have proven time and again that they are), to the most optimal ways of actually constructing these forms, even bringing into the equation, questions of parametricity in design and fabrication, and the role of scripting in the design process.
The question is, what tools exist to allow them to do all this and right now, in most of the schools I mentioned you'll find that the weapons of choice are software like Rhino (probably the most popular design AND documentation tools in Architecture today, even beginning to surpass AutoCAD), Maya, and to a lesser degree Sketchup and MAX. It's not surprise that McNeel have made a concerted effort over the last couple of Rhino versions they've released, to improve the documentation and digitization capabilities of their program as well as really trying to tie into the AEC market beyond their traditional product design and Nautical (boat) design client-base. They can clearly see the trend in Architectural design even as Rhino is picked up by more and more smaller Architecture firms the likes of which can't afford the Digital Projects and CATIA's but who still don't want to be constrained by their tools in their design and conceptualization processes.
Whether or not you like this style of architecture, it certainly here to stay and will likely be the dominant style for tomorrow's architecture for the cutting-edge types, coming out out of architecture school today and who will be designing the multi-functional complexes of tomorrow. And the question of whether or not clients want to or will want to build this kind of architecture is somewhat rendered moot by increased significance of iconic and "signature" buildings in modern socio-economic metrics wherein part of the value of a building is in its capacity to draw attention as much as to fulfill its programmatic requirements; the Bilbao effect at a micro-scale.
The other important question of course is, where does ArchiCAD, or by extension, Graphisoft fit into all this. Going by the blinding support on threads like these, one can only surmise, being left behind. ArchiCAD used to be cutting edge when we needed a more intelligent way to design and construct conventional architecture - today, intelligence in design and construction is pretty much getting to the point of being a standard of a given especially when you consider that the likes of Vectorworks will be a fully BIM application in 2 years time. It's developers (AC) never conceived or allowed, for any possibility that it might have to address non-conventional forms with non-Euclidean geometry, and it clearly tells today as it chokes on imported double-curved surfaces. but as long as their customers never give them a reason to, they'll never see the need to adapt or change what's worked so well for so long. Meanwhile, Whereas ArchiCAD used to be taught in the advanced design courses of those schools that I previously mentioned ........10 years ago!!!, the fact that today more students are trying to ensure that they're well versed in the Rhino's, the Generative Component's and the Maya's, before they get out into the job market gives a pretty good idea where this field, and this product are headed.
ArchiCAD is falling behind. So is Revit - but at least they're showing that they're aware of where this trend in design is headed and they also have that multi-headed monster Autotable backing them.
2008-10-21 06:54 PM
2008-10-21 10:58 PM
blobmeister wrote:
Well said....bravo......couldn't have said it better
2008-10-22 05:38 AM
2008-10-22 08:08 AM
2008-10-22 11:58 PM