LET'S BRING THE FUN BACK

[Djordje]

... or your top ten ArchiCAD wishes.

Mine is in the topic title, all encompassing.

The particulars?

- concept modeling tool
- stair tool
- parametric object creation tool with graphical interface (doors and windows included)
- sloped top walls
- double curve curtain wall that also punches a hole in a wall
- true curved roofs
- assembly tools (railings, false ceiling, panelling ... yes, I know Curtain Wall can be used for this)
- overhaul of the annotation tools, especially correct dimensioning text orientation
- full backwards compatibility/old file opening and/or conversion tools (long life projects, anyone?)
- OLE (don't care that MacOS does not have it, Windows does not have other things)

And now, you ...

[vfrontiers]

Admittedly these are minor and it's the middle of my work day, so limited time to consider....

1. Dimensions should be INDIVIDUALLY set for resolution and display...
( I should be able to have one string with 2'-0" and 12").

2. Should be able to apply more than one ASSOC. LABEL to any given element.

3. Should be able to SCHEDULE labels!

4. Sheet Index should be able to DISPLAY subset name.


more later,

[vfrontiers]

Ok, 1 min later.....

5. Meshes should be able to put points anywhere and still be solid? (I need to be able to create a rock with a mesh).

6. I need roofs to be able to resolve a slanted fascia next to a curved segment of roof. (To see what I'm talking about... 1) draw a square roof 2) Bend one side in with a curve 3) Change all fascia's to 60deg angle 4) Go to 3d... errors will occur 5) also try with curved segment fascia plumb)


Hey, this is kind fun...

[Anonymous]

Ok... Here goes mine... Some have been mentioned...

- parametric object creation tool with graphical interface (doors and windows included) IMO this is crucial for the future of AC...
- concept modeling tool that can convert surfaces to elements like walls, roofs, meshes...
- Quit with LW render engine and invest in better communication with Art.lantis... Like the ability to animate AC elements (door/window open)
- True double twisted curve/spline wall
- True double twisted curve/spline curtain wall that also punches a hole in a wall
- True double twisted curved/spline roofs
- A mesh tool that can be linked/saved with surveys .txt xyz file
- A mesh tool with automatic "level dimension curves" (Lines with the same elevation)
- A mesh tool with thickness (composite)
- full backwards compatibility/old file opening and/or conversion tools

I'm relieved!...

[Djordje]

Braza wrote:
Ok... Here goes mine... Some have been mentioned...

- parametric object creation tool with graphical interface (doors and windows included) IMO this is crucial for the future of AC...
- concept modeling tool that can convert surfaces to elements like walls, roofs, meshes...
- Quit with LW render engine and invest in better communication with Art.lantis... Like the ability to animate AC elements (door/window open)
- True double twisted curve/spline wall
- True double twisted curve/spline curtain wall that also punches a hole in a wall
- True double twisted curved/spline roofs
- A mesh tool that can be linked/saved with surveys .txt xyz file
- A mesh tool with automatic "level dimension curves" (Lines with the same elevation)
- A mesh tool with thickness (composite)
- full backwards compatibility/old file opening and/or conversion tools

I'm relieved!...

HEY!

No copying!

[Anonymous]

My wishes are all purely functional. GS, please get the basics of the program working perfectly before announcing some kind of crazy 'Suspension Bridge Tool' (or whatever) next!

My favorites would be :

1 - The ability to inject properties of door/win into existing opening/door/win and not change opening size, just the size and arrangement of the frame.

2 - Element heights and levels to be connected to storey heights. (Vertical relationships).

3 - Multiple stretching points for complex profiles, to allow manual adjustment of different skins.

4 - Materials overhaul (See here)- Textures should be separated from usage by a material alias. This material alias should be named by its usage or location e.g. window_frame, which will allow easy change of multiple materials at once.

5 - Measure tool should work better. Angle measurement, 3d measurement (restraining to xyz axis) and correct transfer of measurement to tracker all function poorly.

6 - Stepped Floor Plan Cut Plane, or a better method of dealing with multiple levels.

7 - Lines should be thicker, and stay visible when navigating in the OpenGL window.

8 - Real RGB based colours for background fills of elements not connected to pen sets.

9 - Uniform mesh thickness option for weird roofs or freeform shapes, with better smoothness and point interpolation between nodes (like petri's mesh3d library part).

10 - The 'turning plaster' function in doors and windows should be visible in 3d.

Many thanks!

[Anonymous]

Navigation:
Create a "book" level of organization within the navigator to manage Schematic Design, Design Dev, CD, etc. With subsets within. This will allow us to collapse the books we are not using, and will make for an easy scheduling of sheet index.

Modules:
Add to the module manager the ability to link to other projects' view sets and offer the ability to auto update these modules or manage them manually. This would blow open the flexibility of Archicad on larger projects.

Details:
Provide the ability to access the details of external files and pull them into the active project file without the laborious copy/paste routine. We have files of details that we manage and update separately and need to bring into the active project file.

Objects:
Adding to the previous comments; Perhaps the new "Object Manager" can have the "smart group" characteristics of Sketchup allowing for "object cloning" or "group clone" behavior.

Interface:
Combine the navigator with the organizer. Images to follow if I have time.

and a bunch of little stupid interface stuff that I'll leave out for now....

[Anonymous]

I'll update this post shortly but I think we really need to see some foundational stuff reworked:

Biggest one is the underlying 3D technology. I have posted at length about the problem of A/C facetted geometry in 3D.
Vectorworks are licensing new technology to jump the competition. Given the same parentage, why not for A/C, Nemestchek?*? The best article I have read on this made the point that having groovy shapes etc is cool but Not worth it if not integrated into the modeling tool set. This is the critical part - we cannot have another Maxonform fiasco where any 'distortion' corrupts walls and doors etc into a big fugly library part! The building model must remain as such....

Overhaul rendering engine and implement latest Lightworks (lots has been written on this in the forum) or move on. This is related to the next issue-

Materials editor & palette needs dramatic rework

[henrypootel]

-Make the 3D window prettier. Any computer game made in the last 5 years looks much better in real-time 3D rendering than the ArchiCAD 3D window. And if the 3D window looks good enough, then we won't need Lightworks to produce fly-throughs.
-Either ditch Lightworks, or make it work properly. Or better yet, build-in Artlantis as an add-on or something.
-Bring back Plotmaker!

[Anonymous]

I agree with everything written below.

Furthermore: How about **any** copy or multiply function in section or elevation? Strangely it works in the 3D window, so it should not be a problem with the underlying engine/computer model.

MaxonForm was, err, less than optimal... Added functionality should stay within the A/C environment. That is, additional functionality should work in the form of plug-ins that add menus or menu items, **not** force me into another software/work environment.

Thermal analysis (energy crisis, CO2 emissions anyone?) has been promised since I-don't-know-when, even a special interface with Ecotect. I even remember having filled a questionnaire on this topic long time ago. Does this mean, we'll see something in version 13/14/15? Today the best "solution" appears an export via 3DS and another file format. Oh, and I believe Ecotect now belongs to the A...desk company.

My 2¢ worth,

Florian